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Jan 29, 2020Austen_18 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
SO CUTE. I absolutely adored this book! Sometimes it's hard for me to connect to the story and characters in a graphic novel, but this one was so well done that I was immediately entranced. "I'm your friend. And friends don't let friends live small lives." (15) Deja and Josiah's personalities and friendship explodes off the page. They're both fully realized and so different from each other yet their friendship makes so much sense. There were several times I was literally laughing out loud because of their conversations and even their facial expressions. Kudos to the illustrator Faith Erin Hicks for doing a damn good job bringing these characters to life. The pumpkin patch felt so magical. It made me want to work at one for a season or two. I think growing up in Nebraska and visiting pumpkin patches similar to this one made it much easier to imagine the atmosphere. "People all sort of look the same to me until I talk to them. That's when they start to get interesting. That's when they start to... shimmer." (146) There's awesome representation as well. Deja is plus-size, black, and queer (it isn't explicitly stated if she's bi or pan). Rainbow Rowell describes Deja as "super-cute, like a chubby Gabrielle Union." And there are several other POC and LGBTQ+ characters. Definitely a perfect autumnal read (or any time of the year) that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.