Written by contributor Lauren Marie
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with her girlfriend, Freddie Riley. Currently, they are back together, however Freddie is more and more confused about their relationship and about Laura Dean. Freddie enlists the help of Anna Vice, an advice columnist, a mystic, and of course her friends to help solve the riddle of Laura Dean. Meanwhile, Freddie tries not to lose her friends as Laura Dean puts a wedge between them. Entwined in the story is Freddie’s friends who also need to deal with problems of their own.
When I picked up Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me from the bookstore I didn’t know anything about it. I’d seen people recommend it, but I’d not read any reviews. I’m glad to say that despite all of that I was not disappointed, but rather, pleasantly surprised by this book.
Written by a well established and New York Times Bestselling LGBT+ author Mariko Tamaki, along side younger, but still acclaimed author, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell. Laura Dean is more than just another LGBT+ novel. It’s a beautiful tale that is relevant to (and should be read by) all young adults. It’s a book of the highest quality filled with heart and heartbreak.
The graphics in this novel, like most graphic novels, are in black and white. Except that Laura Dean also has the occasional pink in its graphics. The pink is used to draw attention and accentuate certain items, people, or frames in the story. The pink is a very well used feature that really draws your eyes to the important elements of the frame and really makes Laura Dean stand out as a novel. The graphics are also simple and consistent.
Freddie’s internal dialogue is another identifiable element in Laura Dean, these internal thoughts are crucial to the plot and Freddie’s character development. Freddie’s thoughts are shown through her emails to the advice columnist, Anna Vice. Freddie’s emails highlights her confusion and hesitancy towards her relationship with Laura Dean. They also bring up important questions about what it means to be with someone and the ways you can be with someone. I found Freddie’s philosophical musings to be quiet intriguing, while also advancing the story.
The characters in Laura Dean are very real and very flawed, even Eric and Buddy who are secondary characters with very minuscule roles, but have profound depth to their characters that make them as interesting and flawed as the main characters.
Though this is a graphic novel and can be read very quickly, Laura Dean is slow paced. Unlike most books, this is not a bad thing, but a necessary ploy to show how hesitant and confused Freddie is by her relationship with Laura. Highlighted by Freddie consulting many different people about their relationship (the advice columnist, the mystic and her friends both new and old), and the amount of time Freddie spends procrastinating instead of dealing with Laura Dean and their relationship.
Something that really stood out to me and that was very unexpected is the fact that ‘Laura Dean’ didn’t mention homophobia. Which is unlike most LGBT+ novels that rely on homophobia and troubles coming out as their main conflict. Laura Dean uses issues relevant to all young adults as the main conflict.
Laura Dean is a unique graphic novel that tackles issues of toxic relationships, love, ways to be with people, and the desire of young adults to be in a relationship and to be wanted by someone. In summary, Laura Dean is a charming story of love and heartbreak that I would recommend to all young adults.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A graphic novel that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the healthy ones we need.
Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley’s dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There’s just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend.
Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy’s best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it’s really Laura Dean that’s the problem. Maybe it’s Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever.
Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.
