I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review!

Trigger warning for the book : an instance of sexual harassment at a grocery store that isn't explicit or too disturbing, but some might find it upsetting.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars because I mostly liked this book!

Let me start this review by saying that I haven't read the book this graphic novel was based on, so I can't speak for its quality as an adaptation. Therefore I'm reviewing this as I would a graphic novel I picked up for the first time.

I saw a book about a queer brown woman, and I (also a queer brown woman) got really excited about reading it. I know that I speak for a lot of lgbt+ folks of color when I say we're always hungry for representation, so finding this book was a delight. Juliet Takes a Breath doesn't disappoint in terms of having a lot of characters of color, particularly queer women of color, which is wonderful. I loved seeing woc of different body shapes, sizes, and personalities in this book. It's so refreshing seeing plus sized characters drawn beautifully and portrayed as the gorgeous beings they are. Actually the art in this novel is so warm and pretty throughout this novel that it's possibly my favorite thing about it.

However, setting the art and beautiful diversity aside, I found the delivery of the story a bit lacking. This might be because the original book has a lot of events that the authors of the graphic novel tried to fit in, but the pacing of the story felt a bit jarring to me. Juliet's character is one that I'd usually love and immediately connect with, but here the novel didn't give me time to connect to Juliet before jumping into the story and then introducing a lot of other characters. I understand that graphic novels can't flesh out characters as well as a written novel can, but portraying characters in a way that makes the reader more invested is pretty important. This isn't to say I didn't like Juliet, because I did, but I'm saying that the pacing of the story made it harder for me to get a grasp on the main character and follow her thought process and development. Events were happening too fast, characters were getting swiftly introduced (with a lot of background story thrown in) and then moved along as Juliet moves on to meeting the next character. I absolutely adore books that show older queer folks taking care of baby gays and guiding them along, and I LOVE that this book shows that but I also found myself wishing repeatedly that we were given more time to build a connection with these characters. Or to at least see Juliet really getting to know them and emotionally bonding with them, so that her interactions with them would have more impact.

The storyline itself is trying to communicate a very important message -one that I greatly appreciate- but I found the delivery to be a bit lacking because of the pacing. The message itself is clear when it's spelled out by the characters, and pushed forward by the events of the book, but it lacked the emotional punch I hoped for. The moment of Realization which spurs development for the main character felt really rushed, and Juliet didn't get to sit with it herself so that we can feel its impact on her or witness how she processed it. Once again we were immediately introduced to new characters after the conflict and swept up to another setting not long after. I realize even as I write this review that I should have probably read the book first and then I wouldn't be having this issue, but I believe that a graphic novel should be able to stand alone too. I don't know if this gets dealt with in the book, but the fact that Juliet's conflict with her mom was resolved "off-screen" in a couple of lines bothered me.

Overall I liked this story, and I enjoyed seeing characters that looked real and familiar to me. I appreciate the dynamics in this story and the message it's trying to deliver, but I think that the pacing could have used some work. I also wish that the novel focused more on Juliet herself and allowed her to be more introspective. I think I would have appreciated less panels about Harlowe (ugh) and Harlowe's house maybe, and more about Juliet herself and Juliet bonding with the other qpoc.

I haven't read the original book that this graphic novel is based on, though I have heard great things about it. I was very excited to check out the graphic novel, though.

I haven't had great experiences with graphic novels thus far, but this one absolutely changed my mind! I absolutely loved everything about it.

I'm going to start with the most obvious thing, which is the illustrations. The colors popped, and the artwork was stunning. The art and the story fit together so well, and I really enjoyed the visual aspect. It was easy to read.

The plot was incredible. It centered around a Puerto Rican lesbian, struggling with coming out to her family and finding her place in the world, along with learning how to stand up for herself in the face of a lack of acceptance, racism, and sexism. I loved that Juliet is also a curvy girl with asthma, which makes it easy for me to identify with her. I always love a well-written OwnVoices story, and this one was top-notch. I was fully invested in Juliet's story right from the start, and wanted everything to work out for her. I loved seeing her come into her own power as a Latinx lesbian, who isn't afraid to stand up for herself.

Juliet's journey also involved learning a lot about the LGBTQ community, including various terms and understanding what pronouns are. She meets a range of characters who accept her as she is, and some who try but fall short, and part of her story involves having to stand up for herself and dictate what she won't accept from the people around her. Juliet is such an awesome character, and she's realistic.

