What makes hair “good” or “bad”, “pelo bueno” o “pelo malo”? If you are a female person of color you’ve probably heard these terms once or twice. Author Claribel Ortega tackles this topic in her new graphic novel, Frizzy. Marlene goes to the hair salon with her mother every Sunday to have her hair straightened. Marlene has abundant hair with tight curls and the straightening is becoming a dreaded and painful tradition. Marlene would like nothing more than to be herself and to be appreciated for the person she is, instead she feels a constant comparison to her “beautiful” cousin whose long, cascading, straight blond hair is the envy of the family.

Ortega presents authentic dialogue and experiences for Marlene. She feels judged by her family and her self worth begins to crumble, Aunt Ruby knows all too well what Marlene is going through and teaches her how to love her natural curls.

How I wish this book was around when I was in middle school! So many of us in the Latine community endure this criticism, almost like a rite of passage. This story affirms that we do not need to conform to other peoples’ standards of beauty. It’s an uplifting story about confronting fears and developing self-compassion. Highly recommended.

Frizzy is a coming of age tale for everyone. Who hasn't felt awkward and unappreciated simply for who they are? Ortega has made a loving and beautiful tale about self discovery and how we can always be true to ourselves.

Wow, that one got me right in the heart! This was such a beautiful story about Marlene, her hair, and her family. So many generations passing down "helpful" comments leads to some very stressful situations for Marlene.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and very detailed.

I highly recommend this graphic novel.

What's not to love about this charming MG graphic novel. Marlene is a headstrong tween who despises Sundays spent in the salon, transforming her mane of frizzy "bad" curls into "good" straight, smooth locks. Marlene's journey to appreciating and loving her curls is so tender and sweet, and her developing relationship with her mother is a joy to read. So many kids need this book! I can already think of a few in my life who'll be receiving this as a gift.

“All hair is good hair.”
💇🏽‍♀️
Marlene hates Sundays. It’s the day her mom makes her go to the salon for the day to get her hair straightened. But Marlene hates spending the day getting her hair pulled then not being able to play for fear the straightened hair will get ruined and she will upset her mother with her frizzy hair. When Marlene gets in trouble at school for pushing a bully who makes fun of her hair, she spends the weekend with her Tia Ruby who also has hair like hers and teaches her how to tame it. Marlene realizes being herself is the most important thing, but can she convince her mom to feel the same way?
🐓
@claribel_ortega @rosebousamra have created an incredibly beautiful and moving MG graphic novel Frizzy speaks to every child who has felt different about the way they look and teaches kids to love who they are on the inside and outside. This book is going to be a huge hit in schools when it releases October 18. Preorder now!
CW: death of a parent, bullying

A girl wants to be true to herself and not hide her naturally curly hair. An aunt guides her on hair care and she finally feels comfortable being herself.

This would be an excellent addition to a school or classroom library serving grades 3-12.

4 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This middle grade graphic novel is very cute but also has a great theme. I would highly recommend to all readers especially Own Voices readers.

This is a delight of a graphic novel, perfect for middle to upper elementary students. It addresses understanding the biases of the world & internalized biases, learning to love yourself, accepting everyone, bullying, and more. It has the perfect amount of text on each page with a beautiful color palette, rich in pinks, reds, and oranges, clearly designed and imagined as a graphic novel that would be accessible to a wide range of readers.

This is such a great comic! It’s cute, but also has a great message.

It’s about Marlene, who is constantly told that she has bad, frizzy hair. Every Sunday her mom takes her to the salon to get her hair straightened, but Marlene hates it.

I don’t want to go in to too much detail, because it’s short and I don’t want to spoil anything. Over the course of the comic important topics are covered, such as self-acceptance, anti-blackness, internalized anti-blackness, but it’s all done in a really accessible way, so that even though these are serious topics, it’s still completely appropriate for kids (it’s marketed as MG).

This is the first I’ve read from Claribel Ortega, but I will definitely be on the lookout for more!

This book is exactly what I needed growing up. In elementary school I was the only kid with curly hair. When I got to middle school everyone was straightening their hair and I thought I had to too. I didn't know what to do with my curls, just like Marlene. I wished for "good hair" every single day.

This book hit racism, generational trauma, bullying, and so much more. Truly positive ending. I can't wait to purchase this for my classroom!

Frizzy is a wonderful story centering around embracing your natural hair and how it impacts your self worth. I think this is a great way to show both sides of the debate and how important it is for older generations to understand the importance of embracing natural hair.

