This was a very character-driven coming-of-age story that deals with grief, friendship, and sexuality - among other things. While I like the understated nature of the story and the way they explored the themes, there was something missing.  The connection of John’s sexuality being linked to his suicide and Kim’s feelings about his death and her sexuality seemed like it should have been explored more. Additionally, there were a number of disordered eating behaviors that I thought would be addressed, but weren’t. 

There were some things about the plot specifically that was confusing. It was unclear to me if the affair with the teacher was Kim imagining or if it happened. They do show a panel with them kissing but I’m not sure if it’s a part of the dream sequence. This by itself is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth because I detest student/teacher relationships. I imagine this confusion was intentional, but the topic that it related to was one that I am really uncomfortable with. 

I did enjoy the nostalgic feel to the story. The slower pace and details reminiscent of the late 80s/early 90s provided an interesting atmosphere. 

The art style wasn’t my favorite, but there were still parts that I really appreciated. Over all, I liked the book, but I think it was a bit underdeveloped. 

CW: depression, suicide, homophobia, fatphobia, disordered eating