| Title | : | Verona Comics |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 052551628X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780525516286 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | First published April 21, 2020 |
Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.
Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.
They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.
Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?
Verona Comics Reviews
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3.5*
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Actual rating: 3,5 stars
When I got Netgalley widget for Verona Comics I was pleasantly surprised. I am in a reading mood for ya contemporaries lately, and this book showed up in just about right time.
Since I like to go into my books blind, I only read summary briefly, and thought this would fun ya romance.
Boy, was I wrong!
What I thought would be fluffy and cute love story turned into serious novel that talks about anxiety with suicidal thoughts in such a strong and realistic way.
Don't get me wrong, this book still had lots of cute and heart warming scenes, especially at the beginning, but as the story progressed the serious tone was louder and louder.
I am not sure if this is own voices story, but from my perspective, as someone who suffers from anxiety even today, and had suicidal thoughts before, I can say that Ridley's character was realistic.
I could totally understand him, so many of his thoughts and actions I found familiar, especially those what were written in italics.
Verona Comics also represents lgbtq community and POC.
Other then that, it also touches subject of family dynamics, which is very important for the story.
I enjoyed comics reference. Who would say that it is such a competitive business?
Then again, I guess all businesses are.
This novel is written in first person, following two perspectives: Ridley's and Jubilee's.
I enjoyed the story, but I have to admit that I didn't feel the chemistry between two main characters, which took some enjoyment from my reading experience.
All the other parts of the story, from family relationships to friendships were well written.
This is fast paced story, and easy to read.
I think ya contemporary lovers will enjoy this one!
Read this and more reviews on my blog
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3.5
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
(3.5/5)
I think I'm going through a Romeo-and-Juliet-retellings thing, but honestly?
Verona Comics is the dorky, queer retelling of the Shakespearean tale that we've all been waiting for. There's Jubilee, our Juliet, who's struggling with defining her sexuality, and Ridley, our Romeo, who's honestly just trying not to fall apart at this point.
I definitely liked Ridley way more than I liked Jubilee, but that may only have been because his character and the way that he dealt with his anxiety were far more developed. Apart from these two, there are also a fair amount of side characters in the story, most of whom aren't really developed beyond the role that they play. :/
The romance, unfortuantely, stays true to the original Shakespearean version, and is basically insta-love...
...which is pretty disappointing. Not to mention, it's quite unrealistic at times, and while it is cute, it can be saccharinely so.
I did, however, really like the plotline regarding the rivalry between Jubilee's and Ridley's parents, and wish that it hadn't been cut off the way it was. I found it interesting but also relevant to the story, and wouldn't have minded if more of an emphasis had been placed on it.
Like I said before, I preferred Ridley's character arc to Jubilee's, but I also feel that if the spotlight fell on her a little more as well, I would've appreciated her all the same. Ridley's struggle with his anxiety and his father's mounting expectations of him are what really endeared him to me, and while Jubilee is going through her own struggle, I felt that it hadn't been developed enough for me to really feel for her. Of course, that being said, Ridley's story dominated Jubilee's for the majority of the book, so I think a more even split of page-time for both their stories wouldn't have made me feel this way.
The book ended on a somewhat melancholy but hopeful note. The ending felt particularly rushed to me, and it felt abrupt compared to the rest of the story, as some plotlines hadn't really been resolved and were basically just left dangling at the end.
Overall, while I think that this story has a lot to offer regarding much-needed diversity and acceptance, it was also a bit disappointing in some aspects as well. I also believe that while the story itself is cute, it definitely could have been better, as there was a lot of potential in it. Also that cover. -
Trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts. This was cute and really enjoyed the social anxiety rep.
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I really loved this book, and I really wish it wasn't being marketed as strictly a fluffy romance, because I think it's really magical at what it does and that isn't how I'd describe it. The romance is adorable, don't get me wrong, but this is first and foremost a mental health book (, and I think it handles that beautifully as reimagined Romeo & Juliet. Ridley has anxiety disorders, severe depression with suicidal ideation (cw: a past suicide attempt is mentioned more than once), and a difficult family and past. He and Jubilee are both really charming characters with great chemistry who really work on their communication in a solid way. Jennifer Dugan is officially an author I will follow anywhere.
