I got this ex-library softcover from the ongoing book sale at the Gale Library in Newton NH, for another release copy.

It's a graphic novel about first love, family relationships, and life's changes...

The book gets quite gritty in places, starting with the author's childhood experiences with a father who could be very cruel - and with a babysitter whose actions should have sent him to prison. His relationship with his younger brother is the focus of the early sections, and while there's a lot of typical sibling stuff - the good as well as the bad - some scenes are quite harrowing. Others, luckily, are heartwarming, and some outright hilarious.

Once our narrator grows up, he finds himself entranced by a young woman, and the story shows his personal fascination as well as his sexual interest. She has adopted siblings with Down syndrome, making visits to her house surprisingly entertaining - I was pleased to see how the author put many aspects of life into the relationship, not just the dates-and-sex parts.

We see the changes in his relationship with his brother as the years pass, and we get glimpses of his girlfriend's family as viewed by her father - an unusual viewpoint in a story like this, and a poignant one.

This is the kind of story that I wouldn't have appreciated in my youth, but now I find its people-change story-arcs touching and fascinating. The stark artwork suits the mood, too.

[There's a short TV Tropes page on the book.]

I left this book in the Little Free Library on this warm day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

*** Released for the 2018 One Word Title release challenge. ***