I saw the online reader’s copy of Out of Left Field, several months ago and I saved the link for a rainy day. And recently I saw that it was due soon (the end of March 2024 to be precise) and figured I better give it a shot or I would probably lose the chance.
What started as a memoir for Jonah Newman, turned into a fiction rendition of his life. Things are clever, humorous, cozy, familiar, fresh, and relatable. Things move quickly enough in this graphic novel story and four years fly by. The highlights are mostly touched on, but they are very eye-opening highlights. Newman feels they have captured the feelings and emotions of his high school career. You might not always like him, as there are one or two questionable acts, but honestly, they are understandable as he is just a teen trying to just figure out the insanity of life. The realism of the early and mid-1990s is there. The sexism in baseball, the homophobic “jokes” and comments, and even the possible closeted bully.
Perhaps, my favorite part is the humor. The school’s billboard has some amazing commentary, the movies are not exactly hidden even if they had to “change the name” (Breakback Mountain or Malk), and things like “Big Intimidating Gay Bar” are not subtle. Even some of the conversations have amusing elements. And yet, this does not dilute the seriousness of the subject. 
Bright and as needed detailed illustrations push along this coming of age story that deals with the issues but is not “heavy” with dealing with them. In fact there were times that I wished things had been expanded on. Also, I would have liked two plot points to work out differently, but everything is still a home run. And even though baseball plays a very important role (not just for Jonah) this book is not just for the sports fan, GLBTQ+ or graphic novel reader.
There are a few possible triggers (language and at least one (tactful) sexual scene) and overall this is a bit older than A-Okay by Jarad Greene (which I also enjoyed and am looking forward to reading the companion, A for Effort).
