CBR16 Book 41: "Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me" by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Page count: 304 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Nowhere Books Bingo - Graphic novel

Official plot summary, because once again I have waited to long to review the book: Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley's dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There's just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend.

Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy's best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it's really Laura Dean that's the problem. Maybe it's Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.

This is one of those books that I heard a lot about when it came out and bought as soon as it was available in paperback (I don't like reading comics and graphic novels digitally), then put on my bookshelf and forgot. Since we have a full floor to ceiling bookshelf dedicated entirely to comics and graphic novels, once something is shelved there, it's no longer out in the open to remind me. I probably shouldn't have waited years to read it, but at least it didn't disappoint once I got to it.

The only other graphic novel I've read by Mariko Tamaki was This One Summer, which was lovely, but had a subplot that hit a bit too close to home for me and made it a rather painful reading experience for me. This one, with its focus on (tragic) romance and friendship was more to my taste. I started reading it during a day I actually had quite a lot to do and had only intended to make a start on it, but instead ended up having to rearrange my schedule, because I once I started, I couldn't really put it down. In This One Summer, the illustrations are done by Mariko's sister Jillian, here she collaborates with Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, who captures the characters beautifully. A really good story accompanied by bad art can be enjoyed, but it's so much better when both the writing and art are both high quality.

Teenagers are often rather self-centred and selfish, caring mostly about themselves and their own issues and as such, Freddy felt very realistic. She is happy to hang out with her friends, but because she's so caught up with her own drama, she doesn't really seem to notice or care about what is happening with others. She has gotten used to her friends, including her best friend Doodle, always being there for her, listening to her and supporting her through her multiple dumpings and getting back together again with Laura Dean, but not really that Doodle and the others are clearly getting frustrated with the constant back and forth, and Freddy's complete inability to see how bad Laura Dean is for her. 

Personally, I couldn't really see what was supposed to be so great about Laura, but then I'm an asexual lady in my forties, who spends much of my working year around teenagers and their drama, so I try to live a very drama free existence the rest of the time. I shared the frustration of Freddy's friends that she would wake up and smell the toxic girlfriend sooner, but I suppose there would have been a lot less plot if the book was 'I'm sick of Laura Dean using me and stringing me along, so I'll dump her once and for all and get on with my life'. 

I think Freddy's friend Doodle was my favourite character, and I felt really bad for her, trying to support Freddy through yet another inevitable break-up with the same person, while she herself really needed a friend and support because of a complicated and sad situation of her own. The rest of the supporting cast (with the exception of Laura Dean, who is clearly the antagonist, of sorts) also added to my enjoyment of the book. 

While Freddy herself had me rolling my eyes possibly one time too many, this book in some ways reminded me of Heartstopper, because it's a story of relatable and realistic-seeming teens, many of whom are queer, including the protagonist, but it's not about awkwardly coming out, or having to struggle for acceptance among parents and friends. These teens are just allowed to be who they are, without facing hatred and bullying. I'm glad I finally read this, and will be recommending it to others looking for a quick read. 

Judging a book by its cover: The cover gives a little taste of Rosemary Valero-O'Connell's art, and while it only shows the back of Laura Dean, her jacket, posture and haircut all suggest her cool mean-girl attitude. We only get to see one eye of Freddy's, which looks a bit anxious and unsure. It's a really well-done image. 

Crossposted on Cannonball Read. 

#CBR10 Book 93: "This One Summer" by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki

Page count: 319 pages
Rating: 4 stars

#CBR10Bingo: Snubbed- it won the Eisner Award in 2015, but was also nominated for a whole host of other things that it lost out on.

Spoiler warning! There will be some spoilers for the plot of this book (which I knew next to nothing about going in, myself), because it will be impossible for me to discuss the contents of the story and my reaction to it without referring to certain plot points in detail. If you want to approach this without knowing anything, maybe skip this review or at least the paragraphs I've tagged.

Every summer Rose and her parents go to Arwago Beach. They have their set rituals and it's Rose's favourite time of the year. Her friend Windy is also there, and she and Rose are inseparable all summer. Something is different this year, though. There's a tension between Rose's parents and they keep fighting when they think Rose can't hear them. For a while, Rose's dad actually leaves, so there's just Rose and her mum at the cabin. Rose is also a lot more fascinated by what the older teens of the area are up to, which creates a certain friction between her and Windy.

This could easily have been a pick for the "Fahrenheit 451" square of the CBR10Bingo, as it was the most banned and challenged book in America in 2016. People get upset and offended by the strangest things. Yes, this book features teenagers drinking (and possibly taking drugs, I forget) and having sex and it also features teenagers dealing with the consequences of said actions. I would thing a realistic depiction of youths doing what young people are wont to do, and an exploration of what that could lead to would be something to welcome. There are a number of good discussions to be had based on the events of Rose's summer.

Here be spoilers! I didn't really know much about the plot specifics of this book. I knew it was very critically acclaimed and that it had been banned and challenged. It was a Cannonball Book Exchange gift from MathildeHoeg in 2016. Based on the cover, I thought maybe it dealt with LGBTQ issues (but no, Rose and Windy are not lesbians). Instead it deals with teen pregnancy, which I suppose is why it's so horrifying to some.

The subplot that really affected me, however, and which made me very glad that I didn't read this when I actually got the book, is the one regarding Rose's mother and the reason she no longer seems herself and refuses to go swimming any longer, and why she's arguing a lot with Rose's dad. Turns out, Rose's parents have been dealing with fertility problems for years, which has been taxing their relationship a lot, and Rose's mother is still getting over a miscarriage, which happened while she was in a pool. Eventually, she does go in the water, for a very important reason, but I don't want to spoil the specifics of that, as well.

I feel very grateful that in the many years that my husband and I struggled with fertility problems and I kept resolutely not getting pregnant, no matter what we tried - various fertility monitors, diets, exercise plans and later several courses of IVF, complete with invasive hormone treatments, painful injections, gruelling egg extractions and a substantial financial drain, I never miscarried. I didn't get excited about the possibility of life growing inside me, only to have to deal with knowing that the pregnancy was cut short. I just never conceived (until I finally did - he will be nine months old next week!). Nevertheless, reading about Rose's mother's quiet grief absolutely did me in. I don't think that's an issue that will affect most readers, but to me, especially because I didn't know to even expect it, that storyline really gut punched me and made the book a very different reading experience than expected. End spoilers!

This One Summer is a lovely coming of age story, wonderfully written by Mariko Tamaki and possibly even more beautifully illustrated throughout by her sister Jillian. Rose and Windy's escapades over the summer are fun to share, Rose's curiosity about the older teens is very natural, and I found the parents' amused reactions to their daughters' antics very relatable at this stage in my life. Highly recommended for anyone who likes good writing and pretty artwork.

Judging a book by its cover: Jillian Tamaki's art is excellent throughout the book and the cover beautifully captures the magic of summer when you're young. Friendship, freedom, the chance to bathe and relax. The art was one of my favourite things about this whole book.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.