A queer and contemporary friends to enemies to lovers was a refreshing read. The plot and the characters felt real and well thought through. I really enjoyed the texts between Tessa and Frankie, that felt so real to me. Queer people all went through a 'do they like like me or are we just friends' situationship. I wish this comic was in color and we saw more of Tessa and Olives lives individually. I'd recommend this one to the queer kids that are looking for a little hope and a little romance.

This graphic novel is so CUTE! Like butterflies in your stomach and feet kicking cute. I had such a fun time reading and it was so easy to relate to both Olive and Tessa. The art style is amazing and I love the color scheme! The only thing I feel is a little off is that the book is marketed as enemies-to-lovers but there wasn’t much enemy-ing going on.

Thank you NetGalley, Andrews McPeel Publishing, and Kathleen Gros for the ARC!

aah this was cute

firstly, I love it when we get character's who call themselves butches. Such important representation.
I really appreciated that the characters actually communicated like adults and resolved their issues. I wish that was more common in romance stories. I also loved the friendships and family relationships, I feel like it was all balanced very well.

If you are looking for a quick read with realistic queer representation (with beautiful and engaging artwork) this is for you!

I personally wouldn't have forgiven Olive, which is the main reason why I'm not giving a higher star rating. But that's just personal preference.

4.5/5

This was a cute and short enemies to lovers graphic novel. After losing her job and heading back home to Toronto our main character Tessa discovers her parent's new tenant is none other than her high school nemesis. After many miscommunications, mishaps, and recovered memories can she still call her a nemesis? I enjoyed Tessa's character and found their lack of chill relatable. I enjoyed her interactions with her parents, sister, and roommate, their relationship with all of them is wholesome. I wish Olive and Tessa's relationship had more time to develop. An advanced copy of this graphic novel was shared with me in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley for sharing.

This is a cute story that brought back all the awkward teenage feelings—crushes, uncertainty, and the small moments that feel like everything. The characters are relatable and will strike a chord with many readers, especially those who have navigated young queer love. The Canadian setting adds an extra layer of warmth; as a Canadian, I enjoyed spotting the little Easter eggs, but even non-Canadians will feel at home in this world.

The story itself is light and predictable, but that’s part of its charm. Sometimes, you just want a cozy, feel-good romance, and this delivers. While it may not be a book that lingers in my thoughts long after, I enjoyed the journey while it lasted. A sweet, easy read for anyone looking for a queer love story with heart.

AAA omg I loved this book!! I've been struggling with reading in the past few months and haven't been able to write reviews in ages but this book is helping me get back into it.

Lesbian protagonist, they/them brown(?) femme bestie and flatmate, bisexual crush/nemesis

I usually don't like teenage drama too much but it was kept in the past in diary form with some little breaks into the present, and the now adults deal with the situation in a very mature way and TALK about their feelings and work on healing their pain even if they each other caused it (between the sisters, between the main character and her high school nemesis).

The art is really cool, mostly monochrome like black and white but with some green incursions and the characters are really cute.

I think I might need to buy a paper copy when it comes out!

I got a pdf advanced reader copy through NetGalley. The pages looked a bit pixellated like a bad photocopy but I expect the final version will be high quality

Sapphic enemies to lovers? Sign me up!! I was really quite glad to be able to read this and genuinely enjoyed my experience. Read this all in one sitting! The art style and colour pallet chosen for this graphic novel was not what I was expecting but worked really well.

I will say I was a bit thrown by what caused them to be enemies. It really struck me to my core, and I felt the progression from enemies to not-enemies in the book happened a bit... quickly. Obviously, everyone deals and processes things differently, and I respect that. But the acknowledgement and reconciliation did not endear me to Olive as much as it did to Tessa. Obviously, these are my personal feelings on what transpired and how I would have dealt with it. So, while I was thrown, I still really enjoyed watching the two main characters fall in love with each other after moving past their tension.

Overall, I would highly recommend this for anyone looking to read a cute sapphic graphic novel!

This was a really entertaining queer graphic novel! I liked that we saw some experiences that are pretty common among queer afab people through the development of the relationship between Tessa and Olive, both as teens and as adults. The resolution was quite linear and direct, maybe more than I normally like, but I liked the humor and the overall sense that I knew where we were going. Also I appreciated that there was no miscommunication in the present timeline.

This book was so sweet! I loved Frankie's character, they were amazing to Tessa. This book portrayed Olive's internalized homophobia so well. She wasn't the best to Tessa in highschool, but the way it was explained showed empathy towards Olive, with out Tessa fully forgiving her yet. Tessa realizing she did in fact have a crush on Oliver in high school, was such a real and related moment! Overall this book was super sweet and such a cozy read. The art style was drawn so well and the color scheme matched along so well!

This was an ARC read from Netgalley

Thanks for NetGalley to letting me read this book and then review it.

This graphic novel was an easy read for me. I loved the exploration of Tessa’s relationship with Olive and how that changed over time.

