Verona Comics

February 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-A deep dive into first love while learning to manage significant mental health challenges. Jubilee is a talented musician preparing to audition for a life-changing summer internship. Ridley is from an affluent family, and his parents lack empathy for their struggling, sometimes suicidal son. After a meet-cute at a comics convention, Jubilee and Ridley, through a series of elaborate plot devices, fall in love. Jubilee, who finds Ridley's social awkwardness endearing, pursues the relationship despite a number of red flags. Ridley makes several bad choices and struggles to take responsibility, which makes it hard to root for him or his relationship with Jubilee. As Ridley's increasingly fragile mental health deteriorates, he is forced to accept professional help. Most chapters switch between Jubilee's and Ridley's alternating perspectives-a literary device that at times is confusing. Dugan's strength is in creating a diverse cast of characters. Ridley is bisexual, Jubilee struggles with how to identify and label her sexuality, and most of the supporting characters are queer-identified. The ending is rushed, and major plot points, such as Jubilee's pursuit of her internship, tie up nicely but lack payoff. VERDICT There's a lot to want to love about this book, but, ultimately, it's impossible to cheer on the romance between the leads, and it fails to deliver on all of its plot points.-Amanda Foust, Douglas County Libraries, CO

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2020
It's the night of FabCon prom. With her fabulous best friend, Jayla, by her side, 16-year-old Jubilee tries her best to let go and give in to new experiences, per some encouragement from basically every adult in her life. Of course, that proves difficult thanks to her upcoming big audition for a summer program at the Carnegie Conservatory, where her young career as a cellist might blossom further. For 17-year-old anxiety-ridden Ridley, the annual comic convention means more torturous time as a brand ambassador for The Geekery, his emotionally abusive father's infamous comic store chain known for putting indie shops out of business. Fate intervenes when the two teens meet, and an awkwardly endearing first night together leads to something more complicated. Soon Ridley's forced into spying on Jubilee's comic artist stepmom by his father, who wants to buy out his enemy's shop. Ridley is faced with a moral dilemma: Should he tell Jubilee the truth, and will their love for each other withstand their parents' mutual hatred? The story alternates between each teen's endearing narration. Dugan (Hot Dog Girl, 2019, etc.) infuses her characters with a warm sense of depth and compassion, particularly the socially self-conscious Ridley, a boy plagued with immense anxiety and frequent suicidal thoughts. Featuring a racially diverse cast of mainly queer characters, including the two white protagonists, this one's a winning choice. Breathlessly sweet. (resources) (Fiction. 12-18)--

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February 17, 2020
It’s indie vs. mainstream when star-crossed comics enthusiasts Jubilee and Ridley, both bisexual, meet at FabCon prom. Accomplished cellist Jubilee is hoping to de-stress before an important upcoming audition, while anxious, depressed Ridley just wants to stop failing his volatile father. After the two teens fall for each other via text message, Ridley realizes that Jubilee’s stepmom is an up-and-coming indie comics creator and public nemesis of his father, who owns the nation’s largest comics chain and is known for running indie shops and comic lines out of business. Dating Jubilee—and spying on the enemy—could finally garner Ridley some attention from his dad, but gaining his father’s love likely means losing Jubilee, the only person who sees beyond his pervasive anxiety and insecurity. Part fresh romance, part honest exploration of the impact of depression and suicidal ideation on individuals and relationships, Dugan’s (Hot Dog Girl) story—told in alternating first-person narratives—encapsulates an inspiring level of compassion from its flawed, endearing protagonists and an inclusive secondary cast. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

April 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Jubilee is a driven cellist, single-mindedly prepping for a major audition. Ridley's anxiety, compounded by his critical, distant father, is so intense that it severely impacts his life. The one thing Jubilee and Ridley have in common is comics: Jubilee's mom is a comics artist, and her stepmom owns an indie shop, while Ridley's dad owns a massive chain?and, oh yeah, their parents hate each other. When Ridley and Jubilee meet at a convention prom, they don't initially make this connection, but they do hit it off. As their relationship intensifies beyond casual texting, they both have to decide how deep they're willing to go?and what they're willing to give up for each other. At the outset, this seems like a frothy romance, but Dugan (Hot Dog Girl, 2019) takes her cues from Romeo and Juliet, empathetically exploring mental illness, suicide ideation, and the stigmas of each. Nor is heterosexuality the baseline here?Ridley is bisexual, and Jubilee has been attracted to all genders. A smart, compassionate love story to and for teens.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)