Carter has recently discovered that he likes men, so he finds the one other gay boy in his school, Adrian, and pursues him relentlessly. What Carter doesn’t know is that Adrian has been hurt before and isn't interested in getting into any kind of relationship. However, for over a month, Carter endlessly pursues Adrian, leaving love notes, following him everywhere, and hopefully finally proving that he is worth Adrian’s time. A cute little high school love story that I enjoyed very much.

#ThxNetGalley #HazelandBell #AlwaysRainingHere

Carter recently came out to his family and his friends that he is gay. His family was very supportive and basically knew before he did. Now that he is out, he is ready to meet other gay teens and "hook up" and explore his sexuality. He is very impulsive, head strong and likes to just enjoy life without having any strong set goals. That is until he meets Adrian.

Adrian, is a newly single , also gay teen. He is quite the opposite of Carter. Adrian is hardworking, high strung and motivated for the future. Unlike Carter, Adrian does not have the full support of his family. He feels a lot of pressure to be perfect and not disappoint his parents to the point he will go without sleep just to get extra study time in.

Carter tries many, many ways to woo Adrian. Most of these are epic failures.

The story brings us along the journey of these two very different boys finding them selves and finding each other, and making some new friends along the way.

This volume is beautifully illustrated and brings the story to life. I love how well the story shows the major differences in both Adrian and Carter and how they can bring out the best in each other. The raw truth and vulnerability will resonate with so many people who are still finding their way.

The side characters help move the story along too, you can really see how they are from two very different worlds but that even though they may not have the same friend groups or hobbies they aren't so different after all. Its awesome to see a story where the main characters have good friends there not only to be there and help them but also call them out when they are doing something wrong.

Sex is mentioned and talked about openly, however aside from making out there isn't anything illustrated that is to graphic for teen readers. I would personally not give this to a younger teen, but one who really does understand the more adult nature of relationships. (15/16+)

Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books | First Second for the Digital ARC for review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. It was a lot of fun, and I liked Carter and Adrian a lot! They reminded me a little of Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper, except Nick was an emo gold retriever and Charlie was a drama geek. ❤
I also really loved how the jock asshole type was Carter best friend.

This is a cute queer graphic novel of two boys slowly moving from strangers to friends to lovers throughout the school year.

While Carter and Adrian start off as textbook (and sometimes off-putting) high-school caricatures, once they spend real time together, their relationship blossoms into something genuinely sweet and thoughtful. The progression from initial fumbling to deeper emotional connection slowly builds throughout their time together which feels realistic and attainable. As they are high schoolers, the genuine emotions, goofy banter, and teenage awkwardness are at the heart of this story, giving it a universally relatable charm.

The choices made in the artwork such as the simple line work and soft color palette create a comforting aesthetic that perfectly captures the feelings of a lighthearted teenage romance.

Ultimately, this is a cozy, heartfelt gay romance that wins you over with its gentle pacing, evolving characters, and beautiful art. It may start slowly, but anyone who loved Heartstopper or sweet, character-driven webtoons will find something to adore here. Whether you’re a graphic novel reader or a seasoned reader of queer romance, this one’s worth curling up with.

For as much as I liked the artwork, this actual story was pretty off-putting. It’s very awkward at the start with teens propositioning for sex? Stalker turned boyfriend? Idk this whole comic was a miss for me and there’s way better coming of age queer comics imho Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for the chance to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Always Raining Here is a cute YA graphic novel following two boys who have no idea how to do relationships. A heartbroken Adrian meets horny af Carter and a series of awkward, but increasingly adorable interactions ensue. These two are hot messes, but grow as people and begin to understand what makes a good relationship. While the art style isn’t my favorite and I could do with a brighter color palette, it is an enjoyable read for anyone who likes a YA romcom.

thank you netgalley for an e-arc!!
i've never read this web comic in the past before, so this was a little surprise. the beginning made me a little uncertain because of how persistant and creepy carter was in the beginning, but the story does get better as it goes on. it goes into home issues and mental health. i also warmed up to the characters dynamic

This was an amazing story overall. I definitely agree with one of the primary characters that the behavior of the other character is a little problematic at the beginning, but that’s the whole point. Character growth and development as both individuals and together. And I really appreciate how well the story was illustrated and written and had beautiful sweet poignant moments as well as more down to earth numerous moments and made it believable for me. If there is another book after this, either following the same characters or other side characters, I would absolutely choose to read that as well and highly recommend this illustrated novel!

I struggled with this one. I had a hard time connecting with the characters which then made it difficult for me to care about what was going on in the story.

Arc review
A ya graphic novel centered around a sex depraved high schooler who pesters the love interest instead of just listening to no? I don’t really think young queer kids need that in romance especially not since queer people are already labeled predatory by homophobes. Other then that it was kind of just bland not much substances and the character development was more ironic then realistic. Two stars since the art was cute and unique and some moments were sweet.

I really liked this story. It was cute and goofy, making it a really fun read. I enjoyed the art style as well. This was overall just a delight to read.

Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for letting me read this early!

Teenagers trying to figure out life and being gay at the same time isn't an easy feat! In this small town romance about two boys trying to figure out their sexuality and juggling their personal lives at home.

