📖 Overview
I Love This Part depicts the relationship between two teenage girls who bond over shared loneliness and interests. The story takes place across changing landscapes and shifting scales, with the characters sometimes appearing larger than buildings and mountains.
The graphic novel unfolds through minimalist blue-toned artwork and sparse dialogue. Walden's illustrations emphasize the emotional space between and around the characters rather than focusing on narrative detail.
The brevity of this 67-page work speaks to themes of connection, adolescence, and the temporary nature of certain relationships. Through its restrained approach to both art and text, the book captures a specific moment in time when two people find recognition in each other.
👀 Reviews
Readers highlight the emotional depth and minimal art style that captures the feelings of first love and isolation. The blue-tinted illustrations and use of empty space resonated with many readers who connected with the characters' experiences.
Likes:
- Conveys complex emotions through simple linework
- Authentic portrayal of teen relationships
- Effective use of scale and perspective in art
- Quick but impactful read
Dislikes:
- Some found it too short for the price ($15-20)
- Wanted more character development
- Story pacing felt rushed in parts
Ratings:
Goodreads: 4.0/5 (4,000+ ratings)
Amazon: 4.6/5 (50+ ratings)
Reader quotes:
"The art style perfectly captures that feeling of being small in a big world" - Goodreads
"Beautiful but over too quickly" - Amazon review
"Made me remember exactly what it felt like to be young and in love" - LibraryThing
📚 Similar books
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
A graphic novel about first love and self-discovery between two teenage girls navigating the complexities of an unhealthy relationship.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden This space-opera graphic novel follows two timelines of young love at boarding school and the quest to reunite years later.
Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh The story charts the evolution of a teenage girl's first romance with an older art student through intimate diary entries and delicate artwork.
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden Two women form a connection during a road trip through Texas while processing their individual trauma and grief.
Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash A memoir in graphic novel form chronicles a summer at camp where a fifteen-year-old girl falls in love with her female counselor.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden This space-opera graphic novel follows two timelines of young love at boarding school and the quest to reunite years later.
Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh The story charts the evolution of a teenage girl's first romance with an older art student through intimate diary entries and delicate artwork.
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden Two women form a connection during a road trip through Texas while processing their individual trauma and grief.
Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash A memoir in graphic novel form chronicles a summer at camp where a fifteen-year-old girl falls in love with her female counselor.
🤔 Interesting facts
★ The graphic novel was created when Tillie Walden was just 19 years old and studying at the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.
★ The blue-tinted artwork reflects the melancholic tone of the story, which explores a relationship between two teenage girls in a small town.
★ At only 67 pages long, the book demonstrates how powerful storytelling can be achieved through minimal dialogue and carefully composed scenes.
★ Walden drew inspiration from her own experiences growing up in Texas and coming to terms with her sexuality as a young person.
★ The book's unique visual style plays with scale and proportion, often showing the two main characters as giants among miniature landscapes, symbolizing how their connection feels larger than life.