ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Alter Ego wasn't my cup of tea. I do love the cover art.

The art is very cute, and the outfits are even more adorable. However, the story felt fairly flat to me. The pacing was very off in my opinion. In the beginning, it went fairly fast. Then in the middle of the novel, it just sort of slowed down all of a sudden. Furthermore, I felt as though there was a lot of miscommunication between Noel and June. Maybe it's just because it's a trope I strongly dislike, but it really annoyed me. At the end of the story, it seemed as though the miscommunication was never truly solved. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a cute sapphic graphic novel, this is the one for you!

Rainbows and Sunshine Book Blog
23 Feb 2021

I fell in love with the cover and the art style is absolutely gorgeous!! Noel and June were adorable together. I loved seeing them slowly connect with each other and get closer.

I really liked Elena, their best friend and she sort of helped them along the way. This manga also deals with the importance of friendship. It’s a very sweet story and if you’re looking for a cute yuri romance, I’d recommend Alter Ego. It gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings. It also has hate to love, and I’m a sucker for that!

June’s backstory just made me want to hug her so bad! And I would love see more volumes of Noel and June navigating their relationship. (though I think it’s a standalone)

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

I really enjoyed this story. First of all the artwork is absolutely beautiful. Second this made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope in this. Also the dark backstory added dept to this comic which I love. Everything for me was chefs kiss 💋

I really loved the pace of the story and the art. It didn’t drag, and the issues Noel and June had to overcome were expressed in a realistic way. I highly recommend this story.

Noel has been in love with her best friend, Elena, since they first met. However, she’s never been able to get the nerve to confess her romantic feels, so she’s content with just being friends… or so she thought. When Elena gets a boyfriend, Noel becomes extremely jealous. It gets even worse when Elena’s online friend, June, moves to town. Convinced that everyone is stealing the precious time that she has with Elena, Noel lashes out, risking their entire friendship. Then one night, she takes off and confesses everything to a random stranger who finds her. Unfortunately for Noel, it turns out that stranger is actually June.

When I first started this book, I didn’t like Noel because she was super angry, jealous, and possessive. Personally, it set off red flags for me as someone who had been friends with someone who was jealous and possessive when I was a teenager. Thankfully, things did not go south for Noel because she’s a character willing to listen and grow. When she meets what she thought was a random stranger she’d likely never see again and confesses her feelings and what’s been going on, she listens to the advice she receives. I was happy to see her grow as a character and make an effort to look at how her anger, possessiveness, and jealousy affects others as she works to better herself.

As far as the other characters go, we really only get to know two other characters: Elena and June. I was surprised that we didn’t get to know Elena more than we did, but I thought she was a great and friendly character who really cares about the people around her. June swooped in and was a sweet, funny, and the voice of reason. She helps Noel grow as a person while growing herself in the process.

One of the things that I like about this story is that Noel and June are in the same boat. They’re both in love with Elena while knowing nothing will likely ever come of it, but they react in two very different ways. Noel reacts badly while June is positive about the whole thing. She’s just happy to see her friend be happy even if it’s not with her. It was neat to watch Noel and June help each other and have their own romance unexpectedly blossom in the process.

All in all, I think that this is a cute story. It gets a little heavy at times, but it’s mostly a light and fluffy story with a slow burning romance. It also has beautiful artwork from start to end. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ana C. Sánchez in the future.

Our adorable mc Noel has had a crush on her best friend Elena for a while and is utterly heartbroken when Elena gets a boyfriend. She begins to act harsh and cruel, attempting to distance herself from Elena but ultimately failing. When Elena's other best friend, June, comes to town, Noel and June immediately buttheads. Both have feelings for Elena but eventually find feelings for each other.

This was a pretty cute, satisfying read. I really enjoyed how all of the characters were rational and usually talked about their feelings after a little miscommunication. Overall. a sweet read

Unrequited love is one of those universal things that everyone struggles with at some point in life. It’s something that everyone handles it differently, but few handle well—a broken heart is a painful thing, after all. But it can also have surprising consequences, and even bring people together in a roundabout way. Alter Ego, by Ana C. Sanchez, is a bittersweet but often funny exploration of that unrequited love: the pain of it all and the poor decisions that can come from it, but also the bonds that can form where you least expect them.

