Unbelievably Great Graphic Novels

for Teens and Adults

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Graphic novels aren't comic books for kids.

They're literature with pictures. Some of the most powerful stories I've ever read were told through illustrations—stories about the Holocaust, the Iranian Revolution, immigration, and what it means to belong.

If you think graphic novels are "just comics," this list will change your mind.

I've collected the best graphic novels for adults and teens who want substance. These aren't superhero stories (nothing against those—but this isn't that list). These are memoirs, journalism, literary fiction, and coming-of-age stories told through stunning visual art.

Whether you're new to graphic novels or a longtime fan, there's something here for you.

What are Graphic Novels?

Graphic novels are essentially pictorially illustrated representations of interesting and fascinating stories. 

The stories may be true, fictional, fantastical, sci-fi, or romantic. Whatever the narrative these stories hold a common thread – beautiful and expressive illustrations depicted in a sequential manner.

Some of these books I have read in the physical form and of course, they appealed to me more.

However, the e-format is also very easy to handle, with functions like zooming on a tile, clicking on dialogs to enlarge, etc. Many of these titles are available for free with your Kindle Unlimited Subscription.

Many of these books are also available on Kindle Unlimited. Try Kindle Unlimited Free for 30 days!

Best Graphic Memoirs

Personal stories told through art. These memoirs use visuals to show what words alone can't capture.

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Marjane was a bold, curious girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. 

Her great-grandfather was a prince. Her family was progressive, trapped in an increasingly oppressive regime.

Satrapi tells her story in stark black-and-white illustrations. The simplicity is deceptive—every panel carries weight. You watch a child try to understand war, religion, and exile. You see her rebel, struggle, and survive.

I read this in one sitting and immediately bought the sequel. It's funny, heartbreaking, and essential.

• Best for: Anyone who wants to understand Iran beyond the headlines
• Vibes: Black-and-white art, Iranian Revolution, coming-of-age, exile, family, rebellion
• Pages: 160 pages (Part 1) | Also available as a complete edition

Read my Review Here

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

Thi Bui's family fled Vietnam during the war.

This memoir traces their journey from war-torn Saigon to America—and explores what it means to be a refugee, a parent, and a child of immigrants.

The artwork is gorgeous—watercolor-style illustrations that feel intimate and raw. Bui doesn't just tell her parents' story; she tries to understand them. Why her father was distant. Why her mother was anxious. How trauma passes through generations.

I cried multiple times. This is the immigrant story at its most human.

• Best for: Readers interested in immigration, the Vietnam War, or parent-child relationships
• Vibes: Vietnamese American, immigration, family trauma, watercolour art, intergenerational healing
• Pages: 336 pages

Monstrous by Sarah Meyer : A transracial adoption story

I picked this book because it combined two of my favorite genres—graphic novels and memoirs—and I made the perfect choice.

This isn't just a book. It's a genuine and heartfelt outpour of what goes through the mind of a person who is made different by others because of how they look or the choices they make. It's the growing-up saga of Sarah, who was born to Korean parents but was adopted by American parents and grew up in a small American town full of prejudices and biases.

The story is heart-wrenching.

Her feelings and expressions are so real. The graphics are detailed, intimate, and feel so real. I've read dozens of graphic novels, but never have I encountered such detailed and perfect expressions through the eyes, face, and overall body language.This book is going to be the next in line with Maus and Persepolis. Fingers crossed.

• Best for: Readers who want to understand the transracial adoption experience, or anyone seeking brilliant visual storytelling
• Vibes: Transracial adoption, Korean American, identity, prejudice, emotional depth, stunning artwork
• Pages: 320 pages

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

"They Called Us Enemy" is living history—a graphic novel that should be read by all.

Written by George Takei himself, the book is about his childhood experiences. Based in Japanese American internment camps during World War II. The book skillfully combines storytelling with beautiful illustrations and takes us into this dark part of U.S. history.

Heart-wrenching, shocking, and a reminder. The lesson is simple - unjust actions can indeed come because of fear and prejudice.

This graphic novel isn't one about learning your history; this is a story of survival and strength.

• Best for: Anyone interested in American history, civil rights, or memoir
• Vibes: Japanese American, internment camps, WWII, civil rights, celebrity memoir, historical
• Pages: 208 pages

Displacement  by Kiki Hughes

Kiku Hughes's Displacement is a powerful graphic novel, ripped from the pages of Japanese-American internment during the time of World War II. 

