Excellent graphic novel that makes me question (as always) why I don’t seek these out with as much focus as I parse out latest novels.
I’m not sure that we can call this book short insomuch as it is shorter than a novel (obviously). Sure you can read just the words on the page, and be done in under an hour. But then you’d miss the art, which would be a disservice to Valero-O’Connell and her ability to bring to life the drama in the life of a young, queer high school girl caught in a situation that we could judge…except that it’s one that adults find themselves in over and over.
As the blurb says, Laura Dean is the perfect cool girl with lots of friends except that she’s maybe not the best girlfriend? What follows is an age old story told from the perspective of Freddy, who’s lost in a [terrible] relationship and unable to see that the person she’s becoming is not the person she wants to be. She’s dropping the ball with her friends and rapidly dipping into the well of good will that she’s accumulated with them. Laura Dean might make her feel good in the moment, but she doesn’t feel good with Laura Dean as a person out in the world.
You’re left just lightly screaming at the page, willing Riley not to bail on her friends to go and be upset by Laura Dean. But it’s never going to work…not with a high schooler, not with an adult. Not until you hit rock bottom and figure it out for yourself.
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