Reviews

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

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akookieforyou's review against another edition

2.0

Bratz Readathon 2020

I really like that this graphic novel tackles not only toxic relationships, but also dips it's toes into abortion (don't worry, I won't spoil anything), as I feel like I rarely read stuff featuring these tough topics, and I think (although I haven't personally gone through these exact things myself) that Mariko Tamaki handled them fairly well. The art style was also really nice, and very appealing to me; it kind of reminded me of My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness, with it being black and white with touches of pink everywhere.

But I just didn't really connect with the characters, and therefor I didn't care much about what they were going through on a deeper level. I feel like I, as the reader, was supposed to feel more catharsis when

Spoiler

Freddy finally breaks up with Laura Dean, and officially cuts her out of her life

, but all I actually felt was just a mild "yay. i'm glad for you". And it's not even just that they were all unlikable, it's that they had virtually no personalities. Maybe that's just me though.

jenhurst's review

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2.0

I think the artwork was cute but I couldn’t connect with the characters and it felt like they only existed as relationships of each other and not as actual people. I think it was kind of shallow as well. Maybe as a teen I would’ve liked it though.

chan_bean's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Freddy was pissing me OFF throughout, but not so much to the point that she was unlikable. She's just very often not making the best choices.
I loved the sparing use of color in this book, and the art is just beautiful. And the writing is equally so. I love the framing device of Freddy and Laura Dean's love story being told as a letter to an advice column, and I like that her letter's are given a response. I also think the story does a great job of portraying Freddy as the unreliable narrator that she is - anyone reading can tell that there is something concerning happening behind the scenes with Freddy's friends, but we aren't allowed to figure out what it is until Freddy does, because she's so distracted by and preoccupied with her own situation. When the other shoe drops, the truth is shocking,
I really enjoyed this read! I consumed it almost completely in one go, and I would definitely read it again.

agoo's review against another edition

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4.0

Quick read, nice ending. Felt like I was being watched though because I’m also wasian and dealt with this exact situation.

fluffyskunk's review against another edition

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5.0

Quality queer teen drama. The toxicity feels so real, it'll make you mad lol

bianca_1404's review against another edition

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4.0

This is my first LGBTQ graphic novel that I have read and it was a treat! I do have to say that both Fred and Laura Dean are "annoying" in this book. From, the beginning of the book I thought that Fred needs to have a back bone and stand up for herself. I do understand that it is hard to break up with someone you love but getting together for the fourth time is just exhausting for me. Her friends are quirky and lovable. There are times when her friends need her and she wasn't there because of Lara Jean and it was shitty for her to do that. To be fair, she came to her senses and finally stands up for herself and I honestly felt relieved... Like, finally. I also have to mention Lara Jean. Needless to say, she was a shitty girlfriend and a shitty person. She didn't treat Fred like a girlfriend and only keeps her as a safety net waiting for her like a back burner. I do think that the resolution in this book is great. That at last, Fred was the one who initiates the breakup and not Lara Jean. That she knows her worth in this relationship. Overall, it was a nice story and I think more people should read this especially when you can't get over someone you loved.