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ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Verona Comics was a very quick read and I really enjoyed the comic convention/comic shop setting of the novel. I also loved how diverse this book was when it came to sexuality. The main character Jubilee has queer moms, she has a lesbian best friend and both she and the love interest Ridley are bisexual. I also really appreciated seeing Ridley deal with panic attacks and anxiety and for once not reading about a male main character who is super confident and not showing any signs of weakness. I think it’s so important to include that in young adult fiction and show teens that it’s okay to struggle with mental health and that others are struggling too, that things can get better no matter how bad they seem and that one doesn’t always have to be strong and perfect.
I also thought it was kind of fun that this was a Romeo and Juliet retelling and the rivalry between Jubilee’s and Ridley’s families definitely made this book more interesting. However, I wasn’t really a big fan of the way Ridley told his father about Jubilee and the things he did following that reveal. It just didn’t sit well with me and left a bad taste in my mouth. It also took me about a third of the book to actually get into the story. At first, I had a bit of a hard time connecting to the characters but I ultimately grew fond of them – especially of Jubilee and her friends and family – and definitely became a lot more invested in the story once I’d begun caring for them.
So all in all, this was a very enjoyable read and I’m definitely going to check out Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan some time in the future. I really liked the writing style and loved how quick of a read this was – I finished it in less than half a day. Four out of five stars to Verona Comics.
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Fun and funny and cute, for sure, but there is some heavy stuff in this YA rom-com. It's good -- Ridley, the male main character, has anxiety, depression, and codependency issues -- and both he and Jubilee are well-fleshed characters. I'm not super into the comic/fandom world, so it didn't connect with me as much as
Hot Dog Girl, but for readers who are, this will be an utter treat.
Which doesn't mean I didn't love it because I definitely did and definitely needed to read this book right now. It's a rom-com with a lot of meat on the bone that treats mental health so well. -
Omg yes yes yes PLEASE tell me this is a nerdy LGBT+ retelling of Romeo and Juliet
All these nerdy romances make my geek heart so happy -
I really enjoyed reading this! It starts off as a cute romance, but it then got on to discuss some heavier topics. And even though I didn't initially expect this, I thought it was well done. My heart broke for the main characters and I teared up a few times. I honestly cannot wait to read Hot Dog Girl now!
I would recommend this if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, but definitely keep in mind that this isn't just a fluffy contemporary. -
I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is hard for me to rate.
I love all the different kinds of representation in this book - queer, Black and Asian, mental health, class - but the way it is marketed is slightly misleading. I requested this expecting a fluffy and heartwarming ya romance (I should have learnt my lesson with In Five Years and take every synopsis with a grain of salt) and I got a roller-coaster ride of intense emotions and hard-hitting subjects.
The story follows Jubilee and Ridley in a dual POV format that lets you dive into their very different realities. Jubilee is an only daughter and lives with her two loving mums, one of which is an indie comic artist who owns a comics bookshop. She is the best cello player in the state and trying for a position in a renowned music summer camp program. Her two best friends, Nikki and Jayla, are also a big part of her life. Jubilee’s family struggles financially.
Ridley on the other hand lives with his absent mother, has a horrible father and a sister who is doted in by both of their parents whom he loves (despite being rightfully jealous at times). He suffers from severe depression and anxiety, with which is struggles daily to the point it interferes with his social life and his relationship with his family. He has no future prospects, doesn’t care about school and has no close friends other than his older sister who seems to be the only person who cares about him. Ridley is wealthy.
Their families are enemies in the comic book industry.
So when their worlds collide, it’s cute and fluffy, until they find out how different their lives are when all the lies are finally unveiled. Her friends don’t like how much of her time he takes and her stepmother is becoming worried and suspicious of Ridley. On the other hand, Ridley can’t take it anymore at home with his father grilling him about spying for him.
Another thing that really bothered me was that it got something dangerous and life threatening happening for Grayson and even Ridley to make decision of getting professional help for him. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I just wish that there was a different kind of depression rep where the person gets help before something this big happens. I’m just glad it was an accident in this case and that it wasn’t Ridley’s fault.
I also hated that Ridley didn’t come clean about his identity to Jubilee right when he realised who she was. It was misleading and I really hate that trope. Even more in this case because he used spying for his dad as an excuse to be close to her without her knowing he was the same boy she met at the prom dance thing. I don’t care if he didn’t spy on his dad’s behalf, he still spied on her for his own.
