“It all happened in the space of a love song. A crappy karaoke video. Starring me, a stupid person.”
Love can be both a brilliant and terrible thing, as high-schooler Frederica Riley knows all too well. When she met the super charming Laura Dean, the future looked bright – but since then, she’s been trapped in an endless cycle of break-ups and make-ups.
Their relationship is defined by two fatal flaws: Laura struggles with commitment, and Freddy is far too forgiving. Bit by bit, Freddy is finding it harder to cope, leaving her and her friends with one big question – will Laura Dean ever stop breaking up with her?
Best-selling author Mariko Tamaki’s new graphic novel is brimming with interesting characters, painfully relatable scenes of heartbreak and all the makings of a young-adult classic. It’s a standalone book, making it the perfect entry-point into comics, and weaves LGBT issues into its narrative while remaining a story that anyone who’s ever been in love can relate to.
Illustrator Rosemary Valero-O’Connell tells this story beautifully with a style that evokes the crisp, animated feel of manga without coming across as a cheap imitation. Splashes of pink are carefully placed on each superbly composed page, giving depth to the characters’ surroundings while remaining minimalist.
Each character design is thoughtful and detailed, with even the people in the background being given unique features that remind you of real people. Tamaki and Valero-O’Connell do a great job of showing why Freddy is so besotted with Laura – she’s caring, charismatic and whimsical, and you can’t help but almost forgive her for being such an awful girlfriend.
Freddy herself isn’t perfect. Her unwillingness to finally leave Laura is driving a wedge between her and her best friend Doodle, who is dealing with some very troubling stuff that we don’t see until the final act of the book. The way Valero-O’Connell brings Doodle’s emotions to the page makes it impossible not to finish this book without getting teary-eyed.
It’s a shame that Freddy’s world will likely forever be confined to these 300 pages. We see what becomes of Freddy and Laura’s relationship, but it would be nice to see more of this book’s excellent supporting cast in different situations – for example, does Eric ever tell his family that he’s dating Buddy?
Regardless, this book is impactful enough to remain as memorable any long-running romance comic, such as the 25-volume series Nisekoi: False Love. Tamaki and Valero-O’Connell have crafted a work of art capable of having a really positive influence on those who read it due to its important and touching messages on relationships.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is indisputably one of the best graphic novels of the year and deserves to reach as many people as possible, whether they be pre-existing comic book fans or not. Tamaki and Valero-O’Connell make a wonderful team that will hopefully tell many more touching stories together in the future – make sure to pick up this absolute gem they’ve created.
By Jamie Morris
Feature image artwork by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, courtesy of First Second Books