This four-generational personal journey in time travel finally places the protagonist right into her grandmother's experience in the camps—a visceral reminder of how very relevant history can be. The artwork complements the story well, with the emotional weight of displacement and identity shining through.

The book also points to the continuous ramifications of the past into the future by developing states of remembrance and learning. 

• Best for: Readers who want a haunting story about identity, history, and resilience
• Vibes: Japanese American, time travel, internment camps, intergenerational trauma, identity
• Pages: 256 pages

These graphic novels tackle the hardest subjects—genocide, occupation, and the human cost of war. The visual format makes the horror impossible to look away from.

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

Art Spiegelman tells his father's Holocaust survival story—with Jews drawn as mice and Nazis as cats.

It sounds strange. It works brilliantly.

Maus is two stories: Vladek's survival through Auschwitz, and Art's complicated relationship with his father decades later. The animal metaphor creates distance that makes the horror bearable—and somehow more devastating.

This was the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize. It changed what comics could be. If you read one graphic novel in your life, make it this one.

• Best for: Everyone. Seriously. This is essential reading.
• Vibes: Holocaust, father-son relationship, trauma, Pulitzer winner, groundbreaking
• Pages: 296 pages (complete edition) 

Read my Review Here

Palestine by Joe Sacco

Joe Sacco spent two months in the West Bank and Gaza in the early 1990s.

He documented what he saw—not as a neutral observer, but as a human being trying to understand.

His sketchy, detailed illustrations capture the chaos, claustrophobia, and humanity of life under occupation. You meet families, refugees, activists, and ordinary people caught in an extraordinary situation.

This is journalism as art. It doesn't tell you what to think—it shows you what exists. I finished it and sat in silence for an hour.

• Best for: Readers who want to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through human stories
• Vibes: Journalism, Palestine, occupation, raw illustrations, documentary style
• Pages: 288 pages

Global - One fragile world. An epic fight for survival by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin

" Global" tells the narratives of two children.

Sami is a boy, who lives in Myanmar along the Indian Ocean, in a small fishermen's hamlet. And Yuki, a girl, in northern Canada, inside the Arctic Circle. They live at two different ends of the world, their lives are so distinctive and yet so alike as they are touched by climate change and all the challenges that come with it. 

Sami tries to hunt for more fish with growing storms and receding fish around. While Yuki finds melting snow and decides to help the endangered polar bears.

The book explains and discusses a truly important theme in a simple, realistic, and profound way and with beautiful sketches and illustrations.

• Best for: Readers interested in climate change, environmental issues, or global perspectives
• Vibes: Climate change, dual narratives, children protagonists, environmental, Myanmar, Arctic, beautiful illustrations
• Pages: 208 pages

Growing up is hard. These graphic novels capture the awkwardness, pain, and beauty of figuring out who you are.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughn

The story basically follows Alana, from the Winged World, and Marko, from the Horned World.

They're fighters belonging to warring species. But Alana and Marko fell in love when Marko relinquished himself because he was wearied of living at war all the time. Their love bore consequences in the way of Hazel a baby who had the best of both worlds (horns and wings) and it's her narrative that we're perusing.

The graphics are beautiful and truly so suggestive. The cosmos created is mystifying.

And the uncanny but delightful characters had me chuckling and marveling at the author’s imagination.

There is a series for this story that has reached volume 40 now.

• Best for: Readers who love epic fantasy, romance, and unconventional storytelling
• Vibes: Space opera, star-crossed lovers, war, parenthood, stunning artwork, ongoing series
• Pages: Multiple volumes

Read my Review Here

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Alan Moore's Watchmen is more than just a graphic novel; it is a game changer.

It is set in some sort of alternative 1980s. This broke down the genre of the superhero and gave the world real, flawed, complex characters. These villains challenged the very notion of heroism. It has gritty storytelling, deep moral conflicts, and beautiful graphics. Watchmen proved that comics could deal with serious, grown-up themes. They can be considered serious literature in their right. Politics, psychology, and drama make for a heady cocktail of a tale that keeps one turning from page one to the last.

If you haven't read Watchmen, then you're really missing out.