I have mixed feelings about this book because I hated most of the decisions and actions taken by Ridley and I also think Jubilee should have taken a stance earlier. But I still like little things like Jubilee trying to figure out her sexuality, how different all the relationships - straight and queer - were and I loved Jubilee’s mums a lot.
I do still recommend this to people because it has good rep and, I don’t know if it was intentional because I didn’t see it mentioned anyways but, it’s a great retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I’d just caution people not to expect a cute and heartwarming story because this is definitely not it. -
4.5/5
This book completely took me by surprise. I was expecting a lighthearted retelling of Romeo & Juliet, but what I got was a really thoughtful exploration of some of the darker themes in R&J. Including: parental abuse, codependency, depression, suicide and suicidal ideation. This was a really healthy look at teen mental health and how to cope with it, even for those who love people struggling with their mental health.
We also had a very diverse cast in terms of sexuality, the female MC is (undefined) pansexual with lesbian parents and the male MC is bisexual. And, I really liked the discussions that were had about the differences between pansexuality and bisexuality but, particularly about Queer Identity as a whole. The female MC questions whether or not she is allowed to identify as queer and pansexual when she’s only had hetero relationships. And they talk together about being ‘queer enough’ despite the fact that they’re in a relationship with each other. This part will resonate with a lot of people who question the validity of their queer identity, not just self-discovering teens. Honestly, the communication between them was just really top-notch.
The nerdy backdrop setting of warring comic book companies, fandom and cosplay did wonders for wrapping this story up into something very accessible and relatable. I’m definitely going to check out more of Dugan’s work. -
dnf at 20%
when he told his father about her i was DONE -
There were quite a few aspects to "Veronca Comics" I enjoyed, primarily the idea of two teens from competing comic shop families crushing on each other after meeting at a comic con. That's just a super adorable premise! The characters are also nicely fleshed out, even the side characters were fun to read, and honestly I would love a Jayla spinoff novel. Also, everyone is very open about their dating preferences and sexuality, and there is a lot of wholesome support shown from friends and (most) family.
That being said, I just felt like the whole second half of the novel was quite repetitive and redundant. Characters kept having the same conversations about the same topics, and very little happened until the final couple chapters. Even then, it wrapped up quite quickly, and although I enjoyed the note the book ended on, I felt like it happened too fast to be thoroughly enjoyable. The pacing overall could have been much smoother. Lastly, there was just a little too much of that vibe of a girl thinking "Oh, I can date this troubled boy and fix him!" for me to be totally comfortable. It doesn't end up being quite like that, but I also don't think that line of thinking was addressed enough. No one ever challenged this thought and it really needed to be.
This last point has spoilers - you've been warned ;)
*A major part of this novel is the fact that Ridley's dad wants Ridley to spy on Verona Comics so he can find a way for their comic shop to buy out Verona. But this plot is tied up in basically a sentence that says Ridley's dad decided to just stop trying. That's it. All throughout the book, Mr. Everlasting was shown to be harsh, relentless, and cutthroat, but then he just...stops?? I don't believe it. Sure, Ridley was in that car accident, but when Ridley jumped off that roof however long ago it did stop his dad from being mean/cutthroat then? I just don't buy it, and it felt like lazy writing to wrap this up so blandly. -
three point five stars ∗ lol i have one single tear falling from my eye as i write this.
i went into this book expecting it to be an average, somewhat cliche contemporary novel and while on some parts it was exactly that, it was also so much more. this book dealt with mental health issues in a way no other contemporary (that i’ve read so far) has. reading certain parts of this book was hard for me because i really related to ridley in so many ways and it almost felt like i was watching (reading?) myself in his character. my heart ached so much for him.
so it really started out as a classic cute contemporary, and i loved all of the nerdy aspects of it bc i am, ahem, a Huge Nerd for all things comics/superheroes. i dream of being able to work in a comic book store! that was a really fun aspect to this novel. i also loved the good relationships within this novel, like gray and ridley’s sibling bond and jubilee’s familial system. it was interesting to see those compared to the not so good relationships within this story, mainly between ridley and his parents. i will also say that i wasn’t a big fan of jubilee’s best friend, jayla, for a good majority of the book. i did like her at first, but she kinda took a turn for the worst as the book went on. jubilee questioned her sexuality a bit in this novel, and i felt like jayla wasn’t really supportive of that journey even though she herself is part of the lgbtq+ community. she also was one of the people who pushed jubilee into ‘living life’ and not focusing so much time on her music, and yet she complained a lot about jubilee doing just that? idk i just didn’t really care for her.
