Essie is navigating her senior year, which is filled with many twists and turns.

Esther, known as Essie, is a 17-year-old Jewish girl who is about to begin her senior year of high school. She can hardly wait for the year to end so she can attend university in New York. However, her love life and future become complicated. What challenges will she face, and how will Essie navigate them?

This book offers an incredibly relatable narrative, inviting readers into a world that feels both familiar and engaging. The art style boasts a beautiful watercolor quality, with a captivating range of blues that flow seamlessly across the pages, evoking a sense of tranquility and depth.
Essie stands out as a remarkably relatable character, her journey as a gifted actress unfolding with sincerity and passion. It's inspiring to think that, even after the final page, she will continue to chase her dreams and embrace her talents. Bruno adds complexity to the story, his multifaceted personality keeping readers on their toes, while Christopher brings a delightful quirkiness and warmth that enhances the overall dynamic.
This book is a perfect gift for seniors who appreciate a narrative that resonates deeply and reflects their own experiences. It is also a compelling read for anyone who values a meaningful story.

Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚

Thank you, @tbrbeyondtours & @01firstsecond, for sending me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I always try to pick up a few graphic novels to read each year and was so excited to get the opportunity to read a an early copy of You Belong Here. The illustrations were beautiful, done all in a blue scale that really fit the vibe of the book.

The story follows Essie as she embarks on her senior year of high school. Her brother is in rehab and she isn’t allowed to tell anyone, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and her best friend, who is a year older and in college has been radio silent. Essie finds a connection with the younger brother of the dealer that got her brother into trouble but no one in her life will trust him and Essie feels like she’s flailing and doesn’t know how to comes to terms everything she’s dealing with.

Overall, this was an extremely well done coming of age story. It was very revevant and dealt with a myriad of issues that teens go through from college applications to feeling isolated or misunderstood. It deals with rejection and finding acceptance, as well as forging your own path. While I didn’t feel an emotional connection with the characters, I’m also not the target audience. I would absolutely recommend this to younger, teen readers.

★ ★ ★ ★
Length: 262p
Source: ARC - TBR & Beyond, NetGalley, First Second Books
Release Date: March 4, 2025

◇ This graphic novel perfectly encapsulates the angst, drama, confusion, fear, butterflies, hopelessness, and courage that goes along with every teenager’s last year of “childhood.”

◆ Essie just started her senior year of high school. Her best friend is off at college and drifting away, and her boyfriend thinks they should break up. Her brother’s away at rehab and the boy she’s crushing on is the younger brother of the guy who got her brother hooked. Oh, and her mom is severely codependent and traumatized from her brother, she refuses to believe in Essie.

◇ So YEA, lots of teenage drama that really brought back those heavy feelings and emotions that make it seem like every decision is life or death.

◆ The artistry is unique! It looks hand-drawn but digitized so that combination created some spectacular scenes!

◇ This one isn’t technically a romance. It’s a coming-of-age. So the ending is fitting for its purpose but not for romance. BUT u had a feeling that was coming so I was prepared.

♡ ya graphic novel
♥ coming of age
♡ addiction/recovery
♥ love and breakups

{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

📖 Book Review 📖 If you could go back in time and tell your senior year in high school self anything, what would it be? You Belong Here is a beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel that tackles all of those issues that weigh heavy on the minds…and hearts of young adults who are ready to journey into the world beyond high school. It’s been over two decades since I was in their shoes but sometimes it feels like a blink of an eye because it was such a pivotal and poignant moment in time. Sara Phoebe Miller and Morgan Beem have done a phenomenal job capturing this rite of passage in a fun novel that young adults with surely value as relatable and parents and other trusted adults can use to gain insight to help support during this time. The story is wonderful and the message is powerful and and important one to keep near and dear during those all too frequent times of change in the seasons of life.

I usually love a good YA coming of age graphic novel so I was excited to give this one a try by a new author but sadly I wasn't feeling the single color drawings or the style in general. It felt really amateurish to be quite honest. A miss for me but younger readers may enjoy it more. Many thanks for the chance to read an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Essie is not too thrilled about her senior year as her best friend went off to college and she hasn’t received a response to her texts, her brother is in another state across the country in rehab, her mom can’t help but argue with her, and suddenly her long-term boyfriend, Bruno, has become distant. Essie can’t wait to escape from Long Island and join her best friend at NYU, where she hopes to get into the acting program and follow her dreams. Unfortunately, Essie gets dumped and ruins her college audition which changes her whole trajectory. She ends up doing the school play rather than community theater and ends up meeting Christopher Sun, the younger brother of the drug dealer who dealt to Essie’s brother. Will this be the best person for Essie to rebound with or is this decision going to cost her more than it’s worth?

What I liked: This book opens with an introduction to Essie and her boyfriend, Bruno, along with some information about her best friend who has moved away and her brother who is currently in rehab. Throughout the book, you get to see Essie’s feelings through the images and see her struggle with the changes that are happening in her life.

Throughout this book you see Essie struggle trying to figure out who she is as her mother struggles with trying to protect her. Everyone around Essie is worried about her becoming like her brother that when she meets Christopher, she doesn’t want to let anyone know because he is related to the drug dealer that sold to Essie’s brother. She keeps this hidden, and you see the inner turmoil that Essie is battling and how those secrets end up causing harm to her and those around her. Through this Essie learns the importance of communication and sharing her feelings with others who can help her navigate those tough decisions.

The two romantic sub points in this story add an interesting layer as Essie comes to recognize that she has to do things for herself rather than make her decisions because of others. The two love interests in this story are a great contrast of each other as Bruno has known Essie her whole life while Christopher has only just met her. Through both of these relationships you can see how important Essie is to each of them and how she has impacted their lives.

