A graphic novel perfect for those teens grappling with sexuality, relationships, and decisions about the future set in a fine arts high school, focusing on dance programs. Ana loves Carina. Carina loves Ana. But Carina is too afraid of what coming out might mean for her future career, and constantly puts dance before their relationship. The story focuses on Ana as she tries to grapple with what dance means to her & whether what she feels Carina is worth all the heartbreak. I think this is an excellent new title for older teens.

It was interesting to see both point of views of these characters and interesting to see where their stories led. Readers will learn the importance of communication within relationships and the importance of following one’s heart when it comes to love and professional aspirations. It is definitely character driven and would be great for readers who love a little messiness and awkwardness in their characters.

4 stars

Ana and Sara are young dancers who have devoted their lives to their craft. They spend all day in class and practice, and they spend the rest of their time as new friends and new roommates navigating the complexities of their experiences.

Readers who enjoy a great graphic novel and solid queer representation will appreciate the way that Popescu weaves elements of coming of age, identity, sexuality, friendships, romantic relationships, and more nuanced connections, such as those with clear (and potentially concerning) power dynamics.

This work is more a snapshot of a particular time in these characters' developments and experiences versus a climactic, dramatic tale, and that is one of the many elements I enjoyed throughout this read. I'll be recommending this one to students and reading more from this author.

I enjoyed this book and thought the illustrations were particularly well done, especially the scenes in which the characters were dancing. I also felt that the relationships were portrayed realistically and that anyone who has ever had a crush on a teacher or been in a relationship in which they feel they are giving more than their partner, will be able to relate to the characters, regardless of sexual orientation. I also appreciated that there were not necessarily happy endings in that things worked out perfectly for each character, but that they came to terms with their situations and were able to find happiness in their friendship and mutual support.

A high stakes dance school that constantly tells you if you aren’t good enough, if your body is taking up too much space, if you were hurt too long, if you don’t do better, you will lose all you ever wanted. Carina puts all she is into dance. Ana puts all she is into Carina. Ana misses class, ditches friends, and hides herself for Carina. Ana, Sara’s new roommate and possibly the best dancer the school has ever had, is infatuated with her teacher. When the teacher invites Sara to a performance, she is positive the teacher means something more.

Set in Bucharest, Romania, each practice or missed practice exposes the flaws of one sided unrequited relationships. Ana dismisses Sara’s attempts to convince her she deserves more in a relationship. After all, Ana is in love with their teacher. Carina stays focused on her own goals, expecting Ana to drop all to practice with her. How much will Sara have to lose before she takes a stand for herself? Perhaps the next dance will be the one that gets them to understand who they are, their potential, and their dreams?

The minimalist line art and soft color palette serve as powerful compliments to the intense emotions conveyed throughout. Each spread offers a poignant reminder of the importance of self-preservation and the courage it takes to prioritize our own well-being. Sometimes, choosing ourselves can be the most challenging dance to learn. Take the leap for you. This is a strong addition in YA spaces where Sapphic reads are celebrated and enjoyed.

So I'm already a sucker for LGBTQIA+ teen/adult graphic novels, and always a sucker for amazingly awkward artists, and this one was such a pleasure to read! It blended the pre-professional art world through dance with the tumultuous feelings of unsure teenage love and relationships (that, honestly, we never really grow out of, we just hope to find better ways to navigate it.) The characters were engaging (becoming frustrated with characters means you care, right?) and the art was lovely (the lines and forms for the dancers, whether contemporary or classical, were phenomenal. Even the arches for ballet were *chef's kiss*.) I enjoyed feeling the expression of the dances and dancers and I was emotionally invested in these two plotlines, I am happy with the continuation/resolution, and it left me with a wistful, positive feeling. I look forward to anything else this author/illustrator creates, and thank you for the opportunity to go back to my first love, performing arts.

Thank you Simina Popescu, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC!

"Leap" is a queer coming of age story that is so much more about the individual characters than it is about romantic relationships. The characters felt very real and lived in, and I loved all the complicated relationships between these women. I would especially recommend this book to anyone who liked "Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me" as it had some similar themes.

It's junior year for Ana and Sara, and they have been assigned as roommates at their Bucharest performing arts academy. They laugh about the dead plant, but prepare to get serious. Sara also reconnects with her contemporary dance teacher Marlena, who sees Sara as a star in the making. Ana is also in contemporary dance, but missed a lot of class the year before. Marlena asks Sara to remind Ana to attend classes and keep up her grades. Turns out the girls have a lot in common, as they both maintain crushes (and in Ana's case, a secret relationship) on women that seem unattainable. A friendship forms from this commonality.
Both girls face tribulations as they go through the motions of classes and ambitions. Sara wants her dance instructor to love her back, but she knows that the age gap and power dynamics would get them both in trouble. Ana wants her girlfriend to come out, so they can have a real relationship, but Carina refuses because she's worried about being blacklisted for being gay. And Carina isn't wrong, as Romania isn't a world kind to lesbians. Granted, it feels any such place can become hostile. Even Sara's own mother, who claims she is fine with her daughter being gay, encourages her to keep quiet around the rest of the family. But Sara can see that Carina is stifling Ana, always putting her needs first before her girlfriend's.
This is a poignant graphic novel, about balancing secrets with ambition, schoolwork with passion. And it reminds us why we need to fight for our identities, and our self-worth.

It was so fun reading a dance book this week. Earlier tonight (the day I’m writing this), I started taking a tap class, which marks the first dance class I’ve taken in a long time. I’m excited about it. So the timing of reading Leap was really great for me.

One of the things that’s truly incredible about this graphic novel is the way that the panels capture the motion of dance. Some characters are in a contemporary dance program, and others are in a ballet program, so it shows two different kinds of dance, and I think the illustrations differentiate them well. I only spotted one panel in which I think the position of a dancer’s foot wasn’t right for the ballet move that she seemed to be performing.

The story is really sweet, too. It follows two characters. One, Ana, is in a long-term relationship that started out really well but has hit some bumps. The other character, Sara, has a huge crush on someone she shouldn’t, and she’s trying to understand her feelings and figure out what to do. When the girls become roommates, they bond as friends, and it isn’t too long before they begin speaking hard truths to one another. I loved getting to see their friendship flourish and to see the journey they each had with dancing.

I think readers who enjoy books in international settings or books about dance and relationships will find a lot to love in Leap.

Ana and Sara are new roommates beginning their junior year at a prestigious dance school. Their blooming friendship is full of ups and downs as they navigate relationships, their sexuality, crushes, and their schoolwork. Author/Illustrator Simina Popescu has captured this story in pinks and mauves until the passion of dance overtakes the characters in full technicolor. I enjoyed following Ana and Sara's narratives and Popescu did a great job of capturing the reality of how significant everything feels at that age.

A sapphic, heart wrenching story about ballerinas trying to find themselves and form their own relationships with the pressures and internalized homophobia of their livelihoods.

From the beginning, I love the monochromatic coloring throughout most of the story, as it gives this unsettling feeling of things not being exactly as they seem. The characters feel joy and their world becomes so full of color that it's blinding at times.

Highly recommend for those needing a story about discovering yourself whilst navigating relationships, new and old. The ballet, while a major part of the story, don't require any additional knowledge to be enjoyed.

Leap is a really moving, realistic, and relatable coming-of-age graphic novel about dancers at a performing arts school in Romania. Ana and Sara are contemporary dancers and new roommates at the beginning of the school year, and Ana has been secretly dating Carina from the classical program for about three years. But Carina never seems to make time for Ana like Ana does for Carina, and Ana is struggling with burnout and doesn't feel the joy for dancing that she used to. Meanwhile, Sara has developed a sizable crush on their dance teacher, Marlena. I loved how Ana and Sara's friendship developed and how they helped one another understand things about themselves and their relationships and feelings about dance. The art was also stunning -- I loved the different full-page spreads, especially the ones in full color at the start of each section, and Popescu does a great job capturing the feeling of movement from the different styles of dance. I even liked how in the sepia-toned rest of the book, things in the sunlight are outlined in a purplish color instead of black; I thought that was such a nice touch. Sometimes queer YA books can feel overly-cutesy, so I really appreciated how realistic this felt, and there were so many moments that resonated with me like how the girls develop friendship, face burnout, and handle breakups. Ana's relationship with Carina felt a little reminiscent of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, how there are moments that seem incredible and then moments where the relationship's toxicity becomes more apparent when one character's priorities do not line up with the other's. I liked how in Leap, we can actually see where Carina is coming from even when she's hurting Ana - Carina is clearly so overwhelmed by the pressure of classical dance that she isn't in the right place for the relationship she's in. And it was great to see queerness represented and explored in a non-US context. This is really well done and will make a great addition to anyone's graphic novel collection! Highly recommended, and I can't wait to read what Popescu writes next!

This was a quick, cute graphic novel with beautiful illustrations and an interesting story line. The characters were unique and relatable, and the story moved at an even pacing.

An adorable story about first love and discovering yourself. I really enjoyed seeing a perspective outside of the US. That was fascinating. I really liked the characters. They felt true to their age, especially in their romantic feelings. I loved the growth we got to see and while my hopes for the ending didn't happen, it was a great graphic novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC!

This graphic novel explores what it is like to be a queer ballerina in Romania. The characters in the story are interesting. There are nuances in the different relationships that are portrayed in the book. The graphics themselves let a little bit to be desired. Some pages looked a little bit unfinished, while the technique worked well on other pages.

highly recommend if you like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, touches on a lot of great and important topics (especially for teens) like insecurity, burnout, and codependency with such grace and wonderful diversity. Felt a touch too long though, the middle kinda dragged, and the art style could've had a bit more style to it, felt quite bland so the dance scenes didn't stand out to me at all

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for my review. Leap by Simina Popescu is coming of age book dealing with young queer love and discovering who you are as well as the world of dance.

It is a story about self-discovery, identity, and the power of found family and friendship in the face of adversity. It shows the struggles of leaving relationships that aren't healthy, in addition to navigating unrequited crushes. It also demonstrates how friends can be a soft space to land, someone to tell us the truth, and someone who can see through pained smiles. A good friend is invaluable and that's one of the lessons learned in Leap.

Noteworthy are the color schemes, bold lines and dancing panels with their sense of movement and energy.

4.25/5

This was a great coming of age book dealing with young queer love and discovering who you are. It shows the struggles of leaving relationships that aren't healthy, and navigating unrequited crushes. My only complaint is that for the first half of the book, I thought they were in college only to find out they're only 16.

Thank you NetGalley MacMillan for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Leap is a beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel. The story features two roommates at a dance school who must learn to balance their school work, friendships and relationships while trying to figure out who they are and what they really want. Highly recommended!

this was very charming! dance, baby dyke drama, appealing art, what more could anyone ask for? i love a slice of life that is definitely someone else's life—i have never been a dancer and wouldn't want to be—but is still broadly emotionally relatable, because we're all humans who have inconvenient feelings or give too much in imbalanced relationships or mess up at school. and the two main characters are very charming!

Ana has lost her love for dance, and keeps skipping her own contemporary track classes to help her classical ballerina girlfriend Carina—but Carina is a mess of a very recognizable kind, who's keeping Ana and their relationship in the closet and has a breakdown over every tiny mistake or imagined failing. Sara is a star pupil whose first inkling that she's queer is falling for the contemporary dance teacher. is there any queer woman who hasn't seen these dramas play out in their circles?? but i appreciate that none of them are total stereotypes, nor are any of them always doing the right or wrong thing. Even Carina isn't totally horrible, she's just handling pressure badly, could probably benefit from therapy, and isn't the partner Ana needs. Sara's crush is cringey but sweet; Ana's dispassion for her education is frustrating, but the way she glows when she dances is beautiful.

the art is also really lovely! emotive and flowy and loose, and refreshingly varied as far as body types and facial features. it's always a relief to read a graphic novel with a lot of women where they all look different and are easily distinguishable, especially in the context of dance, where weight bias and body shaming are so ingrained in the culture.

this was really compelling, emotionally resonant without being unpleasantly melodramatic.