all in all, though, i did enjoy reading this book & it was a lot more than i anticipated!! -
3/5 ⭐️
Thank you so much to PRH International for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
This book was very funny and adorable but it tackled very important topics as well. Ridley's anxiety was relatable and heartbreaking to read, and his relationship with his family was just absolutely and completely awful. Poor boy needs a break. Jubilee was definitely my favorite character, she's an icon. Also, the rep and diversity in this book is absolutely incredible and I loved it! We have bi characters (finally a well written bi rep!!!), lesbian rep, diversity, mental health. Honestly this made the book absolutely fantastic and it was just a delight to read. I wish we could have just that much rep in more YA books.
I liked the writing, it was really easy to follow and fast to read. However, I felt like the beginning was a bit rushed and I have to admit Ridley made me cringe at first, but I ended up growing really attached to him after a few more chapters. You will just want to give him the biggest hug. Then, Jubilee is a nerd and she doesn't hide it, which is so fresh and good I loved it! I loved all the comics references and I, myself, fangirled along with the characters. Oops.
Reading this book was definitely entertaining and great to escape from the scary real world outside!
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*3.5 stars
first off i just gotta say that it was great to have a book with two queer main characters and multiple poc and lgbtq side characters !!
now to the story....it's a ya contemporary romance. i don't like romance novels, i like contemporaries. but what makes a contemporary novel good is a unique and authentic set of characters which was only half the case here. to me, ridley felt like a thought through character but jubilee didn't, which made the entire thing feel a little imbalanced. part of what makes a romance novel good is two characters that have chemistry which really wasn't the case in my opinion. their story arc was very dramatic and not at all the easy, fun kind that you might have expected which wasn't really my thing to be honest.
still wasn't a bad book, i just (again) enjoyed the first half a lot more and was let down by the second.
(a little detail i personally loved: ridley skates !!) -
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3.5/5 Stars
Jubilee is a talented cellist awaiting a very important audition. When she is not practicing, she is working at her step mom's indie comic store, Verona Comics. Ridley is the son of Verona Comics biggest rivals, The Geekery. In a chance encounter at comic-con prom, the two meet not knowing who the other is. When comic-con is over, they continue to text each other and grow their relationship, hiding it from their respective parents. When Ridley's mental health begins to take a turn for the worst, Jubilee tries her best to be someone he can lean on for support.
Going into this, I thought it was a cute YA rom-com...I had no idea that this was a Romeo & Juliet retelling, but now that I know, I can see the similarities. It was a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be, with a heavy focus on mental health and suicidal ideation. I liked the two main characters, and was invested in both of their stories. I like how we got POVs from both Ridley and Jubilee, who come from two very different family dynamics. Jubilee's family are loving and supportive of her, where Ridley's parents are abusive and distant. It was interesting to see the thoughts and feelings of both teens that come with the different dynamics and how incredibly different they were. I also enjoyed how diverse the characters are... Jubilee is pansexual, her best friend is a lesbian, Ridley is bisexual, Jubilee has two moms, it was nice to see how casually it was inserted into the story. I also liked how therapy positive the book was, and how Ridley got the help he needed in the end. I like how we got a POV from a male perspective that wasn't super self-confident, he had struggles and worked through them. The book is very easy to read, pace wise, and flew by very quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed this, but it was a lot deeper than I thought it was going to be. -
"If my ride was music, then his is a symphony, and I don’t want it to stop."
I’ve been hearing a lot of hype for this book since its release was announced. I even made a stop at the Penguin booth at ALA to request a copy and was over the moon when they handed it to me. I instantly bumped this up my reading list because I couldn’t let it sit there and torment me.
Am I glad that I read it? Oh, most definitely. Is it one of the best books I’ve read? No, it’s not. It had a lot of great things going for it but the story was kind of bland. The Author did an amazing job at detailing/showing the darker side of a mental illness and how people disguise it. So this book as a whole was really a double edged sword for me.