Noel has been in love with her best friend Elena for as long as they’ve been friends. She’s never had the courage to say anything, but that was fine—being best friends meant spending almost all their free time together anyway, and even if Noel hoped it could blossom into something more romantic, that time together was enough. But that all changes when Elena starts dating someone else. It only gets worse for Noel when June, Elena’s other best friend who lives in another city, moves to town—and moves in right next door. Suddenly Noel doesn’t have Elena all to herself anymore, turning her love into possessive jealousy.

On top of that, it seems June is also in love with Elena, and their competing affection quickly turns into a bitter rivalry. But this rivalry also brings them closer together, June and Noel find that they have more in common than they realised, and in a roundabout way, the love they both have for Elena forms the beginnings of something you might even call friendship (though neither of them would admit it), and maybe into something more.

From this premise, Alter Ego delves into an exploration of unrequited love, and the different ways people handle it. Noel is dramatic and possessive, but that possessiveness risks her losing Elena even as a friend; it’s a toxic, immature response, and realising and overcoming that is a major part of Noel’s development. That’s also where June comes in, as someone for whom love means wanting Elena to be as happy as she can be, even if that means June is watching from the sidelines. It’s a lesson Noel needs to learn if she doesn’t want to lose Elena forever—though it’s a tough pill to swallow, especially when the lesson comes from her rival.

While these are some heavy topics that Alter Ego explores, it mostly does so in a light, easygoing way. There’s plenty of humour in June and Noel’s rivalry, and in Elena’s quiet schemes to try bring them closer together—right from the start, she can clearly see something that both Noel and June can’t. There are plenty of heartfelt moments as conflict gives way to friendship, and brewing among that is the sweet, tender romance of two people slowly coming to realise that maybe what they’ve been looking for has been right there all along.

Expressive, emotive artwork helps carry this emotionally-charged story through all its ups and downs, bringing all the humorous antics vividly to life and driving home the vulnerability of Noel and June in those quiet moments. The romantic scenes are especially adorable, perfectly capturing the whirlwind of emotions that come with a confession of love or a first kiss, and made all the more beautiful for the gorgeous character designs.

Alter Ego is a strong debut from a talented artist and writer. It’s a story of unrequited love that manages to be both incredibly funny and bittersweet, but above all, it’s sweet, tender story about finding romance in the unlikeliest place.

I went into this manga primarily because it has enemies to lovers trope and yes I wasn't disappointed by how the story went on.

Noel, the main character was in love with her best friend since the first time they met. So, when Elena starts going out with a boy, she wasn't able to keep her cool about it. During one such episode, she told about her feelings to a total stranger who turned out to be June, another best friend of Elena further complicating things. Turns out, even June was in love with Elena.

This manga is a mixture of glee and sadness. The main character, that is Noel, turns out to be not so likeable in the starting because of her haughty nature and constant acts of displaying jealousy and fights with Elena for not being her 'exclusive' friend anymore. But as the story progresses things become clearer especially why she is so salty towards Elena. Being in love without having being acknowledged for the love is what was shown here, especially the hurt and pain it gives the person. Apart from that Elena's character... well, I personally really loved her. It was extremely beautiful to see how she defended her individuality and also gave enough space for her friends to open up to her whenever they felt comfortable. Coming onto June, she appears literally out of nowhere in the beginning. Her character runs so deep that it was difficult to make it out in beginning. There were several themes discussed in this manga, starting from as little as being in love with your best friend, to childhood abuse and trauma. Every character had a different story to tell which was extremely pleasant to read! I really hope there are subsequent volumes for this manga!

**Trigger Warnings: Abandonment, Childhood Abuse, Heteronormativity.

WHAT A SWEET CANDY THIS BOOK IS! Excuse me but this is the absolute cutest thing I have encountered and I am simply heart-eyes over it. Noel and June are too pure and my heart is positively soaring. This book is so soft *sobbing*, and they are so young and sweet and wholesome. I protest to the ending though. I protest. This is the happy pill we grouches called humanity need.