• Best for: Readers who want their superhero stories dark, complex, and philosophical
• Vibes: Deconstructed superheroes, alternative history, Cold War, moral ambiguity, literary, classic
• Pages: 416 pages

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson

SPEAK is a graphic novel written by Laurie Halse Anderson, which is a poignant coming-of-age and healing tale.

Through the story of Melinda, a freshman in high school who struggles to cope with a traumatic event, Anderson broaches poignant emotions brought along by alienation and shame. The novel is filled with breathtaking visuals that add to the rawness of Melinda's struggle, capturing silent pain that often cannot be told with words.

Melinda's growth from silence to empowerment deeply resonates with readers of all ages, reminding them of the power of speaking out.

• Best for: YA readers, anyone who has experienced trauma, or those interested in powerful visual storytelling
• Vibes: Trauma recovery, high school, finding your voice, feminist, powerful adaptation, emotional
• Pages: 384 pages

Kari by Amruta Patil

They were close – until the day they jumped.

Ruth, saved by safety nets, leaves the cosmopolis. Kari, saved by a sewer, crawls back into the struggle of the living. She writes ad copy for hair care products and ill-fitting lingerie, falls for kitties and roadside rogues, and the occasional adventuress in an eatery.

As Danger Chhori, her PVC- suit- clad alter ego, she opens sewers and observes the secret lives of people. And with girls of Crystal Palace forming the chorus to her song, she explores the dark heart of Smog City – loneliness, sewers, sleeper success, and death – and the memory of her missing better half.

Sensuously illustrated and livened by a wry narrative on life and love, Kari gives a new voice to graphic fiction in India.

• Best for: Readers who want experimental Indian graphic fiction with queer themes
• Vibes: Queer, Indian, experimental, urban, loss, surreal, groundbreaking Indian graphic novel
• Pages: 96 pages

Read my Review Here

Best Graphic Novels for Teens & YA

Perfect for younger readers—but adults will love them too.

Heartstoppers by Alice Osman

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school.

Friendship blooms rapidly, but could there be something more? Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at a Grammar School for Boys. The last academic year hasn't been too great, but at least he is not being bullied now. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the academy rugby squad. He has heard a little about Charlie the youth who was ousted last time and bullied for numerous months- but he has in no way had the shot to talk to him.

They swiftly become buddies, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he does not suppose he has a chance.

But love works in surprising ways, and occasionally good things are waiting just around the corner.

• Best for: YA readers, LGBTQ+ readers, anyone who wants a wholesome love story
• Vibes: LGBTQ+ romance, British school setting, soft art, mental health, wholesome, Netflix adaptation
• Pages: Multiple volumes

Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell

Deja and Josiah are seasonal best pals.

Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the entire wide universe. ( Not a lot of people are aware that the best pumpkin patch in the entire wide universe is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it surely is.) They say goodbye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.

But this Halloween is distinct? Josiah and Deja are now seniors, and this is their concluding season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last goodbye.

A fun read with beautiful illustrations. Perfect as a coffee table book especially for young readers. I loved getting to know the myths, traditions, and food around the pumpkin season. 

• Best for: Teens, fans of Rainbow Rowell, anyone who loves autumn vibes
• Vibes: Friendship, autumn aesthetic, pumpkin patch, final goodbyes, sweet and light, seasonal
• Pages: 224 pages

Read my Review Here

Lumberjanes by N.D.Stevenson, Ellis and Allen

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things aren't what they feel.

Three-eyed foxes. Secret caverns. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt- remonstrating best buddies determined to have a marvelous summer together. And they are not gonna let a magical hunt or an array of supernatural beasts get in their way!

The puzzle keeps getting larger, and it all begins then.

• Best for: Teens who love adventure, friendship, and a touch of the supernatural
• Vibes: Summer camp, female friendship, supernatural, adventure, feminist, fun and quirky
• Pages: Multiple volumes

Taproot by Keezy Young

Blue has been living as a ghost for a time when he meets Hamal, a beautiful and special gardener who has the capacity to see and communicate with ghosts.

Together, their friendliness develops into something more, but being a ghost, Blue can never truly be linked with Hamal.

A genuinely charming queer love story of a necromancer gardener and specter.

