Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters
Yevgenia Nayberg
Holiday House
Published April 14, 2026
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About Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters
Strong-willed Genya sets her mind to attending art school in 1980s Ukraine, amidst the turmoil of Soviet control, the Cold War, and the unfolding Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Genya—the nickname of the book’s author and story’s protagonist, Yevgenia—knows from age five that she wants to be an artist. When she turns eleven, she’ll apply to the same prestigious art school that her mother attended. But making the cut won’t be easy, especially with the school’s open-secret rule that no more than 1% of the student body can be Jewish.
The years before Genya’s eleventh birthday bring plenty to distract her. Nothing in Soviet Ukraine is quite as it seems; adults mock the government, but only in private; and her classmates are terrified of American bomb strikes. And that’s all before April 26, 1986, when Genya’s police officer neighbor gets called to an emergency in a town she’s never heard of: Chernobyl.
A graphic memoir account of creator Yevgenia Nayberg’s childhood, Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters is both deeply personal and a glimpse into broader Soviet intelligentsia experiences. Young readers curious about life elsewhere, particularly in the face of disaster, will find ample details to devour, while those dreaming of a creative life will take inspiration from Genya’s perseverance. Salient and yet often slyly funny, this is a must-read for any graphic memoir fan.
My Review
Genya wants to go to art school, but while she’s preparing, a reactor at Chernobyl explodes, upending her life. I really appreciate that, though her memories about the Chernobyl disaster are striking, the story is framed by her larger childhood goals and experiences.
In some ways, this story made me think of what it must have been like for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The news was often shocking and riddled with more questions than answers. In the absence of information, people tried to protect themselves however they could (microwaving their groceries before putting them away, for example).
Though it’s a completely different situation, I suspect that some readers will identify with Genya’s experience. She tries to live her normal life and balks at the strange requests that adults make, even when those turn out to be decisions that keep her safer.
The writing and illustrations pair in very clever ways, playfully examining how children interpret what’s happening around them and discover hard truths about life.
This book was a lot of fun to read. Fans of Eugene Yelchin‘s work will not want to miss this.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
One panel shows a friend telling Genya that parents have sex to make a baby. Later, Genya reads a human biology book, and is horrified to discover that menstruation is actually a thing that many women experience every month.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Fear and rumors about potential American bomb strikes. References to prejudice against Jewish people. References to the oppressive government regime. References to deaths caused by radiation exposure and fears about spreading contamination.
Drug Content
None.
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Thank you for your review!
I’m a teen librarian and I wasn’t aware that this graphic memoir existed and was forthcoming. I mention this because some of my (teen) patrons have been asking about Chernobyl and we tell them what we know, which isn’t a lot because we were either too young or weren’t born yet. This graphic memoir is perfect for them!
I’ll be ordering it A.S.A.P.!