Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
‘Treasure in the Lake’ is a beautifully drawn graphic novel by Jason Pamment and follows Iris, a teen adventurer keen on traveling the world and leaving her small town. One night, she sneaks out of her house to camp in the nearby forest, which leads her into discovering a lost city, filled with old artifacts. But as the plot progresses, one can’t tell if the town is real, or if Iris is simply dreaming it all up.
The artwork in ‘Treasure in the Lake’ is beautifully drawn, and the colors only add to its visual appeal as a graphic novel. The opening pages of the book show Iris is a little girl full of energy, spirit, and optimism, as she hikes into the woods with her best-friend Sam. He on the other hand, doesn’t share Iris’ confidence about being out alone for too long in nature’s lap.
As Iris and Sam become thirteen, they aren’t as close, and Iris is itching to move away to a new school in a bigger city. After an argument with her mom over the issue, she leaves home late one night with her backpack, and Sam sets out to look for her early in the morning. He not only finds Iris, but also sees the lake’s water levels have drastically gone down to reveal a lost old town!
Iris is excited beyond her imagination, already imagining the kind of fame and recognition her findings could bring her. Sam on the other hand only cares about getting back in town in time for the unveiling of a new statue.
As the two teens explore the new place, they get into a little fight, each going their separate ways. Iris befriends a strange girl her age, while Same meets an old man who seems to know a lot about the lost city. Both these new characters are slightly suspect, and they seem to have some sort of connection too, which is explained in the second half of the graphic novel.
Overall, ‘Treasure in the Lake’ is fun to read due to its colorful visuals, but the story is slightly all over the place and leaves readers with more questions than answers. Of course older readers, and avid readers over 18 will be able to fill in the blanks and draw their own conclusions, but a younger audience might will unsatisfied with the ending.
Is there really any treasure in the lake? Well, not really. The primary message of the story seems to be that one needn’t venture far away from home for a life of adventure and excitement. Although this isn’t conveyed in the most convincing ways. Regardless, the artwork makes it an easy, enjoyable read.
Rating for ‘Treasure in the Lake’: 3 stars on 5.
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