A sweet and slow-moving romance between a boy desperate to get out of his small town and the culinary student he hires to help out at the family bakery. Ari (the protagonist) is selfish and short-tempered, but still endearing, while Hector (his gallant knight in sourdough armor) is almost too good to be true: sweet and gentle, but aware of the importance of personal boundaries and determined to enforce them. I don't think this story will appeal to everyone, but for those who like slice-of-life with realistically flawed protagonists, I think the payoff is worth investing your time.

The coloring and artwork are gorgeous. The characters are very relatable, and the story was so sweet.

This was...good. Not my favorite and not the worst graphic novel I've read. The characters were interesting and cute and the art style was great, but it was all just a little bit underwhelming. I often feel like graphic novels try to take on more than they should, given the limited style of the format. I thought the same here. The character development felt forced and unnatural, though I did like the realism of the two main characters' interactions with their friends (both were critical of the other when speaking with their own friends). Overall, not terrible, but also not incredible. Just sort of meh.

Bloom is such a cute comic about baking and boyfriends! After school is over, Ari doesn't know what to do with his life and he kind of just ends up working at his parents bakery while dreaming of his band making it. His parents want him to bake, but the boy doesn't even know what he wants until he meets Hector, who comes to work and bake at the bakery. These two get to know each other and feelings grow until everything is almost destroyed because of fire. Bloom is an heartwarming story about growing up, finding your place in the world and finding that special someone too. It's mundane in a sense, but full of feelings and tears even. Very down to earth, I'd say. The plot moves with a perfect pace and everything is simple and hard at the same time. I really loved the comic!

The art looks cute and appealing with naivety that works so well. The art compliments the story well as it conveys the feelings wonderfully. Perhaps the panels are slightly too thick and overwhelming eating the lightness of the art. I wish this could be in colors, though. Light autumn colors would look so good with the art. I enjoyed the liveliness of the comic and how everything is normal and extraordinary at the same time. Bloom is a beautiful comic, so do try it. The baking part is the best really and you can see how much Panetta and Ganucheau love it themselves! The baking recipe bonus was awesome too.

Panetta, Kevin. Bloom. First Second, 2019.

Ari has just finished high school and is excited to move to the big city with his band and pursue his love of music, but his family is insisting that he stay home and help run the bakery in the hopes that they will not have to close it down. Ari finds Hector to replace him at the bakery. Hector is in culinary school and loves to bake, and Ari finds himself drawn to Hector. But what about the band and Ari's musical pursuits?

This is a lovely graphic novel love story that is perfect for teens still searching for their place in the world. Ari isn't sure what he wants to do with himself, but he is definitely sure he doesn't want to bake. Maybe. Probably. The blue palette used for the panels is appropriate for the wistful tone of most of the story and helps to keep the focus on the characters and their relationship. Ari's love for Hector is beautiful, especially considering that it happens organically in the tale and that this isn't a coming out story, but rather a love story where the two main characters are male. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Aristotle works at his parents bakery, but he dreams of moving to Baltimore and playing in his band with his friends. He finds Hector who loves to bake and is willing to work in the bakery. The two find a rhythm working alongside each other that is just adorable.

The monochrome blue colors worked since it took place in a beach community, the art had a manga feel and there were beautiful full page spreads of gorgeous landscapes and streetscapes. This read very quick. I don’t normally go for romance, but it was easy to root for Hector and hope Ari reconnected with his loving parents. Well defined characters. Highly recommended for teens looking for realistic romance.

I absolutely loved this book! I enjoyed the black and blue-hued color scheme. It was a great reflection of the ocean town and the gentleness of the story. Ari is conflicted about life after high school. He wants to pursue music but is needed at the family bakery he once loved. A chance meeting with Hector, who is in town to take care of his recently-deceased grandmother's house, brings out Ari's love for baking and the family's bakery. There is also a romantic element to the story but it's more about finding out what you love, not what you ink you're supposed to love. I would hand this to 9th grade and up.

When I first heard about <i>Bloom</i>, I knew it was my kind of story. Some key features that readers should be aware of when picking up this graphic novel: adorable romance, wonderfully realistic family dynamic, and baking! This story left me with so many warm fuzzies once I finished, and I think it would appeal to many different readers whether they're new to graphic novels or hardcore readers like me.

While the main focus is on Ari and Hector's developing relationship, I really loved how much all of the other characters contributed to the story. There's Ari's stoic but also supportive dad, his warm and compassionate mom, and a multitude of friends (both Ari's and Hector's) that just add to the overall richness. And it's fascinating to see the differences in Ari's friends from Hector's since both sets seem to have a slight age difference. Ari and his crew have only just graduated from high school while Hector's group have been in college for at least a year. Still, despite their sometime immature behavior, Hanna and Jake are hugely supportive of Ari. It felt as though Cameron and Lauren kind of faded into the background more, but that was likely due to their own developing relationship both romantic and working.

Now, I say this is a romance, but it's also a story about finding yourself or at least finding a path that means something, and Panetta and Ganucheau did an excellent job of showing the inner turmoil that Ari experienced. On one hand, he's really interested in music and would like to pursue that interest, but on the other, he has his duty to help in his family's bakery. And then along comes Hector who might be a solution to Ari's situation, and yet even he makes Ari unsure on what he wants to do, especially when Hector has such a passion for baking. It's quite adorable seeing both of them working in the bakery together.

Finally, I have to say that the art style is lovely, clean, and crisp, and it really made <i>Bloom</i> a joy to read. Ganucheau's art is truly one that exudes warmth even in the most challenging moments of the story. I have to wonder how the graphic novel would have turned out if it had been shown in full color. However, I think the black, gray, and white really captured all of the story's tones and characters, allowing everything from the backgrounds to the transitions to really shine from the page.

I highly recommend this graphic novel for any public library's graphic novel collection, and I know I'll be adding a copy to my personal library once it's released in 2019.

This is such a great , sweet read! It has a slow build up which is nice. Ari & Hector are well thought out characters with distinct wants and needs. The art is awesome too! This is a great queer romance!

Impossible to review a graphic novel with only text. I would try to reread if the graphics were included.