Thank you to Netgalley and LOVE x LOVE for the ARC.

Review to come February 19th to blog/Goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just fell in love with this cover when I spotted this graphic novel on Netgalley. Plus, I love the manga-style drawings, they look so pretty! Since I am quite tired (reading and writing this on a Friday after a long day) I am doing a good/not so good review.

Good:
*Cover. It is so cute and adorable. I love how one of the girls is all confident and the other is flustered.
*The artwork inside. I just love it when books with art also add extra sketches and extra illustrations as an extra. And we get plenty! Sketches, full colour illustrations. LOVE LOVE.
*Instead of chapter names/numbers we get stages. From Denial to Connection and then there is a Final Stage called: Our Best Friend. I was definitely eager to get started seeing those stages. What would happen in each of them?
*I really liked Noel, while I haven't been in love with a best friend, I could understand how painful it must be for that friend to be, as she would see it, snatched away by someone else. Instead of having her around all the time, you will only see her sporadically, not to mention the love you felt... well nothing is going to happen. I just wanted to give her hug. I could definitely understand why she was angry at Elena, and I am sure Elena understands slightly what is going on, but maybe a talk would have been better right away. It was great seeing Noel change as the stages came and left. The author did a really good job on showing Noel's emotions.
*June was an interesting character... though I wasn't a big fan of her in the beginning. She seemed to be intend on spoiling the beans on what Noel confided in her and I am just not a fan of that kind of crap. I get that you are Elena's friend as well, but oh boy, don't go that direction, please. Thankfully, she got better with each page, with each stage and I slowly found myself really liking her. She really opened up herself to Noel. Which made us see a whole different side.
*Elena, I wasn't sure how to feel about this girl at first, but I pulled myself from Noel's POV and away from her anger and I could clearly see that this girl wasn't too blame. Yes, this sounds weird, I know, but we see everything from Noel's POV, her pain, her anger, and you can't help but feeling angry too. I had a big laugh at her plans in quite a few parts of the manga. Oh girl. Go! I loved how she was there for both her friends, a lot of times in romance manga friends drift apart or have little time when one of them gets a boyfriend (or girlfriend).
*I loved seeing June and Noel drift together, find each other, and bond. While in the start I wasn't shipping them, slowly but surely I saw a connection, a spark and boy, I started shipping. I was hoping these two could find love together, be together.
*While it was sad, I was happy with the backstory we got on June. Poor thing. *hugs June*
*There were moments I was just tearing up. That one scene around page 110 to 117 was just so powerful, so wonderfully written, I just couldn't help but tear up. And there were other scenes as well.
*The last stage/chapter? *chef kiss* LOVED IT!~
*Always love it when the title of a book gets named, and in this case I was just squeeing as it made perfect sense and was just great.

Neutral/Mixed:
*I was quite confused about the ages of the girls. That is the only thing. I thought they were around 17, maybe 18, but then during one scene they drink. And in Japan that means you are age 20. I can hear you say, but Mehsi, June is living alone. Haha, I have been watching anime for a long time now, and reading manga as long as well. I have seen kids aged 14-16 living in their own apartment/home with funding from parents or family. So yeah.
*I am still not sure how I feel about Noel's sister. Lord, she was annoying at times. You JUST DON'T ENTER A ROOM WITHOUT KNOCKING and YOU RESPECT YOUR SISTER'S PRIVACY (aka not breaking in on her PC or checking her stuff). Sorry, but that needed to be in caps. Lord.

As you can see A LOT of good, I really really enjoyed this one and I was pulled in totally. I love the manga-style art, it was really cute and I love the character designs. All in all, are you looking for a read about losing love and finding love? Friendship? Then be sure to check out this sweet and beautifully written graphic novel.

Alter Ego is a beautiful sweet little manga about the struggles of being in love with your best friend and falling in love. The drawings of this manga are really cute and pretty.

The main character Noël is a very stubborn and jealous character, but she is still very likeable and I felt that the writer did a good job of making the reader understand where she is coming from. Sometimes I felt that she was overreacting, but every time she did the reasons why were also explained you got to understand where her frustration and jealousy was coming from.

