Review by Booklist Review
Camden the cat is in love (unrequitedly) with his friend Jeremiah, who's not the best influence. From stealing to playing pranks, Jeremiah makes Camden feel uncomfortable with his antics, but Camden doesn't want to lose his friend and crush. In this melancholy story of friendship, coming of age, and discovering yourself, readers will empathize with Camden and his quest to be accepted for who he is. The question Camden has to ask is, can he be his true self with Jeremiah in his life? Allen has created a beautiful story that will resonate with many teens. His rounded, cartoonish black-and-white illustrations bring a sort of whimsical nature to this serious and thoughtful story. The panels are typically two to a page, and the thick lined artwork is still intricately detailed and expressive. Readers should have no trouble seeing themselves in Camden and his struggle to be himself. A touching book that is sure to appeal to any reader who has tried to be the person they were meant to be.--Traci Glass Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Camden, a cat, spends his time outside of high school stargazing, skate boarding, and listening to death metal with his best friend, Jeremiah. For his part, Jeremiah casually uses gay as an insult and is good at finding ways to get into trouble in their small town; his bad ideas lead the more cautious Camden to try drinking, weed, stealing, and fighting, with dramatic results for Camden. Set in the 1990s, Allen's (Ohio Is for Sale for adults) world is rendered in a simple, black-and-white cartoon style reminiscent of Matt Groening's and populated with lightly differentiated anthropomorphic animals. The art offers an avenue into a turning point in Camden's life as he seeks to discern his desires; scenes that show him experimenting to determine who he is feel honest and offer universality to this consideration of teenage life. In addition, it offers a solid depiction of how specific moments can change in perceived importance, especially when layered identity is part of the mix. Ages 15--up. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Allen tells the story of a young man, Camden, struggling with a painful secret crush on his bad boy best friend Jeremiah. Camden's strong feelings prevent him from recognizing Jeremiah's dangerous tendencies, including drug use, underage drinking, and fighting. This is a painfully sweet story about first love and growing up, yet its lack of nostalgia makes it accessible to teen readers. The characters are anthropomorphic animals (Camden is a cat, while Jeremiah is a monkey), rendered in crisp black-and-white cartoon in easy-to-follow panels. The small, 7x7" format of the book will bring to mind manga. Some readers will feel shortchanged by the brevity of the text, but its short length also makes it a good gateway for newcomers to graphic novels. VERDICT Tackling serious issues, this title is a strong addition to YA graphic novel collections.--Tammy Ivins, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The tricky dance of coming out and coming-of-age.Camden is a cat, an astronomy enthusiast, and totally into his best monkey friend, Jeremiah. Camden is only comfortable writing about his attraction within a journal (one that his sister eventually finds, hinting that she knows and is very supportive). An encounter with an out rabbit selling T-shirts at a death metal concert nudges Camden toward a more open approach to living. He eventually kisses Jeremiah (blaming it on the dreadful cocktails they guzzle in the basement) and is also kissed by a girl who mistakes Camden's politeness as flirtation. Camden ultimately finds his stride as a gay cat, even if he starts by mangling his ankle in a winceworthy accident. A slather of well-placed, well-paced humor (death by exploding testicles, barfing up hot dogs gone bad) gives some relatable grit and grime that make this less out-and-proud proselytizing and more slice-of-life hilarity. Unfortunately, the aggressive, lascivious, delinquent, drug-dealing, casually homophobic character of Jeremiah reflects negative tropes of black people thinly veiled by the form of an anthropomorphized monkey. The black-and-white illustrations in this compact graphic novel feature heavy lines and simple cartoon-style images that evoke the retro 1990s setting.A story with potential that's unfortunately marred by blatant racial stereotyping. (Graphic humor. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
