You Belong Here

Gr 10 Up–Senior year of high school is supposed to be a time to let loose; but for Essie Rosen, a Long Island girl, things are not going as planned. An aspiring actress who hopes to gain admission to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Essie starts the year fighting with her longtime boyfriend, Bruno. Her best friend Anissa, who graduated last year, has been distant; her other friends are preoccupied with partying. After discontinuing her outside acting class, Essie tries out for the school play, Our Town. During rehearsals, she becomes close to Christopher Sun, an aloof peer who is rumored to be dealing drugs. As she gets to know him better, she is reminded not to judge someone based on speculation, which hits close to home as her own brother, who is in rehab for an opioid addiction, is a constant source of town gossip. There’s a lot for teen readers to take away here. When Essie’s path doesn’t pan out exactly as she hoped, she must make difficult choices about her future and finds out that sometimes it’s okay to give up total control. With engaging prose, realistic dialogue, and soft, whimsical drawings, Miller and Beem craft a compelling coming-of-age graphic novel. Highlighting stereotypes, identity, mental health, and self-worth, it explores ways that teenagers can take charge of their lives and avoid giving in to anxiety. Essie, a Jewish girl and Christopher, who is Asian, have open conversations about race, religion, body type, and mental illness. The plot contains mild sexual references and actions.