There is not a lot of humour in this book, and it really focus on the struggles of being and falling in love. But even though this manga tackles some difficult subjects (beside love it also talks about being gay, abandonment and abuse) it does so very light heartedly and it does not make the manga difficult or hard to read.

It’s just a very cute and fun read in between more heavy and difficult books. It’s a lovely read what you can easy read in one day or a weekend.

I highly recommend this mango it’s just a very cute read that will touch your heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and
LOVE x LOVE for the opportunity to read and review this manga. I think this one was a refreshing story for me because it has more depth and drama than previous ones. The artstyle is also very unique and I love it very much.
It also is more adult and discusses more about friendships than relationships which was interesting. There's also an uncertainty of age of the characters (which isn't a bad thing, however it could be for someone else). Trigger warnings for verbal and physical abuse. Overall though, I enjoyed my read of this manga and I am curious to see what this manga series is going to do next. Because of these points, I have to give this manga a solid 4 out of 5 stars

This was a really cute manga! I have slowly been dipping my toe into the saphic manga world. This is one of my first excursions and if the whole genre is like this than I think this may become a new favorite genre of mine.
I did have a few issues with the main character and her very blatant anger issues. I do wish that had been addressed a bit more but it didn't ruin my experience reading this. In some places I knew exactly what the mc was feeling. The jealousy and anger when your crush finally gets a significant other can be heart breaking.
I really did enjoy the romance once it got going. The slowing burn of it all was great and I found the love interest to be very likeable. She reminded me a lot of what its like once you finally come to terms with who you are. Her awareness of who she was and what she wanted against our other character who id still figuring herself out was wonderful.
Even with my small issues with this manga I would still recommend it. I liked the love story and I really liked the characters as well. This was a solid first entry in a manga series.

As much as Alter Ego has good points this story did not work for me. I think that Noel’s character walked a thin line of irritating, but sympathetic to downright annoying and selfish and all to often swayed dramatical from one to the other. For each moment I felt sympathy for her she would behave horribly in the next scene and ruin any potential reader bond there could have been build.

The story is a good premise but because it happens so quickly it felt a bit “well if you don’t want me, I’ll pick that one”. As a standalone volume Alter Ego does not have a lot of luxury when it comes to developing the story and characters. I think that does it a disservice because there seems to be much more to explore.

It's Gay, and it Slaps.

This brought me so much happiness, but for weird reasons. I found Noel insufferable, honestly, up until the end very end. But in reality, I think it is because I saw myself in Noel, in the ways I have been toxic in the past and even in the present.
As much as this book is about two girls falling in love, it is also about learning the importance of good communication and that you can't have one person be everything to you. You can't hold them responsible when they can't meet that insane expectation.

So while I'd recommend that at least Noel and June see a therapist, it does have some insanely cute moments. You have to work to get there.

This is a sweet, charming manga about young love. The main character, Noel has been in love with her best friend, Elena forever. When Noel finally summons up the courage to confess her feelings, she finds out that Elena has a new boyfriend!. In a moment of desperation, Noel ends up confiding in a complete stranger named June, and sparks end up flying.
Overall I thought this was a sweet story that I think a lot of people can relate to. What do you do when you feel like you've not only lost your best friend but what you think is your only chance at love as well? I think a lot of people have been in similar situations and can probably find themselves reflected in these characters. The art was also very beautiful and skillfully drawn. While I'm not a huge connoisseur of yuri manga, I think this was a pretty solid story and is certainly worth your time.

Disclaimer: I was able to read an advance reader copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Noel has been in love with her best friend Elena for a long time, but has never managed to confess her feelings. When Elena begins dating a boy, Noel is devastated. She goes on a run and confesses her feelings for her best friend to a random girl she comes across. This random girl turns out to be Elena's other best friend June who has recently moved to their city. Noel is initially terrified that June will reveal her secret to Elena, but as time goes on and it becomes apparent that she has no intention of revealing Noel's secret, Noel begins to resent June. At some point, the resentment and anger turns to love.