I'll just start by saying, I'm by no means the target audience for this book. In fact, I'm probably the opposite, given I'm a cis white male. I just liked the cover art and decided to check it out.

Juliet is a teenage, Puerto Rican, newly out lesbian from the Bronx. She takes an internship with her idol over the summer in Portland, OR. Her boss, Harlowe, is a crunchy, lesbian, feminist author with a Karen attitude. The characters seemed to have stepped out of a Portlandia sketch. Juliet grows up a lot over the summer as she's exposed to other lifestyles and cultures. It's your typical coming of age story with a lesbian twist. The story is a bit boring honestly. Not a lot happens, but it's sure to appeal to the YA set.

The art is unique and I loved the coloring. The only thing that bugged me was the absolute lack of backgrounds. Too many artists try to shortcut that today, taking a "manga" approach of foreground figures only.

Queer Puerto Rican representation in mainstream media has not exactly been a walk in the park. "Juliet takes a breath" is just a breath of fresh air in coming-of-age stories that usually focus on middle class, white, heterosexual men or women. The book centers on Juliet, a lesbian, Puerto Rican POC, discovering who she is outside of her family and the Bronx.

Things worth noting about the book: It explores POC’s place in white American feminism and how people from other cultures relate to it; it gives us body diversity and awareness, Hispanic or Caribbean people do not have to look like Sofia Vergara in order to feel good about themselves; and it takes out the pressure from being judged or trying to fit in a world of labels.

Things that I'm not crazy about: Some of the names or last names were common phrases used in the island (titi "Wepa," Palante, etc.); copyediting could be better, the Spanish used had spelling errors; Lolita Lebrón's figure could have been more relevant in the context of the book.


Nevertheless, the book is highly recommended and an amazing read for all ages!!

The art in this is fabulous! I love the diversity rep and all of the queer characters! I haven't read the original novel, but I really want to now! I loved this adaptation, but I would love to see even more character development that would be in a longer book.

This book is beautiful and covers a wide array of issues with coming to terms with one queerness and how that can be used and vilified in areas of feminism and white savior issues. It counters perspectives of “woke-ness” and how anti-racism is a continuous process. This book also made me feel seen as a queer Latinx individual and how families ebb and flow with the changes in the family and coming to your true self against what they think. The art and colors in the illustrations as well make this come alive.

I read the original book almost 3 years ago and recall it having an impact on me. Although no specifics come to mind, I felt like it had unsettled me. Juliet Milagros Palante is 19 and is heading to Portland, Oregon, to do an internship with a well known feminist author, Harlowe Brisbane.

She is Puerto Rican and Harlowe is white. I mention this because it’s crucial to the story. Juliet is new and fresh eyed, open to possibilities of what it means to be a woman, a lesbian, and a person of color. How does it all come together, she wonders, the way you do when you’re first venturing out into the world.

There’s the inevitable heartache that comes with facing life’s realities and meeting other’s truths. But Juliet also finds love and maybe, just maybe, a bridge back to her mother. I loved the art, the warm colors, and best of all, the artist’s appreciation for what women’s bodies actually look like.

The artstyle was gorgeous and the colorscheme was pretty although a bit monotonous by the end. The story was very heavy on teenagedrama, and so it was not really for me, but I'm still glad that I read it

What a great graphic novel that pushes aside white feminism and focuses on QTPOC power! I loved following Juliet and her journey towards finding her strength. Sadly, I think any feminist knows a white feminist like Harlowe and this book does a great job showing the dangers of women like her. I did find the ending a bit abrupt, but I haven't read the novel that this is based off of, so I assume it's just following that storyline. Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel and would definitely recommend it to students in high school.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: fatphobia, homophobia, sexual harassment

I still haven't' read Juliet Takes a Breath: The Novel, but I've had it on my tbr for a while so when I saw that the graphic novel based on the book was on NetGalley, I had to request it and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it and talk about it!

Juliet Milagros Palante had just come out to her family but her mom didn't take it too well, so in order to better figure herself out, she leaves for Portland where she's going to be an intern for her feminist icon, Harlow Brisbane. Juliet thinks that Harlow has all the answers, but the woman is everything Juliet is not: white, thin and wealthy. Despite that, this journey will open a new world for her and Juliet will finally discover that she is not alone and there is a whole community ready to support and stand by her.

I really loved the themes confronted in this graphic novel, especially the self-love and self-discovery Juliet goes through.

The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous, Celia Moscote does a wonderful job portraiting Juliet and the people she comes in contact with as regular people. I really loved how Juliet is clearly drawn as she is, fat and brown.

