Books like Check, Please! Book 1

A warm hug of a graphic novel that tastes like fresh-baked pie and feels like falling in love for the first time. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Check, Please! Book 1.

cozy
joyful
sun-warmed
affectionate

01
Heartstopper, Volume 1
Alice Oseman
A warm hug of a graphic novel that captures the dizzying, delicate butterflies of a first crush.
Shares:
- cozy
- earnest
- first love
02
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
Mariko Tamaki
A tender, beautifully illustrated exploration of the messy line between the love we crave and the love we actually deserve.
Shares:
- earnest
03
Nick and Charlie
Alice Oseman
A tender, anxiety-laced snapshot of first love colliding with the terrifying precipice of growing up.
Shares:
- earnest
04
Bloom
Kevin Panetta
A sun-drenched, flour-dusted summer romance about the quiet beauty of slowing down and figuring out who you want to be.
Shares:
- cozy
- sun-warmed
- earnest
- first love
05
Only mostly devastated
Sophie Gonzales
A queer reimagining of a classic summer-nights romance that balances laugh-out-loud banter with the tender ache of real-world grief.
Shares:
- earnest
06
Crush
Svetlana Chmakova
A sweet, funny, and deeply relatable exploration of the butterflies and blunders that come with a first middle-school crush.
Shares:
- cozy
- earnest
- warm
07
You Should See Me in a Crown
Leah Johnson (Young adult author)
A joyful, anxiety-laced, and ultimately triumphant celebration of queer Black girlhood and the courage it takes to take up space.
Shares:
- joyful
- earnest
- warm
08
Flamer
Mike Curato
A raw, beautifully illustrated journey through the agonizing, transformative fires of a summer camp crush and queer self-discovery.
Shares:
- earnest
09
I Am Not Okay With This
Charles Forsman
A stark, deadpan exploration of teenage alienation where repressed trauma manifests as uncontrollable, destructive power.
Shares:
- queer awakening
10
Icebreaker
Hannah Grace
A high-energy, banter-filled collision of fierce ambition and golden-retriever warmth that melts into a remarkably healthy, high-spice romance.
Shares:
- cozy
- earnest
- found family
11
Perfect on Paper
Sophie Gonzales
A sharp, big-hearted rom-com about a know-it-all advice dispenser who has to learn how to take her own medicine.
Feels:
- chaotic
- hopeful
- high-energy
12
Spinning
Tillie Walden
A quiet, visually stunning journey through the chill of the ice rink and the warmth of finding your own voice.
Shares:
- earnest
- queer awakening
- first love

Back to Check, Please! Book 1