Constellations is the story of Clair, a non-binary teenager, who is sent rehab after drinking and crashing their bike into a pedestrian. The story is very simple and character driven, while the art is very stylized and at time surreal. I personally really enjoyed the surreal elements of the art. I thought they were very creative, and at times they went really well with some of the dialogue and Clair's inner monologues.

That being said, I was not a fan of Clair's inner monologue most of the time. Every now and then there would a line or two that I enjoyed, but I found that Clair's thoughts were often lyrical or similar to free-verse poetry, and filled with metaphor's and similes. I like metaphors and similes, but when there are pages and pages of them, they start to lose their impact, and instead they slow down the pacing of the story. In this case, I sometimes found myself thinking, "I got it, Clair. Stop explaining this to me." It also made it difficult for me to connect with Clair.

Constellations deals with some heavy topics. Sometimes in a very heavy handed manner. Charlie, the therapist, often info dumps about psychology, for example. That being said, I really appreciate Charlie in the end. Many of the characters in Constellations are cold, callous, and cruel. Charlie was a breath of fresh air, and it made sense that Clair would form a bond with him. My favorite moment with him was when we got to see him struggle a little bit towards the end. It made him feel more human and less two-dimensional.

I don't think Constellations is a book for everyone, but I believe for those who connect with it, it will hold a special place in their hearts.

Claire is a non-binary teenager from New York in the 80s. They struggle with their identity and prejudices so to cope with all of that they turn to alcohol. Claire ends up in rehab where she meets other teenagers with their own struggles.

I really like the idea behind this graphic novel but i feel the story was rushed up. We jump from one scene to another with no warning and it is very confusing. Claire spends three months in rehab and it happens so fast it seems they only were there for a few weeks.

The artstyle is not for me (but I tend to be quite picky about this) and some characters looked way too similar to the point that sometimes I couldn't tell Claire apart from other characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this graphic novel about a nonbinary teen, but unfortunately I struggled with it.

First of all, I wasn't a big fan of the art style. I realise that is just a personal preference though, and some people will love it. What was instead the biggest problem for me with this book, was at times I really struggled to follow what was happening. I wasn't sure who some of the characters were, or it suddenly jumped to a completely different situation without any indication and I was really confused before I realised that had happened, or something was implied that we were supposed to understand but I really didn't. This led to me spending too much of the time just being confused, which made it impossible to really get into the book.

However, I do acknowledge that it is an important book that deals heavily with the topic of addiction and also gender, and some people will love it. It just wasn't for me.

Constellations covers a lot of important topics and is clearly a labor of love from the author. The main character Claire, a GNC teen growing up in 80s New York, turns to alcohol when their traumas catch up with them and finds themself in rehab. Filled with unique art, Glasheen crafts a semi-autobiographical narrative about found family and finding yourself.

As a fellow product of adolescent IOP programs (albeit for depression, not addiction), the found family story was familiar to me and I felt that the author did justice in their portrayal of how complicated it can feel to forge friendships at the worst time in your life. However, it was at times hard to understand due to the strange narrative flow of the book. It was also not helped by the art style. Although very cool with its watercolor palette and doodle overlays, the art didn't serve a graphic novel particularly well in my opinion. It was often visually cluttered and the facial expressions mismatched the dialogue making for a difficult reading experience. I also found the middle section to be overly preachy at times. Maybe it's because I've been through similar kinds of therapy and have heard the broken records Charlie imbues in his clients many times before, but it often times felt like the main narrative of Claire's story was being overshadowed by detailed lectures from Charlie that didn't seem to progress the narrative at all. As a reader, I'm far more interested in Claire's journey learning those lessons than actually (re)learning them myself.

Constellations' story is important, and maybe I'm not precisely the right audience for it. If you resonate at all with Claire's story, you may find some comfort and validation here. Definitely check trigger warnings beforehand!

Set in the 1980s Troy, New York, this is a portrait of a queer teen living on the margins, struggling with addiction and gender questioning. It has a queer non-binary protagonist, a queer white secondary character, and secondary BIPOC characters.

The book starts off with Claire talking about their town, and I really liked it because the town kinda reflects the small-minded people that live there.

Claire has a best friend, Greg, and I expected there to be a more detailed account of their bond, but that is not the case since most of the story happens in rehab. Claire has to go there because they are so sick of people trying to put them in one box, they start coping with their emotions through drinking and partying. But there they found a space to make genuine friendships in a less judgemental environment, where they can also figure out their identity and learn to stand up for themselves.

Done in watercolour and ink, the artwork is beautiful, but also not my favourite. I didn't love the lighter shades around the eyes of the characters, and most of the characters look the same: I had a hard time distinguishing Claire, the literal main character, from the other male characters.

