I appreciate this book but also don't know if it the right book for my library. I think it fits better in a public library setting. The message is heartfelt and honest but also a bit repetitive. I was hoping for a supportive conclusion but I understand the intent of the author's choice.

Growing up Catholic can be hard. I should know, I did. But growing up Catholic and queer is even harder. In “Hey Mary!,” Andrew Wheeler is able to weave in references that capture the experience of growing up Catholic in the modern day. This is not to say that the story is exclusive to the Catholic/queer experience. Mark, the main character is very relatable, not just as a closeted queer person, but as a kid trying to figure things out at a rough time in his life. Now couple that with “keeping up appearances” for everyone else, and it is no surprise that Mark is having a rough go of it. One of the notes that hit me the hardest was the way that the adults in Mark’s life would all give the platitude of “You can tell me anything,” and I know many of us have been there. They may be truthful and will be non judgmental but in the anxiety adolescent brain, you don’t trust anyone.
The clever use of biblical and artistic imagery was a great way to manifest what Mark was going through in his mind. It made it more “real” to the reader.
This is the type of book that would have been a Godsend, no pun intended, to me when I was Mark’s age. As someone who still struggles at time with where my beliefs lie, and where I fit in, “Hey, Mary!” is a touching, illuminating and profound story of love, and “Love is all that God is.”

Well I really loved this story. I rated it 4 stars because it's not in my range of favorite book genres. I was impressed by the story, the characters, the plot was fabulous.

Hey, Mary! is a graphic novel about a catholic boy coming to terms with his sexuality. He has visions of various presumed queer historical and biblical figures to help him realize that queer people have always existed, even within the church, and that the two aren't inherently opposed. This was a great emotional and educational read. Thanks to OniPress and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Baby gay full of Catholic guilt comes to terms with himself AND IT’S SO GOOD!

Poignant and important with beautiful art and I can’t help but hope that every queer Christian who feels like these are somehow mutually exclusive is able to read this and take comfort in its Truth.

Thank you to Netgalley for digital arc of this!

I know next to nothing about Catholicism so all the religious context was sort of lost on me, but the internal conflict of reconciling who you are with what you believe I get 100%. Having grown up in a household that was more than a bit homophobic, you can't help but harbor some internal homophobia but then admitting and accepting who you ultimately are...it's hard. In this book, Mark went through this journey; of being a staunch Catholic boy but also realizing his feelings and yearnings don't exactly mesh with his Catholic beliefs. He goes on a journey of self-acceptance and coming out of the closet with the help of various saints and other biblical characters along with some external help.

Hey, Mary! is the graphic novel I wish I had growing up!

Hey, Mary! is about Mark, a catholic boy, who is coming to terms with who he might want to be in the world. When one of his friends comes out and moves schools, he has a lot of realizations to make. Andrew Wheeler wrote a story that is both beautiful and powerful. This story has biblical references but is actually interpreted in a historical context and it gave such power when reading.

This is a powerful graphic novel. I wish that I had it growing up. Religion is all too easily weaponized against queer youth and I appreciated the religious figureheads in this story being open and willing to talk about things rather than denouncing them as we all too often see. RUN to get your copy of this story! You will love it!

This comic was a delight, even for an atheist like me.

The art is gorgeous, and it features two of my favourite things together: a LGBTQ+ friendly plot and lots of history (or, to be precise, a lot of history characters that once existed and were queer).

It is a simple story: Mark, a catholic boy, begins to realize he´s developed romantic feelings towards his best friend (who´s an icon, I´m telling you: I loved how he put the LGBTQ+ pin on his school uniform in that first scene at the museum) all the while comes to terms with accepting he´s gay and also a believer.

People who knows me are aware I´m quite sceptical when it comes to religion (any religion, really), and even more so when it comes to church. But I think this comic does it job pretty well, providing hope and basically telling a message that it´s okay to have your beliefs (whatever they may be) while also being queer. During the entire plot, we see a procession of characters telling their experiences or simply trying to comfort the protagonist until he ultimately makes a decision.

