All Princesses Die Before Dawn - Quentin Zuttion - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Quentin Zuttion

GENRE: Graphic Novel

PUBLICATION DATE: November 30, 2022

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A graphic novel depicting one day in the life of a French family, the day after Princess Diana’s death. Clever use of the tragedy without milking it for melodrama. Excellent writing with many poignant moments. Slice-of-life in the best possible way. Great illustrations. Much recommended.

Plot Preview:

One day after Princess Diana’s death. Eight-year-old Lulu loves playing with his dolls, putting on his mom’s lipstick, and enacting fairy tales with his best friend Yoyo, even dreaming of kissing Yoyo after a fairy tale rescue. Lulu’s elder sister Cam has a secret older boyfriend sneaking into her bedroom at night, unknown to anyone else except Lulu. Their mother is waiting for their father, who didn’t come home the previous night. When he finally comes, they realise that something needs to change.

We see this day from the perspective of the three key characters: Lulu, Cam, and their mother.

This book was originally published in French in 2022 under the title ‘Toutes les princesses meurent après minuit.’ This English version was published in 2024.

Looking at the above preview, you might wonder how it fits in with the international tragedy being reported on TV. The hint is in the title. Initially, it does seem like Princess Diana’s death has nothing to do with what’s happening in Lulu’s family. As the story proceeds, we realise that it is not just about the actual princess who died in that tunnel at dawn, but three more metaphorical princesses who realise that life isn't as straightforward as they thought it would be. The title is metaphorical, and apt for the book, though you will realise this only once you complete the story.

This is a story with many layers, so I don’t want to spoil anything by delving into the plot. All I’ll say is that I am super-impressed by how the author managed to incorporate so many themes into the story without making it feel overburdened or preachy. As it takes place on a single day, a lot of the content is implicit, and it is up to us to decipher the clues. Though it is a family drama, it focusses more on internal conflicts than external mudslinging, and in several panels, the characters’ expressions are all we have to interpret their emotions.

The story also contains a few songs that have a significant role to play in the characters’ emotions. I knew only one of the songs, but luckily, the text includes the relevant lyrics. Thus, even without knowing the tune, we can see the poetic impact of the lyric and how it corresponds to the character’s state of mind at that time.

The three characters whose perspective we see are varied enough to keep the proceedings interesting. Lulu will win your heart easily as a major chunk of the narrative focusses on him, but even his sister and his mother have well-defined personalities. Each of their tracks has a love story at a different relationship stage, and as with all love stories, each involves heartbreak.

The illustrations are brilliant, both in terms of sketching and colouring. Using a watercolour style with a crayon effect for the artwork was the right decision. There is a lot of fluidity in the plot and in the characters as well, plus there are actual scenes with water. This artistic choice ensures that the plot and the graphics complement each other thoroughly.

The author’s parting note of thanks to fairytale princesses – Disney and real – was the most touching and apt ending. It gave me the feeling that at least a part of this book might have been based on actual incidents in the author’s life, but I am not too sure about this.

Overall, this is a beautiful and bittersweet story with some memorable characters and intricate storytelling. Slice-of-life is a tricky style to execute, but this book handles it quite well. I am not usually a fan of this style, but this time, colour me impressed!

Definitely recommended to graphic novel enthusiasts looking for a literary kind of graphic experience with a poignant and layered storyline.

This was a library read.