Jill Kastner
illustrator/author
>6

a graphic novel about the aftermath of a suicide told from the perspectives of fourteen narrators
story and art by Jill Kastner
>6is a graphic novel about loss, love and redemption, as a family moves forward to find hope after a tragedy.
On a cloudless autumn morning, sixteen year-old Emily Martinez steps into an empty bathtub and ends her life, leaving those around her devastated and broken. Attempting to find answers and come to terms with their grief, those closest to her must examine Emily's life and the events that led to her last, desperate act. Through the alternate perspectives of fourteen different narrators, Emily’s story unfolds over the course of one year, as her family, loved ones, and other integral characters make their own personal journeys toward healing and reconciliation.
Exploring the multi-faceted detritus of suicide and the myriad ways it forever changes those left behind, >6 is a story of first love, pain, betrayal, resilience, divorce, joy, anxiety, youth, trust, heartbreak, longing, solitude, discovery, dementia, life, death, and everything in between.
Format
Full-color (could also be black and white) 400-page YA graphic novel. 10” x 8”.
Manuscript complete and available upon request.
Delivery of finished art: approximately 24 months.
Characters
Sam
Emily's younger brother Sam is haunted by images he refuses to speak of to anyone. Frustrating a long line of therapists who can't get him to open up, his only consolation is his perpetual quest for answers.
Claude
Belligerent, profanity-spewing Claude, Emily's best friend and cousin, was the storm cloud to Emily’s sunshine. She barricades herself behind a wall of sarcasm and anger, using drugs, sex and illegal activities to deaden her pain.
Gwen
Emily’s mother, Gwen, exists in a world of before’s. She finds it impossible to move forward past that October morning, six months ago. Her inability to function in the present threatens to make Sam a casualty of her grief, as she can’t truly address his trauma.
Mikayla
To Mikayla and her friends, Cynthia and Naomi, Emily was just another one of those popular girl with zero problems—not a care in the world. In observing the fallout over Emily’s death, however, Mikayla realizes the girls have more in common than she previously thought.
Josh
Emily's boyfriend, Josh, has loved her since they were children. Unable to let go, Josh inhabits a world where Emily is still a living, breathing presence.
Mia
Mia is Gwen’s sister, and mother to Claude and Lily. As acerbic as her daughter, she nevertheless brings to her familial relationships a warmth and compassion that she hopes will be enough to save everyone.
Naomi
Although she hardly knew Emily, Naomi understands her motives disturbingly well, and can’t help envying Emily for finding a way out.
Paul
Mia’s husband, Paul, is the inadvertent catalyst for the unimaginable string of events that led to Emily’s route of exit. Consumed by overwhelming guilt, he can’t escape that one thing he did, eight years ago.
Lily
Nine-year old Lily, Claude’s sister and Emily’s cousin, lives in a world of what-if’s— past, present and future. Her imagination asks questions and takes her places no one else dares to go.
Katherine
Katherine knows that grandmothers aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Emily has always been something beyond special to her. While mourning her granddaughter, Katherine is also coming to terms with the fact that she’s losing her husband as well.
Cal
Cal, Emily’s good friend and Josh’s younger brother, struggles with self-confidence and his sexual identity. Incredibly close and sharing a special bond, Emily knew and understood Cal in a way that no one else does. She was, and still is, his hero and possible savior.
Stephen
Stephen, Emily’s father, is coping with his own guilt demons. He is haunted by the possibility that Emily’s death is a consequence of his selfish actions.
Sachi Argawal
Sachi Argawal has a perspective of Emily’s death unlike anyone else—he performed her autopsy. He understands this loss in a way no one else can.
Josephine
Josephine, Gwen’s neighbor, has experienced suffering in her own long life, and she knows when to intervene in Gwen’s.
>6 follows fourteen narrators, as they navigate the many stages of grief following a tragic loss. Each character deals with Emily’s death in a different way. Each has their own perspective of the events leading up to her suicide. Each must find their own way in moving forward.
Emily's younger brother Sam, who found Emily that afternoon, is haunted by images he refuses to speak of to anyone. Frustrating a long line of therapists who can't get him to open up, his only consolation is his perpetual internet quest for answers. When his mother finds a quirky therapist with an idiosyncratic approach, she uses wit, observation and empathy to help Sam finally get beyond Emily's horrible decision to see all the beautiful moments of his sister's life that came before.