Carter is horny. Coming out as gay a month ago and wanting to get laid in his small town is not as easy as it seems. Then he laid eyes on Adrian. Adrian is looking for a relationship after getting his heart broken by a one sided love,

This book was cute and definitely easy to read. I like the art style and the way the story flow! I hope we get more of this universe or characters in hopefully more graphic novels.

As it was described as an adaptation of a popular webcomic by the same name, I automatically checked the webcomic and what a pleasant and impressive surprise with how the art progression has been ! The art style (the look, colouring and just the overall visual) appeals to me and I think would be a hit for those that have a similar preference as mine.

Albeit I wouldn’t necessarily call it a heartfelt coming of age story, it leans more towards chaotic funny bits, familial pressure and just two dorks of polar opposite falling in love. There’re corny banter, drama, fluff, angst and friendship, overall an enjoyable read and would recommend to read it !

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of Always Raining Here by Hazel and Bell for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I chose this graphic novel because of the cute cover, the description, and the fact that webcomics that are printed and bound as graphic novels tend to be pretty popular at our high school. I was curious as to whether or not this particular title would be a good addition to our 9-12 library collection.

Carter is a single gay Canadian teen who is looking for a similarly aged gay guy to hook up with. He really doesn’t want to take his chances with Craigslist and wants to find someone, anyone who is at least cute and available in his high school. Along comes Adrian, who is also gay, is newly single, but is not in the least bit interested in a hook up. Carter sinks all he has into wooing Adrian, but it takes a long while until Adrian is able to see past the annoying, offensive, and blunt shell of Adrian. Low and behold, this story turns into a bit of an introspection into one’s self, the importance of communication in relationships (both romantic and platonic), being safe and looking out for your friends, and learning to accept oneself.

I highly recommend Always Raining Here to a more mature teen audience. Since the primary character’s main goal is to get laid, obviously the focus is more appropriate for older teens and might lend itself better to a public library audience than a high school library one. The illustrations are adorable, the topics are relatable and are about finding love (and lust), promote positive LGBTQ+ and straight relationships, and I could see it appealing to many teens. Recommend to readers who enjoyed Eunnie’s If You’ll Have Me, Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, or Northranger by Rey Terciero.

Always Raining Here is a stand-alone graphic novel that depicts the blooming romance and friendship between two Canadian teens- Adrian and Carter - despite their differences and personal struggles. The story is set in the early 2010s and shows themes of personal identity, sexuality, and doing what’s right over what fits one’s needs. I liked the writing style! There were definitely some parts that showed the 2013 vibes and I enjoyed it, it really gave me Glee vibes! The only part that confused me was on page 38 when Carter and Adrian were in French class together just because I don’t understand French 😅 I would suggest maybe adding a small translation on the page but given that this books audience is most likely Canadian where French is often spoken, this might not be necessary. The book was a bit of a hurt/comfort, which I absolutely loved! I really did enjoy the art and the writing, it was adorable and captivating! I will say that I thought Mike and Jason (side-characters) were the same person until about half way through, but got to know the difference once Jason became more prevalent throughout the pages. My favorite character had to be Carter, because he’s such a goofy guy with a big heart, and I’m always a sucker for a fight scene! I would recommend this book to fans of all queer graphic novels, as it’s really cute and is a great example for up coming artists and writers of how to plan out a story and combining art + dialogue! I would also definitely recommend to all Gravity Falls fans as Carter and Adrian’s story gave a PG-13 achillean Wendy x Robbie feel and I absolutely loved it!

This book is cute and silly without being childish. The progression of Carter and Adrian's relationship is wonderful to experience and keeps you interested the entire time. The art itself is nice to look at as well. I liked the progression of the story, and would have preferred seeing more backstory with the guy who broke Adrian's heart and also Adrian's parents, but for the length I think the story handled everything it needed to to have a satisfying ending. Will certainly be recommending to people.

I heard a little bit about this graphic novel and was very excited to read it. However, after finishing the book, I was left wanting more out of the story. The plot felt lacking in emotional depth from the main characters. For a romance, maybe this comes from my own personal preference in the genre, but I would have loved more pinning from both of the characters. Right off the bat they begin a somewhat shaky relationship that didn't really feel genuine to me. Otherwise, there were way too many events happing too quickly between the panels. That's not to say that this was a bad story at all. Just not my cup of tea.

This one wasn’t a favorite of mine. I felt like it was a little choppy and I would sometimes have to go back to see if I skipped a page because I felt like I missed something. I also felt it was odd where, at the start, we have someone in high school looking to Craigslist and chatrooms for sex.
I did appreciate that consent was touched upon.
The art style also wasn’t quite for me, but it wasn’t bad.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

This is a really sweet graphic novel, but it unfortunately opens on a consentless pursuit that's really off putting until some character development begins to happen within the first quarter of the book. I could easily see Carter's introduction encouraging people to close the book. Once you move past Carter's invasiveness and boundary crossing, his story intertwining with the complicated and overworked Adrian's left me wanting more. I really loved the art style and the depth of the color palette as well. I do wish that more of the subplots were wrapped up and not just left unfinished (the theater performance, Adrian's ex, etc) and that the initial consent issues were addressed more directly instead of being dismissed as a part of character development.