Graphic Novel Review: Shake the Lake by Zach Block
Genre: General Dark Fiction
Age: Young Adult
Format: Graphic Novel
Cal and his best friends evade adult responsibility to chase the endless summer across the map to Lake Victoria, Arizona, a party oasis in the heart of BRO culture. With some Midwest sensibility, the crew unifies the lake’s wakeboard scene and help save a bullied marina from snobby yacht club encroachment by staging a mammoth, end-of-season music and water sports festival against the wishes of the town’s well-to-do and a pair of hard-nosed park rangers. Navigating childhood friendship growing pains, hard work, heartbreak and new love, Cal begins to come to terms with the meaning of growing up while staying young at heart in this fish out of water comedy.
Reading Shake the Lake as an adult, there is a very nostalgic quality to it. I almost feel like this is a storyline I have seen played out a few times in coming-of-age comedy films from the 80s and 90s. It is very much the story of a young man facing the realities of growing up, facing responsibilities, and trying to grasp the freedoms of summer as they become more and more fleeting. While I would have loved to see a bit more growth from Cal, the main character, he does find growth while seeing that friends will always be there to help when times are dark. The fun of youth doesn’t have to vanish just because you become an adult. The story is a classic youth versus the man trope, with a comically pesky police force to boot. The graphic novel comes across as fast and fun, and is a great easy read for someone looking to immerse themselves in the throes and drama of young men.
The artwork of the piece was an interesting take on the genre. The images and characters brought back memories of click and adventure games of the nineties and added to the nostalgia of the graphic novel. Some of the scantily clad women also made the piece feel like a teenager picking up a copy of the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.
With this being pitched as dark fiction, I would argue that is not really the case. I didn’t find the material that dark. It rings more closely with the coming-of-age comedy vibes of the American Pie era, with less of the raunchy humor. This could be read by a young adult audience, but I would argue that Shake the Lake would be better suited for a New Adult or even Adult age audience, as there are a handful of adult forward suggestive themes that are better suited for an older age group. The nostalgic quality of the book brings back a time when the only worries in life were to spend the day on the lake, the night at the party, rinse and repeat. I would recommend running through it if you are looking for some light reading and to be transported to a more carefree time on the lake.
Review by Karen Lucia
TikTok: @karenluciawrites
Bluesky: @karen.lucia.bsky.social
I received a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
