An emotional coming-of-age romance that is darkly and dramatically imagined.
Stranded on a ranch for the summer, a teen gets swept up in an unexpected romance with a boy from a family haunted by rumors.
With bills piling up, 16-year-old Mexican American Cade Muñoz has no choice but to spend his summer shoveling horse poop with stepfather Dale at Dale’s old Army buddy’s ranch. Far away from his favorite escape—the movie theater in Abilene—Cade feels more alone than ever until he meets handsome, charming ranch owner’s son Henry Tyler, a White boy who shares Cade’s passion for horror movies. Although Henry seems perfect at first, he’s so secretive that Cade can’t ignore the disturbing rumors that death follows in his shadow and that his father killed Henry’s mother for her family’s money. As he digs for the truth, Cade starts to worry that his own life may end like a horror film. This queer coming-of-age graphic novel reimagines Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey in contemporary rural Texas. A sepia color palette and black gutters during nighttime scenes heighten the moody, horror-inspired ambience. Both Cade and Henry grapple with family relationships, coming out, and accepting their identities. Grief, trauma, fear, and loneliness create tension within their romance. Despite the homophobia and racism around them, they find support from friends and family. Exchanges in Spanish among Cade, his mom, and Abuela are seamlessly woven into the story. Cade’s stepfather and stepsister are Black.
An emotional coming-of-age romance that is darkly and dramatically imagined. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9780063007383
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
Flipping awesome.
After a wish goes wrong, a girl and her crush must figure out how to break a body-switching curse.
Chi-Chi Ekeh feels invisible. Like her previous crushes, hot varsity swimmer Flip Henderson—yet another rich white boy at her Texas boarding school—seems unaware of her existence. With only weeks until graduation, Nigerian American Chi-Chi’s friends Esther and Yesenia dare her to ask Flip to Senior Festival. But Flip accidentally shows her promposal video to the whole class—and immediately turns her down. Embarrassed, Chi-Chi flees, but her innocent remark—“I just wish Flip Henderson liked me”—has unexpected consequences. After falling and hitting her head, Chi-Chi wakes up in Flip’s body, and he in hers. Freaked out beyond belief and regularly switching bodies, Chi-Chi and Flip work with Esther and Yesenia to break the curse. Meanwhile, forced to see herself through someone else’s eyes, Chi-Chi must confront uncomfortable feelings. There’s much to love about this book. The fully realized and sympathetic characters, sincere and humorous development of friendships, and protagonist’s relatable and bittersweet emotional journey will keep readers engaged, eager to reach the resolution. Ukazu carefully balances tough topics like self-hatred, depression, and suicidal ideation with funny feel-good moments, deftly rendered in her characteristically expressive style. The dynamic and engaging illustrations bring to life a heartwarming story of self-love, acceptance, and true connection.
Flipping awesome. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250179517
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Hinds adds another magnificent adaptation to his oeuvre (King Lear, 2009, etc.) with this stunning graphic retelling of Homer’s epic. Following Odysseus’s journey to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope, readers are transported into a world that easily combines the realistic and the fantastic. Gods mingle with the mortals, and not heeding their warnings could lead to quick danger; being mere men, Odysseus and his crew often make hasty errors in judgment and must face challenging consequences. Lush watercolors move with fluid lines throughout this reimagining. The artist’s use of color is especially striking: His battle scenes are ample, bloodily scarlet affairs, and Polyphemus’s cave is a stifling orange; he depicts the underworld as a colorless, mirthless void, domestic spaces in warm tans, the all-encircling sea in a light Mediterranean blue and some of the far-away islands in almost tangibly growing greens. Don’t confuse this hefty, respectful adaptation with some of the other recent ones; this one holds nothing back and is proudly, grittily realistic rather than cheerfully cartoonish. Big, bold, beautiful. (notes) (Graphic classic. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4266-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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