I found the story touching, but I had general issues with the overall book experience. The pacing could be improved. If it was lengthened, the time in rehab could be expanded upon, as well as the time after. But, overall, I think it sensitively addresses addiction and talks about the importance of friends and family during the process.

Thank you so much to Holiday House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this e-ARC and the opportunity to read it before it's publish date on the 23rd of May, 2023.

This was an interesting graphic novel that discussed the gender identity, sexual orientation and addiction. The illustrations were the perfect fit for the story, with a bit of a rough feel to them. The book doesn't end all neat and tidy with all of the protagonists issue solved, but rather with a hopeful note that there are somethings you will continue to work on (and that's okay).

I picked this book up during the Trans Rights Read-a-thon. It features Claire, a genderqueer character, but the graphic novel's primary focus is dealing with addiction. I think it sensitively deals with these issues and talks about the importance of friends and family during this process. Overall though, I didn't become super engaged with this book, and the pace moved very slowly. The art was nice, but I did have trouble telling a few characters apart.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The graphic novel started out a little confusing, but as the book went on, it started to make a lot more sense. I liked how the book discussed gender identity and addiction, and the ways they intertwine. I also liked that the book was personal for the author. I think that makes it more authentic.

First let me start off by saying that this is my first arc read, and I'm super thankful that I had this opportunity.

This book is full of new found friendships, finding oneself, and working through addiction. Although the subjects are tough, they are wonderfully handled. This book allows readers to see inside the minds of people going through addictions and questioning who they are as a human. There was many parts of this book that was written beautifully and could probably be used as your next instagram caption.

With that being said, the book was hard to follow. It jumped from one thing to another and felt like it was really falling short during some big moments. It did not flow as it should have, which sucks because this book has so much potential to help someone out who is going through similar issues that are the themes of this book. Usually in graphic novels, like this book is, pictures speak for themselves. However, I personally did not like the art in this book. I think the cover was beautifully made, but I really wish the rest of the book was the same.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

"Constellations" is a graphic novel about a teen struggling with gender identity. The book follows Claire while they try to navigate life being non-binary. They are also dealing with a serious drinking problem, bullying and abuse. It's never easy to read about these topics, especially when the target is just a teenager. And this was my first issue going into this novel, that even though I read the synopsis, I expected some trigger warnings at the beginning, which weren't there. It could be just the proof copy I got, but I think it is extremely necessary to include them here, for the sake of more sensitive readers.

That aside, I found the first half of the book a bit confusing. Maybe it was me, but I wasn't very sure about what was happening most of the time. The main character, Claire, is pretty fleshed-out, which is something that I liked, but ultimately, the novel seemed to lack depth plot-wise, which is ironic, since it deals with important topics.

With regard to the art style, I struggled with it, since I found it difficult to "see" the characters' emotions through the drawing. I also wasn't a big fan of the doodles (I found them a bit distracting and out of place) nor the characters' design (it was hard to tell some characters apart because the features were pretty similar).

Overall, I think the premise was good, but the execution could have been better. I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted to connect with the main character and their story, but I eventually couldn't.

Oof. I genuinely think this could have been good and I liked the concept of a questioning non-binary teenager in the '80s going to rehab but it just did not work for me. I always feel really terrible critiquing art styles for graphic novels. I don't know why it feels more personal to tell someone I don't like their artwork versus writing even though both are forms of art, but the entire art style was just not good. It didn't make sense and most of the time I couldn't even pick out the main character from the others because they all looked so similar. Then there's the fact that there's shading around the character's eyes and in different parts of their faces that makes them look scary. Like I was frightened by some of these pages. And this is not supposed to be a scary book. There were also so many missing plot points. Like it felt as though there was supposed to be this full comic and then we're missing one or two panels but we're supposed to understand the whole thing. There was a lot of interpretation and I just don't jive with that very well. I like things to be spelled out in the art to compliment not have to interpret the art in order to understand the story.

That being said, I really liked the chapters where Claire was at the rehab center and their discussions with the other kids there. I really liked the discussions with Charlie who was the therapist. I really wanted to like it but the art ruined it for me.

Constellations is a powerful and emotional debut graphic novel by Kate Glasheen that tells the story of a queer teen living in the margins of society. The book deals with themes of identity, addiction, harassment, and the struggle to find one's place in a world that seems to be against them. The protagonist, Claire, is a complex and relatable character who is trying to navigate the challenges of adolescence while also dealing with the constant question of their gender identity. The watercolor and ink artwork beautifully complements the story, with strong lines and soft colors conveying the raw emotions and deep thoughts of the characters. Overall, Constellations is a moving and hopeful portrait of a young person finding their way in a world that can be cruel and unforgiving.

