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Review: Oasis

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Oasis
By Guojing
New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2025. Graphic novel. 112 pages.

JieJie and DiDi live in the barren desert surrounding the utopic Oasis City -- which is protected from frequent sandstorms by a geodesic dome. Their mother works in the city, trying her best to save money and bring the siblings to live with her, but in the meantime they are left behind to ration water, save food, and wait for calls from their mother on the payphone. One day, while picking through the trash, they discover the body of a humanoid robot who, after being revived, becomes a perfect robot caregiver. 

This graphic novel is spared from feeling too bleak by its emphasis on familial love -- and there's plenty to be found. Though the circumstances that keep JieJie and DiDi from their mother are sad, it is quickly apparent to readers that they are loved -- by their human mother and later by their AI mother also. Relying mostly on soft strokes in neutral tones to evoke the environment overrun by sand, this is a beautiful graphic novel that warns readers of climate disaster. When color is employed, it is masterfully done. Any new work from Guojing is worth stopping to appreciate.
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