Despite the fact that Harlow turns out to be quite problematic, I deeply appreciated that she had actual hair on her legs. It's not often that we see characters with hairy legs.

I'm enthusiastic to read the novel and I'm sure I'll love it just as much as I love the graphic version!

I highly recommend it to anyone who ever felt a little lost and tried to find comfort in other people's words.

Big kudos to Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote for spreading the word about loving ourselves just as we are and creating a little gem.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy.

I haven't read the novel but I saw Gabby Rivera speak at my library and it was really interesting. I loved this graphic novel. It is heartbreaking, uplifting, thoughtful, and powerful. We see Juliet really grow and blossom throughout, figuring out who she is to herself, her family, and those around her. I really enjoyed the art as well.

I came into this graphic novel with high expectations - I had been looking forward to it since I'd been accepted for an ARC. But, sadly, it just fell flat for me. It felt as if this were aimed more at those already comfortable with Juliet's story and not newcomers.

The form of the graphic novel is clunky and stops the story getting any depth. The reader barely gets a glimpse of the thoughts of our protagonist, instead watching through a window completely unaware. This is absolutely not an attack on graphic novels, I just feel like this story did not translate well.

Importantly, the message at the centre of this book is wonderful: embrace yourself, boost minority voices and love yourself first. Personally though, I don't think these were presented in the best kind of way. Perhaps the clearest example of this was the ending: Juliet suffers from asthma and in a 'spiritual cleansing' in a river she drops her inhaler to the ground and applies essential oils instead. This seemed a dangerous note to leave the novel on and left me feeling a little uncomfortable - it just seemed almost sarcastic to me and that tainted the whole experience.

And it was just confusing. I still don't entirely understand what Juliet was doing. I don't understand why the strange relationship she had with Harlow was allowed. I don't understand the inclusion of a non-binary character to have them disappear to hug trees 5 pages later (another borderline offensive/sarcastic event that felt icky). I don't understand the way relationships worked and were presented. And I really disliked the whole stay in your lane idea; Juliet faces issues with her current (white) girlfriend and is told by fellow minority characters 'talk to me when you date someone who is black' - it felt as though Rivera was saying that interracial couples can't work.

I would definitely be interested in reading the original novel to see if that changes my opinion of the story. Unless you're a big fan of that, I wouldn't recommend picking this one up. It tries to do a lot of things and the surface level provided by a graphic novel doesn't allow the required depth.

Whilst I did dislike the way this turned out, the artwork is absolutely stunning and at its core, this is a story that has potential. I would certainly read the original story to see if the added detail would help make it clearer but I certainly wouldn't be interested in buying it.

A lot of this novel seemed to extreme and over-the-top. Rivera tried to cram in as many situations as possible and none of them seemed to be executed properly. The graphic novel form makes the characters even more inaccessible and the plot entirely incomprehensible. But the pictures are pretty!

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I had heard many good things about this book, so I was super excited when I was approved for this graphic novel adaption. First of all, I absolutely loved the art style in this, and it's both super cute and fits the story well. I also really enjoyed the story as a whole, but I do feel like I will enjoy the actual book a lot more than this adaption. I just feel like it skipped from moment to moment a bit too quickly, but it's still good! I really agree with the message that feminism can/is very white centered, and it's such a pity to have all of these fake inclusive, hippie feminists and how they always seem to take up the most room in the feminist spaces.

Really glad I read this, and can't wait to read the actual book sometime in 2021!

[Content warnings: racism, homophobia/homomisia, biphobia, sexual harassment]

I went into this book without reading the original novel and really enjoyed this adaptation, especially the fun and expressive art style.

The story follows Juliet Milagros Palante (19, gay, Puerto Rican, fat) leaving the Bronx for an internship in Portland with (white) feminist Harlowe Brisbane (34). During this journey, Juliet is subjected to racism and finds kinship in the many QPOC she meets along the way.

This is a very nice coming-of-age graphic novel, but it is not entirely a light read; the main character Juliet goes through many tough things in the story. There are multiple storylines, including coming out to family, internship, romantic relationship(s), etc., and all are interwoven well with a mostly happy ending. I love how baby gay Juliet finds love and support in her QPOC peers and mentors in a world of white feminism.

There were a few times where I had trouble following the story, mainly trying to figure out who’s who, but there is nothing that couldn’t be solved by rereading a few times. I did have a little issue with the mentioning of gender being heart and sex being parts—I feel like genitals aren’t relevant here. Also, almost everyone is a spiritual gay and it felt a bit stereotypical. But the overall joy and warmth of the story made it very worth a read, and I’d imagine it to be empowering, too.