RTC -
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: anxiety, panic attacks, suicide attempt in past, suicidal ideation, depression
Comic books, star-crossed lovers, and mental health? Verona Comics is a total win! This queer contemporary tackles serious subjects such as mental health all the way to questioning our sexuality and bi-erasure. Verona Comics is one of those books which evolves with every page. Starting off at a comic convention, introducing a totally adorable romance angle, and then struggles with mental health, it constantly tugs at your heart strings. I am here for all the different queer characters from Jubilee's parents, Ridley's bisexuality, and Jubilee's questioning representation (and struggling with bi-erasure).
Verona Comics is dual perspective and it just works so seamlessly! The characters are so precious. Ridley is struggling with his parent's expectations paired with his totally relatable desire for acceptance and love from his father. At basically all times I wanted to wrap Ridley up in a protective bubble - no one messes with Ridley! At the same time, I adore Jubilee. And I basically fell in love with her from the first page. I want to read about more passionate musicians. As someone who has had to be the kind of figure Jubilee was for Ridley, her character felt so relatable to me.
full review:
https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi... -
Trigger warnings:
Diversity:main character with social anxiety and clinical depression, bisexual main characters, queer main character, POC side character, adopted and Korean side character, gay side characters, f/f relationship.
I really liked this book overall, a sweet, complex romance with complicated families and mental health rep that was really, really well done. I feel like it shouldn't be marketed as a romance so much, because it's much heavier than that and deals with . It was a realistic, heartwarming and emotional read at times and I really enjoyed it :)
Read my full
review of Verona Comics on the blog!
Thank you to Penguin Random House International for the e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts and rating.
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I. wow. I don't really like. fully have words. I need to think on this one a bit and then I might knock my rating up to five, I don't know. I expected something light and fluffy and this was mostly not that. but wow. this was fucking good. like wow. I'm just . . . maybe it was because it was so different from what I was expecting, but I'm sort of in awe rn
this book is *quite* a lot heavier than I assumed though, so please do check the trigger warnings if you're considering reading it
Trigger warnings: -
I loved this book so much! A super adorable romance between two bisexual MCs + really beautifully done mental health rep. I devoured this book in 24 hours, and I can't wait for it to be out in the world.
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(ORIGINALLY A 3.5 BROUGHT DOWN TO A 2.5)
*2.5
TRIGGER WARNINGS - DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, CAR ACCIDENTS, EMOTIONALLY ABUSVE + PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE PARENTS, ANXIETY, SOCIAL ANXIETY, MANIPULATION, PAST SUICIDE ATTEMPT, UNAVAILABLE PARENTS!
Hi so sorry for writing this at 3:30 IN THE MORNING, but it's my Goodreads and my life to ruin am I right? Anyways, I want to start this review off by saying, I have no idea (still) how to rate this book. If I'm going to rate this critically, it would be probably a 2 star and we'll talk about that in a second. If I'm going to rate this based on how much I related to the characters, we'd be talking about a 5 star. If I rate this based on my enjoyment, this is a 3 star. I've decided to just put it in about the middle, meaning a 3 and a half. Still don't really feel 100% about this rating, but I can't seem to find the right one, so 2.5will have to do. So I'm also going to split this review up in 3 sections. I'll put each section in bold heading, so that way if you want to read a specific part, you can just read through whichever on you want. Without further or do, let's get into it.
This book follows a girl named Jubilee, who's step-mother writes her own comics, and owns a comic book store called Verona Comics. It also follows a boy named Ridley, who's father owns a huge chain of comics. The two meet at a comic Prom? And the later meet again at a ComicCon the very next day, and finally, Ridley moves back in with his father and they meet again.
Retelling(s) - Romeo and Juliet
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CRITICALLY
I think in a critical standpoint, this book is a 1 or 2 star. This book would have been fine, if it wasn't marketed as a cute, YA, Romeo and Juliet retelling. From what I saw of of this book, I got the idea I was getting into a sweet book, and I was entirely wrong. There are so many triggers in this book that I wasn't aware of going in, and it took me by surprised. I was even triggered by some of these, and it made me upset that their aren't any reviews about the triggers, or triggers at the beginning of the book.
Then, I'd like to comment on the amount of telling instead of showing. It was aggravating how much telling their was. Weeks would go by, but it wasn't clear about how much time, and then the characters would say a certain date, and I was utterly confused about the timeline of the whole entire book. And then characters would say at the end of a chapter, "I'm going to do this, or I'm going to do that", and then it would switch to the other characters perspective, which is fine, but we never got to see the character actually doing it. All we got was the next day, or week, and it was ANNOYING!
