one of the things i keep coming back to as a reader of primarily queer books, is that man... if these things had been around when i was a kid, i would be an entirely different human being now.

this is the kind of book that would have changed my life. i was never hardcore with my religion, but i went to a church school and for the first decade of my life i think i really did believe in something, but i remember the exact moment i stopped believing. i read a passage in the bible that told me i should fear the lord, followed by a bunch of things i shouldn't do and things i should frown on as a believer. it felt so sour to me, because i thought i was supposed to love god and he would love me no matter what i did or said or felt. it was a confusing time for me, and i had noone to talk to about it because all the people in my life were atheists or rigid believers, so i just quietly left god behind. much like jojo in this book, it wasn't that i didn't have space in my life for the church, but that it wouldn't make room for me.

i've always had a vivid sense of justice (thanks autism) but nothing hurts my heart more than seeing a religion that always seemed to focus so much on love turned sour by the people who choose to criticise others for the way they lead their lives and the things they think and feel.

i think this book is an incredibly important read, for all ages and all religions and all perspectives. it opens up a conversation that we rarely see and even more rarely have, and paints it in a non-biased but merely loving and welcoming way. i especially think this will be an important read for parents, as well as for children.

i loved this. wholly and completely. thank you for putting this in the world, and for giving me a chance to read it.

ARC Review
4 ⭐️ Stars

Mark struggles with accepting himself and processes the complexity of being Catholic and queer. Similar thought processes can happen to those outside of the religious community, especially those with friends or family in it.

It's a complex relationship of self acceptance as a teen but added conflicting pressures can add to how a teen comes into self acceptance. This is graphic novel for someone over 14.


I think this is an important topic but some of the flippant ways certain historical aspects are approached was off-putting.

The coming out scene was tough but the way the parents flipped like a light switch when Mark stood up for himself was odd. Parents, especially parents who are deeply into religions like Catholicism, they're likely going to struggle with acceptance of their child. I get that this is a YA book but the flippant was off-putting knowing that this is just the start of that struggle for Mark.

I really liked this book and the characters.
The idea was very good.
I do think there should of been more depth and background to the main character and his family though.
I loved it was a graphic novel.
It definitely worked well in that format.

This was great! An exploration of sexuality and religion and how the two intersect. Mark is Catholic, and his family is very active in the church community. He also has feelings for his openly gay friend, which leads to a lot of internalised homophobia as Mark battles with his feelings. Along the way he hears different perspectives of homosexuality and gender identity within the church from friends, acquaintances, and even a priest. There are some tough topics broached here, but there is a lot of humour as well which makes it a good balance overall. Perfect for the teen reader! 4.25/5

Thanks to #NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic graphic novel about being gay and queer while growing Catholic, the feelings and thoughts that arise and how to live with both identities!

First, thank you to @OniPress for giving me the ARC! This graphic novel was gorgeous and impactful. I grew up in a religious family and had heard the same things the main character was told. This comic seemed made for me.

That being said, this graphic novel very much was aimed at currently practicing Catholics who are queer. I feel like I would have appreciated this story when I was younger and struggling deeply with my sexuality and belief system. I loved how Mark found solace in different saints throughout time and also in non-religious queer people in his life.

I had two things that made me pause. The first was, this reminded me so much of religious publishings and comics the church themselves put out from when I was younger. I suspect this is by design, making the story more relatable to those still in the religion. For some reason this got under my skin after a bit, even though the art was gorgeous. The second is I felt the end was a bit rushed. Everything wrapped up perfectly, it was a bit too perfect. I don’t want to spoil the ending but I was a bit surprised.

I'm always looking for new LGBTQ graphic novels and this definitely didn't disappoint! I loved the art style and the pacing of the ARC and I feel like repression of queerness in religion is something that needs more representation which this author did really well!

I really liked how it makes you to think about your own beliefs without forcing anything on you. Even if you're not religious it’s easy to connect with the characters and the struggles they are going through.
Don’t think i was the target audience since I’ve never been religious and gone through these experiences but i did really enjoy the look at queerness in history and Catholicism.

Overall i found it reflective and thought provoking and i definitely think it’s worth reading even if you aren’t religious or queer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e copy!

I was genuinely surprised by how earnest the graphic novel is because my only worry was that it would be too dictatorial in its message about the journey to make peace with your sexual identity from a religious perspective. I love how the journey becomes physically metaphorical, taking both Mark and the readers to dive into a historical expedition that shows that Catholic queerness has always been there and thriving instead of a singular phenomenon that only emerges in modern times; Wheeler discusses the lores behind famous figures and alleged stories in excellent tone that humanize these records into something that the main character and readers can relate in their struggle of faith and identity. It isn't flawless, but this is an immaculate option to read for a crash course and a comfort book.

The intersection between Catholicism and Queerness is a scary line to walk. When you grow up with a parent who is so devoutly Catholic coming out can be incredibly hard. It can make you feel like everyone is out to get you and it can make you feel like you will never belong. Hey, Mary was a beautiful dive into how to be both Catholic and Queer. You don’t have to give up one to be the other.

History is full of queer people, and yet still society and the church tell us that queerness is wrong, that it's a sin. Historians over time have said that people who were queer and had a close same-sex relationship, weren't actually queer. They were just close friends. That's just not true. Queer people have always existed, and always will.
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I think if I was religious, I might have felt more of an emotional impact from this book. But as it is, I think there is still things that I could take from it regardless.
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Another important point that's made with this graphic novel is that the church isn't wholly against queerness. Some aspects still don't accept it, and some people within the church don't accept queer people. But that isn't everyone.
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I think for someone who's queer and Christian this might really have an impact, which is the purpose.
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Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley abd Oni press for the EArc in exchange for my honest review. Hey, Mary! Is coming April 15 2025.