I was not a fan of this book. I liked the basic idea but I couldn’t connect with the characters. The art style was not one of my favorites either. I do recommend this book however because I feel like there is an audience out there for this, I’m just not that audience.

TW: homophobia, transphobia, alcohol, addiction, abuse, bullying, death (mentioned)

The story follows Claire, a nonbinary teen who was sent to a rehab center for alcohol addiction. There, they start their journey to self-discovery and recovery, with the help of friends they've found on the way.

I was excited to read a trans story set in the 80s, but this graphic novel fell short of my expectations. I found it quite hard to understand most of the story, especially the beginning. The art style made it difficult to differentiate the characters and figure out the facial expressions, but I loved the notebook-style doodles in the story. The plot was alright once Claire was a few weeks? months? in rehab, but the conclusion was very rushed and I couldn't keep up, but I still liked Claire's character development. I really liked the counsellor and Pete. I also liked the wonderful monologues and great lessons from the counsellor. Claire's journey with their gender identity is rocky and confusing, which I also struggle with (and still do!) and I was very proud of them at the end. However the plot was really lacking overall.

This graphic novel wasn't my cup of tea and it took me a very long time to finish it. :(

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I was hoping to love this but I ended up just liking it. It was a bit confusing in the beginning and that impacted the rest of the read for me. I liked the art style but I do think it was hard to distinguish between certain characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Themes: Trauma, gender identity, addiction, abuse
Representation: Nonbinary, addiction
Content Warning: SA, alcohol, homophobia, bullying, abuse

Premise: A graphic novel about a teen who isn’t sure of their gender identity and their struggle and journey with addiction

Characters

Claire
They are the main character of the book and the book follows through their journey.

I think the author did a good job conveying their character specifically towards how they felt when they get asked “are you supposed to be a boy or a girl?” I liked Claire’s backstory and what contributed to their trauma and addiction was revealed in flashbacks. I also liked how Claire’s feelings towards other things such as their town, their friends and their parents are shown in the book and it doesn't just focus on their trauma since it shows that they are a person who thinks of a ton of things, making them a “good” character. Their interactions and thoughts towards the other characters such as their hatred towards those who have wronged them and their love to their friends are shown in their personal narration.

One thing I wish there could have been more of was their interactions with their parents and family and how it contributed to their addiction. I know the author briefly mentions it and talks about how their parents pick on them but I wish that could have been more of a focus since they talk about how it is a fairly big deal and yet it isn’t mentioned much

Erica
I have mixed feelings about Erica as a character.

On one hand, I get that the author was using her character to show that people deal with addictions differently since Erica was shyer and didn’t share in the group as much as some of the other characters. I also get that they were there so that Claire could have a big breakthrough about their gender identity.

On the other hand, I wish Erica’s trauma was stated more rather than implied.

Pete
I like Pete. Pete was cool. I liked how he stood up for Claire and taught Claire how to stand up for themselves. I liked how the author uses Pete’s story to explore yet another side of addiction and trauma that was different from Claire and Erica’s.

Tonya
Tonya was sort of annoying. But I think her character serves a purpose to show that someone who is annoying might just be hiding something such as trauma and abuse.

Counsellor
Loved the counsellor. I forgot his name because it was only mentioned once. A lot of what he said is pretty valid about trauma, addiction and abuse and I loved how supportive he was toward Claire. His words accurately reflect how hard it is to heal from addiction and I wish everyone has someone like him whom they can turn to.

However, I feel like some of his dialogue was kind of stereotypical of a counsellor.

Claire’s Family
Their one brother was nice. The other brother was not as kind. Would’ve liked to see more interactions between the family and Claire.

Rating: 3.4/5

Plot

Exposition
The book starts off with Claire talking about their town. It was kind of awkward since the rant about the town was kind of long and though being in the town may have contributed to Claire’s trauma, I thought a lot of it was unnecessary. I would’ve preferred it if Claire talked more about their childhood instead.

Rising Action
The rising action starts near the beginning. I was surprised by what happened in the rising action since I thought the book would focus more on Claire’s identity and it would be about that rather than addiction.

However, once I read on, I decided that it was a pleasant surprise. A lot of what happens in the rising action is what you’d expect. Claire settles into their new environment, they meet new people, and they face some conflicts with those new people as well as their addiction. They try to heal.

Climax
I’d consider the climax of the story to be around the time when Claire is about to return home. I thought some things were appropriate to the theme and plot of the book, others, although they had a lot of plot tension and were a contribution to the plot, were unnecessary and could have been replaced with something else.