After, I wanna talk about the shitty friendships. I love books that have great friendships. They often times are some of my favorites, because it shows that books don't have to have romance for it be entertaining. It can honestly be about a small or large group of friends, or even 2 friends and it can still be amazing no romance and all. But every friend in this book is a no from me. I can say I enjoyed Jayla's character the first 50 pages but afterwards, when she was questioning Jubilees judgement every 5 damn seconds, I had enough with her bullshit. I know that she was just trying to be a friend, but but trying to be a friend, she became a shitty friend. Also all of Jubilees other friends were a no from me. They rarely ever came up when they did, they had nothing good to say or do so what was the point of them?
Then, I'd just like to say, that everyone in this book is a TERRIBLE person. I'm gonna give 3, no spoilery examples.
1. Jubilees boyfriends anxiety is spiraling out of control and all she cares about is her music tryout for a prestigious summer program.
2. Ridley manipulated everyone for the first 150 pages
3. Ridleys family are all trash. Not just dad, but the mom and the sister too (see what I did there?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5W2Y...)
Finally, I'm gonna talk about Ridley and Jubilee's unhealthy relationship. Their relationship is the definition of unhealthy and here's why. Ridley is manipulative, Jubilee is either so obsessed with Ridley that she forgets everything else going on around her, or she's so detached from him that she could care less what he does, and Ridley knows going into the relationship that his anxiety is fucking awful, yet he thinks that maybe Jubilee with fix him??? God I hate that trope.
Now I will talk about the good criticism I have to give. Everyone is queer, which is great in my book, and no one is pressuring anyone to find out their sexuality. I see that a lot in YA fiction, so thankfully it wasn't their. Their is comic books, and where can you go wrong with that, and...well I can't think much else positive critically to say so, here you go for the critical category.
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RELATED?
This category is gonna be pretty short, as well the next one, but I wanted to say, I haven't related to a character as much as I've related to Ridley in a very long time. His inner monologue felt like me, and his thoughts and feelings were so relatable. I was really into his character because of how much I related to him. If their is one thing
Jennifer Dugan got right, it's the depression + anxiety + social anxiety rep. Super good.
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PERSONAL ENJOYMENT
I enjoyed this book. I thought it was pretty ok though. It wasn't anything spectacular or earthed shattering, or anything like that. I don't know who I'd recommend this book to honestly. Maybe people who like hard hitting contemporary? Which I do, but I don't feel anything after this book is over so maybe not 'hard hitting'. I honestly have no idea. But one thing I know for sure, don't let the pretty cover art fool you into thinking this is a cutsie YA contemporary. It's not; it's more of a hard YA contemporary so if that's what your into it, go for it? Again, I probably wouldn't ever recommend this book to anybody, but if your into these kinds of books, pick it up!
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FINAL THOUGHTS
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, and I'm sad to say I didn't love it. Like at all. I just wish I did, because I was expecting so much more from this. From the beautiful cover to the synopsis I thought I would love is but unfortunately not ):
- Another shit review from yours truly, Abi
* * *
*3.5
I have no idea how to rate this book, but I'm gonna sit it on 3 stars for now, REVIEW TO COME! -
tw: suicide
A clever re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet. -
TW: depression, anxiety, talk of past suicide attempt, suicidal ideation
But why though? The cover is way too cute when this isn't some fandom nerd book. This is an emo book about mental illness?? That's all well and good but damn, I wanted something more like
Geekerella not shitty
All the Bright Places.
Verona Comics is about a girl named Jubilee who works in her stepmom's indie comic shop and is a cellist, prepping for the biggest audition of her life. Ridley is a boy barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic store chain in the country and he can't stop disappointing them. When Jubilee and Ridley meet at a comic convention prom, they can't help falling for each other even though their parents hate each other.
I will admit I went into this book expecting it to be another "hello fellow kids" book with a hundred nerd fandom references every page and while there were some references, it wasn't overwhelming like I thought. This is a book about mental illness and a doomed relationship between two teens who shouldn't be together. It's just so... depressing and I never actually cared about the relationship between them anyway. Would take a pop culture heavy fandom book over whatever this was supposed to be.