In summary, it´s a good comic to gift to teens or kids who are struggling with their sexuality and are also believers.

My only complain is that we didn´t see much acceptance from Mark´s parents (though I think the door was left open). But other than that, I pretty much liked the story. I recommend.

omg this book was so sweet. i really related to mark and the art style was so cute. also i enjoyed all the queer bible stories

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

This one is a shortie but a goodie!!! Lovely art, with a condensed overview of frequent Biblical talking points of bigots directed at queer folks and a poignant moment of super religious parents making a choice regarding how to handle their son coming out to them. The sort of story you want to stuff into the hands of teens in the closet who are struggling with their faith.

A very engaging graphic novel about a teenager and his struggles coming to terms with his sexuality and trying to decide if being gay is compatible with being a Catholic.

The main character Mark goes on a journey of trying to accept himself, and along the way is 'visited' by various queer figures throughout history, which I thought was a brilliant way for him to explore his feelings.

This story was pretty emotional in parts and wrapped up very satisfactorily. Overall a great read.

Hey Mary! comic

4/5 Stars

This was an adorable little comic with how religion and sexuality and expression of one’s true self is faced in life and especially in the eyes of people brought up in heavy religious backgrounds!

I enjoyed the concept of Mark learning to come to terms with himself and being Gay but also being able to stand true and believe in his values!

I love that many characters in the comic help Mark understand that being himself isn’t wrong and I absolutely love the use of historical figures throughout.

This is a very brief review but I adored this little easy read and highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5 rounded down

Hey, Mary follows a teenage boy, mark, who is raised in a very religious catholic family and is struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality.

Love is all that God is

To preface this review I am not religious at all. I was raised without religion and I am now pretty much atheist. However, I do not think that disqualifies me from having an opinion or being able to get something from a book like this.

This book is very wholesome with a very enjoyable and pleasant to look at art style. I enjoyed the 'Gay walk through time" segment of this graphic novel. Exploring gay religious and historical figures. It was educational and fun, especially as a queer person myself.

Personally, I really did not like the character of Luka in this graphic novel. As the only out gay teenage in Mark's peer group he comes across very abrasive and pushes Mark and his boundaries almost to the point of bursting. I believe this was the point to have two very different viewpoints pushing Mark; his catholicism and faith as well as the opinions of Luka. Though I think this could have been handled better.

I was fairly impressed with the way Wheeler handled the coming out of Mark and his journey of self acceptance. Whilst I could not directly relate to Mark, being neither a teenager nor a catholic, I still think there is something emotionally profound in this story.

Would definitely recommend to anyone of the Christian faith or people struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.

Okay, this graphic novel pulled me in. I'm not Catholic or religious myself, so your mileage may vary. This book is about a Catholic boy's self-discovery journey, who finds comfort and community in his church, but also realizes he's gay, and has trouble reconciling those two facts.

The graphic novel leads us through the discovery featuring Catholic saints and people from the Bible who defied gender norms or had devoted love with members of their own sex, while also being devoutly religious. It tells us that the Bible can have several interpretations, and if the interpretation you choose teaches you to hate, that tells you more about yourself than about God and Jesus. It also features present-time queer people, including a nonbinary drag performer who struggles with their own relationship to church and their late mother.

It is also very catchy and approachable to a modern audience, although it's been a while since I was a teenager. The colors are beautiful, the people really look like people - I'm in love with Mark's freckles on his arms in particular, such a lovely detail.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hey, Mary!

“If god is love, why do his believers make up excuses to hate me?” A beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a Catholic boy coming to terms with loving a church that might not love him back. Deeply moving and educational- I loved learning about the queer leaders of the Christian/Catholic church through Mark’s imagination and friends! 4.5 stars

Hey, Mary! is a quick but engaging and very informative read on Queernes and Catholicism.

I grew up somewhat catholic myself (though from what I've heard the way its where I live differs quite a bit to how it is in the US). Personally, I left the church years ago and have my own thoughts on religion and how I make sense of the world. I am also very queer (aromantic, asexual, agender). I found the protagonist Marks worries about his sexuality and what it means for his faith very well written and comprehensible.