The open ending to this story allows for the reader to imagine what is next for Essie and allows the reader to see the endless possibilities for her future. This open ending leaves a lot to the imagination and leaves you with the knowledge that it is okay to not know what is next and to go with the flow, allowing life to take you wherever it may.

The images for this story are all in blue which is a great way to share the characters feelings with the readers. The shades of blue add a layer of darkness to the story and give you a feeling of sorrow as you read on. As Christopher expresses his struggles with depression, the color tones add an element of sadness to the character’s expressions and allow for the tone to shift naturally.

Final Verdict: You Belong Here is a thought provoking read that is great for readers ages 14 and up, especially those who are trying to decide what they want to do after high school. This book shows the importance of relying on others and allowing others to help when things feel overwhelming. It also reinforces the idea that it is okay to not have everything figured out or to change your original plans as needed.

4.5 Artwork presented in blue monochromatic watercolor tones with great expression and detail. In some pages, the excess of artwork and text plays well in creating claustrophobic tension that goes well with the plot. Teenager issues, breaking up, community acceptance, betrayal, new and old friendships. New love, depression, addiction problems, family issues, senior year ending towards a scary undefined future, rejection, and acceptance. The novel touches on a lot of relevant issues, and I like that the character tries to move on and forward even during her worst downs. At least she tried.

3.75/5

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 7
Build-up: 8
Originality: 7
Wow Factor: 8

You Belong Here delivers a compelling coming-of-age story packed with heartbreak, messy emotions, and the uncertainty of growing up. Essie is a flawed but relatable protagonist navigating friendship fallouts, family struggles, and the weight of her own expectations. The graphic novel shines, offering a diverse cast that feels authentic, and keeps the emotional stakes high as Essie’s world unravels.

The story set the stage for a gripping senior-year journey, but some narrative beats felt predictable despite Essie’s unique circumstances. While the romance between Essie and Christopher had its swoon-worthy moments, it leaned into familiar tropes without fully subverting them. However, its emotional depth—family, addiction, and identity are all handled with nuance.

Overall, this was a solid and engaging read with strong character dynamics, but it didn’t fully break the mold. Fans of high school drama, second chances, and complicated romance will find a lot to enjoy!

A good coming-of-age story that teens will relate to. This book have themes of heartbreak, friendship, addiction, family relationships, and was addressed in a conscious manner. Contains a lot of teen angst. Essie is a character that feels lost, especially with all the changes happening in her life and the unknown future. Her plans, all she'd work for was not going as plan. Throughout her senior year, she learns that is okay to be vulnerable, feel a little lost. Her senior year experiences led to self-discovery.

I'd most likely recommend this to high schoolers. This was well illustrated-I like the monochromatic choice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of You Belong Here!

• 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

1. Full of teenage angst and heartbreak, You Belong Here will give you all the feels.
2. If you’ve ever been betrayed by your best friend, then you’ll empathize with Essie.
3. Essie’s family makes her feel unseen and unimportant next to her brother’s problems. If you’ve ever felt unseen, read this to see how she tackles the issue.
4. Did you dream of getting into your dream school after high school? So does Essie.
5. Breakups are hard, but Essie shows us how to move past them and still reach for our dreams.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

It’s the first day of senior year and seventeen-year-old Essie Rosen is already over it. Her best friend went off to college and barely responds to her texts, her brother’s on the other side of the country in rehab, every conversation with her mom becomes a fight, and her long-term boyfriend, Bruno, feels weirdly distant. Essie’s counting down the days until she can escape her Long Island hometown and join her bff at NYU, where she’s SURE she’ll get into the acting program she’s dreamed about for years.

But when Essie gets dumped AND botches her college audition, her entire trajectory changes. Instead of doing community theater, she ends up slumming it in the school play, where she’s cast opposite the unexpectedly charming Christopher Sun…the younger brother of the drug dealer who got Essie’s brother hooked. Is he the perfect rebound―or the worst decision Essie could make?

This was a sweet graphic novel that explores identity and belonging in a time of intense transition. It was well written and the art style was engaging.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The vulnerability and realness of the main character will make her very relatable to the YA target audience for the book. I appreciated how honest the storytelling was and I know young readers will too.

This is a great look at finding where you belong, along the ride that is high school.
The graphics in this graphic novel are great. I liked that there were different body types and ethnicities.
I liked the look at feelings and how they change over time.
Family is important here too. And how to be open minded about members of families all being different.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Senior year of high school was suppose to be the best right? Well when your boyfriend dumps you, you botch your college audition, and everything in your life takes a turn, what's a girl to do but get through it. Seventeen year old Essie had senior year planned out, yet when her best friend goes off to college and barely responds to her texts, her brother is off in rehab, her fights with her mom increase, and her long time boyfriend dumps her... Essie's life is taking a turn. It doesn't help that she botched her college audition and her plans are all crumbling, and a new complicated romance has come into her life. Essie is falling for the charming guy who just happens to be the younger brother of the drug dealer who got Essie's brother hooked.... every decision that Essie has made has turned her life around and now this could be just another bad one if she isn't careful. Being 17 isn't easy, and when everything you had planned goes awry, senior year is bound to be complicated. This was an interesting young adult novel that deals with family drama, relationships, and growing up. While I personally didn't vibe with Essie, I do think someone out there will and will enjoy the journey Essie goes through as she grows. The art is absolutely beautiful though and I did like that we got to see Essie grow.

Release Date: March 4,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and First Second Books | First Second for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*