REEL LIFE

Filmmaking and friendship collide as three tweens navigate complex relationship dynamics.

In this stand-alone work, 11-year-old friends Kyle, Luna, and Galen bond over their love of all things film. But as they work on their latest cinematic feat, Kyle pulls away from the trio, acting standoffish and angry. Luna explains that he’s upset over his parents’ divorce and custody battle, stressors that feel alien to Galen—until his father drops a bombshell that rips their family apart. Galen’s dad tells him that he’s leaving his mother for Jasmine, a brown-skinned 26-year-old in Oakland with green hair. Now that he’s split between two homes, Galen begins to understand where Kyle’s feelings came from. Luna suggests that they film a documentary about their parents, but as big emotions about the shifting landscapes of friend and family relationships loom, the group must figure out how to change with them. Drawing on childhood experiences, Lynch’s evocative graphic novel debut sagely captures the angst and unease of early adolescence. Galen’s journey is fraught but accessibly portrayed, acknowledging the difficulties that parental separation and recoupling can bring. Cinematic full-color illustrations center the action throughout the tidy panels, keeping the pages turning with Lynch’s stylized art. Fans of Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, and Shannon Hale will find much to love. Kyle and Galen present white; Luna is cued Latine.

Reel-y relatable and compelling.