by Mariko Tamaki
Illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
2 stars
A slow-paced story about what happens when the power of love works against you and how it can overshadow other aspects of your life. Freddy loves Laura Dean. But their on-again-off-again relationship leaves her confused and wondering, is it worth staying with someone you love if that love only hurts you?
The artwork is stunning. Beautiful color palette and fantastic details. I adored the visuals in this.
For me, the plot was too slow. As an adult, I was frustrated with the characters. I wasn’t really all that interested in Freddy and Laura’s relationship. Honestly, they were the dullest characters in the story. I actually liked the side characters more and wanted to see more of what they were up to, especially Doodle and Vi. We get glimpses of Buddy and Eric’s relationship and some of the disagreements they face, but we’re left in limbo with them in order to get resolution with Laura.
I can see this being relatable and helpful to a younger audience. A nice example of the difficulty of leaving an unhealthy relationship and the ways such relationships can draw you back in. I liked the messages that you can love someone but not be good for each other and the representation of queer relationships with healthy and unhealthy aspects. Important messages, especially for the intended audience.
Nice messages. The plot and characters just weren’t that interesting to me personally. Definitely a visually beautiful book.