Review: How Could You

Author: Ren Strapp
Artist: Ren Strapp
Publisher: Oni Press
Released: December 17, 2024
Find it on Goodreads | More Graphic Novels

Summary:

Molly Song just had the biggest heartbreak of her life when her girlfriend broke up with her before traveling abroad. The good news is that she has friends willing to stay and support her through this.

The bad news is that Molly’s feelings are all messed up. Combine that with the freedom of freshman year, and Molly is poised to make a whole lot of mistakes in her life. Will she make it through, or must she learn how to grow and change?

Review:

I’ll admit, this is probably the most conflicted I’ve felt about reviewing a book in a long, LONG time. On the one hand, I enjoyed the brutal reality that comes with relationship drama. On the other hand, it felt a little…forced and heavy-handed at times.

How Could You is a story about a group of four characters all dealing with a break-up (two initiating, two blind-sided). Naturally, that means we get to see very different reactions to said break-ups. Guilt, freedom, devastation, betrayal, the works. 

I enjoyed how raw and emotional How Could You felt, even if most of the characters’ actions took them out of the realm of relatability. Then again, we all messed up when we were young, right? So, sometimes, messiness comes with life.

Highlights:

• Coming of Age
• LGBTQ+ Romance
• Finding Yourself
• Chaos of Relationships

Thanks to Oni Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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