Thank you to NetGalley for the readers copy in exchange for a (very late) review.
As the age old expression goes “Let's go lesbians. Let’s go.” - Billy on the street. I loved this so much. But what can I say, I’m a sucker for a good queer graphic novel.

I really loved this graphic novel. The art style really added to the story and I was engaged all the way through.

Super cute queer rom-com graphic novel. The pink and black color scheme is a fun stylistic element and cartoony illustrations really play up the comedy.

Wie finde ich das?

Schon die Cover Art hat mich total angesprochen, also war ich von Anfang an davon überzeugt, dass mir auch das Innere der Graphic Novel gefallen würde, und so war es natürlich auch. Die Panels sind nicht nur super niedlich, sondern auch mit viel Liebe zum Detail gezeichnet. Positiv zu erwähnen, ist hierbei außerdem, dass viele der Figuren unterschiedliche Hautfarben sowie diverse Körperformen haben, was mir echt gut gefallen hat.

Aber natürlich hat nicht nur der Zeichenstil mein Herz zum Schmelzen gebracht. Auch die Handlung war daran nicht ganz unschuldig. Im Fokus stehen hierbei die drei Schülerinnen, die auch auf dem Cover zu sehen sind: Schulmaskottchen Hawkins, Footballstar Chloe und Cheerleaderin Regina. Hawkins ist in Regina verliebt, diese ist allerdings mit Chloe zusammen und Hawkins und Chloe haben ihre ganz eigene Vergangenheit, die wieder beginnt aufzuleben, als die beiden durch Chloes Nachhilfeunterricht wieder mehr Zeit miteinander verbringen.

Lange habe ich keine so süße, so herzerwärmende Geschichte gelesen. Kurzweilig, humorvoll und total romantisch.

Im Großen und Ganzen...

Eine der besten queeren Graphic Novels seit "Heartstopper". "Belle of the Ball" besticht nicht nur durch süße Zeichnungen, sondern auch durch liebenswerte Charaktere und eine Handlung, die einfach nur Spaß macht.

I really enjoyed this title and I did in fact buy it for my library! Any graphic novel is great, but especially one with diverse characters and an interesting storyline.

I really loved how this book went in unexpected directions. I enjoyed that all of the main characters were imperfect and accidentally unkind in different very realistic ways at different times throughout the book. Really enjoyed that no time was spent with stress about being queer - it was just a regular thing to be.

An excellent graphic romance with some absolutely amazing characters and relationship building. Also a great color pallet.

Belle of the Ball was one of the cutest graphic novels I've read this year. I love a queer story, especially one that doesn't deal with a lot of trauma around coming out. It's great to just see queer people existing and having friends and everything generally being okay. Of course I also loved all the geeky stuff in this book, especially the Renaissance Faire scene. So cute! I will be recommending this book to all my teacher and librarian friends because we need this book on the shelf in every school library.

When readers pick up this story they think they know what is going to happen, but it's not exactly that while being exactly that. Hawkins, who is the team mascot has a crush on Regina, the start cheerleader, who is dating Chloe, the star player on the team. Hawkins goes from zero to hero when Regina realizes that she could tutor Chloe to keep her 20 year plan on track (Regina is very driven), so Hawkins, nervous, agrees. The story develops and Hawkins realizes that not all is well between Chloe and Regina who are on again and off again, and that Chloe doesn't remember who she is. That is all well for her, until it all connects and everyone has to figure out what happens next.

This was a sweet romance and about learning to be true to ones self. Absolutely positive LGBTQ+ title and must have.

"Belle of the Ball" by Mari Costa is a captivating and inclusive graphic novel that celebrates identity, self-discovery, and the courage to be true to oneself. Costa's storytelling expertise shines as she brings to life the journey of a young LGBTQIAP+ character navigating the challenges of adolescence. The book's vibrant artwork and relatable characters create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young adult readers. Costa's ability to capture the nuances of identity and the complexities of relationships adds depth to the narrative, making it an empowering read for those seeking representation and connection. "Belle of the Ball" is an inspiring journey that invites readers to embrace their authenticity and celebrate their individuality, leaving them with a renewed sense of self and the strength to shine brightly in a world that often demands conformity.

Belle of the Ball is a cute YA graphic novel about a High School wallflower, Belle who blooms while rekindling a friendship from her past. The story helped my interest and the illustrations supported the expressions and feelings of the characters well. The monochromatic color scheme did not distract from the story. I enjoyed experiencing each characters’ growth as their friendships developed. This has a Heartstopper theme but on a simpler emotional level. I could see many of my graphic novel loving students picking this one off the shelf often.

The illustrations and the aesthetics of the book are "on point". Cute story even though I'm not a big fan of love triangles! Yet it gave me a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings.

This sweet graphic novel reminded me of Heartstopper crossed with Mean Girls and I loved all the characters. It was very slice of life so perfect for anyone who loves those types of books however I was not the biggest fan of the ending.

Overall I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it

Fans of the Barbie aesthetic will delight in the color palette of Mari Costa’s graphic novel, Belle of the Ball! Ultra-shy mascot Hawkins has finally worked up the courage to ask Regina Moreno to the Winter Dance, but Regina is back together with her on-again, off-again girlfriend Chloe Kitagawa. Regina, head cheerleader and stellar student, has a ten-year plan for her future with Chloe: college, medical school, and marriage. Chloe is an all-star soccer player, but her poor grades in English threaten Regina’s plans. Taking advantage of Hawkins’ crush, Regina recruits her to tutor Chloe for free. Regina doesn’t realize that “Belle Hawkins” and Chloe share an almost-forgotten history of childhood friendship. An uncommon love triangle soon develops between these wonderfully unique main characters. Readers could have great fun debating which one is truly the Belle of the Ball in this fresh, funny, and romantic graphic novel for teens!

I loved this graphic novel so much! I went in with little knowledge about the story, and was pleasantly surprised by how fun, emotional, and charming it was! I also immediately fell in love with the art style and prevailing pink tone of the art. I can definitely say the story was as pretty as its art. Will definitely be recommending this to people form now on!

B. Hawkins asks out cheerleader Regina only to find out Regina is still dating her girlfriend Chloe. Despite getting off to a bad start, Regina convinces Hawkins to tutor Chloe, who is struggling in English class. The three girls navigate their senior year of high school including college admissions, dances, ren faire, and romance!

Really enjoyed this graphic novel! The color scheme and illustration style really matched the tone of the story - the characters' expressions were very easy to read which lent itself well to this story of developing friendships and relationships.

The main characters are definitely flawed, a good example being Regina's manipulation of Hawkins in the first half of the story. I loved that the characters each showed a lot of growth and I enjoyed reading a book in which the characters aren't all perfect from the start.

Very cute! Would definitely recommend to teens or lovers of YA graphic novels. Reminded me a bit of the vibe of Pumpkinheads.

I really liked the color palette for this graphic novel. I think it brought more interest to the story and made it more engaging.

I can see what this one is going for - the manipulative relationship, the characters under her shadow and under her spell. The plot is a clear one, though the characters are interesting enough.

I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and think it would be great for upper middle schoolers and above. It is worth mentioning that the whole premise of the story starts out with some mean girl manipulation but I appreciated the way it progressed and ended. As a queer adult, I would have loved to read this when I was a teen.