No Ivy League by Hazel Newlevant

YA Graphic Novel, 2019 by Oni Press, 216 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

• I wanted a bit more detail. I get what we’re looking at here, it’s a snapshot of a summer. But I wanted the lessons to ring a little truer. I wanted to stay a bit longer on some of the scenes. I wanted to have more time to connect with Hazel and the other characters. 
• The textbook style pages are very dry. I’m glad they’re short. 

What I Did Like:

• Absolutely love the pages at the back from the author about how they created the work. Great look at the process of creating a graphic novel. 
• The embarrassing moments that we all experience as teens are front and center, normalizing it all. That’s pretty brilliant.
• The artwork is nice. I’d like color, I think, but I get that it would add to printing costs. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Contemporary fans who want to try graphic novels may thoroughly enjoy this one. At it’s heart, this is a contemporary story. 

My Rating: 3 Stars. 

• Great quick read about recognizing (and checking) your privilege.