Pardalita focuses on Raquel, a 16 year-old-girl who finds herself infatuated with a senior girl named Pardalita. Really, that's all that happens in Pardalita. It's very much vibes only and no plot. Raquel grows closer to Pardalita doing theater, but she also just observes life around her: her mom's growing interest in activism, her best friend's interest in boys contrasted to her own lackluster relationship with a boyfriend, and of course, her thoughts on Pardalita. The art is gorgeous, though my version was in black and white and I'm sure the final color is better. Also, I think every story of a baby lesbian longing for an older girl should end with them kissing, but maybe that's just me.

*Pardalita* by Joana Estrela is a beautifully quiet and introspective read that lingers in your mind long after you finish it. The combination of prose poetry and minimalist illustrations creates such an intimate experience, making every page feel deeply personal.

The writing is gentle yet powerful, pulling you into a journey of self-discovery and emotional depth. It’s a book that doesn’t rush but instead lets you absorb every feeling, every thought, and every quiet moment. The storytelling is so authentic that it feels like stepping into someone's private world, full of unspoken emotions and quiet realizations.

What I loved most was how effortlessly it captures the complexity of growing up and understanding yourself. It’s heartfelt, poetic, and deeply relatable. If you love stories that are soft yet profound, *Pardalita* is a must-read—one that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

DNF estuve facil 2 años intentando leer este libro y, si bien podia haberlo leido super rapido para sacarmelo de encima, queria leerlo bien. El dibujo prometia bastante, siendo sencillo parecia atractivo. Pero la escitura dejó mucho que desear.

Being 16 is never easy, but it feels more complicated for Raquel than it should be. Her parents’ divorce is wreaking havoc because everyone in this small town in Portugal seems to know about her father’s new marriage, and her mother seems to only have time to find herself, not to help Raquel cope with her changing circumstances. Even though she has her best friends, Luisa and Fred, and Miquel, her boyfriend, Raquel feels like an irregular verb that doesn’t quite fit everything around her. Raquel’s growing fascination with senior Pardalita exacerbates the feeling of otherness. Their friendship grows as they work together on a local theater production, and Raquel begins to realize what her feelings really mean.

Pardalita is a stylistically complex and engaging read for fans of character-driven coming-of-age stories, employing a mix of prose, verse, and graphic panels that makes the whole book feel ethereal. The dynamic black-and-white illustrations complement and enhance the story moving from concrete to abstract, much like Raquel’s thoughts, and grow from white-space dominant to page-filling spreads reflecting Raquel and Pardalita’s developing relationship.

Recommend Pardalita to readers who enjoy queer awakening stories such as Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. For other authentic LGBTQIA+ relationship stories, hand readers Only on the Weekends by Dean Atta and The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver.

Excellent graphic novel. Loved the story, characters, and art. I am definitely putting this in my library.

Overall, I liked this but I didn't love it. The art style was nice and I could see what the comic was trying to do, but I felt like it didn't really get deep enough in any of the many conflicts/focuses of the story and it left the story feeling overall too shallow for me. I did think the sapphic aspect was the most well-done, but there were a lot of supporting characters and a lot of background information given that never really went anywhere.

"Pardalita" is this beautiful graphic novel that takes you in a journey of self-discovery, first loves and mesmerizing art. As a portuguese reader, it feels so nice to see Joana Estrela in other languages and this important book and all the topics that it talks about getting so far.

I really loved this graphic novel that mixed in small moments of prose. A lovely budding WLW romance and realistic high school friendships and angst.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this book as I felt like the story was quite slow and I lost my interest in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and the publisher for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

This story revolves around Raquel, a 16-year-old girl residing in a small Portuguese town, as she grapples with the complexities of life while developing feelings for Pardalita.

The text intertwines Raquel's perspectives with concise recollections of significant moments in her life. Moreover, the narrative incorporates insights into the evolving refugee situation in Portugal.

While addressing themes such as refugee issues, coming of age, sexual discovery, and distant parental relationships, the author touches on substantial topics that could benefit from a more profound exploration than what is provided here.

The cohesion between these themes appears somewhat disjointed. Occasionally, the writing style may come across as clichéd, which might stem from potential issues with translation.

The most impressive aspect of this graphic novel is its distinctive aesthetic. Described as a hybrid by the publisher, the author/illustrator employs bold black and white brushstrokes, achieving a well-balanced harmony between the text and illustrations. The artwork garnered a three-star rating, primarily for its striking visuals.

I just was not vibing with the nature of this book as a collection of random thoughts. I wanted to invest in something but had not much to invest in.

2/5

I adore the art style here and the story but felt that a little something was missing terms of the pacing. But, overall, an amazing story.

Pardalita is a quiet coming of age novel about the main character with minimalist artwork.

Something unique and different from what I usually read!

Thankyou NetGalley for this ARC!

*2.5 Stars*

Pardalita is a hybrid book, part graphic novel, part novel in verse, part letters... Which could have been awesome but I felt the execution lacking. I didn't feel anything for the characters, if anything, the main character kind of annoyed me at times. It also didn't help that the format was broken and none of it showed the way it's meant to. I don't know what else to say, it was very short, took me an hour to read but it's still felt a bit long, I kept checking the time left and I just wanted it to end. I also wasn't really a fan of the illustrations and overall, that's just not what I expected. Definitely a bit of a miss for me.

Pardalita is a sweet and innocent slice-of-life self-discovery story. The story is common but it is told in a creative, funny way - mostly through the main characters’s inner thoughts - focused in details and subtleties that give it depth and make it relatable.

It seems that some subjects were included maybe with the intention to better develop the main character and give her more depth but some of these subjects don’t have any development and fell short.

Despite that I liked it. It a well constructed piece that ends making you wish it was longer.

This book portrays perfectly what it's like to be a 16 year-old, exploring herself and the world around her. I loved the tones used in this book and the way the book used all the available space instead of what is the norm, clearly in tune with the story being told.

This was interesting because it used a range of different formats: written prose, verse and graphic novel. However i dont really think it hit the mark for me.

Raquel lives in a small village in Portugal and navigates her teen, relationships, friendship, her sexuality and first love.

Publishers should stop targeting everything as a romance because it's trending because this was a contemporary coming of age where nothing went further than a crush. It seemed that the story was unfinished.

The change in format made it super easy to read but there was not much of a plot. It's like they focused too much in the different formats but not in the content. It was groundbreaking but maybe they should have stuck to just one thing. The little poems kept a structure, while it was brave, i dont think they succeeded. It was cute but it left you a bit underwhelmed because it maybe tried to cover too much.

I love Portugal and it kinda transported me there near the Tagus and have me peace, so points for that.

This was really beautiful and expressive. The combination of forms (prose, sequential art, others) really worked here. A really lovely coming of age story, really set in a very specific time and place. I loved this story.

4 stars.

This was a solid graphic novel with an engaging art style.

The story was sweet and the theme of discovering yourself and your sexuality as a teenager resonated with me. I could relate to the main character and the troubles in her life, both mundane and otherwise. The mix of prose and poetry also captured my attention.

I highly recommend this book to those looking for a sweet story of discovery that feels real and tangible.

This was a really gorgeous graphic novel and one I'm sure to recommend. I loved the art style and the way it used both flashbacks and current timelines.