This is the first graphic novel that I've really loved, and has certainly changed my mind about the genre. I loved Gabby Rivera's style, and really hope this isn't it for Juliet's story - I want more!

I'm not ownvoice for this book but I can objectively talk about it.
First of all the art is wonderful, fantastic, extraordinary ! It transports you into the character's emotions and the whole ambiance is super cosy and lovely !

I loved the characters too and the story is very good and filled with love and support ! I love it !

Highly recommend it ! It's a gem and a delicacy to read !

I received an advance readers copy from NetGalley. My opinions are all my own.

I like to start by prefacing that I have not read the novel yet, I own a copy but haven’t read it so I can’t speak to if this graphic novel adaptation is done well. But after reading this I definitely want to pick up the novel even more. I love Juliet ‘s explorations of self identify and finding other queers to confine in. I thought the discuss of white ally ship, the lack of discussion/awareness of the different experiences black queers experiences was done really well and important topic to bring forward. Overall I loved the illustrations so so much, I loved the support Juliet gets from her found family and eventually her own family, and loved that historical events of other queer POC was brought up. I’m sure the novel is a bit more fleshed out so I’m looking forward to reading it as well but still recommend checking out the graphic novel adaptation!

If you’ve never read Juliet Takes a Breath, the prose novel, I highly recommend it, but I also highly recommend this graphic novel adaptation. What’s better than taking a kickass story and adding amazing artwork? Welp, I can’t really think of anything at the moment.

The night before Juliet Milagros Palante leaves the Bronx for her internship with “The Pussy Lady,” Harlowe Brisbane, she comes out to her family, and well, nothing goes smoothly from there. Life never does. During her time in Portland, Juliet will make new friends, learn about being a queer person of color, and maybe even find a new love interest. This book is about finding yourself, and as much as I loved the novel, the graphic novel seems even more approachable and re-readable.

It’s out on December 1st, so if you can’t wait that long, give the novel a re-read and keep your eyes peeled for this one at your fav. local bookstore or request a purchase at your library.

The original was incredible and this graphic novel is stunning! The artwork is beautiful and the story is so powerful. I loved being able to see this story in this format, it was very rich and multidimensional.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

*3.5*

I read "Juliet Takes a Breath" (the novel) last year and I really enjoyed it, so it was so nice to see it in a graphic novel form.
This is the story of Juliet, a girl with Latin origins, who lives in the Bronx and wants nothing more than to do an internship with one of her favourite feminist writers, who lives in Portland.
The story goes on from there, and it becomes a story of finding oneself, finding who you are, and meeting amazing people in the process, and obviously, as life tends to do even get hurt along the way.
This comic is so delicate and beautiful, it talks about such important teams in a very thoughtful way and I loved to see the scenes I read in the book with my own eyes.
The illustration are stunning and the colors too.
I can't recommend this one enough, give it a try, you won't regret it.

Juliet Takes a Breath was delightful, heart warming and gut wrenching. It tackled a lot of important topics like sexual harassment, coming out, homophobia, racism and racism within the queer community. I loved reading Juliet's journey and all the people she met along the way. The art was warm and beautiful and fit really well with the story. While fun and easy to read it did feel a bit rushed and underdeveloped at times but I think that's quite common with graphic novel adaptations of novels.

AH! But I absolutely adored this graphic novel and how wonderful unabashedly queer and afro-latinx it is and all learning the stories/histories of several queer poc forebears. Reading it made me cry and made my heart soar with joy. I highly recommend picking it up and I made me want to read the original novel.

I recevied an e-arc in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley

“The sandy river spun my body over and around. Until it spat me out at its edge. I lay there alone. And in that moment I finally knew what it was to just breathe.”

The graphic novel adaptation of Juliet Takes a Breath, by Gabby Rivera, is the story of Juliet Milagros Palante who decides to leave her Bronx home in order to pursue an internship in Portland, Oregon. Just before leaving, Juliet comes out to her mostly supportive family, but the insistence of her mom that this is “just a phase” has Juliet reeling. When Juliet meets her favorite feminist author Harlowe Brisbane at the start of her internship, all of the answers that Juliet was seeking seem even father out of reach. Juliet must decide what it means to be a feminist, Puerto Rican, an out lesbian, and ultimately, what self-love looks like.

