With her debut graphic novel, On Guard!, Cassidy Wasserman creates a clever metaphor between fencing and life. As the story unfolds, Grace Collins is beginning seventh grade at Marshall Middle School. To further complicate life, her parents have divorced, the custody agreement adds challenges, and her best friend has moved on to a new friend group, replacing Grace with Lana.
Adrift, angry, and alone, Grace starts watching the eighth grade fencers during her lunch hour. Although she imagines herself armed with a sword, she considers herself unathletic and chooses to sit on the sidelines instead. However, when her father notices Grace’s withdrawn demeanor, he encourages his daughter to join a club. Grace eventually relents, joining the team and making a new friend in Asher Cohen.
Upon seeing her daughter’s first bout, Mom ends up giving Grace unsolicited advice about being more aggressive. They engage in a shouting match, and eventually the two end up arguing until Dad has to referee. When the distractions in her home life intrude on Grace’s ability to concentrate effectively while fencing, Coach reminds Grace that she can’t control what the other fencer is doing: “What you need to do is use their actions to plan your own moves” (185). As Grace learns to control her own moves without worrying about trying to control those of her opponent, she realizes that strategy and intelligence, not violence, also apply to life and wonders whether the same approach might also work with her mother.
- Donna