Belligerent, profanity-spewing Claude, Emily's best friend and cousin, barricades herself behind a wall of sarcasm and anger, using drugs, sex and illegal activities to deaden her pain. As she takes a deep dive into destructive behavior, her parents present an ultimatum: family therapy or a suicide support group. Confident in her ability to avoid interaction, Claude opts for the support group only to be drawn into the members’ lives and stories of loss and survival. It's here that Claude meets Jess, a suicide survivor who helps Claude see beyond her anger to her own selfishness, which Claude secretly fears may have played a part in Emily's death.
Josh, Emily's boyfriend, has loved her since they were children. Desperate to hold onto Emily and unable to let go, he lives in a world where she is still with him. Josh and Emily reminisce about their lives from childhood to the present. As Josh works through his memories, getting closer to the actual event, their conversations reveal more about Emily's suicide and the reasons behind it, providing answers about the anxiety and panic attacks Emily was increasingly crippled by and tried to hide from her family. Over the course of a year, Josh finally begins to come to terms with Emily’s death and move forward.
Sweet, beautiful Cal, Emily's good friend and Josh's brother, loved Emily as much as Josh did. Two years earlier, Emily unknowingly saved Cal from his own suicide attempt, and her joyful, effervescent friendship was instrumental in Cal's growing self-confidence and understanding of his sexual identity. Initially Cal falters, but then, despite his pain, the legacy of Emily's love and friendship, along with his art, save him, helping him make the choice to carry on and succeed as a tribute to his friend.
Mikayla, Naomi and Cynthia, classmates from school, start out as observers of and commentators on Emily’s death and the grief surrounding it. But over time, Naomi’s own private struggle with crushing depression is revealed, and the three friends find themselves face to face with Naomi’s subsequent suicide attempt, which she believes is the only way to escape her pain. Unlike Emily, Naomi is saved by loved ones and is able to begin the path to recovery with help from her family, friends and an empathetic therapist.
Emily’s mother, Gwen, exists in a world of before’s. She finds it impossible to move forward past that October morning, six months ago. Her inability to function in the present threatens to make Sam a casualty of her grief, as she can’t truly address his trauma. As Sam begins to respond to his therapy sessions, she slowly awakens from her overwhelming depression. She comes to realize she has another child who needs her, who is trying to pull her out of the stupor of despair she has sunk into. Gradually, Gwen works her way toward a place where her relationship with Sam, and the new conversations they’re having, allow her to see a future for them both.
Katherine knows that grandmothers aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Emily has always been something beyond special to her. While mourning her granddaughter—recalling the yearly cake-baking to celebrate their shared birthday, among other special memories —Katherine is also coming to terms with the fact that she’s losing her husband to Alzheimer’s. This is especially difficult, as Charles does not always remember Emily’s death, which creates pain for both him and whomever must explain the circumstances to him again.
Mia is Gwen’s sister, mother to Claude and Lily. As acerbic as her daughter, Claude, she nevertheless brings to her familial relationships a warmth and compassion that she hopes will be enough to save everyone. Mia shoulders the responsibility of holding everything together with Gwen, Sam, her parents, children, and her guilt-burdened husband. She does so with snark, sarcasm and much-tried patience.
Emily’s Uncle Paul, Mia’s husband, feels most responsible of all since, years ago—after a series of neighborhood break-ins—he gave Gwen a gun for safety. Paul is unable to escape his feelings of guilt over being the inadvertent catalyst for everything that has happened. Consumed by this guilt, he is the only character who can’t reconcile his grief and move forward.
Nine-year old Lily, Claude’s sister and Emily’s cousin, lives in a world of what-if’s— past, present and future. Her imagination takes her places no one else dares to go. Young and impressionable, Lily asks the questions foremost in everyones minds: What happened to Emily’s body? Where is she now? Can this happen again?
Stephen, Emily’s father, is coping with his own demons. He is haunted by the possibility that Emily’s death is a consequence of his selfish actions, which include abandoning his family years before. Normally a pariah, Stephen’s arrival after Emily’s death leads to some reconciliation as the family attempts to get through the initial shock and pain.
Josephine, Gwen’s neighbor, has experienced suffering in her own long life, and has her own stories to tell. She recognizes the hole Gwen has climbed into, and knows when to intervene in order to help Gwen be the parent Sam needs.
Sachi Argawal has a perspective of Emily’s death unlike anyone else—he performed her autopsy. Despite his professional remove, Sachi has a keen understanding of the family’s loss, making him yet another one of the many, far greater than six, people impacted by one suicide.