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bookishval's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Omg this was so adorable and wholesome!!
This is what I want from a graphic novel. From the start I loved the art style. It was so cute and unique. All of the characters are so expressive and I just adored everything about it. The colors, drawings, expressions. I instantly fell in love from the first page.
Now to the story. I'm not a fan of love triangles (though why I keep reading them I have no idea), but this was incredibly well done. We have three main characters: Belle the wallflower, Chloe the jock, and Gina the popular overachiever. It's interesting how Mari Costa gave these tropes a unique approach. These three characters don't really stay in their box the whole time. Gina can come across as mean and rude, and at first she's definitely taking advantage of Belle's crush on her. The story sets for Gina to be an unlikeable character, but as it progresses we can see that it's much more than that.
Chloe is Gina's girlfriend, but by the time the book begins it's clear they don't really love each other. Being together is comfortable and both benefit from the status. Gina has the image of the perfect couple and Chloe likes to be boss around by her. I'm sure they're great friends and care for each other, but the love is no longer there.
Then we have Belle. Even though she used to go to school wearing dresses and was overall and extroverted child, once she got to high school Belle abandoned all of it. She dresses simple and because of her shyness doesn't have any friends. But she still managed to work up the courage to ask Gina to prom, thinking she's single. But Gina and Chloe are still a couple, which creates issues between Chloe and Belle.
However it's once Chloe and Belle start to spend time together because of tutoring that Chloe realizes what her relationship with Gina has developed into. They're no longer happy, and despite Belle having a crush on Gina, the ones with chemistry are her and Chloe!
I think the plot was perfectly done in a way no one was wronged. Gina feels like a bully at first, but she warms up to Belle and the three of them become actual friends. And it's not like Belle wasn't aware of Gina's intentions. The way Chloe and Gina realized they're no longer compatible was really good. I love that the book never had Chloe and Belle getting together behind Gina's back. Despite their feelings for each other they showed that Gina's friendship was more important and they weren't willing to jeopardize it.
I love how even if graphic novels are normaly short, Mari Costa balanced everything out to truly develop each girl's arc. Belle got out of her shell and found herself again. Chloe got out of her comfortable zone to finally acknowledge what her passion really is. And then Gina, who didn't really need to find herself or her goals (both were always clear to her). But she did have learn to be a better friend, and she did. Neither of these girls had to change to "be better" or be happier. It's really common in stories with the jock and the shy girl trope to have a whole makeover scene, so I really liked how this book didn't go for that.
This is what I want from a graphic novel. From the start I loved the art style. It was so cute and unique. All of the characters are so expressive and I just adored everything about it. The colors, drawings, expressions. I instantly fell in love from the first page.
Now to the story. I'm not a fan of love triangles (though why I keep reading them I have no idea), but this was incredibly well done. We have three main characters: Belle the wallflower, Chloe the jock, and Gina the popular overachiever. It's interesting how Mari Costa gave these tropes a unique approach. These three characters don't really stay in their box the whole time. Gina can come across as mean and rude, and at first she's definitely taking advantage of Belle's crush on her. The story sets for Gina to be an unlikeable character, but as it progresses we can see that it's much more than that.
Chloe is Gina's girlfriend, but by the time the book begins it's clear they don't really love each other. Being together is comfortable and both benefit from the status. Gina has the image of the perfect couple and Chloe likes to be boss around by her. I'm sure they're great friends and care for each other, but the love is no longer there.
Then we have Belle. Even though she used to go to school wearing dresses and was overall and extroverted child, once she got to high school Belle abandoned all of it. She dresses simple and because of her shyness doesn't have any friends. But she still managed to work up the courage to ask Gina to prom, thinking she's single. But Gina and Chloe are still a couple, which creates issues between Chloe and Belle.
However it's once Chloe and Belle start to spend time together because of tutoring that Chloe realizes what her relationship with Gina has developed into. They're no longer happy, and despite Belle having a crush on Gina, the ones with chemistry are her and Chloe!
I think the plot was perfectly done in a way no one was wronged. Gina feels like a bully at first, but she warms up to Belle and the three of them become actual friends. And it's not like Belle wasn't aware of Gina's intentions. The way Chloe and Gina realized they're no longer compatible was really good. I love that the book never had Chloe and Belle getting together behind Gina's back. Despite their feelings for each other they showed that Gina's friendship was more important and they weren't willing to jeopardize it.
