Review by Booklist Review
Megan and Cass grew up spending summers together at their families' vacation rentals. When they were five years old, they drew on a wall of the cottage, but instead of getting upset, the owner compliments them on their amazing artistic abilities. Cass' mother supports her exploration of art, especially after the two move to Brooklyn, but Megan's father is convinced that she will take over the family business. When Megan persuades her parents to let her spend three weeks with Cass in New York during the last summer vacation of high school, the two explore their artistry while Cass pushes Megan to break away from her strict parents. Cass, with her strong sense of self, and Megan, who is still discovering who she wants to be, ultimately clash in a big way, and while the two friends' journey is difficult, it's heartwarming. The protagonists, with their large eyes and expressive features, resemble Disney princesses, and the textured coloring, in a varying pastel palette, makes the pages inviting and warm. Hand to fans of Kevin Panetta and Savannah Ganucheau's Bloom (2019).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--After spending eight summers together at a cabin in Topinabee, MI, childhood friends Megan and Cassandra parted ways at 13 when Cass moved to New York City after her parents' divorce. Years later, Megan convinces her overprotective parents to let her visit Cass in New York for three weeks while they are on a nearby business trip. Art brought the friends together back in Topinabee, but as they delve further into their shared passion, they realize their time apart and different family lives have led them in wildly divergent directions, on and off the canvas. The artwork has a pencil-sketch aesthetic, and the coloring alternates among understated shades of blue, green, and orange that take on a cotton-candy softness, complementing Megan's do-gooder personality while contrasting with Cass's exuberance and free-spiritedness. Though the art is stunning, the story is predictable and the main characters underdeveloped. That Megan's character growth happens off the page undermines her conflict between pleasing her parents and pursuing her dreams. Megan and Cass present as white, as do the majority of the secondary characters; Cass's sculptor friend Bahati appears to be Black. Small-scale but visible male frontal nude art, some cursing, and underage drinking are portrayed. VERDICT A beautifully depicted friendship and self-discovery story that misses the mark. An additional purchase.--Alea Perez, Elmhurst P.L., IL
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this graphic novel, Megan and Cass's families have always summered together at a cottage in Topinabee, Michigan, where the girls spend their time collaborating on art projects, to their parents' occasional consternation (those are rental cottage walls they're drawing on). When they are thirteen, Cass's parents divorce, and the joint family vacations and the girls' artistic partnership cease. Four years later, Megan has convinced her parents to let her stay with Cass and her mom in Brooklyn for a few weeks. In NYC, surrounded by Cass's artist friends and mentors, Megan steps out of her comfort zone and begins to pursue art on her own terms, without her father's rules and expectations for the future. Crilley's art style would feel at home in a Disney animated film: Megan and Cass have the large eyes and soft, rounded edges of an Elsa or a Rapunzel, and Crilley renders their facial expressions with exaggeratedly effective detail. While the character tropes are plentiful -- the small-town girl with a big dream and strict parents; the experienced teen wunderkind; an eccentric girl gang of artists; the wealthy lady patron -- there are idiosyncrasies and heart aplenty, and many teens will appreciate the tidy ending, which heralds a new beginning for both Megan and Cass's friendship and their respective art careers. An enjoyable coming-of-artistic-age tale for graphic novel enthusiasts. Niki Marion May/June 2021 p.131(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two lifelong friends have a summer in Brooklyn that alters them and their friendship forever. Every summer until the girls were 13, Cassandra's and Megan's families vacationed in the same Michigan cottage, where the two early on discovered their artistic talents. That last summer Cass' father didn't show, and Megan worried about how different Cass seemed since they used to be so much alike. A few years later, an ecstatic Megan has convinced her controlling parents to let her visit Cass and her now-divorced mom in Brooklyn. Cass shows Megan around her version of New York, highlighting the stark contrasts between the two girls. Cass seems determined to shock sheltered, Midwestern Megan into becoming as bold and hardened as she is. Despite Cass' intensity, Megan opens herself to the excitement of the city and begins her journey of finding out who she is separate from her parents' wishes. Near the end of Megan's trip, the girls collaborate on a piece that pushes Megan's boundaries, causing her to make a decision that could cost their friendship. Through subtle, realistic lines and nostalgic, watercolor-style art, including several charming full-panel landscapes, the author creates an immersive story that will resonate with readers. Although the story is told from Megan's perspective, Cass is very much a fully realized character in this tribute to honest, authentic, creative expression. Megan and Cass read as White, and there is diversity in background characters. A beautiful coming-of-age story about art and friendship. (Graphic fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
