One in a Million by Claire Lordon

Debut graphic novelist Claire Lordon's medical misfortunes may be one in a million in this relatable memoir, but so is her determination, grit, and passion to beat the odds and reclaim her life.

Something is wrong with Claire, but she doesn't know what. Nobody does, not even her doctors. All she wants is to return to her happy and athletic teenage self. But her accumulating symptomschronic fatigue, pounding headaches, weight gainhint that there's something not right inside Claire's body. Claire's high school experience becomes filled with MRIs, visits to the Mayo Clinic, and multiple surgeries to remove a brain tumor. But even in her most difficult moments battling chronic illness, Claire manages to find solace in her family, her closest friends,and her art.A deeply personal and visually arresting memoir that draws on the author's high school diaries and drawings,One in a Millionis also a sophisticated portrayal of pain, depression, and fear that any teen or adult can relate to. With a sensitive preface and an author's note connecting past to present, this true story of resilience strikes a moving balance between raw honesty in the face of medical and mental trauma and the everyday musings of a teenager. (From Candlewick Press)

Claire Lordon is a Vancouver-based writer, illustrator and designer. She has illustrated picture books that include Over at the Construction Site, the Taking a Walk series and Lorenzo, the Pizza-Loving Lobster, which she also wrote. One in a Million is her debut graphic memoir.