Quick Review: _Juliet Takes a Breath_

I just finished the graphic novel Juliet Takes a Breath (Boom! Box), and it is simply a delight. It's not quite a lesbian romance, more a pure queer-coming-of-age story. Juliet Milagros is 19, Puerto Rican, and about to come out to her family. Suffice it to say, that doesn't go perfectly, but she doesn't have much time to stew, as she quickly flies from her native Bronx to Portland in order to intern with Hawlowe Brisbane, the author of Raging Flower, a feminist manifesto.

I won't say much about the plot, because really -- this isn't a story about plot. Rather, it's very much about life when you are just coming into your own: when the older people around you seem like they must have their act together and you start to understand that that's not so consistently true. It's about family, and finding that even amidst misunderstanding there is still love. It's about first love, and second, and finding what you want for yourself, rather than trying to be what others expect.

Mild content warnings for parental "it's just a phase", relationship trouble, and the more liberal flavor of racism. (And fairly explicit sexuality, should that matter to you.)

But don't let that dissuade you: this story is sweet, very real, and extremely queer-positive. I suspect that many of my friends would quite like it. It's definitely going on The Bookcase, and may find a place on The Shelf: while it's not quite High Art, I think I'm likely to re-read it more than once, and it gets a strong recommendation.