BOOKLIST — Noah loves sewing and design, and he’s not afraid to let everyone know. His parents don’t take him seriously, though, and insist he apply to UCLA instead of the art school he wants to attend. Azarie loves comics and cosplay and doesn’t want anyone to know, especially her father, who is running for reelection. He has forbidden her to do anything that might embarrass him, including having friends “from the wrong zip code.” After meeting by chance, Noah and Azarie team up to create a cosplay costume for Azarie to wear at a local comic con-assuming Azarie can summon the courage to defy her father and break away from the “friends” he approves of. The friendship between Noah, Azarie, and the group of like-minded artists they befriend is charming. The art is lively and expressive, with even the chapter headings being used to add depth to the story. A bright, encouraging story about the resilience of friendship and learning to stand up for one’s self.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL — Gr 8 Up-A sewist and an aspiring actress team up to compete at a con. Noah, a high school senior, longs to go to art school after graduating so his peers, who ridicule him for his talents, will appreciate his handmade garments. Best friend Hiroki is mostly supportive but more interested in ending the school year on a high note by going to parties. They attend a few, but nothing is more life-changing than when Noah runs into Azarie, the mayor’s picture-perfect daughter, at a mall in Santa Monica nerding out about comics and video games. With her reputation at stake, Azarie asks Noah to keep her double life a secret. But her dreams of cosplaying and Noah’s need for a costume for his design portfolio link the pair even more closely as they dare to realize their ambitions. Soon, everybody takes notice-and not everyone approves. Combining humor and teenage drama, Pinckney’s (Fight Like a Girl) latest is among the first in Mad Cave Studios’ new Maverick imprint. Romanian artist Iurov’s heavy lines and muted pastels add a unique flair to this relatable story of finding one’s path despite parental expectations. The beautiful, wordless sequences depicting Noah and Azarie as they create are mesmerizingly meditative. Though characters’ ethnicity is not explicitly mentioned, the art and contextual clues suggest that Noah is Afro-Latinx, Hiroki is Japanese, and Azarie is white. Supporting characters are diverse in skin tone. VERDICT A fashionable, well-stitched tale. Recommended for all teen graphic novel collections.-Alec Chunn, Eugene P.L., OR

KIRKUS — Two young artists seize a chance to showcase their talents in the hopes of pursuing their dreams. High school senior Noah sews and dreams of designing costumes. Already notorious among peers for making his own clothes and costumes for parties, Noah wants to go to art school and perfect his craft, but his parents are opposed. Despite their objections, Noah applies to his dream school along with their approved, traditional universities. One day he bumps into Azarie, a classmate who is the popular lead cheerleader. She secretly nurtures a love of comic books and aspires to be an actress, to the dismay of her strict, status-conscious parents and friends. Azarie ends up proposing that the two of them collaborate to create a cosplay costume she can wear in a contest, thus showing others who they truly are. While working together, they find a wider community of artists, and a friendship grows-but so does others’ animosity toward their bond. The storyline offers a sweet, albeit familiar, narrative. The protagonists’ main conflict-the disapproval of their parents-reads as a not-very-subtle plot device that would have benefited from more development. However, the illustrations bring life to the graphic novel, particularly when it comes to the characters’ sartorial creativity, demonstrating the range of Noah’s talent. Noah is Black; Azarie is White, and background characters are ethnically diverse. A charming effort with a positive message about being true to oneself. (Graphic fiction. 12-16)