A review by the_crooked_neighbor
Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable

emotional 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

5.0

I am really picky when it comes to graphic novels because I feel like it can be hard for them to really tell a full story. KN8 fills all of my requirements for a perfect graphic novel. It was long enough to tell the story it needed to tell and it had a great art style. I cried a lot- in a good way- because it really had the catharsis that I craved from the setup. I really appreciated that the comfort found in religion was portrayed alongside the harm that can come from it as a queer person. I am so glad I picked this one up.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Outing, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Death and Death of parent

The story handles the homophobia in a satisfying way- it is cathartic by the end. The transphobia- less so, but the characters definitely become less transphobic by the end. If it is not too triggering, I would still recommend the book because I felt that the pain from reading her experiences was overwhelmed by the joy of her acceptance by the end.