I completely forgot I was reading this but thanks to the laid-back style of the book, it was easy to jump back into the story. It was a very entertaining and educational read but it went over the top to prove a point and get the message across. EVERYONE around the MC is gay, queer, trans etc. which isn't a bad thing at all - it's just a bit too random and unrealistic. Again, it's just a constant reminder that this is a book with a MESSAGE.

The art style wasn't my favorite either but it was very colorful and created all the right vibes in the scenes. The story obviously has amazing rep and it's a great read for anyone who's trying to figure out their own identity.

I like the illustrations, and the color for the pictures. Those pictures show clearly the feelings of Juliet.
The story is mainly focus on lots of issues on woman, colored women and relationships. I don't think I will recommend to middle school and lower grades students.

The art in this book is beautiful and the story is brilliant. I have never read the novel this graphic novel is based on but I really was inspired by the story. There is a beautiful representation in this story and I loved the themes of feminism woven throughout. I would highly recommend this to young adult contemporary authors.

Juliet Takes a Breath is a graphic novel adaptation of the novel with the same title and unpacks so many different themes, from white feminism and intersectionality to finding your place in queer spaces, heartbreak and coming out.

At the center of this story is Juliet, who moves from the Bronx to Portland, Oregon, to start an internship with a feminist author called Harlowe Brisbane. During this internship she gets introduced to a super diverse group of queer people and finds a queer space to belong for the first time.

As time goes on, Juliet becomes more comfortable within queer spaces but also learns that Harlowe Brisbane is not everything that she had hoped she would be and represent for her.

There is truly so much to say about Juliet Takes a Breath because it unpacked so many different themes but I thought it was all done incredibly well. I haven't read the original novel but this graphic novel had me so hooked and so in love, that it made me want to read it, even though I now obviously know the basic storyline.

But it just made me so intriguied to see how the novel unpacks all of these issues because if the graphic novel already did it so well in such a small amount of pages, then surely the novel will be doing an ever greater job at it!

I also just adored all the characters in this novel so much and I would want to read more about them. This novel features an incredibly diverse cast of characters! Most of them are queer and/or genderqueer, we have Black characters, Latinx characters and a biracial (White & Korean) love interest.
Juliet herself is Puerto Rican, fat and a lesbian. She also has asthma and is shown using her inhaler on page.

Even though Juliet has known for a long time that she is gay and feels quite comfortable and confident in that identity, and even has been in a relationship for a year, she hasn't really been part of any queer community and she really finds a wonderful support system with these people.

The story actually starts with Juliet coming out as a lesbian to her family and while a lot of the members of her family are dismissive at first, most of them are accepting. But Juliet's mother does not accept her sexuality and calls it "just a phase" and thinks that Juliet just needs to find the right guy. It was a storyline that obviously many queer people can relate to and that I thought was well done overall.

I really loved Juliet's relationship with her brother, even though we only got to read about it briefly and later on in the novel we meet Juliet's cousin and aunt who live in Miami, who were also such wonderful characters to read about and had a big impact on Juliet's journey too.

One of the biggest themes of this graphic novel was white feminism and the saviour complex that white people have. This is definitely a story that is not always a fun and happy read, it can be quite uncomfortable at times. But it shows a reality of our world and I really appreciated that the author was so blunt about it.

This graphic novel talks about casual racism, it talks about how reverse racism doesn't exist, it's about how white people will so often overstep and speak over people of colour when they are trying to help. And it's also about holding people accountable.
All those aspects, while brief, due to the nature of this format, were so well done and surely very eye-opening for many people.

On top of all that, Juliet Takes a Breath also has themes of different kinds of romantic relationships and how self-love plays an important role in that. We see that the relationship that Juliet is in in the beginning of the story does not seem very healthy and it shows just how important communication is in a relationship.

But within the course of this novel, Juliet starts dating someone else and it is a really beautiful development. There is also a great f/f sex scene with a big emphasis on consent and masturbation is also explored in this graphcic novel. Neither of thoses scenes are explicit but make it very clear what's happening.

And of course there is the beautiful art style, that I truly loved and that only added so much love for this graphic novel for me. I loved the line art and how much very clear body diversity there was with these characters. It also has a very warm and pleasant colour palette, that just made it a very pleasing reading experience.

Overall, as you might be able to tell from this review, I truly loved this graphic novel and cannot wait to dive into the novel soon because I am just that in love with the characters and themes in this story!

Trigger and Content Warnings for homophobia, racism, fatshaming, sexual harassment, smoking (weed), use of d-slur (in a reclaiming nature).

This graphic novel was amazing! It was one of my favorite graphic novels that I read this year. This book follows Juliet as she travels to Portland, Oregon to meet her favorite author, Harlowe Brisbane who she thinks can help her. Right as she left to go to Portland, Juliet came out to her family and her mom is struggling to come to terms with her daughter's identity. Throughout the book they butt heads over many different issues. I really enjoy how the book shows their relationship and how it grows and changes. Overall, this book is amazing and I would highly, highly recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be completely honest, I think this comic made me hate myself even more.