This is a 3.75 ⭐️ read for me. While I don’t absolutely agree with the novel, it didn’t really influence my rating and me enjoying the book. And i think that speaks of how good it was. This was my first encounter with the author and will most definitely be keeping an eye on them.
This is a book about a boy coming to terms with his identity and his religion. I am not using the word faith because while i dont follow a religion and don’t believe in them. I am absolutely have faith in a being far more greater than i am, who is full of love and acceptance. I could go on and on about religion. Mark was struggling and couldn’t come to terms with who he is, what is expecting of him and how he was raised/his religion. I loved all those different apparition that he has throughout the novel, of well known people. Who ate helping him out and trying to make him understand. I hated everything that happened that was expected to happen. Some made me cried and i was hurting with Mark. While i never factor religion in my coming to terms with my sexuality i did factor my parents. My catholic mother who’s praying 24/7. And it always hurts to know someone who default setting should be loving unconditionally would not understand you/not accepting you. I am very ok with the bible being only stories written up by people a long time ago for their own profit. But it is a book still used by religion to oppress people like me, to harass us. I am happy for Mark that he at the end did know who he is and what je wants. It felt a little short to me. Or loose ending. I wanted more. How will he mange his religion a d his queerness? How will the boy who is so opposed to religion fit with him?
I tried my best not let my views taint the review of this book and hopefully i was successful. Here’s to hoping.

Fav quote: “We assume everyone is straight because straight is the normal. But there have always been queer people since before we had the language for it.Since before people had the confidence and support and the confindence to stand up and tell the world their truth”

Fav characters: Jojo,

Fav moments: The apparition of Joan of Arc/ The drag bible stories.

Song: Pray by Sam Smith

This was definitely an interesting read. I grew up somewhere on the edge of Catholic. We didn’t go to church, but there were many times that my mother would talk about faith… she also talked about witchcraft. It’s a testament to my mother at how all over the place she was. In middle school, I was enrolled in a private Christian school where we went to mass every Wednesday and had Bible class.

To say that I turned my back on the faith is an understatement. I loved the sense of community and friendship I received… while I wasn’t out. But those things can change when you aren’t the same as everyone else. That can be said about many walks of life, but I found myself without the church and I’m happy with who I am.

Hey, Mary! has honest talks and thoughts coming from a teenage boy who is battling with realizing that he is gay and that’s okay. There is no one way to be queer and Christian. There is no one way to be queer or Christian either. You find what’s right for you.

I think that this is a really important story to tell.

⭐ Rating: 3.5/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: Apr 15, 2025
🏷️ Tags: graphic novel, achillean romance, gay MC, queer and non-binary SCs, religion & faith, queer awakening, coming out

Books with themes around religion and queerness are my fave, so I knew I had to grab an ARC for this graphic novel. (Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley, btw. All thoughts are my own!)

This felt a bit like a primer on queer history in the Bible and Christianity, which I can see being a great intro to folks exploring these ideas for the first time. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit bored while reading, since I'm already familiar with most of the people/characters mentioned.

There wasn't much plot or tension beyond a fairly textbook gay awakening and coming out. I think I would have liked to see more depth to the characters because I never felt fully invested in what happened. The MC and LI getting together also felt a bit rushed and I never really felt their chemistry.

That being said, I do think stories like this are important to tell and I appreciated the way it explored a variety of viewpoints. I also loved the art, particularly the use of shadow and colours, and how it enhanced the storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy.

I don't think this was *the* queer graphic novel for me. This was a very dialogue heavy movement, and that is great for a character like Mark to really figure himself out. The art style was lovely and the conversations were wonderful in calling out different peoples relationships with the church and how that surrounds their identity too.

I enjoyed this one a good deal. It gave what felt like a very honest tale that included thoughtful commentary and beautiful artwork. The art is also easy on the eyes; it's crisp and includes enough details to tell the story/show the world but not so much that it's overwhelming to the senses.

I feel like people are going to either like this or hate this. The queer community and the Catholic Church are not communities that often intersect but I feel like this book really does a good job of explaining and exploring that possibility. So many people have been forced out of a community that they felt at home in and I think this book has a lot to offer.

I liked the illustrations, and I liked the descriptions of queerness throughout history and the Bible specifically, but I wish it was a little longer. Feels a little abrupt at the end and I do almost always wish books just kind of let their characters experience that resolution at the end for a little longer.

Oh, I loved this story. As a non-religious person, it’s easy for me to take a step back and not see the big picture of religion. Not see what it brings to people who practice, especially when some use religion to hate on people who aren’t what they think is “normal” and “right”.

This story about a young, catholic boy, struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality and his belief and trying to see how both parts of him can coexist, made me all kinds of emotional. And hopeful. It was so interesting to see all these historical, biblical people and stories from a queer perspective. Because it’s true! Why wouldn’t there have been queer people through all times. And if others get to cherrypick from the Bible, why not queer people? Or people who doesn’t want to hurt others.

All in all, this is a sweet story, full of love and hope, but also pain and struggle. But the readers are left with a hope for healing and that’s what matters.
The art worked wonderful to the story, as well.

Recommend!

/ Denise

this was so beautiful!! as a catholic queer person, this really hit home for me and im so happy this book was created. truly a beautiful story about self acceptance and love!

A didactic and informative discussion of queer Catholics through the lens of one character's story, this graphic novel isn't saying anything new, but it is still powerful and necessary. This book absolutely would've changed my life if I'd read it as a teen.