Wow I really just adored this. It's something I could've read in one sitting but I took almost two weeks to just enjoy it and sit with the pages and the characters every few days and now they feel like a part of me. Something about the story and art style just hit me in the gut and I felt so much opportunity in Oli and her friends journey. The overwhelming feeling of having a dead end life in college and beyond because of capitalism was just so real and I think so many people can relate to what drives Oli. Not only did The Gulf deliver on making those encompassing anxieties affable but the dialogue and dynamics were really funny too! I genuinely was laughing out loud and the art style is just so gorgeous in its simplistic nature. Overall I would say read this for a graphic novel that has the same summer coming of age feeling as Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau, the same friendship and college feelings as Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, and for a cozy and calming nature adventure on an island that feels completely unique.