Kathryn Ormsbee here brings us the second volume of her graphic novel series (begun in Growing Pangs), loosely based on her own life and wonderfully illustrated by Molly Brooks. In this volume, homeschooled Katie is turning 12, and she’s excited about her first babysitting job, pool parties with friends, and performing in a local children’s theater’s production of Annie. She’s also been seeing a therapist to help her with her anxiety and “buzzing thoughts,” which were a focus of the first volume. But growing up also brings new and puzzling things like training bras, makeup, and friends suddenly obsessed with boys. It feels like there’s a blaring “adulthood alarm” going off, and Katie isn’t sure how to respond.
When her two closest friends move away temporarily because of a family emergency, Katie feels sad and a little alone. She has her church youth group to go to (if she can avoid the catty mean girls), but the church also has conservative views about gender roles and a strict dress code for girls so they don’t tempt the boys into sin. The theater group is more fun, however, especially Grace, who’s pretty, interesting, and a great dancer. Katie comes to realize she has a crush on her—but doesn’t know if she’s supposed to get crushes on girls, since her church is adamantly opposed to same-sex relationships and marriage equality. We see this add to Katie’s anxiety, but we also see her finding other viewpoints and role models—queer people and allies in her theater group; another church down the street that flies a rainbow flag; and even her older sister.
Ormsbee deftly captures much of the universal mystery and change of this transitional period of life, even as they are set within the engaging story of one particular character. Brooks’ illustrations work beautifully with the text to capture Katie’s actions and emotions.
I particularly love how Ormsbee empowers Katie to gradually find her own way, building resilience and gathering information and support on her own. There’s no single big revelation or moment of awareness; no single mentor who enlightens her. We simply see a girl learning how to follow her own heart as she moves through the world, a process that is, as Katie herself says, magnificent.
Highly recommended.
Katie and Grace are White; her two friends who move away have light brown skin and dark brown hair.
