“Amnesty International UK endorses Alpha because it provides insight into the realities of migration and the desperate search for a better life.”

“The emotion of Barroux’s simple art and layouts pulled me along on Alpha’s journey. This book stands out, along with Don Brown’s The Unwanted, from other graphic novels about the current refugee crisis.”

“A searing tale of our time. . . . Once you read this deeply troubling book, passing by, looking away, is no longer an option.”

“Takes us to the human soul of the migrant crisis and the exploitation they face.”

“Groundbreaking. . . . Stunning text.”

“A powerful graphic novel that is also suitable for young adults. . . . [Alpha’s] first-person account of his ‘adventures’ devolves into a living nightmare as the journey drags on with a constantly changing group of companions. The prose is simple, and the story is told without embellishment. . . . The illustrations set a mood of haste and simplicity, appearing to be marker sketches—almost as if they could have been made on the journey. . . . It will be difficult to look upon the plight of any refugees without reflecting on Alpha’s journey.”

“[Alpha’s] tale of smugglers, fake passports, wasted bribes, and desperate migration is happening today. . . . Great graphic novels, like great novels, can spread the gift of empathy.”

“[A] unique work in comics. . . . The fate of the immigrant is in crisis across the globe, including in the United States of America. Books like Alpha help to educate the public and help to build toward a safer and more merciful world.”

“[Alpha] breaks from the traditional dynamic graphic novel format of panels and speech bubbles. Rather, Bessora’s expressive words serve as captions to the half-page illustrations. . . . Subtle elements of collage are incorporated; small photographs, often of young children, peek into the fore- or background of certain scenes. . . . This stark, poetic story personalizes immigration. For all libraries.”

“A migrant’s harrowing journey to follow his wife and son to Paris from Côte d’Ivoire unfolds in an illustrated narrative that . . . movingly depicts Alpha’s challenging passage.”

“Lays forth the many forms of devastation suffered by lives adrift while introducing memorable characters.”

“A compelling tale. . . . Heartbreaking and timely.”

“The plight of the refugee is brought to brutally vivid life in this visual diary. . . . By homing in on the experience of one symbolic individual, Alpha humanizes the too-often faceless tragedy.”

“To those who say that ‘illegal’ migrants are line-jumpers, [Alpha] . . . is a vivid retort.”

“The text is blunt, matter of fact, but also painfully deep and poetic. . . . [The illustrations] effortlessly complement the text. . . . The washes of greys and blacks stain the page much like tears. This powerful book is an important one. It needs to be in the hands of every citizen of the world, so they can, for a moment, peer into the plight of others and, perhaps, reshape how refugees are viewed.”

“Alpha is the story of everyone who bravely risks all they know for the hope of a better future. . . . Honest and direct rather than inspiring and romantic, Alpha gives a name and face to the multitudes in refugee camps all over the world. An important story for all of us to know.”

“As political debates and news reports on immigration proliferate, rare is empathetic reportage of the actual experiences and desperation these migrants face. . . . Alpha is that compassionate link. . . . ‘You can’t wash away the dust,’ Bessora writes. ‘It’s not just in the streets—the dust has settled in people’s hearts.’ Alpha: Abidjan to Paris draws a refugee with empathy and compassion, in an effort to lift the dust in people’s hearts.”

“Intimately told. . . . Masterfully composed. While immigration may be a contentious political issue, Alpha reminds us of the people behind the headlines: those who inhabit the smugglers’ compartments in rickety trucks, pay for fake passports, and trust their lives to boats that are barely seaworthy, all in search of a better future for themselves and their families.”

“The international refugee crisis is given a singular expression in this affecting work.”

“Bessora’s prose and Barroux’s illustrations join to illuminate the heart-wrenching journey of a West African refugee. . . . The reader is drawn into the refugee’s experience and shares his agonizing odyssey via the graphic novel’s blunt yet poetic language.”