While I have not read the original text and can’t comment on the success of this adaptation, I did really enjoy the plot and characters of Juliet Takes a Breath. Juliet is a relatable character, she is both strong and flawed, coming to terms with who she is and what she wants out of her life. I do wish that there was more time to get to know side characters. The pacing felt jumpy and rushed, at times, but I wasn’t necessarily bothered -- something that I probably wouldn’t have found as lacking if I had read the novel. Rivera writes a compelling narrative that balanced heavy issues with growing pains.

Celia Moscote’s illustrations were complementary in relaying story development and emotional scenes. I liked the color pallet and designs on clothing, accessories, and scenery - it had a fluid, watercolor-like feel.

It is important that diverse stories are available on YA shelves, as the YA demographic is coming of age, and self-acceptance and self-love are so important to learn early. I also appreciated the commentary on white feminism and allyship, as well as body positivity, topics that would have been nice to start educating myself on when I was a teenager.

[CW: Racism, homophobia, cheating, depictions of sex.]

TW: Racism, homophobia, cheating
First off, I want to state that I've not read the book this graphic novel is based on, so I cannot say anything about how it's been adapted.

This book is about Juliet, a lesbian, Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx who comes out to her family just before leaving for an internship with her favorite author, white, queer, feminist Harlow Brisbane. In an effort to figure out what it means to be queer and a feminist, we get to see Juliet explore, and grow and eventually accept herself.

I loved reading about Juliets journey and about the people she met on the way who helped her figure out what her place was int he world. I was surprised at how fleshed out the secondary characters were, graphic novels have a tendency to leave them in the background, but this one actually gave me a chance to get to know them.
I love how this book discusses white feminism and shows examples of the coloniser mindset. It was so refreshing to read, and it really shows why it's so important to give people of color a platform to voice their experiences and to call out stuff like white feminism that most white people I know don't even know that they contribute to. I also love how sex positive this novel is.
Reading about Kiras experience with her mother not thinking rasism exists, despite her daughter being half Korean really hit close to home, and I really wished they would explore that more, but this is not her story.

The art in this graphic novel is IMMACULATE. I've read a few graphic novels, and I can without a doubt say that this art is the most amazing I've seen. The color palette really drags you in and it's so pleasant to look at.
Overall I really enjoyed my time reading this, and really I hope it finds it's way into young, queer peoples hands, because I know this one can be very important for them.

I read the novel, "Juliet Takes a Breath" a few years ago, and really loved it. The graphic novel adaptation is really beautiful as well. It focuses on the journey Juliet takes to learn more about herself, her identity, and love. The art style is really beautiful, and I loved the story. I think it some places it jumped around a little too quickly, but overall it was beautiful. Just like the novel, there were places I laughed, I cried, and I felt seen. In many ways, I think all queer folx take a journey of self-discovery, and I love how Juliet's journey starts with a book by a white lady and ends with her own journey of self-discovery as a queer Latinx woman. I would highly recommend this graphic novel version. I loved it.

I thought this was a well illustrated comic that touched on a lot of topics I was somewhat aware of but with little depth. The book had more depth but was still very much an intro or a tour guide through the LGBTQ scene. Parts of the book made me uncomfortable, more so than the prose version would have, but that's a feeling I need to sit with on my own, and not a fault of the book.

4/5

Although I haven't read the original novel, I throughoutly enjoyed this graphic novel. It was sweet, and eye-opening in some ways, as there were parts that I could relate to, such being afraid of coming out to my mom, but there was also the aspect of race that I thought was very informative. As a white European, race is not as center in my life as for people in the US. I live a very sheltered life and I am aware that I need to educate myself on the matter. Juliet made me think about how I can educate myself to be a better human. It is a very impactful story, that was also very enjoyable. I loved that art style, how simple but vibrant it was. I would definitely recommend this graphic novel to friends.

I have not read the book that this graphic novel was based on, but I've heard a lot of really good things about it. I can definitely see why this YA book is so beloved - what could be better than a young, fierce LGBTQIA Own Voice protagonist? The writing (even in graphic novel form) feels so fresh and exciting and the illustrations are powerful blasts of color on every page.

