3.75 /5 stars

Out of Left Field is a semi- autobiographical graphic novel that follows Jonah throughout his high school career. It interweaves the joys of high school with all the gritty hard spots including discovering yourself. The story follows Jonah, an excited freshman as he begins high school. We watch him develop crushes, join a sports team, and try to find ways to fit in with his peers.

I think this graphic novel does a great job illustrating just how hard adolescence can be in terms of figuring out who your friends are and what others want of you. It captures the pressure high schoolers can feel to fit in/or fit a model of what is considered “normal.”

You also get to see the joys, like Jonah connecting to best friend Sophie and geeking out over their love of Lord of the Rings. I thought that overall, the story did a great job displaying how we can come into our own in high school.

I loved the art style and how easy it was to read the emotions in these characters facial expressions. It really made the emotional arcs of the story come across, and you can see both the joys and struggles as Jonah works through figuring out his sexuality.

If you enjoy graphic novels, coming of age and LGBTQIA+ stories the this should be on your list of graphic novels to read. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Out of Left Field" is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel that follows high schooler Jonah (loosely based on the author of the same name). Jonah is into history and fantasy films. To get the attention of a boy he likes, Jonah decides to join the school baseball team. What follows is the four years of Jonah in high school learning to navigate his new feelings, his new friends, and his baseball team.

What I loved - the artwork. I'm an avid reader of comics and graphic novels, and the visuals are just as important as the plot. The artwork was eye catching and engaging. It did a great job of telling the story. Emotions were conveyed easily on the faces. Things didn't get too cluttered. Overall, this was the highlight of this book.

What I liked - the story. Every LGBTQ+ student has their own journey. It won't be Jonah's, but seeing someone similar to them learning to navigate these new and different feelings will help them out. It's wonderful to see more of these voices out there. Jonah's struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality is very relatable. There's some humor in there, but not too much. The plot never feels too heavy or in your face. It's not preachy. It just wants to tell Jonah's story - the good parts and the bad parts. It's honest. It's emotional. It's real. You can easily connect with Jonah.

What I didn't like - The book takes place over the 4 high school years for Jonah. So much happens in this book, but it's rushed and underdeveloped. Huge chunks of what could have been interesting pieces to these characters is left out when you jump months at at time. I felt like many questions were left unanswered (or at least, the answers weren't satisfactory) for many characters. Also, as a science teacher, seeing students doing an experiment without goggles - extra big no from me. ;-)

Being that this is a graphic novel, what is the appropriate grade level? High school (F-bombs and other curses, plus some PG-13 sex scenes)

Overall, this should be on your list of graphic novels to read. Thanks to NetGalley for this early look.