• Best for: Readers who want a gentle, sweet queer romance with supernatural elements
• Vibes: Queer romance, ghost story, gardening, necromancy, gentle, bittersweet
• Pages: 96 pages 

Oddball by Sarah Anderson

I was absolutely excited to read this beguiling, cherished book, and I am happy to say I loved it.

The graphics are clever, suggestive, thought-provoking, and occasionally funny. Ranging from weighty themes like being odd/ different or the trials of an artist to light and breezy ones, like the factuality of a cat person, or encouragements of a writer/ author, they were all genuinely relatable.

I appreciate this newest collection of her scrawls, and I look forward to reading her coming creation.

• Best for: Artists, introverts, cat people, and anyone who feels a little "different"
• Vibes: Relatable humor, introvert life, artist struggles, cats, webcomic collection, quick read
• Pages: 112 pages

The Tea Dragon Society (The Tea Dragon Series Book 1) by K. O'Neill

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik.

As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives -- and eventually her own.

• Best for: All ages, tea lovers, anyone who wants something cozy and heartwarming
• Vibes: Cozy, tea dragons, found family, fantasy, gentle, beautiful artwork, all ages
• Pages: 72 pages

Best Indian Graphic Novels

Powerful visual storytelling from the subcontinent.

Chhotu: A Tale of Partition and Love by Varud Gupta

Varud Gupta's "Chhotu: A Tale of Partition and Love" is a graphic novel that moves one with the pain and hopes so intangibly interlaced with the Partition of India.

This graphic biography follows the life of Chhotu, a little boy who got stuck in the whirlpool of events in 1947. He struggles through trauma with displacement and finds strength in friendship. The novel uses captivating illustrations, tracing back the forms of human emotions shadowed by history.

It creates a love story in the jugular vein of war and resilience. Historical fiction at its finest—bringing a whole new perspective to the ruins of separation and unity.

• Best for: Readers interested in Partition history, Indian historical fiction, or stories of resilience
• Vibes: Partition of India, 1947, childhood, trauma, love, historical fiction, emotional
• Pages: 200 pages

Jungle Nama by Amitav Ghosh a story of the Sunderban

We are running through the story of Dokkhin Rai, a demonic presence in the Sunderbans who manifests himself as a tiger to prey on Humans. In the story we encounter Dhona a rich merchant the uncle of Dukhey, a fatherless boy, poor but contently living with his mother. Dhona tempts Dukhey with the promise of riches and leaves him at the door of Dokkhin Rai in return for a treasure.

The plot is captivating no doubt, but the poetic narration is absolutely spell-binding and yet very easy to grasp. You are fully absorbed in the tale and are worried for Dukhey, and the dark illustrations by Salman Toor only further emphasize the sordid tale.

The poetry ends with a moral for all, I only wish it was longer.

• Best for: Fans of Amitav Ghosh, readers interested in Bengali folklore, or those who love poetic narratives
• Vibes: Sunderbans, Bengali folklore, verse narrative, dark illustrations, tigers, moral tale, Amitav Ghosh
• Pages: 60 pages

Inquilab Zindabad : A Graphic Biography of Bhagat Singh by Ikroop Sandhu

Inquilab Zindabad: A Graphic Biography of Bhagat Singh by Ikroop Sandhu tells the story of Bhagat Singh, one of India’s most famous freedom fighters, in a simple and exciting way.

The book shows both the important events in his life and the personal sacrifices he made for India’s independence.

The drawings in the book are powerful and capture Bhagat Singh’s strong emotions and passion. It highlights key moments like his role in the Lahore Conspiracy and his writings against British rule. It also explains the ideas that inspired him, making it easy to understand.

• Best for: Young readers, history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in India's freedom struggle
• Vibes: Indian independence, Bhagat Singh, biography, revolutionary, historical, patriotic
• Pages: 152 pages

Munnu: A Boy from Kashmir by Malik Sajad

A beautifully depicted graphic novel that illuminates the ambivalent land of Kashmir, through a youthful boy’s childhood.

Seven-year-old Munnu is growing up in Indian- governed Kashmir. Life revolves around his family Ma, dad, sister Shahnaz, brothers Adil and Akhtar, and, his beloved, elderly brother Bilal. It also revolves around Munnu’s two favorite belongings – sugar and sketch.

But Munnu’s is a childhood endured against the background of the conflict.

