Thursday, January 2, 2025

I Shall Never Fall in Love

I Shall Never Fall in Love
By Hari Conner
HarperAlley, 2024. 288 pages. Young Adult Comic.

George has major problems: They’ve just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, have become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men’s clothes, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name. Eleanor has always wanted to do everything "right," including falling in love—but she’s never met a boy she was interested in. She’d much rather spend time with her best friend, George, and beloved cousin Charlotte. However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships threatened, forcing her to rethink what "right" means and confront feelings she never knew she had.
Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Ngozi Ukazu, I Shall Never Fall in Love shines a light on what it means to be true to yourself and rewrites the rules for what makes a happily ever after.

I Shall Never Fall in Love is a search for identity and coming-of-age story, told Jane Austen style!  Set in the Georgian era and most similar to the Austen's Emma, this full-color graphic novel explores what it meant to be queer in that time period.  Full of adventure and romantic mishaps, this graphic novel is a sweet read and I'd recommend it to lovers of historical romances!
 
If you liked I Shall Never Fall in Love, you may also like:

The Prince and the Dressmaker
By Jen Wang
First Second, 2018. 276 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride--or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia—the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion! Sebastian's secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances—one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone's secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend?

Heartstopper
By Alice Oseman
Graphix, 2020. 263 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works. 

ERB

No comments: