This queer and POC story follows two girls as they navigate their new life in a new environment. It was a sweet slowburn romance, and I loved watching them slowly grow closer throughout the book. They're so supportive of eachother and you can't help but root for them.
I loved seeing all the representation sprinkled throughout the book. I feel like a lot of works will gloss over the microaggressions minorities and queer people face in their day to day lives, and the author portrays them accurately.
Overall, it was a lovely book with a happy ending!

Ahhh, I loved Neesha and Gabby! So many important topics were covered and our high school protagonists navigated them so well with understanding and patience!

4.5 ⭐
This was just so darn cute! I loved both our MC's so much! Neesha was such a great character, I loved her strength and how she always stood up for herself. Gabby really is a sweet character she really balanced out Neesha so much. The plot of them bonding over a manga series brought me back to my high school friend group which made me fall in love with the story that much more. I wish I would have had a cute bookclub with my friends back then! The art style is fantastic. I loved having the Manga incorporated into the story! Just such a great story about self love, friendship, falling in love, acceptance and just a heartwarming coming of age story. I was not expecting to cry at a graphic novel but here we are lol

Thank You Netgalley and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest review!!

This is a cute book that I think anyone should read no matter what you're into, it follows two girls who eventually get together in the end but it shows a toxic relationship and a good one. These girls have gone through alot in their lives, and they work to throw things together while reading a manga together. I really loved the fact that we get to read the manga with them and that the story really fits the main story. I give both books 5 stars ^^

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishes for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is sweet and heartwarming. I love how this is set with POC queer characters. I also love the friends to lovers trope and this was a good one. I also appreciate disability rep recently in graphic novels. It’s so refreshing!

This was such a heartfelt comic !
Jeremy Whitley did a great job showcasing disability and LGBTQ+ representation.

Neesha is a new student that has CP trying to blend in the background while Gabby (who also starting the same day) is more of an extrovert but dealing with her own trauma. We follow them through their journey of being stranger, to best friends, to lovers.

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Jeremy Whitley for providing me with this ARC. "Navigating with You" marks several milestones for me. It's my first ARC, my first comic, and my first WLW (Women Loving Women) story.

The Plot:
Neesha Sparks is a disabled, vocal community activist with a passion for costume design. Gabby Graciana is an optimistic surfer - and, like Neesha, a new kid at school. When the two girls discover that they like the same manga series, Navigator Nozomi, they become more than just fellow new kids. But it was more than just having read the same book series--neither of them had finished it! Soon, they become new friends on a mission - to track down the remaining Navigator Nozomi books. This slice-of-life romance follows the two girls as they adventure across North Carolina to find each book, with their story intercut with the tales of Navigator Nozomi. Neesha and Gabby find more than just the books though—they find acceptance, friendship, understanding, and love.


Art Style:
I was particularly impressed by Casio Ribiero's art style. The enthusiasm started with the cover, which is very appealingly designed. The choice of colors and the drawings spoke to me. However, I must admit that at times, the facial expressions were hard to interpret, making it difficult for me to distinguish between sadness and anger. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the comic and appreciated the other details immensely.

Review:
What truly sets Navigating with You apart is its refreshing portrayal of characters. There isn't a single stereotype in sight. Neesha is a dark-skinned, queer, courageous girl with a disability. Her mother's incredible supportiveness is a welcome change.

The attention to detail, especially with Gabby, shines through. I love that she can't just sit normally; it adds a lot to the credibility. Her bond with her father is heartwarming and healing.

Similar to Alice Oseman's Heartstopper, there's no unnecessary relationship drama in Navigating with You. It's a heartfelt story of love and acceptance. Instead of the typical misunderstandings and deceit found in many stories, challenges from external sources are addressed with maturity and clear communication, which is a rarity and very much appreciated.

I never thought a comic could enchant me so much, especially since I've only read books before. I could hardly put it down because each page left me on a cliffhanger. Scenes, especially the poignant flashbacks, are depicted clearly. The idea of a comic within a comic was brilliant. Both narratives were captivating, and I looked forward to each part of the other comic. I particularly enjoyed the connection between Gabby and Neesha.

As a newcomer to the world of comics, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of Navigating with You. It's a testament to the power of storytelling that transcends media. I would have loved to read the comic physically. I see a lot of potential and sincerely hope there will be many sequels.

I'm incredibly grateful that my first WLW comic was so excellent!


German:

Zuerst möchte ich mich ganz herzlich bei NetGalley und Jeremy Whitley für dieses ARC bedanken. «Navigating with you» markiert für mich verschiedene Meilensteine. Es ist mein erstes ARC, mein erster Comic und meine erste WLW-Story.

Kunststil:
Besonders begeistert hat mich der Kunststil von Casio Ribiero. Diese Begeisterung fing schon beim Cover an, das sehr ansprechend gestaltet ist. Die Farbauswahl sowie die Zeichnungen haben mich sehr angesprochen. Dennoch muss ich gestehen, dass die Gesichtsausdrücke manchmal schwer zu lesen waren und ich nicht zwischen traurig und sauer unterscheiden konnte. Dennoch konnte ich den Comic sehr geniessen und schätze die anderen Details sehr.

Review:
Was Navigating with you wirklich auszeichnet, ist die erfrischende Darstellung der Charaktere. Wir haben keinen einzigen Stereotypen. Neesha ist ein dunkelhäutiges, queeres, mutiges Mädchen mit einer Behinderung. Ihre Mutter ist unglaublich unterstützend, was eine willkommene Abwechslung ist.

Die Liebe zum Detail kam besonders bei Gabby zum Schein. Ich liebe es, dass sie einfach nicht normal sitzen kann, das trägt sehr zur Glaubwürdigkeit bei. Die Bindung zu ihrem Vater ist herzerwärmend und heilend.

Ähnlich wie bei Heartstopper von Alice Oseman gibt es in Navigating with you kein unnötiges Beziehungsdrama. Es ist eine herzliche Geschichte von Liebe und Akzeptanz. Die sonst üblichen Missverständnisse und Betrug in Geschichten werden durch Schwierigkeiten von aussen ersetzt, die mit Reife und klarer Kommunikation erfolgreich gelöst werden. Dies ist eine Seltenheit in vielen Geschichten und sehr willkommen.

Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass mich ein Comic so verzaubern kann, vor allem, weil ich bisher nur Bücher gelesen habe. Ich konnte kaum aufhören zu lesen, weil für mich jede Seite mit einem Cliffhanger endete. Szenen, insbesondere die ergreifenden Rückblenden, werden klar dargestellt. Die Idee von einem Comic-im-Comic fand ich grossartig. Beide Erzählungen waren sehr spannend, und ich habe mich auf jeden Teil des anderen Comics gefreut. Dabei gefiel mir die Nähe zur Beziehung zwischen Gabby und Neesha sehr.

Als Neuling in der Welt der Comics war ich angenehm überrascht von der Tiefe von Navigating with you. Es ist ein Beweis für die Kraft des Geschichtenerzählens, die Medien überwindet. Ich hätte den Comic so gerne physisch gelesen. Ich sehe viel Potenzial und hoffe sehr, dass es viele Fortsetzungen geben wird.
Ich bin sehr dankbar, dass mein erster WLW-Comic so hervorragend war!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this book!

I knew when I requested this that the main characters were young but for some reason I thought they were freshmen in college, not high school students. That's pretty much the only point of confusion I had with getting into the story. The art style was the immediate draw in for me wanting to read it and the rest of the book. This is such a sweet story for Neesha and Gabby, I love the story beats of the manga pages in between the main plot of finding them.

Always enjoy a list of recourses on the back for LGBTQIA Youth on the back, but I think it would be even better had there have been more disability recourses as well. I will be waiting to post a more detailed review closer to it's publication date

Neesha is new to the school as is Gabby, and because they both get treated badly by the principal, they bond together, in more ways than one. Gabby is bisexual. Neesha is lesbian. Gabby has a long-distance boyfriend. Neesha has no one. Gabby is able bodied, and Nessah is disabled.

So, of course, they fall in love. Despite Gabby wanting to fill the silence with talk. Despite Neesha saying she is just a friend.

This is a sweet little romance of a graphic novel, where both characters think they aren’t in love, and don’t care, when they really do. They say they are just running a book club for a manga that they both love.

They love discussing what the manga means.

I enjoyed this, though I didn't get the need to show us the managa in the graphic novel, until it pointed to something that was hinted at when tye discussed it.

This book is coming out on the 13th of August 2024. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I requested this on a whim when I saw it on Netgalley as it sounded fun. I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but I didn't give it much thought and hit request. I loved this book, the more I read the more I enjoyed it and I definitely want to try and read more graphic novels going forward.

Navigating With You tells the story of Neesha and Gabby who both start a new school. Gabby is this bubbly chatty character who keeps talking to Neesha and while at first Neesha seems to find it bit annoying, they quickly become friends and eventually fall in love. I liked the plot line of them connecting over a manga series they both read, but neither finished it and now they are collecting the books so they can read and finish the series.

This was just such a lovely read. I wasn't quite sure what to think of it at first, but just as Neesha's reluctance towards Gabby disappeared so did any of my doubts about this book. I quickly got hooked and wanted to keep reading. I loved reading about these characters they tight bond they form and then seeing them fall in love. I enjoyed seeing them banter together, spending time together, being there for the other and figure out where to get the next manga book. I liked how they both feel like real and their personalities really come to life.

I also appreciated how Neesha's disability was handled. It's clearly a part of her, but it's also not everything she is. I thought this was handled so well and the way it was addressed in the book was awesome. There are struggles she has to got through because of her disability and I thought those parts were well written even though they made me sad too. Then there is how Gabby loves her for who she is. How Gabby handles Neesha disability was great to see. Both girls also have some emotional baggage from previous relationships and I thought it was good to how that got addressed and how this relationship differs form their previous ones. There are also some mental health topics that get addressed, don't want to mention details as it's a spoiler for later in the book.

I loved how these two were there for each other. Their relationship was just awesome to see and most of all I loved how accepting they are of each other. It really was awesome to see.

At first I wasn't really sure about the artwork. I don't read a lot of books with art and most I've read are manga's, so this was a very different style and not really my favorite. As I progressed through the book the art style grew on me and most of all I just felt it fit the story well. Having the art alongside the story really adds another dimension and I forgot how much I can enjoy that. The way the art is part of the story is awesome.

I thought it was interesting how the manga series they try to find and read again is part of the story. There are some pages that tell the story of the manga they read and I liked how this made it possible for the characters to talk about the story and as the reader you know the plot of the manga too and can appreciate their conversations more.

To summarize: This was a lovely romance story and I really enjoyed it. This book took me by surprise with how much I loved it. It's about two girls who meet at their new school and become friends while trying to find all the books in manage series they both read, but never finished. I liked how the plot of them searching for this manga series progressed throughout the book. And I loved seeing the friendship and later romance develop between the two of them. They were so encouraging and accepting of each other and it was awesome to see. Neesha's disability was handled very well and there is some mental health representation as well. The artwork took some time to get used to, but by the end I liked it and thought it fit the story well. I like how the art is another dimension and adds to the story. Having pages of the manga they read be part of the story was a nice touch too. All in all this was an amazing read and I am really glad I picked it up.

I loved this comic, it was heartwarming, sweet and the characters and art were top-notch.

There was so much filled into this comic, it was perfect.

Thank you Net-galley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in August. I loved this comic so much! It's a beautiful love story between two BIPOC teenagers. One of them is also disabled with Cerebral Palsy. It was so good and so wholesome but also just so genuine and perfect. It dealt with the themes of disability and anti-bi sentiment and ptsd so well. I loved the story within the story too. Go buy this comic in August.

Navigating With You jumped right up with my favorite YA graphic novels ever, such as Lumberjanes (one of the main characters reminds me of an older Ripley!) and Heartstopper (same wholesome vibes).

I usually go through graphic novels quite quickly, but this one I didn't want to rush and I'm already excited to re-read. It's such a sweet story of two seemingly very different people discovering themselves and each other and realizing how much more they deserve than their bad past experiences.

Something interesting in this book is the way the story alternates between Neesha and Gabby's tale and the obscure manga volumes they're trying to find and read. Yes, there is an actual manga sequence everytime they find and read a volume, it's not just something they refer to! That story is a bit more simplistic and reflects what's happening in their lives. It serves as a catalyst for deep conversations and moving their relationship forward. I enjoyed this unconventional way to split the story and move it forward, kind of like quotes at the start of new chapters that give you an idea of what's coming next.

Healing stories of self-acceptance like this one are my favorite. If you're looking for a tender tale about two geeky girls and like your books with plenty of LGBTQ, disability and neurodivergence representation, you'll probably enjoy this one as much as I did.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Review to come in July on blog/Goodreads/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

Two girls, one manga, friendship and romance (ship ship shippity) ensue and I was fully in for it!

I loved that we got to see things from both of the girls POV (and I love how each had their own colour so you would know instantly who was talking, pink for Neesha and blue for Gabby). Not just see Neesha, but also see Gabby. Learn everything about these two. Their home situation. Both settling in with their new homes far away from things. Gabby who is still mourning the loss of her mom (and seriously that part that they were in the rental for a fun weekend and she had a PTSD episode about what happened made me cry so hard), Neesha with the fact that her parents are divorced. Neesha who has Cerebral Palsy and what she encounters on her way through life (some very unfair things that just made me angry). I am happy to see more rep. I don't have Cerebral Palsy myself, but we need more rep in books.
And seeing two girls find out they like each other was just so cute and sweet! I loved seeing them go from acquaintances (and maybe in Neesha's case OMG this girl talks so much WHYYY) to friends to lovers! It was just so sweet and I loved how well they matched together and complimented each other. I also love how mature they were with their relationship, how they were able to talk about everything (OK, maybe not instantly but they definitely didn't make a drama out of things). Plus, seeing them bond over the manga + even have a little competition was just so fun.

Also, Gabby is BIIIII! And I love that as a Bi girl myself. We need more Bi girls!

I loved that we got to see the manga! Of course, probably just the shortened version, I mean, no manga is 5 pages per volume, imagine the costs! And no one would buy it then, haha. But I did appreciate it being added and I loved seeing what happened in each volume. It was a lot of fun and the story was great. Plus, I love love the direction it took and I would love to read the full thing now.

OH AND THAT CONVENTION! When they met the mangaka of the series! OMG I WAS TEARING UP AGAIN. This book!!!

The ending, or well last part, made me sad, but I am glad that these girls made the best they could, and I am sure that their relationship will survive this and they will just come out stronger and better. These two are just destined to be together.

Bonus points as well to Neesha's mom. She was so sweet, but I also loved how she was just shipping her daughter with Gabby, haha.

I really liked the art in this one! Great character designs. Lovely backgrounds. Fantastic style of art, I need more of this artist!

Oh, and I love the bonus illustrations/designs which include the manga.

And Josh needs to fuck off. Not believing his girlfriend is Bi, dismissing her when she eats a bit more, talking about her tan/colour disappearing, geez.

All in all, this is one graphic novel I would HIGHLY recommend. Cute, fun, mature, sweet, and with two fantastic characters!

I absolutely fell in love with this book & these characters! Such great disability and LGBTQ+ rep! The illustrations were so bright, diverse and joy provoking! Neesha has CP and is guarded due to past experiences when ate starts at her new school. Gabby is starting the same school after her Dad’ s job gets moved and she experiences some trauma of her own. From a forced friendship (thanks to Gabby), to inseparable best friends and finally to being together we follow these two as they collect a Manga series they both loved in the past but never finished. Bringing them together and helping them see who they truly are to each other along the way! I can’t wait to continue their story, as I hope there will be a second volume!

I loved the art style and the story was very engaging. There are a lot of moving moments as these two characters get to know each other and fall in love, something I always enjoy. They're both very different and endearing. The representation is also diverse and handled very well. Overall, a cute romance that had a lot more depth than I was expecting.

Absolute 5 out of 5 for this story! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A queer, coming of age romance that pulled at my heartstrings. Both Gabby and Neesha remind me of different aspects of myself growing up, and the idea that they were brought together by a manga series is so relatable. From the start, both characters are really well fleshed out and you get to watch them grow after they both move to a new, Southern town. The microaggressions both characters experience (abelism, racism, homophobia, and sexism) are very accurately portrayed and you can see how it affects both characters in different ways.

There are times where the more traumatic parts of the story feel like the bog things down a bit, but those moments are also very important for understanding why the characters are the way they are. Super mushy and a happy ending!

It was the cover that hooked me. I was so excited to have access to this story and it did not disappoint. I loved both characters pretty much from the beginning. I also liked how the comic within a story was woven in. The story flowed well and felt authentic. Both characters were developed and easy to connect with so it wasn’t hard to root for them. The story kept a good pace and had me all the way to the end. Honestly, I didn’t want it to end. I hope more of this story is made or more like it. It was such a cute read that I urge others to check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

My heart just can't take it! Navigating With You is the cutest queer romance GN since Heartstopper, and I absolutely LOVED it.

The art is adorable and I really enjoyed the slow burn of friends > crushes > girlfriends in this book, and that it all started over a manga - ugh! Too perfect. If you want the feeling of a high school 'idk what I am' girl crush without all the internal angst and turmoil, I highly recommend this one.

There was a lot of exposition along the way which was really well done, it felt like you got to know the characters alongside each of them getting to know each other as well. I thought the handling of Neesha's disability was *chef's kiss* and seeing her slowly open up to Gabby was so sweet. Neesha's mom is incredible, coaching her along into getting more vulnerable.

I realllllly hope they make another book, it would be so awesome to see the characters together at college!

Best line of the whole thing for me was "No guns, no drugs, no burritos made by white people".

Thanks to Netgalley and Maverick for the arc! :)

I was absolutely in love with this whole book! To see such good representation of disabilities and the lgbtq+ community is honestly amazing! But to also see diverse cultures being represented too is beyond amazing!
The way the story just works 😩 and the way it all interlinks is amazing 👏
Also, the links of the graphic novels to manga are amazing and work so well with the full storyline of the book. I'm not one to usually get emotional over books, but the ending of this book nearly had me crying. I need more stories from Gabs and Neesha!
I'm not too sure how much I can say about this book but if you're into teen romance, lqbgt+ romance, strangers - friends - lovers, school romances, manga references etc you'll definitely love reading this book!
Do keep in mind this is a graphic novel, but don't let that fool you! Definitely consider looking into this book when it's available to the public!
I'm absolutely stoked for this book to release to the public and hit shelves. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!