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.

Thank you so much to Ren Strapp, Oni Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book as a digital ARC 😊

This is a graphic novel about Uni students , two of which go to Paris to make the most of their student experience.

I thought some of the characters (especially the ones who moved to France) made very poor choices and thus I didn't really get attached to them.

Really enjoyed the very colourful art style as well as the interesting panelling choices that really helped drive the story forward and communicate the characters’ emotions. I did think however that there might have been too many characters. I think that if we had fewer (or the book would have been a series), I would have allowed us to know the characters better, and thus would have made for a better experience for me.

Overall, a solid graphic novel but not one I would write home about.

This graphic novel is the perfect read for anyone that has ever been in a relationship and done something they regret. A queer coming of age story following a group of friends in college as they navigate break-ups, casual flings, and real feelings, all while trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their lives.  

Told with a brilliant use of bold colour, this graphic novel explores the difficulties faced forming relationships, and doesn’t shy away from showing how easily mistakes can be made, and how the repercussions can affect everyone in a friend group.

"How Could You" is a messy story with messy characters and that's honestly what I loved about it.

Our early twenties are really weird times, especially for queer folks. I feel like Ren Strapp did a great job of highlighting things a lot of folks go through, without tying things neatly up with a bow. If you're a fan of drama, messy gay people and stories that that don't sugarcoat the woes of dating during your college years, I recommend checking this out!

how could you was made for people like me, who LOVE stories with messy characters and complex relationships!

this story follows a group of college upperclassmen that are navigating the very fun highs and the very drastic lows that come with being in your early 20s, being queer, and being a person that doesn’t have it all figured out. it’s full of heartbreak, angst, drama, friend breakups, and sapphics just being straight up messy!

now being in my late 20s, this story made me sit and think about my own experiences in my early 20s with navigating friendships, my queer identity, and romantic partners. it really caused me to sit and reflect on how similar to these characters, all of those emotions felt so big and monumental at that time and back then, every decision felt like the most life-changing decision ever

this graphic novel is very character-driven, and this is definitely one of those stories where at least one character will probably piss you off! you also may not love the ending, but i kind of think that’s the whole point! your early 20s are meant to be a time for lots of growth, fuck-ups, and being in a constant cycle of figuring things out (and honestly, do any of us REALLY have anything figured out regardless??)

i really loved the fully queer cast, the diversity, and i especially loved the art! i loved the section at the end where the author talked about how they used color to convey mood and the character’s thoughts, which was something i picked up on while reading, so it was cool to hear a little more about their creative process on that

my only complaint is that i would’ve loved if this was longer, buuut i’ll also cross my fingers and hope that maybe ren considers a 2nd volume in the future 👀

How Could You is a beautifully illustrated, heartfelt exploration of queer love and identity. Following four college upperclassmen, this graphic novel dives into the complexities of relationships, self-discovery, and the messy, unpredictable journey of navigating life on the brink of adulthood.

Ren Strapp captures the essence of queer messiness perfectly. The characters feel raw and real, stumbling through complicated emotions and situations that are both relatable and heart-wrenching. The story doesn’t shy away from the awkward, tender, and sometimes chaotic parts of finding yourself and figuring out how to love others in the process.

I also have to highlight the art style—it’s stunning! The illustrations bring a unique, expressive quality to the story, amplifying the characters' emotions and adding layers to their interactions. The visual storytelling is seamless, making every panel a joy to look at.

If you’re looking for a queer coming-of-age story that embraces all the highs, lows, and in-betweens of young adulthood, How Could You is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!

A complex look at how friendships and relationships can be messy but fulfilling and how we choose to grow and learn from our past mistakes. The story mostly centers around Molly and her interpersonal relationships with her roommate, her friend Lou and both of their ex-girlfriends. It's a look at how people are complex creatures and that change is inevitable. I enjoyed the way Strapp wrote the characters to be so unique from each other. Where Lou is able to reconnect and make space for others to grow there is the opposite where Jackie is unforgiving and unwilling to let people back in. It's very true to life.

The artwork is well drawn albeit kind of similar to a lot of other graphic novelists at this time (see: Archie Bongiovanni, Alice Oseman, Molly Ostertag, etc...) but I suppose style trends will always be a thing.

I think this is a great story and one that young adults can see themselves in. It's a story that doesn't shy away from the ugly and messy parts of interpersonal relationships and I think we need those stories in abundance.

This felt very real in a very messy and chaotic way. The messy intertwining of queer friendship groups felt very relatable. Figuring out your sexuality and who your friends are and who you are as a person *is* messy and chaotic. None of the characters felt 100% likeable which I actually enjoyed because they felt more real that way. They all had flaws and things to work on and grow from. And there’s nothing more lesbian than falling for your best friend and making your life a mess because of it haha

Side note, I am fully obsessed with this art style! It was stunning to look at the whole time, especially when portraying the characters strong emotions.

