A review by angebrown
Growing Pangs by Kathryn Ormsbee

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Ormsbe's story of friendship in early adolescence really captured that uncertainty in upper primary when you're unsure whether your friends are the right friends, or whether you'll be friends with them forever. Ormsbee tells her story with such a hopeful tone too, which softened the nostalgic pangs it gave me. She also introduces her anxiety and OCD in such a beautiful way. Her dad's conversations with her are gentle and reassuring. Visually, each character has their own animal to represent their anxious thoughts; hers was a bee, but others included a rabbit or lizard, etc. I have loved anxiety being represented with dark vector lines in other graphic novels (Just Roll With It, Lightfall) but making it a creature shows it's not just something to endure, but something to nurture.