Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
Reviewed By: Katie Smith, Reference Specialist
Genre: Contemporary (Graphic Novel)
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
Content Warning: Cheating, Toxic Relationships, Abortion
What is the book about? Laura Dean is a terrible girlfriend, but Freddy — who is helplessly in love with her — just can’t say no. She also happens to be the most popular girl at their high school, meaning she’s confident, charming and incredibly cute — but Freddy knows that she can be equally impulsive, forgetful, and heartless. After their most recent break up, Freddy is sent reeling. Her best friend, Doodle, attempts to help by introducing her to a mysterious medium, but Freddy is shocked by her cryptic parting words: “Break up with her.” Laura Dean comes back and when Freddy starts to pull away from her friends, she wonders if Laura Dean is really the problem. Maybe it’s Freddy’s fault, who is letting everything fall apart, including with Doodle — and Doodle needs her now more than ever.
My Review: When you’re a teenager, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of believing that you must settle for the love that you get, rather than the love you deserve. I feel for Freddy. Much like her, I’ve had my fare share of toxic relationships. I’ve lost friends by being a bad friend, and have had to watched my friends make similar unfortunate choices — like putting your significant other first, even though your closest friends see that they’re bad for you and are patiently (and some, not so patiently) waiting for you to realize it. It hurts. It’s hard. Toxic relationships can even destroy your self-worth — and I’m glad that Mariko Tamaki is taking the time to actually talk about this!
This graphic novel is simply gorgeous. It’s illustrated using stark black and white drawings, tinted with pink highlights. Like a memory, it’s very raw and ethereal. As the story unfolds, you are introduced to Freddy’s friends and acquaintances — of which, the vast majority are POC and LGBTQ. Mariko Tamaki artfully emphasizes intersectionality in her writing — and just like real life, no two relationships (or characters!) are the same. This is a fantastic graphic novel for personal introspection, or even book group discussion. It gave me all the feels. So bittersweet!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Growth, Heartbreak, Friendship
Give this a try if you like… Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Kiss Number 8 by Colleen Venable, and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