I love how even if graphic novels are normaly short, Mari Costa balanced everything out to truly develop each girl's arc. Belle got out of her shell and found herself again. Chloe got out of her comfortable zone to finally acknowledge what her passion really is. And then Gina, who didn't really need to find herself or her goals (both were always clear to her). But she did have learn to be a better friend, and she did. Neither of these girls had to change to "be better" or be happier. It's really common in stories with the jock and the shy girl trope to have a whole makeover scene, so I really liked how this book didn't go for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol
blewballoon's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I breezed through this cute high school drama. Very light and enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
robinks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’m not really sure what to make of this graphic novel. There were a lot of plot devices that felt unnecessary, and a lot of behaviors and conversations between the characters that made me uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Deadnaming, Infidelity, Vomit, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault
growintogardens's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Super cute book with nice art.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
moonyreadsbystarlight's review
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Super fun and a bit cheesy but I loved it! The dedication definitely set the tone well ("To all the gays who were obsessed with High School Musical in middle school")
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
mxlou's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Deadnaming, Infidelity, and Alcohol
rainbowrocky's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall this was an adorable graphic novel and a quick and fun read! The art style was so cute and I was obsessed with the monochromatic pink color palette Costa used! I wished I had something like this growing up because the easy sapphicness of the story warms my heart💖 The casual diversity of a butch Japanese American soccer player, a manga-obsessed Jewish American fanfiction writer and aspiring author, and a Brazilian American cheerleader hellbent on getting into Harvard was wonderful to see.
I do wish that Regina in particular wasn’t iced out of the story like she was, especially because she is the only dark-skinned lead in the novel. That rubbed me the wrong way, but otherwise I appreciated the overarching message of being yourself and finding a loving partner who will support you through that. I just wish more focus was on Regina finding someone like that for her as well. She clearly has a lot of anxiety about getting into a good university and I found it odd none of the other characters in the book supported that. That’s what knocks this story down from 5 stars to 4.5 for me.
Otherwise I did enjoy the adorableness of Chloe and Belle getting together and sent my boyfriend all the pictures of their relationship as it progressed😂 It’s funny because I was just like Belle in high school, pretending to be less girly than I was, and looked more like Chloe because I presented very butch and was often bullied for it (I’m AFAB nonbinary for context). So seeing that kind of representation was wonderful and them exploring their interests on the page was even better.
The infidelity aspect of the story I didn’t appreciate, but at least it was addressed in a healthy way within the story. Still, Regina deserves better. Honestly, it would have been even cuter if all three girls got together in the end—the narrative was so so close to supporting an ending like that. I explored polyamory in high school, so it’s not like it’s impossible. That kind of representation would’ve made the story 5 stars for me and really would’ve nailed the fairy tale ending queer kids deserve home for me.
I do wish that Regina in particular wasn’t iced out of the story like she was, especially because she is the only dark-skinned lead in the novel. That rubbed me the wrong way, but otherwise I appreciated the overarching message of being yourself and finding a loving partner who will support you through that. I just wish more focus was on Regina finding someone like that for her as well. She clearly has a lot of anxiety about getting into a good university and I found it odd none of the other characters in the book supported that. That’s what knocks this story down from 5 stars to 4.5 for me.
Otherwise I did enjoy the adorableness of Chloe and Belle getting together and sent my boyfriend all the pictures of their relationship as it progressed😂 It’s funny because I was just like Belle in high school, pretending to be less girly than I was, and looked more like Chloe because I presented very butch and was often bullied for it (I’m AFAB nonbinary for context). So seeing that kind of representation was wonderful and them exploring their interests on the page was even better.
The infidelity aspect of the story I didn’t appreciate, but at least it was addressed in a healthy way within the story. Still, Regina deserves better. Honestly, it would have been even cuter if all three girls got together in the end—the narrative was so so close to supporting an ending like that. I explored polyamory in high school, so it’s not like it’s impossible. That kind of representation would’ve made the story 5 stars for me and really would’ve nailed the fairy tale ending queer kids deserve home for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity and Alcohol
eloise648's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic relationship
mabellene's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
sloppytoppy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcohol