Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by citrus_seasalt
Navigating With You by Jeremy Whitley
3.0
I expected to become completely obsessed with this after reading the summary — queer novels centering fandom are some of my favorites— but this was just… okay? It wasn’t a bad book, but Gabby and Neesha were practically shipped together the moment they met (Neesha’s mom got on my nerves), meaning it took away from what could’ve been an organic friends-to-lovers romance.
The dialogue was awkward in several moments, the shifts from serious to fluffy felt haphazard. And while the coloring was pretty, the proportions in the art were off, and it made the characters look a little stiff. (That’s more of a me issue though, I get pickier with graphic novels when they’re not in art styles I particularly like.)
I liked Gabby’s cerebral palsy being a central part of her and her actions, though. Disability is pretty quick to be brushed off in books, but her fluctuating physical needs, and themes around inaccessibility or being in a relationship with a person who isn’t physically disabled, were important throughout. (I specify Gabby not being physically disabled, because she has PTSD. But she does also read as autistic-coded to me?)
I enjoyed the snippets of the manga Gabby and Neesha are obsessed with, too. And there were a couple moments I thought were cute, I just didn’t like the pacing, and it affected my opinion of the whole story.
The dialogue was awkward in several moments, the shifts from serious to fluffy felt haphazard. And while the coloring was pretty, the proportions in the art were off, and it made the characters look a little stiff. (That’s more of a me issue though, I get pickier with graphic novels when they’re not in art styles I particularly like.)
I liked Gabby’s cerebral palsy being a central part of her and her actions, though. Disability is pretty quick to be brushed off in books, but her fluctuating physical needs, and themes around inaccessibility or being in a relationship with a person who isn’t physically disabled, were important throughout. (I specify Gabby not being physically disabled, because she has PTSD. But she does also read as autistic-coded to me?)
I enjoyed the snippets of the manga Gabby and Neesha are obsessed with, too. And there were a couple moments I thought were cute, I just didn’t like the pacing, and it affected my opinion of the whole story.