Sunhead

April 1, 2024
After bonding over a vampire book series, a crush develops between two classmates in this queer coming-of-age story. Rotem is obsessed with Sunrise, a novel that's clearly meant to evoke Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. She lends the book to her classmate Ayala--and once Ayala reads it and finds it just as gripping as Rotem does, the pair become friends. Their friendship deepens as they hang out more and discuss their favorite characters and thoughts about the story. They experience everyday life in Tel Aviv--school, exams, and time with family and other friends--but each girl is dealing with her own issues. Rotem scrutinizes her physical appearance and gender presentation, while Ayala struggles with an undiagnosed, occasionally debilitating joint issue. When their mutual crush amps up, Rotem becomes scared and must find the courage to be her true self. The graphic novel's warm, inviting art is filled with orange and pink hues. The romance between Rotem, who has curly red hair and tan skin, and Ayala, who has straight brown hair and light brown skin, is cute. Many readers will resonate with the depiction of being so in love with a book, but overall, the story feels thin; readers aren't given access to Rotem's inner thoughts, which keeps her at a distance and sometimes makes her motivations unclear. Many elements of the story feel underexplored or unresolved, making the ending feel not entirely satisfying. Cozy, but too slight to leave a strong impression. (Graphic romance. 12-18)

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May 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-A charming LGBTQIA+ coming-of-age story that captures the ordinary angst of teenagers. Rotem, a teenage girl living in Tel Aviv, Israel, is obsessed with the book series "Sunrise." She fantasizes about the vampire love story and spends her free time thinking about the upcoming movie and future books. Her friends and family are baffled by her interest. When she meets a new classmate, Ayala, she is excited to find a fellow reader. Rotem shares her book and the two begin an ongoing literary dialogue as they learn about each other's lives. Caught between her old group of familiar friends and new ones, Rotem struggles to find a place for herself. When her feelings for Ayala begin to evolve, she's confused. She pushes her friend away, uncertain about how to deal with her emotions. Going about her daily life, she struggles to figure out what is going on in her mind and body. As she experiments with her style and dress, Rotem finally begins to embrace her identity. The illustrations are soothing and warm, the dialogue is concise, and the characters are realistic. Rotem's fixation on "Sunrise" is one that avid readers will appreciate. Pages devoted to her imaginative daydreams highlight the joy and escape reading provides. The setting of an Israeli city adds dimension to the story and highlights the universality of teenage gender and sexual identity exploration. VERDICT A recommended purchase for libraries with demand for inclusive graphic novels.-Karin Greenberg

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2024
Grades 8-12 In Assan's debut, Rotem finds refuge and connection in being a fan of the vampire romance novel and movie series Sunrise. At school during the daytime, Rotem feels disconnected from her schoolwork, her friends, and her past interests. She sparks a connection with another student, Ayala, when she lends her a copy of Sunrise to read. As her schoolwork gets more intense, Rotem focuses even more on Sunrise and her budding relationship with Ayala. They constantly discuss the plot of the novel and follow news of the upcoming movie. However, their closeness scares Rotem and causes her to pull away. Rotem has to face her own life, outside of the fictional world of Sunrise, before she can move forward. Assan's style of overlapping, sometimes wordless panels perfectly encapsulates Rotem's jumbled thoughts, while the illustrated interludes of the plot of Sunrise act as effective insights into Rotem's mental state as well. This gentle, sweet coming-of-age comic will appeal to fans of The Girl from the Sea (2021), by Molly Knox Ostertag, and the Heartstopper series, by Alice Oseman.

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