It begins with them meeting and not knowing who the other is so they end up texting. Until Ridley finds out her identity and then he visits her irl... while still texting her in secret. I relate to how texting online is easier than face to face because of anxiety but all of that just felt like unnecessary drama in a book that already had unnecessary drama.
I was never into their romance, even from the beginning. The insta-love is too much and Jubilee had more chemistry with her friend than she ever did with Ridley. There is a part where Jubilee says that their relationship isn't very romantic- just that Ridley was falling apart and she was trying to keep him together.
That is this book in a nutshell but hiding under the guise of being a cute comic romance. Honestly, she should have gone harder to show how the codependency was not good for them. I'm glad it was addressed at least but this still just felt like a lukewarm romance with a mentally ill boy and a perfect girl so I'm sure it'll get a Netflix movie soon.
This book is queer which is fun but it didn't have that much flavor. I liked that both Jubilee and Ridley were bisexual but it felt like besides a conversation of bi-erasure, it wasn't important? I just wanted more into their sexuality struggles instead of it feeling so disposable to the rest of the story. And I wanted Jubilee to feel less like a girl that would go on twitter just to say that bi girls can date men too.
I want to say I get why the author did this but I have no idea. Was cute comic Romeo and Juliet already taken??? Not the book for me but I can see the crowd that would love it from here. -
I just really didn’t love it. It sent me into a little bit of a reading slump honestly. Let’s start with the good, though.
The concept of the characters being really deep into the comics world, with their parents owning comic stores/chains, beginning the novel at a con etc was brilliant. Very unique.
There was not a straight person in sight. The female main character Jubilee was pansexual but didn’t usually label herself and struggled a lot with the popular idea that if she dated boys people might erase her identity. She also had two mums. The male character Ridley was bisexual and that’s discussed a little.
I don’t have much to say about pacing because the book is so small it’s almost impossible for it to be slow.
There was also a really great representation of mental health. I can’t confirm whether Ridley’s anxiety was accurate or realistic because I’ve never experienced it but I really felt what he felt. The discussion of therapy and in patient facilities was positive even if Ridley himself didn’t originally want to go.
Now onto what I didn’t like.
I hated reading a romance that was built on manipulation and lying. I understand that Ridleys need to please his abusive father was what forced him into manipulating Jubilee and her family for information about their store but it left a bad taste in my mouth. It really took away from the enjoyment. Although, it was good that at the end there was an acknowledgement that the couple was toxic.
The emotional and borderline physical abuse of Ridley from his father and the neglect from his mother wasn’t handled great in my opinion. Ridley was abused in public in the beginning of the book and not one person did anything. It wasn’t even that people were trying to help him, it was that no one did anything until the last few chapters. Ridley has an intelligent, older sister who did nothing. I thought it was genuinely unacceptable.
Those two things related to the plot rather than the structure but that was enough for me to lower my rating to a 2. Personal enjoyment is something really important to me in novels and it just was nonexistent for me... hence the 2. -
It is so important to see a bi boy and an undefined queer girl in a relationship together in a YA novel. It is so important for them to have a conversation about being "queer enough" or "bi enough" even if they're in a """hetero 'ship""". Werewolves are still werewolves, even if it's not the full moon. Bis are still bis even if they're in a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. And this book showed that perfectly. My college self felt incredibly seen.
It also really dug into anxiety, co-dependence, PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation in a way that felt incredibly respectful and well-handled. There is some discussion of past suicide attempts, so I will put out a content warning for that, but as I said: well handled, very careful, very important to see that represented in a way that makes it clear that it's not okay.
And also it's a very adorable book about comic con and meet cutes, comic shops and texting, honesty and balance. Jubilee is a very authentic teen voice and Ridley is a beautiful mess that--for anyone who has panic attacks--feels incredibly real. Again, this book saw me in a way I did not expect. And it was all wrapped up in an absolutely delightful Romeo-and-Juliet retelling package that had me laughing, crying, and loving every page of it. -
I really loved the plot concept and how sexuality was portrayed here, but overall I thought this was a pretty average read. The first half was fun and cute, but the second half really dragged. I enjoyed the audiobook narrators though, and the way texting was conveyed was really cool (they played texting typing and sending sounds over the narrators reading their messages). 3/5 stars.
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was going to be 4 stars but….. the ending :/
