Read in an hour sitting on a lunch break. So many feels. ( )

A strong debut. Venable delivers a thoughtful coming-of-age novel about a young woman in the mid-2000s who is uncovering family secrets, negotiating friendships, and figuring out her own sexuality.

The art is gorgeous—Ellen T. Crenshaw's pages are beautiful, hand-inked and expressive as an old-school New Yorker cartoon. In my uninformed opinion, she's every bit as good as seasoned graphic novelists such as Craig Thompson and Jessica Abel. I hope she keeps illustrating graphic novels because I want to read all of them.

Didn't get five stars because I was meh about the end - I was absolutely satisfied with the story, but it felt overlong and I did not think there was enough resolution for Amanda's friendships. The narrative is right to be gentle with Amanda, but she is an ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE FRIEND and I don't think the book fully reckons with the pain she inflicts on herself and others.

Still, on the whole, I really liked it. ( )

Amanda ("Mads") has two best friends: her dad, with whom she loves to watch minor league baseball games, watch TV, and play video games; and her neighbor and Catholic school classmate Cat, who takes advantage of parental inattention to go out to clubs at night. But when Mads overhears a phone call that makes her question her dad, Cat doesn't think it's as big a deal as Cat does, and it's their "boring" friend Laura (whose brother Adam has a crush on Mads; Cat has a crush on him) who helps Mads research her family history: they discover that Mads' grandmother transitioned when Mads' dad was a kid, and left the family; he died only recently. But Mads' dad doesn't know all of the history either, and it's Sam's loving partner Dina who is able to fill in the gaps for Mads. When Mads comes out/is outed, she's surprised by her mom's support, and hurt by everyone else's reaction: her dad avoids her, and friends at school shun her and talk behind her back. Fortunately, Mads finds new friends, and when she transfers to public school, she is welcomed into the GSA. The story is set in 2004; illustrations are in black and white, with fantastically expressive body language. When family history is related, the illustrations frequently contradict the text ("People rarely remember the past the way it happened. Most remember...however it suits their needs").

Quotes

"I just feel like she exists to make ME feel like a worse person." (Cat re: Laura, 111)

"I don't think he's your grandmother's lover...I think he's your grandmother." (Laura to Amanda, 147)

The problem with a best friend who tells great stories was sometimes she didn't know which ones weren't meant for the entire world. (167)

"This is the kinda crap that happens in high school. It' snot forever. The pool of people will get wider and you can be who you want to be." (Jess to Amanda, 169)

"My father is not a forgiving man. Talking to him about it won't change the past, but can make our lives harder in the future. Do you understand?" (Mads' dad, 193)

"You're my daughter, and I love you. I think I've always known. My gut says God is okay with it, too." (Mads' mom, 255)

"People rarely remember the past the way it happened. Most remember...however it suits their needs." (Dina, 278) ( )

I really liked this book. This main character really was dealing with some major issues in her life. I was sad that she had to lose others to find herself, but in the end I think it was what was best for her. I would love a follow up book about Laura from this book. To me there is more to her story then just what we saw here. ( )

Fascinated by the art in this graphic novel, and the purely extraordinary character expressions. Great coming of age with a family secret. Great depiction of teen life. ( )