LGBTQ+

The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne / Sonya Ballantyne, Azby Whitecalf (Colorist), Kielamel Sibal (Letterer), Rhael McGregor (Illustrator)

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The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne
By: Sonya Ballantyne, Azby Whitecalf (Colorist), Kielamel Sibal (Letterer), Rhael McGregor (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA, Memoir
Number of Pages: 64
Published: March 10, 2026
Publisher: HighWater Press
Dates Read: April 11, 2026
Format: Library Book / Paperback	ISBN: 9781774921371

Trigger Warnings: racism, bullying, misogyny, self harm

In this short graphic memoir author Sonya Ballantyne bounces from stories at different points in her childhood. From dealing with racism, bullies, and misogyny, Ballantyne’s family is with her along the way, sometimes bringing humor.

The artwork was bright and colorful. Even though the story was a little choppy, everything was still easily digestible, even the harder events like racism, bullying, misogyny, and self harm.

From the Roots Up (Surviving the City #2) / Tasha Spillett, Natasha Donovan (Illustrator), Donovan Yaciuk (Illustrator)

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From the Roots Up (Surviving the City #2)
By: Tasha Spillett, Natasha Donovan (Illustrator), Donovan Yaciuk (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 64
Published: October 17, 2020
Publisher: HighWater Press
Dates Read: April 11, 2026
Format: Library Book / Paperback	ISBN: 9781553798989

In the sequel to Surviving the City, Dez’s grandmother has passed away and they are now living in a group home. On top of their grief, Dez is also navigating a new relationship and their identity as a Two-Spirit person.

Miikwan is crushing on the new student, Riel, but doesn’t fully understand what Dez is going through. Elder Linda is trying her hardest to be supportive, but doesn’t know how to respond to challenging the gendered protocols she’s grown up with.

I am so glad this goes into Two-Spirit individuals and how they can sometimes be treated in the Indigenous Community. I knew in certain ways, Two-Spirit individuals were usually regarded highly because they were connected to both genders, but I had never thought about what they do during specific gender role ceremonies.

I believe the author did a fantastic job to where she not only teaches the reader, but does so in a way that is relatable to the teenagers who would most likely pick this up. I can also appreciate how Elder Linda discusses with the teens her fault in how she approached the gendered protocols – adults don’t often apologise to teens, so it was nice to see that happen.

Overall, this is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel for young adults that explores not only Dez’s journey as a Two-Spirit but also the community around them who help.

We Burned So Bright / TJ Klune

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We Burned So Bright
By: TJ Klune
Genre: Novella, Sci-Fi
Number of Pages: 176
Published: April 28, 2026
Publisher: Tor Books
Dates Read: January 31, 2026
Format: ARC / Paperback		ISBN: 9781250881236

Don and Rodney have lived a long life together. They’ve experienced the highs and lows of family and have been together even when they thought it was the end of the world.

Now, with the black hole getting closer and closer, it really is the end of the world. After all the time together, Don and Rodney are in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington to take care of one last thing.

On the road they meet all kinds of characters: some in denial of the end just around the corner and some who are rushing to get to the finish line. As the black hole gets closer and closer, Don and Rodney look back on their lives and ask if what they did was good enough.

Yet again TJ Klune has captured my attention and wouldn’t let it go until the last page. 

It’s a shorter book but still one you want to take your time with. I had the opportunity to read it all on a Saturday and ignored my house chores for a bit 🙂. Each chapter Don and Rodney meet someone else on their black hole journey to death and each new encounter all deserve their own time to digest their story. Each one is a different lens on how we as a society can handle death and grief. One of the girls they met will probably stay with me for quite some time.

And then there’s Jeremy. I could tell pretty early on what Don and Rodney’s goal was but not for who. That story made my heart ache for the men and absolutely I teared up.

Overall, I highly suggest this end of the world novella for those that would be interested in the philosophy of how humans act when they know the end is coming, but it’s also about love, love, and choosing life.

*Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Hello Sunshine / Keezy Young

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Hello Sunshine
By: Keezy Young
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Horror
Number of Pages: 384
Published: September 23, 2025
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Dates Read: January 19, 2026 - January 19, 2026
Format: Library Book / Hardcover	ISBN: 9780316509473

When a troubled teen disappears from his small town, his loved ones go on a paranormal journey to save him from his inner demons.

