The art carried this book and it shows. The story feels hollow and uninspired yet is still something I’m glad exists because we do need more stories with characters like this.

This comic is about messy relationships and how figuring yourself out can lead to some sticky situations. I don’t blame the characters for the actions that they take. Love can be one of the most difficult things in life to try and figure out. None of them seemed to have people to talk to that knew what they were doing. They’re all college students that are still learning about the people they are and who they want to become.

There are parts in our lives that we are going to make mistakes and do something considered toxic. There are several instances in this comic where that happens, even if some of it was accidental. In life we are allowed to experiment and figure ourselves out. However, it is so important to be honest and communicate what you are doing and why to the people that you care about.

A lot of the messier situations in this novel could have been avoided by good communication. Characters get angry, they go with the flow on things they shouldn’t, and don’t properly communicate their boundaries. However, that’s the point of a comic like this. It’s the mistakes made and having to deal with the aftermath for better or worse.

I didn’t really love any of the couples together in this comic. I think that a majority of the relationships were too superficial. It was like watching a queer version of a teen drama where you watch with popcorn in your hands cause you know things are going to get spicy. It’s the situations you like to talk about and watch but don’t want to be a part of.

All in all, this comic was very well done. I enjoyed the art and the story. I enjoyed the message of it. All the characters were unique and had their own desires and agendas. It was a great read.

A brilliant graphic novel. I loved and hated how the characters were flawed. They made me mad because they were raw and made mistakes, but it made them real. Really recommend if you want a college version of Heartstopper.

Really enjoyed this. I like how messy and real this is. I think it’s an accurate representation of relationships in your late teens early twenties. It was really nice following queer women characters. I don’t think there are enough in the world currently. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

⭐ Rating: 4/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: Dec 17, 2024
🌈 Representation: lesbian and queer MCs, trans woman SC, sapphic relationships

CW/TW:
Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Alcohol


I had a fun time reading this graphic novel! It was very messy with a lot of college-age relationship drama and complex characters. The art was awesome, too!

I think if you want a very queer read with characters making mistakes and discovering themselves, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the early review copy. All thoughts expressed are my own.

"How Could You" centers on a group of women in their junior and senior years in college. Two couples break up as two of the group go to Europe for the semester. Their exes are back home, sad and pining. The women try navigating friendships, love, and hook ups, but feelings are hurt and trust betrayed. Can they change their ways before they lose each other forever?

How Could You is a heartwarming and heartbreaking graphic novel full of love, lust, friendship, finding yourself and so much more. It is relatable and flows beautifully. The art style is so comforting and feels warm, the colour analysis featured at the back gives amazing depth to the reasoning behind colour choices which I enjoyed.

Characters seemed realistic making mistakes all in the name of finding themselves and their true desires. Mistakes and misdirections in life are the reasons for character development and this graphic novel encapsulates this and the specific time period of your final years of college beautifully. I think there's very few pieces of media that focus on this time period and the feelings that go with it, so it was great to see. I can't wait to read the next installment.

4.25 stars

A great representation of what navigating relationships is like in college, especially queer ones! I love these characters and all of the drama that ensued but I absolutely LOVE the art in this comic! The colors were vibrant and reflected the mood of every scene so well.

This story reminded me a bit of The Sex Lives of College Girls show and I am absolutely here for it. There is not enough queer content out there for this stage of life.

Four college students are single, coming fresh out of relationships. Olene and Yona are studying abroad in France. Molly and Lou are on campus in the US. They all deal with their break-ups in their own, unique ways.

"I want to remember everything. Even the tough parts. We've gotta start romanticizing our lives while we're young."

How Could You is an important coming of age story with many diverse characters. Queer and questioning characters. Trans and non-binary characters. Characters with mobility aids.

This is all rendered in a gorgeous, colourful art style. A style that does not shy away from showing the realities of bra straps and body hair on page. A style that also features impactful full page renderings showing the inner world of the characters, and dynamic paneling to perfectly capture the vibe of scenes.

Strapp shows us the messy world of college dating and navigating this as a queer or questioning young adult in this graphic novel. From getting over break-ups, to secret crushes, to not being out to family, to different expectations and investment in relationships.

The only critique I have regarding this graphic novel is that the pacing could be better in places. The plot meanders at times, and doesn't feel as tight as it could. All the dialogue at the end with Molly felt like a lot all at once. However I still think this is a wonderful debut despite this.

How Could You is perfect for people wanting to read queer coming of age stories featuring diverse characters. The people we follow make mistakes and screw up. If you don't like books with unlikeable characters this graphic novel might not be for you. However I personally feel it's all in service to the overall message Strapp leaves us with.

I found this novel a little bit overwhelming. There are so many characters that I felt I didn't really get to know any of them all that well (and I really wanted to know them better!). I feel like the trip abroad would have been enough to cover in one book on it's own and allow the characters to develop a bit more.
I did really love Lou and I wish I'd seen more of her. She really does go through it though! I'd love to see what happens to her so if there was another novel in the series then I'd be interested to read it 😊

I had a good time with this one. This is really just a contemporary story that is following the love lives, and consequences of those romantic entanglements, of a handful of college students. The author took me out right from the gate with the dedication and then I had a blast reading through all the messy drama these characters were getting into. Despite how messy it was, it was able to remain relatable and I loved the author's choice to incorporate color into the narrative. It was such an interesting way to add significance to the art in the storytelling. I also really enjoyed the fact that the author chose not to allow all of the characters to be instantly forgiven or redeemed for their trespasses. The mistakes that were made, especially by Molly, were forgiven by those in her life but she was still required to put in work to try and mend the friendships and I feel like that is an element that is often missing in stories like these.

*reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley *'* Pub Date Dec 17 2024

teen/adult graphic novel - 20 y.o. east coast college Junior Molly Song is in tears when this graphic novel begins. She grabs lunch with her nonbinary friend Lou (a senior who walks with a cane that you barely notice), and they commiserate over having been dumped by their girlfriends (Olene Reed and Yona Escobar, respectively) who are apparently studying abroad in Marseille, France, and EVERYBODY has a very emotionally-confusing semester. Author is a gender-nonconforming lesbian.

Ack, all the turbulent feels! and the way that having a crush on one's friends make a total mess out of everything! This is a super quick read, like the best kind of queer soap opera. So much to love (and be heartbroken over) in here!

This was a really intense but good graphic novel, and I loved that this is basically a story where "everyone is the asshole" in some way! Very complex characters and storylines that all gets all tangled up and messed up. I also LOVE the gender and sexuality diversity, and especially how one of the characters ends up finding out she is actually straight.

This is a debut queer graphic novel about molly song who is getting over her ex who dumped her via email. Honestly the premise was cute and fun and I really enjoyed the variety of characters and their different backgrounds. There was a lot of representation which is great to see the diversity in this book. I think that the imagery is breathtaking and the use of colour palette really set the atmosphere and tone.

I just think that the overall plot was lacking and fell a bit short due to it being immature. The FMC was not a likeable character and this ruined the book for me. I completely understand that she is whiny, bitchy and depressed but she’s horrible to everyone and selfish and she doesn’t know till the very end.

How Could You is a refreshing queer graphic novel geared toward young adults. With college campus and study abroad setting, we watch several main characters within the same friend group navigate queer life on campus and amongst getting to know one another and their futures. We see a diverse range of perspectives and I appreciate how each character really is given the opportunity to express themselves in an original way. Very refreshing work!

The artwork and colouring in this graphic novel are great. The plot is full of relationship drama and friendship drama which isn't really my kind of thing. I normally enjoy slice of life books but there was too much angst and fighting and betrayal for me.

How Could You hit me in places that I thought had healed. Being the one at fault for the loss of a relationship is a really hard thing that can fuck you up at the time but as Lou tells Molly, it’s about who you grow into. How Could You explores that feeling from all sides, those in the wrong and those who were wronged. A gorgeously illustrated story and an incredible debut!

'How could you' is a very messy graphic novel and not entirely in a bad way. Every single character in this story makes decisions and actions you will dislike, every single character behaves in ways you may not traditionally look for in graphic novels.

If you are a lover of messy characters, lived experiences and the realities of college life and relationships - this is a book I hope you'll enjoy or at the very least find a part of yourself in. I often struggle with stories where characters make so many bad decisions and just overall as one of the characters said 'kinda suck' but 'how could you' was interesting and well illustrated and kept you reading anyway. Definitely not a favourite but definitely a book that feels more real than most other fabricated stories. Friendships and relationships are hard, who knew!

College junior Molly Song is determined to move on from her ex, who broke up with her via email and flaunts a cozy new romance on social media. She ropes her friend Lou into a plan to find rebound girlfriends at parties, but things get complicated when Molly starts catching real feelings for someone she’s not sure feels the same.

Meanwhile, Lou’s ex, Olene, and Molly’s ex, Yona, have left the past behind to study abroad in France. As they explore Marseille in springtime, new friendships and self-discoveries lead them to question what they really want. Will their journey bring them together, or set them on different paths?

This is a story about how love can be messy and friendship is the most important. I liked that whit a cast of queer charters the love triangle was actually a triangle. I recommend this book to anyone who has been young and had a messy love life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ren Strapp, and Oni Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ren Strapp's debut graphic novel How Could You follows the lives of bestfriends Molly and Lou, their exes Yona and Olene, and last but certainly not least, Jackie, as they all navigate life, love, friendship and heartbreak during a university/college semester. It's a short but (bitter)sweet look at the complexities of being queer at a time and place that's all about finding who you are—and who you aren't.

Author and illustrator Ren Strapp explores the complexities of friendships, particularly queer friendships, through beautiful pastel-toned panels reminiscent of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper, but in a way that is completely unique to their own storytelling and art style.
While fans of Oseman's work will feel at home reading How Could You, it's worth noting that Strapp's writing hits close to the heart more swiftly, and is intended for a slightly older audience—though it can definitely be enjoyed be younger readers too. Fans of Eunnie's If You'll Have Me will also find something to love in this story, both narratively and visually.

How Could You is a book that can be read over again and you'd likely take away something different, but just as important, as from previous reads. I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a short but meaningful read, particularly young adults about to start their journey into higher education who are seeking a story with queer representation.