Bilal’s classmates are crossing over into the Pakistan- allocated portion of Kashmir to be trained to fight the ‘occupation ’; dad and Bilal are regularly taken by the armed forces to identification procedures where informers will point out ‘terrorists ’; Munnu’s school is closed; close neighbors are killed and the homes of Kashmiri Hindu clans lie abandoned, as once close, hybrid communities have ruptured under the pressure of Kashmir’s partitions.

Munnu is a heart-touching insight into everyday life in Kashmir.

Closely predicated on Malik Sajad’s childhood and times, it's a beautiful, evocatively depicted graphic novel that questions every angle of the Kashmir situation – the weaknesses and faults of every side, the history of the region, the part of Britain and the West, the possibilities for the future.

It opens up the story of this disputed and discarded land, while also giving a brilliantly close, funny, and warm-hearted portrayal of a boy’s childhood and coming-of-age.

• Best for: Readers interested in Kashmir, political graphic novels, or coming-of-age stories in conflict zones
• Vibes: Kashmir conflict, childhood, political, autobiographical, nuanced, beautiful black-and-white art
• Pages: 300 pages

Suit by Samarth

Suit offers a peek into the caste-based horrors and the exploitation rampantly inflicted in the lives of safai karmacharis or cleaners and sweepers, in our cities. Samarth, the author imagines a future in Mumbai where these workers have been given a suit before entering the life-threatening filth of this society.

The author’s monochrome dialog and illustrations record the endless repetition of trauma, humiliation, and tragedy in the lives of these sanitation workers. 

• Best for: Readers interested in caste issues, social justice, or speculative fiction from India
• Vibes: Caste, sanitation workers, social justice, speculative, Mumbai, monochrome, powerful
• Pages: 96 pages

These graphic novels push the boundaries of what visual storytelling can do.

What Got You Here Wont Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

This graphic novel adaptation puts a new spin on a timeless classic business book.

Marshall Goldsmith provides some very useful tips in breaking bad habits that help a person enhance his or her leadership qualities. For the first time, complex ideas are presented as interesting, easily understandable illustrations. If you are either new to this book or have long been a fan, visuals bring new light into the content, making it more readable and fun. It is ideal for those who learn more in a dynamic, visually stimulating way.

This graphic novel edition is a real game-changer for both visually oriented and time-pressed professionals in equal measure.

• Best for: Business readers, visual learners, professionals seeking leadership advice
• Vibes: Business, self-improvement, leadership, adaptation, visual learning, professional development
• Pages: 128 pages

Some people dismiss graphic novels as "not real books."

Those people are missing out.The best graphic novels do things prose can't. They show trauma in a single image. They capture silence. They use visual metaphor—mice as Jews, stark black-and-white for revolution—to say what words struggle to express.

I've cried over graphic novels.

I've learned history through them. I've understood experiences I'll never have because an artist showed me.If you've never read a graphic novel, start with one from this list. If you're already a fan, I hope you found something new.

The medium is only growing. And these are the books that prove why it matters.

Happy reading. 📚

Related Posts

• 100 Best Indian Books 

• 18 Best Indian Books Under 200 Pages

Questions I keep getting asked about Graphic Novels

What's the difference between graphic novels and comics?

Graphic novels are longer, self-contained stories (usually 100+ pages). Comics are typically serialized shorter issues. But the terms overlap—many graphic novels started as comic series.

Are graphic novels easier to read than regular books?

Different, not easier. Good graphic novels require you to read both text and images. The visual storytelling adds layers that text alone can't capture.

What's the best graphic novel for beginners?

Start with Persepolis or Maus. Both are accessible, powerful, and show what the medium can do.

Are these appropriate for teens?

Most are appropriate for older teens (14+). Some deal with mature themes like war, death, and sexuality. Check individual ratings if buying for younger readers.

Do I need to like superheroes to enjoy graphic novels?

Not at all! This entire list is mostly superhero-free (except Watchmen, which deconstructs superheroes). Graphic novels cover every genre—memoir, history, romance, literary fiction.

Where can I buy graphic novels in India?

Amazon India, Flipkart, and local bookstores carry most titles. Some are also available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

What's the best Indian graphic novel to start with?

Munnu: A Boy from Kashmir or Kari are excellent starting points for Indian graphic fiction.

What's your favorite graphic novel? Let me know in the comments!