It’s taken me a while to review this book simply because trying to put into words how amazing I think the author did in showing and handling the character’s mental health struggles was brilliant and impactful. Every member of the group had their own journey throughout this story and each arc felt complete at the end. I appreciated the struggle Noah had between religion and his sexuality, I was a little nervous about it going into this, but that turned around pretty quickly.

I’m a huge Hawkeye fan, and the artwork in this graphic novel really reminded me of Matt Fraction’s 2010’s Hawkeye. The art style, color, and texture of the panels gave the perfect amount to make it supernaturally and horror-y at the same time. 

Without getting into too much of the storyline due to spoilers, I just want to say that the mixture of what was real and what was only available to the one character was phenomenal and well taken care of. With both the visual and the dense dialog pages, Keezy Young showcases the losing of one’s mind by mental illness more effectively than I’ve seen with a graphic novel in a long time.

The Tale of a Thousand Faces (Rune #1) / Carlos Sánchez

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The Tale of a Thousand Faces (Rune #1)
By: Carlos Sánchez
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 144
Published: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Dates Read: December 28, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Chiri and best friend Dai live in an orphanage right next to the deep, dark forest. On a scavenging mission to find new ingredients for her culinary experiments, Chiri lands them in the secret kingdom of Puddin’, a hidden place plagued by the Thousand Faces Monster and inhabited by all sorts of magical creatures. Befriending witches, bards, ogres and sorcerers, can the friends make it back to the human world and, more importantly, can they evade the darkness that awoke upon their arrival?

When I heard this graphic novel had a Deaf character who used sign language, I immediately requested it for our collection at the library. Then, I actually read what it was about and got even more excited about reading it!

This did not disappoint me in the slightest! I gave it five stars and immediately put it (and volume 2) in my Amazon cart to purchase when I have some extra funds. 

Gorgeous artwork that reminded me a bit of Studio Ghibli with a pink, yellow, and purple-y color pallet that just makes everything pop. There’s all kinds of stuff in the background, including Runes that the author shows you how to decode in the back of the book (so you can always read it twice to see what the messages say!).

This has been one of the greater graphic novels I have read where the portrayal of a Deaf character was done well. I’m more fluent in ASL over BSL (which is what some of the signs are based off of), but I could still pick up some stuff here and there. And a little tidbit without giving away anything in the book – knowing sign language is a superpower!

Overall, I’ve already been showing this off to all of my artsy friends so they can enjoy the artwork within the pages, but also all of my fantasy graphic novel readers I feel like would also enjoy this because world building is super fun!

Low Orbit / Kazimir Lee

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Low Orbit
By: Kazimir Lee
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 336
Published: April 29, 2025
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Dates Read: November 23, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Azar feels stuck. Her mom’s job moved them to Vermont, where she doesn’t know anyone and her only friends are the next-door neighbors: an aging sci-fi writer and his nonbinary teen, Tristan. For a while, Azar can escape her troubles by disappearing into the pages of her neighbor’s novel, The Exiles of Overworld. When her queerness throws her life out of wack, Azar realizes some secrets can’t hide forever.

This is much more slice of life than fantasy like I originally thought from the cover, but that slice of life aspect of it is still a good read, which is about hiding a part of you from those you care about. The fantasy part of it was from the high fantasy novel Azar is reading, but to be honest, that kind of took me away from the storyline of Azar and at times were even confusing as to what is happening in that world. I know it was her escape and that’s what the panels were showing, but I think it could have been done differently to show that.

Other than that, I did enjoy the story and the overall themes of honesty, being true to yourself, friendships, and even convention culture.

The artwork was fantastic and detailed and I always found myself lingering a little bit on pages to see what was in the background.

Overall, a great coming of age, queer young adult novel to add to a collection.

Ditching Saskia / John Moore, Neetols (Illustrator)

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Ditching Saskia
By: John Moore, Neetols (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 192
Published: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Dates Read: November 23, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Damian has been struggling in his new high school, so he decides to summon his mother’s ghost so he can talk things out. Through a mixup, he accidentally summons Saskia, a scruffy, annoying kid. Damian is trying to figure out his new life, he doesn’t need some kid following him around trying to “help”. But, Saskia is suffering too, and everything they’re both hiding deep down may be what they need to heal.

This is a touching story, but I wish it kind of dove more into some of the storylines. We only briefly touched on Damian and his relationship with his mom as well as Saskia’s story and how she became a ghost. I feel like it’s only the beginning of the story (and partially the middle really), but I do wonder if there’s a followup to this graphic novel.