Marlene is a typical girl in many ways. She loves music, her best friend, and art. However, one thing she definitely doesn't love is the weekly trip to the salon with her mother. She loves spending time with her Mami, but the endless hours sitting in the chair, having her naturally curly hair yanked and heated until it is straight and smooth is pure torture. Not only that, but in order to keep her straight hair, Marlene must refrain from doing things she loves that might cause her to sweat and therefore ruin her expensive hair. Marlene doesn't understand why she has "bad hair" that must be fixed. It's only through the guidance of her beloved Tia Ruby that she is able to understand why some people don't like her hair, why she should embrace her natural curls, and how to care for them. But, even if Marlene loves her curls, can she convince her Mami?

This book was sweet, charming, and enlightening. As an adult, it was eye-opening for me to acknowledge all of the contradictory things that we sometimes tell children (i.e. "It's what's inside that counts," and "You need to look your best.") There are certain double standards in this world that don't make sense to children and this book helps to clear up one area of that. This is a book that could be a great conversation starter for parents and their children. The artwork in this novel by Rose Bousamra is also a win. All of the colors are vibrant and fun, mirroring Marlene's personality. This book was, understandably a quick read for me, but very enjoyable for every moment I was reading.

Thanks NetGalley and First Second Books for this e-ARC!

Beyond cute. I loved the view point and how it reminds me of society standards of beautiful. Even her parents thoughts “straight hair” was beautiful. Yet, all of her, and accepting herself. Was just …. Beautiful.

This book had me in tears in a good way. I loved these characters so much, and I'm rooting for their healing. The art was absolutely gorgeous. As soon as I was done I messaged my sister for advice with my 3B curls that I've been braiding back for years now. I miss them.

I really enjoyed this one and watching Mariene grow and become her own person. She was learning how to express herself through her hair but also through showing her feelings.
This is good look at family and what they can teach you but what you can also learn from each other.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This beautiful graphic novel was my life for 18 years. Only when I went away to college was I no longer subjected to curlers, hairdryers, and doobie wraps. Being Dominican with curly hair is not for the faint of heart. When I finally learned to care for my curls at 20, I vowed not to subject my children to such humiliation and pain. So it was a delight to see that Marlene came to her own decision as a middle schooler. Being able to be independent and a free thinker about one's own body and appearance is super important. This graphic novel shows the waves of emotions between wanting to please your single parent and wanting to live your own life. I've been Marlene. It took me much longer to find beauty in my curls before middle-age strips away the volume and lusciousness from them.
I would recommend this book to all parents and children with curls. I have three kids who wear their curls in various ways. And I'm even must proud of my son who embraced the frizz and has an afro.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, the author, and the illustrator for allowing me to read and review this spectacularly created graphic novel. I hope many young children will love their curls.

This book is a must for every elementary and middle school library. Hair Love meets Smile! The story and illustrations are great and the message about loving and taking care of your hair in incredibly important

Frizzy is the exquisitely illustrated graphic novel of a Dominican girl named Marlene who learns to embrace her curly hair and stand up for herself to her toughest critics. For anyone who has battled with hair that refuses to be tamed as a young person trying to fit in, this is the book for you. I laughed, cringed, cheered, and cried reading this gem by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra.

I wish I’d had a chance to read this book when I was going through something similar in middle school. It would’ve made me realize much earlier on that there are people out there who have my hair type (super curly and frizzy back then!) who could give me some great advice on products and styles that worked best for my hair. This book will definitely guide a few young folks in the right direction.

I didn't expect to love Frizzy so much but what really sealed the deal for me was the commentary on anti-Blackness being manifested through refusing to acknowledge natural hair texture and styling as legitimate and beautiful. This was a very heartwarming and engaging graphic novel about the power of love and acceptance.

5 stars

It's not often that I crack a book with the intention of reading just the first few pages and find myself suddenly finishing the whole read in one sitting, but that's exactly what happened to me with this fantastic middle grade graphic novel.

Marlene, the m.c., is on a journey not to find her true self but to make sure that true self no longer has to be buried under painfully straightened hair and miserable weekly trips to the salon with her mom. Marlene's mom, though well intentioned, has no idea how much drama she's causing for Marlene (and vice versa), and it is so moving to see these two come together over their shared understandings of "good" hair, what their hair means to them, and what it calls up from their respective pasts. Like any good MG piece, there is A LOT of meaningful (and emotional) content packed into a very small space.

I love everything about this graphic novel and am ready for a whole series on these characters! Marlene's journey is amazing and will undoubtedly serve as a significant window or mirror for nearly every reader. The parent-child relationships, the friendships, and especially the connection between Tia Ruby and Marlene are all meaningful and developed within the context of the space. And the overall aesthetic is spectacular. The colors, movement, and pacing are exceptional, and I love how Marlene's hair grows, changes, and almost becomes a character of its own, too.

I cannot wait to recommend this to students and to encounter much more from this author (and illustrator) in the future!