Falling Action
I think the falling action occurs when Claire returns home. I feel fairly neutral about the falling action as it starts to resolve some of the problems of the book appropriately.

However, I wish there could have been more interaction with the parents as to how they reacted when Claire returned home. I think that was only shown in one frame. As well as a more direct address of what went down with Erica. Though it was implied, it was not stated directly.

Denouement
This occurs in the last section of the book. It talks about how Claire is many years after their journey. I think it was nice as it gave the reader a look into how Claire is managing after being discharged.

However, it was also sad which makes a ton of sense since addiction is something that can kill.

Other
Much of the plot of the story is influenced by events that occurred in the author’s life. I think this is cool and definitely helps make the story and characters more realistic. Since the author is able to write what they wish they could have seen when they were going through the same journey as Claire. It also helps to shed a light on addiction.

With that I want to compliment the author for being able to write this. It was probably challenging as addiction is something that isn’t discussed much and when it is it is discussed negatively. And also, gender is more complicated than the standard “boy” and “girl” labels forced by society. I know that this will help a lot of young folks out there facing these issues.

Rating: 3.8/5

Style

Art
I liked the art. Although it wasn’t my preferred art style nor was it a style I see frequently in graphic novels (it is mostly digital drawings), I think it fits the book. It is simple and it makes it easy to see what is being portrayed in each frame.

It’s also really cool that it was done in marker!

Diction
Even though the diction (a.k.a. phrasing) was awkward at first, with Claire’s long spiel about their town, it ended up being fairly nice. It fits the story as it accurately describes the inside of teenager’s minds and their interactions in the modern world without it feeling too “old” or “awkward” or like the author is “trying too hard to be relatable.”

Formatting
I think the formatting was nice as well. I liked how the book was sectioned into six chapters, each one describing what stage Claire was at with their journey.

Rating: 4.3/5

Final Rating

Characters: 3.4/5
Plot: 3.8/5
Formatting: 4.3/5
Final Rating: 3.7/5 (round to 4/5)
Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Date Read: March 31st, 2023
Date Reviewed: March 31st, 2023

2.5/5

After reading the author's notes I have to say this was not an easy book to review.
Here are my thoughts.

I found the story touching and the finale really hit me hard but I had major issues with the overall book experience.

First of all this took me forever to read because I just couldn't get past the 50 pages mark.
After that, it started to take off and I started to enjoy it more.
Then I had a super hard time sometimes to distinguish the characters.
And with this it comes another point: I didn't like the art in general (except for the coloring). I found it very hard "to read" and confusing.

I didn't feel that spark while reading this graphic novel and had to push myself to continue reading it more than once. Unfortunately for me this was a sort of a miss.

This, unfortunately, was not for me. I love love love graphic memoirs, and though this wasn’t a memoir, I was hoping I would also love this. But alas, I couldn’t finish it. I was so so confused for the first 20ish pages, and even once I got into the rhythm I couldn’t get myself to continue because I didn’t like it. I read this for the trans rights read a thon, so I felt a great amount of guilt not enjoying it, but I’ve decided it’s okay for me to not like this and still be very pro trans rights. Trans people deserve love and the same comfort and freedom as everyone else! I just didn’t love this book.

A non-binary teen struggling with gender identity, homophobia and transphobia, turns to alcohol and ends up sentenced to a few months in a rehab centre. The group of kids was varied and real, the therapy sessions seemed very well thought out and easy to follow, and I think there was a lot of good advice along with a difficulty but enjoyable story.

I really liked this graphic novel! The art style was lovely in general, and worked well for this story. It was character-focused and engaging, easy to relate to despite not sharing much in common with the main character other than the gender thing. I did find it hard to tell which boy was which sometimes, the MC’s design didn’t really stand out enough, and sometimes various characters’ facial features or emotions seemed almost… grotesquely exaggerated, which was a bit at odds with the rest of the illustrations.

Unfortunately this just wasn't for me. I didn't particularly enjoy the storytelling. It's obviously a very important and heartfelt journey that Claire goes on, and I can see it meant a lot to the author, but the majority of the story is just the therapy sessions. Just lots of flowery words and metaphors. There were some parts I really liked, like when the characters interacted with each other, when you got to see the relationships grow. But most of it just felt lacking.

As for the art, while it's quite a nice style, I had issues with the general layouts of the pages which made it quite difficult to read. Plus, and I don't know if it was just me, but a lot of the facial expressions just didn't fit. Sometimes I couldn't tell when a character was shocked or angry or sad.

Overall this might connect well with some readers, but not for me.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.