A very strong debut with a lot of heart and some real wisdom.

I've been following Zoe on social media since before she landed the deal on this book - I think I even remember seeing the first sketches and thinking "wow, a whole graphic novel in that style would be incredible", and I was right. The fact that Zoe is a year younger than me astounds me (not that I have any publishing or illustration laurels under my belt anyway), given the depth and thought that went into the story and the book. While there are some pacing issues here and there and some parts may seem a bit oversimplified, I feel obliged to give it five stars, because this does not feel like a debut. The style is polished, the colors well-placed and the characters loveable. The book gets done what it sets out to do and I can appreciate that.

I'm incredibly excited to see where her work goes next, and sooner or later she will surely have a Tillie Walden-esque portfolio of works.