One thing I would’ve liked though is there to be color, like in the cover, instead of the monochrome/greenish colours. I understand that this may be a stylistic choice though. Or perhaps when Tessa and Olive were younger then make it dull, but when it is present day make the colours pop.

This was everything I was hoping for and more. As a queer, nonbinary Canadian in my late 20s, this hit way closer to home than I was expecting (I actually had no idea this was about a Canadian couple at all) in all the best ways. The storyline is SO relatable to so many queer people, and to see Tessa & Olive's love story play out (twice) in such a realistic and true-to-life way was so refreshing. I would read a thousand graphic novels about their relationship and their lives, easily.

An advanced copy of this graphic novel was shared with me in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley for sharing.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The art style was really expressive and the story was paced to my liking. The love story and characters were really cute and I liked their interactions but i would have prefered a bit more drama and bender to accentuate the shift between enemies to lovers. Overall a very nice and quick read!

I liked this so much more then I thought I would! I didn’t really know what to expect but it’s so wholesomely queer. It’s also full of emotions. The awkward pining in high school, not really remembering what happened but remembering the feeling. Also love the communicating, so many things get ruined because people don’t tell each other how they feel so it felt like a breath of fresh air to see olive and Tessa talk about everything. I would really recommend this!
Thank you netgally for letting me read this early.

Kathleen Gros’ *I Hated You in High School* is a heartfelt and relatable graphic novel that explores the complexities of personal growth, friendship, and reconciliation. With her signature style of warm, expressive illustrations and honest storytelling, Gros takes readers on a journey through the challenges of adolescence and the lasting impact of high school experiences.

The story follows main characters who reconnect years after high school, confronting old wounds, misunderstandings, and the awkwardness of facing someone you once couldn’t stand. Gros expertly balances humor with emotional depth, making the story both engaging and thought-provoking. The characters feel authentic, with their insecurities, regrets, and hopes shining through in their conversations and interactions.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its exploration of themes such as self-acceptance, forgiveness, and the evolving nature of relationships. Gros presents these themes with a light touch but never shies away from the deeper emotional struggles that come with them. The artwork complements the narrative beautifully, with expressive faces and carefully chosen color palettes that enhance the mood of each scene.

Overall, *I Hated You in High School* is a touching and insightful read that will resonate with anyone who has ever looked back on their teenage years with mixed emotions. Whether you're seeking a story about personal growth or simply enjoy slice-of-life graphic novels, this book is well worth picking up.

A cute and sweet graphic novel. I thought every character was impressively fleshed out for how quick of a read it was. I didn't mind that the main conflict was resolved easily and enjoyed the overall story.

3.5 stars

This was a really cute graphic novel with wholesome characters and good queer representation. The relationship between Tessa and Olive was nice but the enemies thing was very much one sided and was resolved pretty quickly since it was really only caused by miscommunication. I really liked the art style though and the side characters were all really sweet and likeable (Frankie was honestly the best part of this book).

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley & Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book! <3

“I hated you in high school” has all the ingredients for a perfect, light-hearted queer romance to read in one sitting.

I think the cover and the “enemies-to-lovers” promised trope mislead me into thinking it would be a cute romcom, but instead it focuses on interesting and important topics, such as school burn-out, all the trouble that comes from job hunting, feeling like you’re wasting your time, queerness and bullying.

Overall I liked it and would recommend it, but I’m not happy with the way things ended. I’m not spoilering anything, but: I feel like we went past the bullying way too fast, and the chemistry just wasn’t there anymore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tessa is a struggling 20 something artist trying to juggle party planning for her parents anniversary and having to come to terms with high school trauma while her ex friend/bully Olive lives in her parents basement apartment.
The rollercoaster that it was for Tessa and Olive to reconnect after so many years and to see from both points of view what was happening was eye opening at how situations can be complicated by misunderstandings. I really identified with Olive and her struggle to understand her budding feelings for another girl while in high school.
I really enjoyed this story and the art style was very refreshing. It was like reading a journal but in comic form. Definitely recommend!

*Received this for free in exchange for a review, this does not impact my thoughts and opinions at all*

I think this graphic novel was really cute and a very quick read. I think I would've liked to see more of the main characters and get to know more about their personalities a bit more, but overall, it was a cute read. I'd also be very interested in seeing a novel from Frankie's POV/about their life. I love the queer representation and how the cast was all seemingly some sort of queer or a really great ally. Especially in this time and political climate we need all the queer hope and representation that we can get.

I'm all for queer romance even if it's cheesy and cliche. So if you're looking for a second chance romance with WLW representation (one character is bisexual, and the other is lesbian I believe? There isn't clarity on that one so it's kind of left up to the reader to assume.) and nonbinary representation too then pick this up when it comes out!

3.75 ⭑

What a cute & fun story!!! I enjoyed the author’s art style and will certainly pick up any future works published. I love an enemies to lovers trope & the second chance romance trope is featured here too. An enjoyable and quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of I Used to Hate You in High School.