This graphic novel was phenomenal. The art style was absolutely beautiful, with vibrant colours well-suited for the characters and the events that unfold throughout the narrative. Most importantly, I loved the representation and the way it highlights queer, Black joy in the face of toxic white feminism. This is something readers of all ages need to read.

I received an advanced copy of Juliet Takes a Breath: The Graphic Novel through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

After landing the internship opportunity of a lifetime, Juliet embarks on a journey from her home in the Bronx to Portland. Months earlier, Juliet wrote a letter to her favorite feminist author, Harlowe Brisbane, about the impact her book had on her. When she got an offer to come and stay with Harlowe in Portland, she knew that she couldn’t pass up the chance to work with one of her idols. Though she’s heading towards something she’s been anticipating for months, Juliet is also running from her old life. Just before leaving, Juliet came out to her whole family, inciting a disasterous response from her mother. Juliet tries to focus on making her way in Portland, but even there things aren’t as she imagined. Harlowe’s perspective is nothing like her own, and is full of problematic ideas that Juliet can’t reconcile with the book that changed her life. Juliet has to discover for herself what it means to be both Puerto Rican and lesbian, and how her identities intersect in her mind and in the world around her.

You can get your copy of Juliet Takes a Breath: The Graphic Novel on December 1st from BOOM Box!

I was a reviewer for the original novel version of Juliet Takes a Breath, and I was so pleased to see that it would be getting a graphic novel adaptation! Gabby Rivera writes with skill and depth, which translated well to this new release. Celia Moscote perfectly captured Juliet’s world, filling each page with stunning color and life. I felt as though the illustrations strengthened the overall impact of the book, marking it as a truly successful adaptation. I lost myself in Juliet’s story and, before I knew it, I’d finished the whole book in one sitting!

My Recommendation-
If you are someone searching for a graphic novel with a nuanced exploration of identity and a critique of white feminism, you absolutely need to read Juliet Takes a Breath! This book is full of complex themes explained in easily understandable terms, to encourage understanding from all perspectives. This book would be a great read for fans of the original novel as well as for folks who haven’t read the story before.

Juliet is headed off to intern for an author she admires tremendously, but not before she blurts out her secret (she's a lesbian and has a girlfriend!) to her mother and the rest of their family.
When she arrives in Portland she finds that Harlowe Brisbane is everything she was hoping (feminist! free! open!) and some things she wasn't expecting (disorganized! inconsistent! and... some spoiler-y things I won't mention!)

The art in this book is GORGEOUS! I loved the style and depictions of the story throughout the entire book.
The story itself- I feel like it addressed a lot of important issues that queer BIPOC deal with on an ongoing basis. It does speed through some of the scenes that I felt needed more information, especially as someone who hadn't read the full-length novel already.

I am torn between my love for the art, my feeling that there are important issues addressed, and my feeling that some of the scenes were "a lot" for a book intended for young adults (thinking from the perspective of a school librarian). I know- clear as mud, but that is how I feel after an initial read-through.

I requested to review this graphic novel adaptation of JULIET TAKES A BREATH because I had heard great things about the original novel and because I love graphic novel as a storytelling medium.

Though the pacing didn't always work for me, I enjoyed following the titular character in their self-discovery and development, all with stellar artwork.

Reading this has definitely made me want to pick up the original YA novel!

Thank you so much for this arc, i'm so happy I got the opportunity to read this! I loved it so much, the topics are so important and I think everyone should read this comic.

This was absolutely incredible!! Juliet Takes a Breath was one of the best books I read last year, and it was so great to read this story again in a new format! I cannot wait to tell my customers at the store about this.

I've seen a lot of good reviews about the book Juliet takes a Breath but being an international reader means having limited access to titles being imported in my country.

So when I saw that this is available for request as a graphic novel, I decided that I won't let this opportunity close on me.

This graphic novel captures the vivid world of Juliet and what it takes to survive this chaotic world. The storyline is layered with plots that are interesting to all walks of life and this novel is a highly recommended book for me.

RATING: 4.5stars

If you want diversity, fat rep, and adorable queer characters, look no further! I had heard a ton of great things about Juliet Takes a Breath, but hadn't gotten to reading it yet, when I saw that there was going to be this graphic novel. I was really excited by the cover art, and I knew I just had to read it. I loved pretty much everything about this. The art style was exactly my vibe, which of course made it easier to love the reading experience. I adored the supportive member's of her family, especially her little brother (I too like Animorphs and Twix), and her grandma (who reminded me of my grandma <3), as well as her aunt and cousin. I was glad to see her find so much support from them, when her mother wasn't offering it. I was obsessed with the fat rep, period realness, and multiple character's body hair. My heart broke for Juliet during multiple scenes. As a white cis-woman, this isn't rep for me, but I took such pleasure in seeing so much that reminded me of me alongside some diversity that showed me a window into something new. I will definitely prioritize picking up the novel now, and I will read it with this gorgeous art work in mind.