How Could You is Ren Strapp’s debut graphic novel, written and illustrated by them. This is such a great debut book! The story, the illustrations, and the colours are all so perfectly done.

The book follows a group of queer friends in college and their relationships with each other. They have dated and broken up within the friend group so there is a lot of crying, pining, broken friendship dynamics in the book along with everyone’s struggle with liking or loving a new person. There are a lot of ups and downs in everyone’s romantic lives but it is a quick read.

I love the illustration style of the author and I thought the colour scheme - pink and blue - was for the Transgender flag, however the author goes on to explain it later on. Both the colours stand for certain emotions + each character has designated colours as well. I think this was really cool.

Recommend this book for a quick read featuring some cool and sad queers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC in exchange of a honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley UK and Oni Press for the press service.

Molly and Lou are two best friends who got dumped by their girlfriend, Olene and Yona, who are studying abroad in France. While Molly and Lou are trying to recover by partying and looking for new girlfriends, their exes are trying to enjoy their new life in France and find who they really are. But things are not going so well for both groups, and it gets more complicated when they’re put on different paths.
How Could You is a funny, messy and heartbreaking graphic novel about lesbian drama in college.

The story is interesting to read, perfect if you enjoyed Heartstopper for exemple. Each character are unique and relatable. The drawings, colors and layout are impressive, the author seemed to have a lot of fun working on it. I would recommend it without hesitation !

Absolutely beautiful coming of age graphic novel, more targeting the new adult audience/those in their late teens-early twenties.
The art style was an absolute enhancement to the story experience, and I also loved the use of seperate colour palettes depending on whose POV it was.
I absolutely believe this is an excellent addition to the amazing titles at Oni Press, and would highly encourage senior school libraries to get for students.

Thank you for providing me with this eARC. I really liked the art style and I love me a good sapphic story. It was a bit too messy for me... But overall it was a really quick fun read.

I enjoyed this overall, but god I could not keep track of who was whose ex or friend or whatever and it was really hard to follow the plot without knowing who it’s happening to.

The art was really pretty and the overall concept is great, I just wish that there had been fewer characters or if there had to be all the characters, the focus was spread between different volumes rather than stuffing them all into just 1 book.

How Could You is a realistic YA graphic novel for older readers, depicting the aftermath of two break ups. Readers will likely connect to the hurt and disappointment the characters feel as they grapple with tough feelings, especially while they think their exes are moving on. Fabulous illustrations help readers visualize as they read. Older high school students/college aged kids will appreciate this book most of all.

This gorgeous graphic novel follows the lives of four queer college students. Each of these characters are unique, and often as loveable as they are messy. Certainly, this isn’t an accurate portrayal of all queer twenty-somethings, but nonetheless, it is very applicable to some, not to mention, wholly entertaining!

The art style of this graphic novel is beautiful and easy to consume. Despite the short length of this graphic novel, the characters are all well developed, each having entirely distinct personalities which shine through the pages with ease. I particularly loved the representation in this graphic novel of all types of queer people, whether that be POC, trans, disabled, butch, or otherwise. The explicit use of the terms ‘lesbian’ and ‘dyke’ also earns it an immediate special place in my heart!

I highly recommend picking up this book, especially if you are a lover of other queer graphic novels! I, for one, am eagerly awaiting Ren Strapp’s next novel!

p.s. I received this as an ARC through NetGalley, but the publication date is the 17th of December! Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press!

Genuinely charming and beautifully illustrated. I really admire the discussion and navigation of the many types of queer relationships

the artwork was absolutely amazing, but i really didn’t like any of these characters. they were all very petty and shitty towards each other. i really don’t think it’s a good portrayal of queer 20 year olds, and any time one of the MC kisses the other, there was no consent or confirmation they liked them too, which was super fucking weird

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was messy as hell and I loved the shit out of it. The art style and coloring is absolutely gorgeous, and I laughed out loud a couple times while reading. I enjoyed that while there was a lot of conflict and arguments that went on, the fast pace of the book meant that it didn't feel too overwhelming. It felt very realistic and relatable type of drama. While everything wasn't perfect in the end, some things were open to the opportunity of continuing to get better, and some relationships just drifted apart completely. I feel like that's a highly reasonable thing to happen in college relationships.

Basically, I love some messy lesbians making bad choices in college. That's the time to do that.

Also! Loved the rep of Lou using a mobility aid, and the use of the labels of lesbian and dyke frequently. I don't see that often and love love loooooved it<33

This was okay. It was entertainingly messy and I laughed out loud a couple of times, but it kinda felt like there wasn’t a lot of there there? I don’t mind unlikable characters, but everything felt so rushed, despite it being over 200 pages. I did like how colorful the art was, and I suppose it’s interesting to see college friends realistically drift apart when some of them graduate before the others, but overall that’s not really my thing. 2.75 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the digital ARC, all opinions are my own.