An emotional graphic novel about two girls reaching for gold—and each other.
A teen figure skating champion winds up training for the Olympics alongside her biggest rival.
Lydia Chen, an 18-year-old Chinese American skating phenomenon, is unmatched in technical precision but lacking in artistry. Elaine Yee, 20, a Malaysian skater and Lydia’s biggest competition, has mesmerizing performance skills but struggles with clean technique. Their rivalry began three years ago during a fateful encounter at the Grand Prix, and since then it’s only intensified under the spotlight of media and skating world scrutiny. When Elaine joins Lydia’s training camp in Boston 267 days before their projected Olympic debuts, tensions run high. Each skater is thrown off by the other’s presence, and their personalities clash mightily: Lydia is cold and guarded, whereas Elaine is well-liked and cheerful. But beneath their friction lies an unspoken understanding of the sheer drive and sacrifice it takes to be the best. Gradually, a bond develops that neither girl expects, but every slow-burn step toward romance leads to the unavoidable question: How do you fall for someone who might someday take everything from you? The illustrations in Kon’s debut are the standout: The skating sequences are full of reverence for both the beauty and athleticism of the sport. Each black-and-white panel bursts with movement, expression, and atmosphere as the story tenderly explores themes of queerness, ambition, and mutual pining.
An emotional graphic novel about two girls reaching for gold—and each other. (author’s note, sketches) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
ISBN: 9780593696958
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
An emotionally resonant second-chance romance enriched by authentic relationships and profound emotional journeys.
A former child actor reunites with her old co-star while desperately trying to maintain her anonymity.
Five years ago, Claire Hopper, formerly known as CeCe Lafayette, left behind her life in Los Angeles, where she starred in a sitcom, to start over in idyllic small-town Connecticut. Her move and name change coincided with her parents’ divorce. Claire has kept her true identity hidden, even from her best friend, Korean American Evie, in hopes of having a normal post-Hollywood life. But white-presenting Claire’s carefully guarded secret is threatened when mega-famous Salvadoran American Luke Cordova, who was on the show with her, comes to town to film an adaptation of a bestselling book about a local murder. Further complicating matters is that they had “world-ending crushes on each other” but fell out of touch after a dare gone wrong. Luke offers Claire a job as a consultant for the film, which will help pay for NYU, her dream school. She desperately needs the money because her father stole all her earnings from acting. Claire’s concerns are satisfyingly and believably resolved. Her growth as she moves toward self-acceptance and self-love is gratifying. O’Shaughnessy also draws rewarding and authentic connections between Claire and her older brother, Nicky, a college athlete, and his transgender girlfriend, Mara. Best of all is the sizzling chemistry between Luke and Claire, which supports the depth of their love story.
An emotionally resonant second-chance romance enriched by authentic relationships and profound emotional journeys. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: 9780063570252
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A winning game of feelingsball.
A former football star, who never thought she’d play again after she came out as transgender, steps back onto the field for one last season to help her team win state.
Grace Woodhouse used to know where she belonged. She had Division I schools lined up to recruit her, but that was before what happened during playoffs last year, before she came out as trans, and before she quit the team. Although her single father and new friend group support her, Grace feels lost as her senior year begins. When one of her old teammates asks her to help him with his technique, she quickly realizes that he and the other captains are hoping for more than her expertise from the sidelines—they want her to rejoin the team. Grace can’t resist the opportunity to play again, but her return draws unwanted national attention that makes her question her future and who she wants to be. Flashback chapters written in the second-person present tense bring Grace’s past to life, which helps maintain momentum and makes her emotional journey feel more immersive. A heartfelt, goofy, and diverse cast of secondary characters surround Grace, who’s white, as she navigates self-doubt, friendship, complicated feelings for her ex-girlfriend, and what she wants to do after graduation. Overall, this coming-of-age sports narrative is honest, gentle, and hopeful.
A winning game of feelingsball. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781646145027
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
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