"I hated you in highschool" follows Tessa and Olive's relationship now and in high school. The artwork was really cool, especially the diary scenes. The story felt very real and down to earth. Loved Tessa's friends and family! I really liked how the characters grow from their time in school to now, and that they are nit afraid to apologize for their errors.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

This was such a nice and fluffy read. I found the recurring themes of feeling lost after college and feeling like you wasted time getting a creative degree just to not use it so relatable. Making a career out of what you love can be so hard, especially when what you loved starts to feel more like work and less like fun. I also enjoyed the color scheme; the muted grays and greens work well together and were easy on the eyes.

As for the romance, I think I felt the chemistry between the characters more during the high school flashbacks than I did in their adult years. Watching their relationship grow was really, really sweet. However as adults, I felt that Olive was more mature than Tessa and had an insightfulness that Tessa was kind of lacking. I think Tessa’s resentment of Olive was entirely valid, I just think Tessa came off as a petty, sulking teen rather than an adult with an unresolved heartache. Frankie is honestly my favorite character of them all. They were so funny and I liked the way they balanced Tessa out.

Since I didn’t feel that emotionally connected to the story, I gave this one three stars. I really did enjoy it, though. It’s cute! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

The believability of second chance romances remains in the noted growth and communication shown between the two timelines together. Thankfully, this book adequately explores that through thoughtful conversations about queerness and societal pressures. The exploration of the main character's past diaries really brings into perspective how maturity and lived experiences allow you to get to know yourself better and how that impacts your perceptions of the world. Revisiting her childhood town and going home again brings up loads of relatable situations for Tessa and us as readers. What didn't work for me was how quickly their second chance together transitioned from friends to lovers. I wanted to relish their new moments together, a dynamic that they both mutually could be fully invested in, and instead it felt quite rushed. The art style is so lovely though and I would love to read more by this author.

Where the beginning felt a little stiff, I ended up liking this short romance story. My favourite part was the flashback that showed how things are always different in hindsight. Although it isn't anything groundbreaking, it's a cute story about second chances and communication.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Such a cute book! I started reading and couldn't put it down until I was finished. It was about revisiting your hometown and uncovering high school memories through a new lens since you've developed and learned more about yourself. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could! Very good but just missing a little something (maybe it was just the use of the "misunderstood' high school bully trope?). The characters had such depth and chemistry and the illustration was beautiful and full of emotion. The characters and the premise were very relatable and compelling. I would recommend this to almost anyone especially queers that grew up in a small town. Very re-readable. Honestly finished it and immediately wanted to restart the book!

This is a great graphic novel for the queers. I love the representation when it comes to queer relationships and relationships. It also brings to light some of the issues that many queer people face growing up with their identity as well. Tessa, the main character, is so relatable, especially when it comes to friendships and relationships. Olive and Tessa's friendship/relationship was the perfect amount of development that made me feel happy for them. The conversations in this graphic novel was very easy to read and felt very authentic in the way that any person would have with their friends or family. I also like how this graphic novel, while focusing on the romantic aspect of Tessa's life also focuses on other issues that readers will be able to relate to, especially in Vancouver. This graphic novel makes the reader relate and understand the developments happening in today's cities but also how difficult it is to make a living through art or any profession. Overall, I thoroughly liked this book and made me love how authentic and light this graphic novel was. Personally, a must read.

⭐⭐⭐.5

I read this instead of studying for my french final.

I know that isn't the best idea but I promised myself I'd read a chapter and then...

Anyways, the book. Gorgeous. Wonderful. Heart-warming. I could keep the adjectives going but I want to talk about this in depth. It was the kind of book that spoke to me and said how I felt into words. It took emotions and feeling I couldn't comprehend and put it into words. Secondly, I want to say how AMAZING the communication in this book was. Characters who were supposed to be adults acted like adults. They didn't shy away from uncomfortable conversation and were able to make amends without unnecessary miscommunication. Thirdly, I LOVE the art style. When I opened the book I was concerned that the style might not've been for me but as I read it started to grow on me.

The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me was because the relationship felt to rushed. I wish there was more substance to the relationship instead of a 2 page montage.

Overall I really liked the book and want to say thank you to Kathleen Gros for this story.