Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me

by Mariko Tamaki

Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (Illustrator)

Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley's dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There's just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend.

Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy's best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: Break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it's really Laura Dean that's the problem. Maybe it's Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.

• ISBN10: 1250312841
• ISBN13: 9781250312846
• Publish Date: 7 May 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Imprint: First Second
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[lessthelonely]

Do you know something I realized lately? I'm very picky when it comes to reading gay representation that isn't in the umbrella I find myself under - it being gay Achillean (MLM) romance - and that's probably why I struggle to find Sapphic romance a lot harder to get myself invested in. But this is the book that made me realize I just needed to do what I usually do with the romances that feature characters like me: look for stuff I know for a fact I will like.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is such a different type of Romance story than an usual contemporary Romance, but it's very satisfying in its execution and all the strife it manages to create in its characters and the reader. I felt for Freddy from the very beginning, understanding the tough situation she was in, maybe even relating to her yearning a bit too much: she wants love and she found herself settling for the non-existent type of love only Laura Dean could give her. A lot of physicalities, but, outside of that, deplorable. Miserable, even.

So, what is this story about? This isn't a story that hinges on a romantic arc, not in the traditional sense. It's not about getting the girl in the end, but understanding that it's fine to wait for something better, even if we get a little bit alone while they're coming to us. We can find solace in our friends and learn that even if we're struggling a lot, being blind to our surroundings when we deeply believe we're making the best choice we can has the potential to be extremely traumatic. Funnily enough, this story hinges on a lot of tropes I hate in normal romances, but this isn't a normal romance, it's more Coming of Age than anything else, telling a very complicated tale of friendship.

Laura Dean reads like someone you'd think couldn't exist, but if you've ever been heartbroken, you know these people do exist. And that's the most terrifying and most satisfying part of this book: she reaps what she sowed, and it's glorious to see it playout.

I also need to praise the gorgeous line art. Absolutely immaculate. This is one of my favorite graphic novels ever and I don't think anything will ever scratch the particular itch I didn't know I had until I read some of the scenes in this. So don't miss out on this one, please.

[Steph L]

This was a fun and quick book. 

[nannah]

I found this one on a “recommended” shelf in the library, so I finally decided to check it out. It’s funny how I was feeling so reluctant to read this one and kept pushing it lower and lower on my to-read list, but now can’t stop thinking about it!

Content warnings:
- abortion
- unhealthy relationships
- cheating
- a Rromani stereotype

Representation:
- the protagonist is a half E. Asian lesbian
- the “love interest” is a lesbian, there are black wlw, there’s a black gay man & a gay/bi poc

Freddy Riley is in love with popular, charming, irresistible Laura Dean, but Laura Dean keeps breaking up with her. Freddy’s friends are sick of her talking about this off-and-on relationship and don’t know why she puts up with it. Seeking outside help, Freddy asks both the local fortune teller and the help of a local newspaper advice columnist -- and receives advice she doesn’t want. But with their words in her head and the support of new friends, Freddy learns how to get out of the rut and back on track with her life.

The first thing I have to say about this graphic novel is that it’s absolutely stunning. This art style is an instant favorite; there’s not one sloppy panel in here. Not one! There’s also gorgeous beats of time created by white/space or by the composition that adds a lot to the reading experience.

The story also has a lot of merit. We (as in wlw & mlm) often exasperatedly poke fun at how m/f relationships are sometimes defined by being unbalanced, but we do need to recognize that our own relationships can be very messy. And unhealthy. It’s a side of our adolescence that doesn’t really get portrayed often (unless it's in stereotypes).

And it’s funny -- I was just saying the other day that it’s a shame gay/bi men get to have messy storylines in any kind of fantasy & sci-fi context and get to do all sorts of things … but wlw, we’re kind of stuck right now where most of our content is either made up of tragedies or chaste period pieces (where both women are white). So it’s really nice this graphic novel got as popular as it did! Though not fantasy/sci-fi, it explores the messier side of wlw relationships.

However, as much as I enjoyed it -- a lot; I stayed up incredibly late to finish it -- it has major flaws. My biggest gripe with it is the fortune teller … her design makes it obvious she’s Rromani, and that’s … not great. It’s an awful, horrible stereotype that should’ve never been in here. It should be obvious by now that this isn’t okay to do.

The novel also tries to take on more than it can handle with Doodle’s (Freddy’s best friend) side plot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an important topic! But I don’t think it’s one the graphic novel was able to handle well in the page time it had. Especially with all of the drama Freddy was going through.

But what the graphic novel does right -- capturing the importance of friendship, selling the idea that you shouldn’t feel the need to “settle” for what you’ve got (especially important when you’re young and dating someone more popular, more pretty, more anything than you), and explaining how your relationships should never take anything away from you -- it does really, really well.

[mayavswords]

Ok since I flew through this and probably didn’t appreciate the artwork enough, I’m probably going to re-read this very soon. I found the art style very cute ..

ANYWAYS!!! This is such a lovely story. I’m always so happy to see a typical trope or plot that’s used for straight couples put on diverse queer couples, it’s always way more relatable to me for very obvious reasons.

With that being said..I hated Laura Dean!!! This story was a whole rollercoaster, probably because I’m older and sort of a dick so I nip this sorta behavior and manipulation in the bud. Still, you really start to feel for Freddy, either because of how naive and sweet she is or because of how young she is...I found myself yelling at her and giving her my own advice while reading the book haha

This is a very important story for young people to read though as it discusses how to navigate these kind of relationships, realize their worth as well, as appreciate those who there for them: friends. And as a believer of the power of friendship, that really hit hard ; ;

BTW sorta spoilery but:

A small thing that happens among two side characters but I’m really tired of the “pressure to come out the closet”/ closeted person’s S/O getting angry at them when they can’t be open around family trope. It’s very insensitive to people who come from families who are not as accepting or queer young people who cannot take that chance when they’re still dependent or living with their family. I hope this doesn’t give the bad message to young LGBT teens reading this. They should come out when they want to, not because of being pressured by someone. Anyways, lovely story, I’m very happy I brought this with me to school

[kiracanread]

A lovely graphic novel, I absolutely adore the colour scheme and art style. I didn't entirely understand the hype surrounding this book, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

[despair_witch_16]

I thought this book did really well in portraying toxic relationships. You get to see how Frederica grows and start to realize that being in the relationship is doing nothing but bringing her down. Although I did feel that some of the plot threads that was started wasn’t completed or was rushed. An example was surrounding the gay couple. One half didn’t want to come out at his grandmother’s birthday and his boyfriend was mad at him over it. At the end, you don’t really know if it was resolved or not.