WRITER.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

240 pages

Graphic novel, Romance

Spoiler-Free section

This lovely queer romance is quite tame and cute, for the most part. The biggest obstacle the characters face is Liam’s unwillingness to come out and the potential conflict he would have with his father if his father found out. Milo, the theatre kid love interest, is clearly infatuated with Liam from the beginning. Liam also seems bothered by the fact that Milo is popular with the girls – a little jealousy there – but his crush moves slower.

Though their relationship begins with a rocky start, they definitely have chemistry. When Liam is asked to come on a date with his roommate and some girl his roommate knows, Milo attempts to sabotage it big-time – with hilarious results.

I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who enjoyed Heartstopper. It isn’t as good, but it is still fun and adorable.

Spoiler time!

The first kiss left something to be desired, since Liam literally punched Milo in the face and gave him a black eye. Rumors spread and the fight was discovered, and Liam points out the fact that it is better for people to think they are fighting than that they are gay. That is sad, but not that surprising. Homophobia is so common, even in the real world. I am openly queer and people are not always respectful about that, but I like to think that my friends and family would prefer that to me getting into fights.

They are in college, and the level of control Liam’s father has over his life is inappropriate. He micromanages Liam’s schedule and tries to know where he is at all times. His father sends him to a therapist who is a personal friend, which does not seem right. The therapist tells the father about the sessions, in a breach of confidentiality. It is actually a huge step when Liam tells his therapist he isn’t going to any more of his sessions and will be looking for a new therapist.

Milo’s father is decent about the whole gay thing, but his mother literally weeps over finding out he has a boyfriend. He does not try to hide it as much as Liam.

Milo is good at being discreet when Liam asks him too. He’s so good at it that Liam himself says they can be a little less discreet. The gay yearning here…

I thought it was funny that Milo dressed up as a pirate with an eye patch that hid his black eye. Clever.

There are a few segues into other character’s stories, such as Noel, who has a manipulative boyfriend. Liam tries to stand up for her but his efforts only serve to take away her voice. She doesn’t want his help, and certainly doesn’t want two boys fighting over her when she is there to speak for herself.

There is also a sex scene in the novel, but it’s not really explicit, which I appreciated. After that, Milo’s father catches Liam with one of Milo’s shirts. It is a very humorous moment because it endorses his ex-wife’s dance studio. As I said before, Milo’s father is chill though.

Overall, a sweet, romantic, story with a lot of potential for later novels.