Tender, sweetly romantic, and enchanting; an encouraging coming-of-age story.
A teenager struggles to cope in this graphic novel loosely inspired by the Norwegian folktale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon.”
Vietnamese American high school junior Angelica “Jelly” Hoang has had a rough year. Overachieving perfectionist Jelly has burned out and retreated from life. But after she’s awarded an internship at the Log House Theater, Jelly cautiously re-emerges. The theater, a local institution, not only played a seminal role in 7-year-old Jelly’s life when she saw her first performance there, it has also supported her teenage self: Jelly’s been messaging a fan account for Per the Bear Prince, their mascot. What started off as a quick note of appreciation has evolved into open and vulnerable conversations. An internship offers Jelly an opportunity to “feel connected to [her] work again”—and find out who’s behind the bear account, which seems to have exclusive insider information. Nguyen tenderly explores difficult emotional topics like anxiety and long-lasting grief. The characters and their interactions convey the comfort and acceptance that come from healthy communication and relationships. The delicate, expressive illustrations, executed in a soft color palette, captivatingly capture the heartfelt tone, and design details enhance the storytelling. Elegant picture frames surround panels that show flashbacks, such as of Jelly’s childhood experiences at the theater and memories of her late, beloved grandmother, Bà Ngoại. The supporting cast is diverse in gender identity, race, and body size.
Tender, sweetly romantic, and enchanting; an encouraging coming-of-age story. (author’s note, sketches) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781984892669
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
