Books › Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
304 pages
A tender, beautifully illustrated exploration of the messy line between the love we crave and the love we actually deserve.
What it feels like
Reading this graphic novel feels like flipping through a beautifully curated, slightly melancholic sketchbook of teenage heartbreak. The experience is brisk but deeply felt, carried by an intimate, pastel-hued atmosphere that perfectly captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of first love. It is a story that sits with you in the quiet moments, wrapping you in an earnest, empathetic tone that never talks down to the messy reality of adolescence. The dialogue is conversational and raw, blending seamlessly with sweeping, expressive art to create a world that feels both timeless and sharply modern. It will deeply resonate with anyone who has ever sidelined their truest friends for a toxic romance, offering a gentle, hopeful path back to self-worth and platonic devotion.
- Mood
- bittersweet
- melancholic
- hopeful
- intimate
- Tone
- earnest
- tender
- angsty
- empathetic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- toxic relationships · queer adolescence · platonic devotion · self-worth · messy coming-of-age
- The writing
- Conversational and emotionally raw dialogue that pairs seamlessly with sweeping, elegantly expressive visual storytelling.
- The arc
- Moves from the dizzying, anxious cycle of a toxic romance toward grounded self-acceptance and the reclamation of true friendship.
- Who it's for
- Anyone who has ever lost themselves in a bad romance and needs a gentle, beautifully drawn reminder of their own worth.
Content notes
- toxic relationship dynamics
- teen pregnancy
- underage drinking
About the book
Author Mariko Tamaki and illustrator Rosemary Valero-O’Connell bring to life a sweet and spirited tale of young love in Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, a graphic novel that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the healthy ones we need.
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.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
See why they match
This One SummerMariko TamakiA beautifully rendered, sun-drenched ache of a story that captures the exact moment childhood begins to slip away.
On a sunbeamTillie WaldenA breathtakingly gorgeous, slow-burn journey through space that feels like a warm hug from a found family.
SkimMariko TamakiA moody, beautifully illustrated dive into the messy, cynical, and deeply vulnerable heart of 90s teenage angst.
I Am Not Okay With ThisCharles ForsmanA stark, deadpan exploration of teenage alienation where repressed trauma manifests as uncontrollable, destructive power.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should FeelSara FarizanA warm, witty exploration of the sheer panic and ultimate joy of a high school queer awakening.
BloomKevin PanettaA sun-drenched, flour-dusted summer romance about the quiet beauty of slowing down and figuring out who you want to be.