The book itself, aside from Marks story, taught me quite a bit about the Bible that I wasn't aware about so it was a learning experience, too!

Be aware that the contents of the book can be triggering - the protagonist hast to work through some internalised queerphobia.

This captivating graphic novel follows a boy named Mark from a devout Catholic family. Mark attends a Catholic school and is struggling to align his faith and his sexuality.

The book dives into Catholic history as well as his conversations with his priest and even a local drag performer.

It’s a great story, with beautiful artwork. It’s a wonderful read for everyone, but especially people that want to address their faith and their sexuality.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Just so you’re aware where our family is coming from: I grew up in a non-practicing Catholic home, yet when I became an adult, I chose to become a Catholic. My husband is a cradle Catholic, like really serious. The stained-glass windows in his hometown church were donated by his ancestors, so for him, his religion runs deep. Yet, we are progressive Catholics. I call myself a feminist Catholic, which is no easy feat! Which is why, when our youngest child told us they were non-binary several years ago, we didn’t bat an eye. We told them we still loved them, asked them what we could do for them, and have supported them 100%. The first thing we did was remove them from their Catholic school and put them in public school. Then, we legally got their name changed. And we have continued to embrace their true self along the way.

Which is why this book, Hey, Mary, hits home. Mark is a devout Catholic teen, who is also gay. He thinks he’s inherently bad and that he can “pray the gay away.” He resists his gay friend, whom he is also attracted to, because of his deep held Catholic belief system. However, as the reader journeys through the book, there are many historical examples of gays throughout the history of the church. He talks to several friends, and even one of his parish’s priests, who all tell him what he needs to hear. Being gay is no sin.

Of course, Mark still struggles with wanting to come out and what that all means. He is afraid to tell his parents because of how devout his mother is. (Spoiler alert: it all works out in the end)

The artwork helps tell the story in such a beautiful way that I think this novel being in graphic form will be helpful to those kids who are LGBTQIAP+ yet live in a religious household. I realize that not all household members may be as welcoming as ours, but there’s hope that society in general can become more accepting with books like this.

A cute, delightful, life affirming graphic novel that I shelve into the “I Wish I Had This When I Was Growing Up” category since I am, in fact, a fossil.

“Hey, Mary!” addresses the concerns of religious (primarily Catholic, but really followers of any Christian denomination) Queer people who don’t want to have to choose between their faith and who they are. As might be expected from a teen graphic novel, this rather heavy topic is handled with humor and couched in considerable artistic style. Mark, our devout Catholic but closeted protagonist in question, is visited by St. Sebastian, Michelangelo, and, of course, the Virgin Mary herself on his quest to reconcile his faith and his identity.

This was an entertaining and well thought out story. I appreciated the conceit of famous figures visiting the main character and thought the author was wise to not try to explain it too much. I also appreciated how the book wasn’t afraid to have more upsetting or realistic elements. A Westboro Baptist style protestor is upsetting enough in any context, but then pairing that with a Savonarola style bonfire of the vanities themed panic attack was a stroke of brilliance.

Mark’s parent’s reaction to his coming out was likewise realistic and upsetting, but valuable. Parents do react this way and we need stories that feature negative reactions. Pretending negative reactions don’t exist, not discussing them in our media, serves no one. I also appreciated how even though refutations of biblical homophobia were offered, the emphasis was more on focused on living the compassionate ethos preached in the new testament, rather than hinging everything on interpretations of specific scripture.

This is the kind of book anyone should read but would be especially powerful for Queer people raised in Christian households who ever struggled with internalized religious homophobia.

As a queer/trans survivor of Catholic school, I think this book could help a lot of kids feel more seen and heard. I didn't have access to any queer or trans representation in books when I was a kid. The main character's struggle with his faith and sexuality felt authentic. The only part I struggled with was the priest saying it's not a sin to be gay, it's just a sin to act on it. While this is believable, and something that priests often state, I wished there was more pushback on that idea. However, I still think this book is important! There is a myth that one cannot be queer or trans and religious, and that is simply false.