Juliet Takes a Breath: The Graphic Novel is an enjoyable adaptation of Juliet’s journey of finding herself, focusing on the joy and pride of being a queer person of color.

I wanted to read Juliet Takes a Breath for a while and when I saw it in a graphic novel format I wanted to read it first. The story was beautiful and important. Everyone should accept themselves as they are. and be comfortable too. The color palette and drawings are gorgeous too. I think I should read the novel because some parts are confusing to me and I'll definitely read the novel very soon.

This graphic novel adaption of Juliet Takes a Breath brings a new light to Gabby Rivera's beloved coming of age novel. Following the original story, Juliet takes on a new adventure as she finds herself in the home of a radical LGBTQ+ elder. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Juliet Takes a Breath along with anyone who enjoys a fabulous coming of age story.

This graphic novel adaptation of the novel, Juliet Takes A Breath, is well represented artistically, with its vibrant, colorful palette and rich representation of the Latinx, full-bodied protagonist. The storyline itself, though slightly different from the novel, still provided just as many awkward experiences to embrace femininity from the perspective of a young woman’s exploration into ‘coming out’ and into their own self. Though lacking in depth, the power of a curvy, young, gay feminist taking the world by storm and not lurking in the shadows, makes quite the story to tell.

I had a lot of fun reading this title. Juliet Takes A Breath is about a young woman coming out to her family and a summer spent learning about herself and the gay community. There are a couple nods to historical women, which is a cool way to get them on your radar. The book is also clear that there are some experienced white people just can’t completely understand.
I actually think moments like that, where the author doesn’t pull punches, is one of the reasons this story works well as a graphic novel. I didn’t find any of the writing or illustration to be gratuitous; I would say it’s “safe” for your freshly-out high school readers.
4.5 stars.

Most of the time I was confused 😂. With all seriousness I love that this graphic novel was full of queers, that aspect made me super happy. There were some areas that left me a little bit confused.

Juliet decided to do her internship far away from home with someone her girlfriend calls the "Virgina lady". Before she left she came out to her family about her sexuality. Being from a Puerto Rican background with there religion her mom wasn't accepting that. In the beginning of her internship her girlfriend wasn't answering her calls or texts. Juliet learned some history about Puerto Rico and the Us which opened her eyes to a lot. During her internship she met more and more sexy queers.

This was absolutely FABULOUS. I'm guilty of not reading the book this graphic novel is based on yet, but it is definitely going to be at the top of my list. This is exactly the kind of book that teenagers, adults... everyone needs to read. It's uplifting, emotional, empowering, and so much more. The prose novel has done well in my library system, despite the current pandemic and limits on browsing, and I will eagerly be adding this graphic novel adaptation to my first order of 2021, because my library needs this. This is a fantastic read for anyone questioning their sexuality, their gender, or even just their place in the world. The illustrations added so much to the novel - they were absolutely beautiful, and the colors were a gorgeous addition.

I cannot speak highly enough about this book. It's definitely going to be one I recommend to everyone, and I'm thinking of making this one of the suggested reads for my virtual book club.

I haven't read the original work this graphic novel is based on but now I've been convinced to get myself a copy! This was such a powerful story about a young Puerto Rican lesbian trying to carve herself a place in the world. It's a coming out story but more than that, a story about self-acceptance and how Juliet truly comes into herself. I loved how she found a community where she belonged and the diverse cast of characters along with the biracial love interest. I loved the emphasis on the importance of having strong friendships alongside themes of body positivity and feminism. I really appreciated the way this story critiqued white feminism and the way it excludes so many marginalized identities. The beautiful artstyle and gorgeous color scheme was just the cherry on top! Overall, highly recommend!

This graphic novel is absolutely one of the best books I've read in 2020. I fell in love with Juliet from the first page and spent the entire novel wanting her to realize how truly beautiful and courageous she is. I laughed with her, I got angry for her, I even cried. As in actual tears. As someone who reads pretty much constantly, that doesn't happen often. That's how special this story is.

This is such a perfect YA story because it comes down to self-love, self-acceptance, and then, with those two things in mind, finding your place in the world. I'm no longer a teenager/young adult myself but boy that message resonates even now. The graphics are absolutely stunning and each additional character brings something new and lovely to Juliet's story. It's extra powerful too because Juliet and these characters give beautiful representation to kids who need it in minority communities, as does the writer herself.

I loved this graphic adaptation so much that I'm now getting a copy of the novel itself because I just need more of it. I would recommend this novel to any reader of any age. We've all been Juliet at some point in our lives and her journey has something for everyone.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.