Belle of the ball

Shy and quirky high-school senior B. Hawkins has a crush on popular cheerleader Regina Moreno. When B. takes a risk and asks Regina to the winter dance, Regina's star-athlete girlfriend, Chloe Kitagawa, puts B. in her place. When Chloe is at risk of failing English and getting kicked off the soccer team, the arrogant Regina uses B.'s feelings to her advantage and charms B. into tutoring Chloe. But Regina's plan backfires when B. and Chloe find they have a lot in common and sparks begin to fly. Costa's graphic novel is a hilarious romance about a different kind of love triangle. All three characters' story arcs change in satisfying ways, riding a steady theme of finding one's confidence; the relationships feel as complicated and as real as any you would find in today's high schools. The color palette is fun and offbeat, working many shades of pink. A page-turner from beginning to end and a must-read for fans of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper series.

Though painfully shy high school senior and athletic mascot B. Hawkins tends to hide inside her costume's large feline head, she's finally worked up the courage to ask out head cheerleader Regina Moreno. The good news is that Regina thinks Hawkins is adorable; the bad news is that Regina recently got back together with her on-again, off-again girlfriend, star athlete Chloe Kitagawa. Worried that Chloe's poor grades will jeopardize her 10-year plan, Regina leverages Hawkins's infatuation to persuade her to tutor Chloe for free. Hawkins hesitantly agrees, but an initial tutoring session gets off to a rough start when Chloe realizes that Hawkins is actually a childhood friend and former crush, prompting unexpected romantic feelings to resurface. Thin b&w lines coupled with vividly saturated pink hues imbue this energetic graphic novel rom-com with a cotton-candy atmosphere that expertly conveys the trials and tribulations of first love. Costa (Life of Melody) smartly employs classic shojo manga aesthetics, well-timed comedic beats, and winningly characterized protagonists to deliver a refreshing spin on the love triangle trope that meditatively interrogates identity. Hawkins is white and Jewish; Regina is Brazilian; Chloe cues as East Asian. Ages 14--up. Agent: Peter Ryan, Stimola Literary Studio. (Mar.)

A queer love triangle leads to an unexpected romance. Belle Hawkins, high school senior and school mascot (she wanted a role where she didn't have to show her face), finally finds the courage to ask out her crush, confident head cheerleader Regina Moreno. But she learns Gina already has a girlfriend, star athlete Chloe Kitagawa. Meanwhile, Gina has a Ten-Year Plan, and she refuses to let Chloe get them off track by failing her English class. Knowing Belle would be keen to please her, Gina gets her to tutor Chloe. Turns out, Belle and Chloe were friends when they were kids. As the school year progresses, Chloe and Gina's relationship has its ups and downs, their friendships with Belle grow, and Belle's romantic feelings change. With a palette of pink hues and strong black outlines, the cartoon art uses exaggerated elements for comedic effect and to cue heightened emotions. The three leads have well-developed personalities and are all lovingly imperfect and relatable. They are physically distinct with notably different body shapes, styles of gender expression, and ethnicities. Belle appears White and is cued Jewish, Chloe's name implies Japanese heritage, and Gina is Brazilian American. Queerness is normalized, and the shifting dynamics of queer women between friendships and romantic partnerships are accurately depicted, making the happy ending believable. There's enough conflict to propel the plot and give space for growth, but overall, this low-stakes tale feels like a warm, charming hug. Funny, heartfelt, and absolutely adorable. (Graphic romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.