The full novel of Juliet Takes a Breath is one of my all time favorites and is one that I often recommend to people. I am glad to say that this graphic novel really does the story justice. The art style took my breath away from page one! (Some pages even made me tear up) Highly recommend for fans of the original story and those who are new to the world.

I got a free eARC of this grafic novel from Netgalley.

I’m a little sad.
Because I really, really liked this book and was so excited that it was going to be adapted into a Grafic novel.
But somehow it didn’t work for me.

The art style is super pretty and I also liked the colours they chose. Juliet looks amazing!
We have a fat, queer, latinx protagonist and I already loved that in the book.
The whole book is super queer and feminist in general.
But in the book it was already a lot of topics that were discussed or even just introduced and not discussed in detail. But for me it was way too much in this. It felt super rushed and a lot of scenes from the book were cut so short I don’t think they would have made a lot of sense to me if I hadn’t read the book before.
What was weird in a funny and ridiculous way in the book was just plain weird here. Too rushed, too little explanation for me personally.
I can’t tell how it is without having read the book first, but I would definitely prefer that one if I had to choose.

Also: what is it with the constant font changes? Some of them didn’t fit the drawing style at all!

3.5 stars

I think I tripped myself up with this one because I hyped it massively to myself and I seriously wish I’d read the book (which I own) before the graphic novel. What I found with Juliet Takes A Breath was a character I could adore but a story short on depth because…graphic novel length, I think.

What I cannot regret over this read was fantastic illustration and story potential. Juliet was beautiful, curvy and full of feisty get-go but also with a bit of fear and trepidation. There was a coming-out story, family woes and relationship stresses. Plenty for the reader to get their teeth into as long as you don’t want to bite too deep. I wanted more underneath, depth to the story which I’m guessing is present in the book.

Illustration wise, this was glorious. My favourite visualisation of characters were Juliet (of course), Kira, Maxine and Harlowe’s hairy legs. There’s also a wee bit of suggested visualised steam and that was nicely done.

So, if you want a taster of this story, the graphic novel is perfect. I imagine that those that have read the book already will love this visualation too. I think I need to reverse my steps now and read the book to get that bit more that I wanted.

Thank you to BOOM! Box for the early review copy.

Holy shit I loved this book! I haven't read the original YA novel but was expecting this adaptation to be a bit lackluster. I didn't see it that way. Though there were a few moments that I wish there would've been one or two more panels to transition in and out of scenes, the story still felt whole. Juliet was the heroine I needed.

Pros: The art was AMAZING! Like I want prints of this in my house. Absolutely stunning. The story was fast-paced and had me reading straight through to the end to make sure Juliet found everything she was searching for. The story didn't gloss over hard topics. It looked them straight in the eye and said "not okay"

Cons: Because the story moved so fast there was a few places that I got lost or needed just a little more context.

Great story, beautiful art! Can't wait to recommend this to everyone I know.

I recently read the original novel of Juliet Takes a Breath, and I was very curious to check out the graphic novel adaptation.

I highly recommend reading the novel before enjoying the graphic novel because the adaptation serves as a companion to the original text. Because of the nature of the graphic novel as a medium, the reader loses much of Juliet’s inner monologue. My memory of the novel helped fill in the blanks, but I imagine it could be confusing for a reader new to her story.

What I liked: the art is beautiful. The palette is pleasing to the eye and I loved how Juliet was portrayed in all her curvy glory. It was very empowering to see characters of various gender diversity (and pronouns announced with each new character’s introduction). I also liked that Phen was not as awful to Juliet in the graphic novel as they are in the novel. Phen shames Juliet for not knowing her preferred pronouns, which becomes a great source of stress for Juliet. That gets glossed over in this graphic novel which honestly I was fine with.

What I didn’t like: I didn’t like how they toned down Harlowe as compared to the novel. She’s pretty awful to Juliet early on in my opinion, shaming her for wanting Advil when she gets her period, to name one example. This doesn’t happen as much in the graphic novel so that huge betrayal at the end would have been a bigger surprise if I hadn’t read the book. The novel did a better job of dropping hints about Harlowe and her racism.

Overall this is a great queer graphic novel that centers on women, femmes, and the importance of intersectional feminism, and a beautifully illustrated coming of age story.

Thank you NetGalley and Boom! studio for an eARC.

I wanted to read the full novel and saw this, and in turn decided if I liked this then I'd track down the book and give it a shot. So now I'm here to say I ADORED this graphic novel so much and have now added the book to my want to read list. This was just a fun time, I've never read such an adult graphic novel that wasn't part of a hero verse from marvel or dc, and it was so refreshing to see the language and scenes that strayed from pg. I adored Juliet and various side characters, and was so happy with the direction it went and then the ending. I truly am a sucker for a happy ending, especially after scenes and language leading up to the climax that had Juliet leave and truly find herself. The art style and character designs were also STUNNING!