Always Human is a beautiful graphic novel by Ari North (she/her). Originally syndicated on Webtoon as a webcomic, it was later published in partnership with GLAAD. This novel is book one of a two-part series. Although it wasn’t my cup of tea, I encourage you to read it for yourself to see where you land.
The novel opens in a futuristic train station in Australia. Sunati Raval, a striking 21-year-old young woman with blue hair, is fascinated by Austen Carran Avila, an 18-year-old student who stands out to Sunati because she doesn’t appear to be using “mods”. In this world, mods allow people to change their appearances, enhance memory and endurance, and even provide preventative healthcare. Sunati learns that Austen cannot use mods because she has Egan’s Syndrome. People with Egan’s Syndrome have highly sensitive immune systems and their bodies reject the nanobots that are used to transfer mods. As Sunati and Austen get to know each other better, they will figure out whether their differences bring them together or push them apart.
North tells the story from both Sunati’s and Austen’s points of view. Sunati is refreshingly honest and sincere. Although it’s never discussed explicitly, she appears to struggle with anxiety as evinced by some of her inner monologue. In comparison, Austen is very defensive and somewhat withholding. She comes across as negative, unkind, and easy to anger. Ultimately, Austen’s personality was so off-putting for me that I checked out.
North’s drawings and use of color are gorgeous, though. Visually, the novel is stunning. I also really appreciated the representation of different races, sexual orientations, and gender identities. North featured queer, gay, and asexual characters, as well as cisgender, agender, and nonbinary characters. Notably, none of the characters struggled with their sexuality or gender identity, which read to me as a hopeful imagining of the future.
Overall, I enjoyed the world North built. I found the use of mods to be creative and appreciated the parallels between unmodded individuals in the book and people with disabilities in our world. Sunati’s repeated characterization of Austen as “brave” for being unmodded reminded me of harmful, albeit well-meaning, discourse around people with disabilities. I appreciated how Austen not only expressed her frustration and hurt about this to Sunati, but also educated her on what she did wrong and how to treat Austen in the future. There is so much about this world and these characters that is interesting and would be great to discuss at a book club.
North is a queer cartoonist who lives in Australia. She wrote, drew, and composed the music for the Always Human webcomic. If you enjoyed Always Human, you should pick up Love and Gravity, the second book in the series. North is currently working on a second webcomic, Aerial Magic, which is about the everyday lives of witches who work at a broomstick repair shop.
Raquel R. Rivera (she/her/ella) is a Latina lawyer and lady lover from New Jersey. She is in a lifelong love affair with books and earned countless free personal pan pizzas from the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program as a kid to prove it.