In the beginning of the story, Juliet decides to move from the Bronx to Portland to intern with her favorite queer writer. She bravely packs up and relocates and is thrown into a more fluid, colorful, and open environment than what she's used to back home. This novel is pretty short but it definitely packs in a lot of themes (including acceptance from parents, body image, and family support). I felt immediately comfortable in Juliet's world, even when she was facing some major growing pains.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good heroine (even if they're not into YA books). I loved this adaptation and am excited to see what else Gabby Rivera puts out into the world - graphic novel or not.

This book is a breath of fresh air. A story of identity about a girl who is learning about herself and where she wants to fit in the world around her.
I haven’t yet read the novel that this graphic novel version is based on but I am excited to do so after finishing this version.
This story follows Juliet on her journey through heartbreak and growth and is powerfully told. This story is heavily based around issues of race and is unafraid to call out racism in its many forms. The issues throughout this story are amazingly presented in a thought provoking way that made me introspective about my self and helped put me in another’s shoes.
The art work is phenomenal. The use of colors is breath taking and kept me hooked. It’s gorgeous and fit the atmosphere of the story perfectly.
I loved everything about this beautiful and emotional story. I laughed, I cried, and I felt inspired. I imagine this story will do that for many others too.

Stunning and epic. I think with as much as the original has reached teens, this can only serve to reach even more.

For Libraries: Whether you do the graphic or the original, this is a book that you need in your collection to serve your teens.

The breath of fresh air we all deserve in these trying times! This book was a treasure of a coming of age novel & this iteration is an absolute delight of a graphic novel. I’m so grateful to have more representation of young queer people of color in art and literature. I’m so in love the trend of republishing novels as graphic novels and this is one to write home about. Thank you so much for the ARC, Netgalley & Boom Studios.

***Special thanks to BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

3.75/5

*Disclaimer: I did not read the original novel so my review will be based solely on this comic book

This was a book that really made me think. The artwork was very well done and the colors helped capture the essence of the story.

The representation in this book was very good, especially with POC members of the LGBT+ community. What I really thought was interesting was the portrayal of the super liberal/mystical white (usually female) lgbt+ people as a contrast to Juliet's own understanding of her sexuality and identity. This was portrayed really well ESPECIALLY the little excerpts from the Harlowe's book.

I would recommend this book

During our first writer's club meeting this year, one of the new members recommended "Juliet Takes a Breath" to us, and I was super stoked to read it. To my surprise, I saw that it was also coming out as a graphic novel adaptation, and scooped it up (also forwarded the good news to a very excited teenager). I usually don't read the adaptation of books BEFORE reading the original, so this may be less "biased" review since it will be judged just on its merits as a graphic novel.

The main character of this book, Juliet, experiences some pretty big life changes at 19 -- she moves across the country from the Bronx to Portland, Oregon to take a summer internship with Harlowe Brisbane, the author of a feminist text that has opened Juliet's eyes to new ways of looking at the world. But as a Puerto-Rican American, who also identifies as a lesbian, she's not sure Harlowe's book makes room for her experience as a queer woman of color. But off she goes! She leaves her family, distance girlfriend, and life behind to assist this woman and learn more about herself.

I enjoyed Juliet's character and loved the art in the book. The plot line was engaging, and it was a quick read that can easily be finished in one sitting. I can see this book bringing up important themes, but two most especially 1) the idea of the white savior and how dangerous this can be and 2) the importance of intersectionality and representation/equity for all.

I found some of the queer characters to be little stereotypical and not developed enough in this short text (perhaps they are more developed in the longer version). Some of the plot points too felt a little too coincidental or strange to be realistic. Juliet's ability to just hop on a plane or stay with people she barely knows to avoid conflicts seemed too simple. Her whole stay with Harlowe, too, felt suspect -- I can see the summer internship as reality, but letting a strange teenager crash on your couch all summer (no matter the personality type) seemed a bit too out there to believe.

I love the representation and think seeing more queer people of color in the media people consume is incredibly important. But this book tackles some of the same topics we see in a lot of other books. A lot of my teen readers are dying for books that don't need a big coming out scene or some sort of racial confrontation in a book with a protagonist that looks like them. I do, however, see that this book is valuable for WHO is experiencing these life events in fiction -- there are still so few books that portray queer women of color at all. So long story short, keep books like this coming, and I'll keep putting them on my shelves.