The cover is a little misleading as the panels themselves are mostly grey and white with the only color being that of the orange magical flower. But, just because it’s in black and white, doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the artwork! It was still captivating and beautiful to look at while reading.

Overall, a fast, magical realism young adult read about grief, friendship, and self-confidence. Anyone who appreciates a good little magic/haunting mixed in with the troubles of growing up would enjoy this graphic novel.

Pizza Witch / Sarah Graley, Stef Purenins

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Pizza Witch
By: Sarah Braley, Stef Purenins
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, YA
Number of Pages: 296
Published: September 16, 2025
Publisher: Image Comics
Dates Read: October 21, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

All Roxy wants to do is be the best Pizza Witch ever, but that’s hard to do with semi-unsupported parents and her uninspired boss at the Pizza joint. But, her boss finally gives her a quest to retrieve a powerful pizza artifact – the Remarkable Oregano!

With her cat George by her side, Roxy sets off into the unknown for the adventure that finally awaits! Will it be filled with pizza magic, wild challenges, and maybe even some romance?? Or, will her dreams be squashed like a tomato? 

This is a silly graphic novel, but in the best way. Who knew there were witches who specialized in food – and who knew one of those food specialties could be pizza?? And, who could forget a sassy talking cat companion?? Mix all of that together alongside brilliantly bright and colorful artwork and you’ve got yourself a Pizza Witch!

The artwork and style do give the feel of young adult readers, the book states 14+, but I like preteens could also enjoy it <spoiler> there’s one instance with a middle finger being given, the word ass being used a lot, and romance </spoiler>. Adults would love this title for the escapism of it – again, a sassy talking cat best friend and a Pizza Witch!

Overall, this was a fun read that will clearly become a series, and a series in which I will be keeping my eye out for.

A Little Life / Hanya Yanagihara

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A Little Life
By: Hanya Yanagihara
Genre: Fiction
Number of Pages: 815
Published: January 26, 2016 (1st Published March 10, 2015)
Publisher: Vintage
Dates Read: July 18, 2025 - August 31, 2025
Format: Paperback

Trigger Warnings: sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, grooming, rape of a minor, self harm, drug use, addiction, themes of suicide, death

Follow the lives of four men, Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm, from the time they met in College, to 50+ as they grow into adults and each battle their own struggles and demons.

Oh my goodness – I think this took me so long to read because of just how SAD and PAINFUL it was. Seriously, when people ask me about this book, I have simply been telling them – it’s a lot. It does not usually take me a month and a half to read a book, even if it is 800 pages.

The writing in this is a little slow, but it’s slow so that you really understand the characters and the reasoning behind their actions. It wasn’t a book that I could read a few pages here and there and be okay with, this was a better read when I was able to carve out 2+ hours at a time to get submerged in it.

Jude was who everyone circled around, but he was also the one who struggled the most. I would get so upset with his actions (or lack thereof), but then I would remember his life experiences and the heat of anger would sizzle. I just wanted to both scream at him to get better but to also wrap him in a bear hug so nothing else could touch him.
Overall, I am not sure who I would recommend it to. Sometimes, you want a book that will wreck you – and this is it. But I would still give it a fair warning that it’s a lot and for readers to take care of themselves when reading it.

Love, Misha / Askel Aden

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Love, Misha
By: Askel Aden
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 320
Published: June 10, 2025
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: August 4, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: misgendering, absent parent

Mom, Audrey, finally wants to spend time with Misha. She’s never around (the two don’t even live together), so this is a rare opportunity. But, Audrey still thinks of Misha as her daughter, despite Misha being very open about being nonbinary. Misha even tries to write a letter to their mom to tell her how they feel, but that’s not going great either…

When a wrong turn down a forest leads to the Realm of Spirits, the mother-child duo had no clue on how to return home and must work together to try and find their way.

So, I definitely felt the Spirited Away vibes while reading this (getting lost, accidentally entering a spirit realm, having to figure out how to get home without getting eaten), but then another reviewer mentioned A Goofy Movie and now I can totally see those connections too (parent-child with a strain relationship go on a roadtrip but everything that could go wrong does). 

The art in this graphic novel is fun and whimsical, capturing the magic of the spirit world perfectly. The brown and golden hues in the panels also give the feel of autumn and sets the tone.

Overall, this graphic novel is about growing up, acceptance, and forgiveness along the journey in a spirit realm that isn’t really meant for humans. It’s aimed at young adult readers, but I believe adult readers would also enjoy it (especially Studio Ghibli lovers).

*Thank you First Second and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review