Book Review: “Wake Now in the Fire: A Graphic Novel” by Jarrett Dapier

“Wake Now in the Fire: A Graphic Novel” by Jarrett Dapier, A.J. Dungo (illustrator) (2026)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Non-Fiction

Page Length: 464 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

It starts as an update at one Chicago high copies of a certain book are no longer allowed in the classrooms or the library. But it’s not just one high school—it’s all Chicago public schools. Not even the principals know why this is happening; they just know they must comply with the order. One thing is The book, which tells a story of oppression, survival, and resistance against authoritarian power, is seen as a threat, dangerous enough to ban. One other thing is Some of the students aren’t going to let this go without resistance of their own.

As the extent of the ban becomes known, the students rise up. They organize a school-wide walkout and library sit-in. They publicize the banning in every forum they social media, the press, classes, clubs, the school paper. And most of all, they get everyone they know to read the Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi.

Told from multiple perspectives, based on extensive interviews with the real-life students and teachers who were affected, and written by the librarian who exposed key information about the Chicago Public Schools censorship decision, Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized account of a true event that galvanized a community. With illustrations by Alex Award-winner AJ Dungo that perfectly capture the everyday joys, heartbreak, and stresses of high school, this graphic novel is an inspiring portrayal of student activism taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time, and a passionate reminder of why protecting the books we love matters.

Review:

Wake Now in the Fire is a story that reminds readers that censorship is dangerous and is a story of triumph against those who try to silence us. Based on a true event (with some details changed) it tells the story a Chicago high school fighting against a book ban of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. The novel is one of my favorite graphic novels and in her book she gives a lot of life lessons as she grows from a child to adulthood. There is a lot you can learn not only from Satrapi’s story of resistance, but also about Iran’s culture and history. 

This book raises awareness about the escalation of book bans happening across the United States in the last few years. Per research done at Pen America, censorship in schools has become routine and particularly in states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. And in the 2024 data compiled by the ALA (American Library Association) 2,452 unique titles were challenged which has exceeded the annual average of 273 unique titles over the period from 2001–2020. This means its more important than ever to pay more attention to what is happening with in our libraries and protecting readers access to these important stories.

What I enjoyed most about this book was not only hearing about the book ban and process of the students to get the ban reversed, but also seeing live through their viewpoints. This gave the story a more personal touch and allows the reader to connect deeply with the students and teachers lives outside of school. I appreciated the variety of viewpoints of hearing their life stories, reading snippets from the press and Satrapi herself, and how they worked together to protest the book ban. The graphic novel does a solid job of showcasing the lengthy process of trying to reverse banned/challenged book decisions (which is not easy at all).

The artwork though monochromatic with its various shades of blue mirror Satrapi’s original artwork style in Persepolis which adds to significance of this story. In a time where we are pushing for the freedom to read more now than ever, this is a graphic novel that is a must read!

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I recieved this book from the publicher in exchange for a fair and honest review.