Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a review copy!

tl;dr
Pleasant artwork and a good opener that loses itself in the second half. Not an OwnVoices author.

About
Shinobu Asakura has trouble reading and writing - and it's made his life very difficult. Jobs are hard to hold onto, people around him think he's lazy, and he's pretty certain he's just stupid. But when a cafe worker asks if he might be dyslexic, Shinobu's life begins to change.

Thoughts
This is a tough review to write, because I'm very torn. I initially picked this up hoping it would be an OwnVoices author, but notes in the back imply this is not the case. The author lists her resources and consultants, so you can check those out if you're curious. I'm also not an OwnVoices reader in this case, so I won't really be dedicating time in this review to the accuracy of the depiction (you can find other reviews for that).

Art is soft and easy on the eyes, and each page moves easily into the next. Character designs are likewise very soft and pleasant. I think I liked the first half of the book more than the back half. Shinobu is set up as a likable guy who's just doing his best, and there are several instances that show off how genuinely smart he is. His grandmother is also very nice. The turning point for Shinobu figuring out he's dyslexic wasn't a magical moment that suddenly transformed everything into a positive happy ending, and watching both him and his grandmother work through their understanding was very touching. The second half of the volume is less touching. The cafe owner who initially helps Shinobu, plays a bizarrely cruel prank on him that feels utterly out of place. There's also a subplot about an acting troupe that feels pretty shaky. Overall, it's a mixed bag. There were some moments that really resonated with me (e.g. Shinobu's desire for a normal life, and his grandmother's earnest struggles to understand), but other pieces don't quite fit, and I'm not sure what to make of this as a whole.