Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me tells the story of Freddie, a high school senior in a tumultuous relationship with her on-again-off-again girlfriend, Laura Dean. Laura is a free spirit, expecting Freddie to be there for her whenever but not reciprocating the same in their relationship. Worse, Laura turns Freddie’s attentions such that Freddie is a bad friend to her closest friends. She’s distracted when she’s supposed to be hanging out with them, expects them to listen to everything that’s going on with Laura, but does not invest in their lives. Freddie seeks to find a way to make the relationship work or to end it for good. Tamaki’s characters feel fully realized, so that even those we only see briefly feel like real people. Valero-O’Connell’s artwork perfectly complements Tamaki’s writing, bringing each person to vivid life and adding wonderful details to the backgrounds that reflect their inner lives and worlds. A lovely story for those looking for a timely romance where a happy ending is not necessarily a relationship.… (mehr)

Ahaha, another queer coming-of-age graphic novel from First Second! This would seem to be the theme of my 2019. I just love holding these books; the production quality is so high.

Can we have more YA breakup novels, please? I am not widely read in this genre, but I feel that the omnipresence of romance in YA means there is not nearly enough fiction about toxic relationships. I especially appreciate that Laura Dean portrays a dysfunctional queer relationship; occasionally queer comics adopt a kind of "Rainbow Flags Conquer All" mentality and don't allow people to be, well, people.

Despite being a story of teenage angst, the art in this book is very cute, with elegant, vaguely manga-influenced art and lots of pink. I really enjoyed reading it!

As a reader, I wish I had come away with a fuller experience of Freddy's infatuation with Laura. I know that she has cute hair and a roguish smile, but as a reader I never really saw Laura through Freddy's eyes. Maybe this is intentional, or a mismatch between the text and the illustration style, or simply because I am not the target age for this book.

I did really love the ending, which centers on the tender and emotional friendship between Freddy and her best friend Doodle. I found it very moving. I think it's a mark of an accomplished writer that the book ends on such a strong note, leaving me with a lasting impression of what it feels like to be a young woman in 2019, figuring out what it means to love.… (mehr)