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nerdinthelibrary 's review for:
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
by Mariko Tamaki
content warnings: toxic relationship, abortion, cheating, mentions of inappropriate age differences
representation: east asian lesbian protagonist, sapphic main character, interracial f/f main relationship, mlm Black side character, mlm side character of colour, m/m side relationship, main and side characters of colour, main and side queer characters
This is an incredibly necessary, important book that I wasn't all that into. This follows Freddy and her tumultuous relationship with Laura Dean who keeps, you guessed it, breaking up with her.
I love that there's a graphic novel aimed at a queer teen audience that portrays a toxic relationship and shows the main character romanticising the relationship without ever endorsing it. It also shows that being in a toxic relationship is impacting the way Freddy behaves, and not in a good way. The book is very anti-Laura Dean and Freddy's relationship with her even when Freddy isn't. It also deals with a side character having an abortion in a way I thought was really well-handled.
But this graphic novel is all over the place, especially in terms of side plots. There are so many that don't go anywhere, especially with Freddy's friends, and I understand wanting your side characters to seem fleshed out but there are ways of doing that without making it feel like you're missing a chunk of the story. I enjoyed the framing through Freddy emailing an Agony Aunt-esque advice column about her relationship with Laura Dean, but the framing device was really inconsistent and overstayed its welcome.
I liked the art a lot and that's what got me through this; that, and it's a graphic novel so it was a quick read. I hope that this gets into the hands of many queer teens but it just wasn't for me.
representation: east asian lesbian protagonist, sapphic main character, interracial f/f main relationship, mlm Black side character, mlm side character of colour, m/m side relationship, main and side characters of colour, main and side queer characters
“The truth is, breakups are usually messy, the way people are messy, the way life is often messy. It’s okay for a breakup to feel like a disaster. It doesn’t feel okay, but I assure you it is okay.
It’s also true that you can breakup with someone you still love. Because those two things are not distinct territories: love and not loving anymore.”
This is an incredibly necessary, important book that I wasn't all that into. This follows Freddy and her tumultuous relationship with Laura Dean who keeps, you guessed it, breaking up with her.
I love that there's a graphic novel aimed at a queer teen audience that portrays a toxic relationship and shows the main character romanticising the relationship without ever endorsing it. It also shows that being in a toxic relationship is impacting the way Freddy behaves, and not in a good way. The book is very anti-Laura Dean and Freddy's relationship with her even when Freddy isn't. It also deals with a side character having an abortion in a way I thought was really well-handled.
But this graphic novel is all over the place, especially in terms of side plots. There are so many that don't go anywhere, especially with Freddy's friends, and I understand wanting your side characters to seem fleshed out but there are ways of doing that without making it feel like you're missing a chunk of the story. I enjoyed the framing through Freddy emailing an Agony Aunt-esque advice column about her relationship with Laura Dean, but the framing device was really inconsistent and overstayed its welcome.
I liked the art a lot and that's what got me through this; that, and it's a graphic novel so it was a quick read. I hope that this gets into the hands of many queer teens but it just wasn't for me.