Crush is a fun read that keeps you lost in the pages. I am planning to add this title to my classroom library. I instantly fell in love with Jorge and his huge heart. Crush reminds of the ups and downs of your first love. The friendship between Liv, Garrett and Jorge made me smile. I also loved the diversity in the characters in the book. Ms. Chmakova did a wonderful friendship, love and facing adversity. I would highly recommend Crush by Svetlana Chmakova.

Svetlana Chmakova makes such such little middle school experience books. I think the concept of middle school crushes is such a universal theme. That innocent little baby love.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It’s the first I’ve read from this author. I’d definitely recommend it and want to now read the other books she has released in the past.

Crush is another outstanding book by Svetlana Chmakova.  I enjoy meeting her characters and falling in love with them! Jorge is a young man with such a good heart, trying to be a good person. Thank you Svetlana and please keep writing more books!

So many students loved Brave and Awkward, I had to try Crush. Told in Chmakova's similar tone and style, Crush does not disappoint! Poor Jorge has it together until he meets a girl who totally throws him off his game. This book completely captures middle school. The tone is authentic and always seems realistic for the age group. While not overly dramatic, Crush reminds me what it feels like to be a middle schooler. I know our students will love another addition to the Middlebrook Middle School series.

Reading the life of Jorge and his best friends, Olivia and Garrett, really brought up memories when I was still in middle grade. Life then was more fun and easier, and that we don't have to deal with bigger problems that adults are facing such as earning money and our careers. Our only problems then were just about our friends, how to passed our subjects, peer pressure, sometimes bullies, and our crushes. 

This graphic novel really captures those moments in our lives, especially on how we should act in front of the person we have a crush on. Jorge's story is really charming and I bet that those who read this have compared themselves to him and must have remembered those little crushes we had then. The innocence of liking someone at a young age is absolutely cute and will put a smile to anyone's face just like what Crush did when I've read it.

This is the third installment in Svetlana Chmakova's series and I will definitely find a copy of the first two graphic novels because I'm really curious if they are good just like this one. Crush is a highly recommended read for all readers, middle grade or not. Readers will love it from beginning till the end and perhaps anyone will want more after done reading it.

This book crushed it. One doesn't need to have read the other two books in this series to enjoy this one. Crush is a lovely and relatable story about friendship and first crushes. The author does a fantastic job at capturing the trials and tribulations of surviving middle school through its expressive illustrations and Jorge's thoughts and actions. Jorge is a kind kid who is just trying to understand these new feelings he is having towards a girl in the drama club while wanting his best friends to  just get along already. This book is funny, adorable, sweet to its core, and just a whole lot of fun to read. An excellent choice for fans of Raina Telgemeier.

Another great read from Svetlana Chmakova! This one covers a lot, from crushes to consent to gossip to cyberbullying to forgiveness...really, the crazy social circus that is middle school. I love getting glimpses into the lives of all of these characters throughout each book Chmakova writes and I hope we'll get more in the future!

Everything Svetlana Chmakova writes and draws is adorable, awkward perfection. This newest volume in her ouevre is no exception.

This is a really sweet story about first love. Jorge is dealing with typical middle school life, and then realizes he is falling for a girl. Jorge is an admirable character who sets a good example of how to act and how to treat people. The innocence of the romance is really sweet and feels realistic. This book has a richly varied cast of characters so that everyone who reads it should feel represented. It also addresses bullying, honesty, judgements based on appearance, and friendship without being preachy. This would be an excellent book for middle school students, as well as upper level elementary and high schoolers.

I am in love with this book… probably more than Jorge loves Jazmine. But seriously, it’s so dang good! If you’ve never read anything by Svetlana Chmakova before you’re seriously missing out. Crush is fun, funny, and absolutely fabulous. It brings back the growing pains of being in middle school, navigating the complex world of social relationships, and the confusion of finding your place in the world. If you read only one graphic novel this year, this should be it.

I loved the diversity in the characters, and appreciated how the inclusive elements never felt token or forced. The representation of the school populous was anything by homogenous and presented an honest reflection of the average public school. There were cliques, distinct personality types, and it even played on the typical clubs and groups that can be found in almost any school. There’s the drama kids, the athletes, the cheer leaders, the nerds, and on and on. But what I loved most about these representations is that even though there are characters that play to stereotypes, that those characters that represent toxic masculinity and abusive behaviours are thoroughly condemned for their actions. So too are the bullies, the gossips, and the mean girls. No excuses are made, no free passes are given, and the real-word consequences for being horrible are detailed in full. Hello, cleverly disguised teaching moments!

And just as there are examples of poor behaviour and what not to do, there are some shining examples of how to be kind and conscientious human being. For this alone, I love Jorge! He’s a jock without being a jerk, doesn’t feel the need to participate in petty drama, and despite what his peers are doing he doesn’t cave to the pressure of commenting on or physically invading other’s bodily autonomy. He is supportive, respectful, and absolutely adorable. Svetlana Chmakova, thank you thank you thank you for putting forward an absolutely crush-worthy knight in shining armour. Thank you for setting the bar high when it comes to how people should be treated.

I appreciated that Jorge was painfully shy and unsure of how to navigate his first crush. He was human and relatable, yet at the same time Jorge is also confident in his individuality and unwavering in his treatment of others. I loved his patience, his willingness to forgive, and his refusal to stand idly by why others are bullied. That’s right my friends, while Crush might be about Jorge’s first love it also hands out some (not so) subtle tactics on how to stand up to d-bags of all ages.

With that being said though, the kids really taken centre stage in this book, as the few adult characters serve only to advance the plot rather than deliver lectures or provide guidance. The kids themselves navigate the grounds of what’s right and wrong, and that alone keeps it more relatable for to a middle grade audience.

As far as the artwork goes, I absolutely loved it. The line work is clean, the characters unique and easily distinguished – abstracted enough to be relatable yet detailed enough to convey meaning, and the panel arrangement easily readable. The facial expressions and body language effectively convey the differences in personalities and internal emotions, and speak volumes in a way that text never could. The panel arrangement is clean and not to cluttered, in fact it follows the  left to right, top to bottom pattern of a standard books with only a few full page panels or exceptions to the rule. The result is that this text is an easy introduction to graphic novels for those new to the medium. The colours are used for maximum impact but aren’t overwhelming. They’re subtle, soft, and don’t detract from the visual language employed. Additionally, enough action takes place in the gutter to keep the imagination firing on all pistons, but not so much as to leave the reader to their own devices – especially when it comes to the emotional implications of decisions and behaviours.

Would I recommend this book? Let’s put it this way, I’ve already bought a copy and sent it to my old school! Great for parents, kids, and anyone in-between. This is a smash hit, home-run, middle grade must read.

I loved Jorge and the way he moved throughout the story. I'm not sure I've read another character like him who uses his strength and size to protect others but we can also see his vulnerabilities. The topic of middle school crushes was handled perfectly - humorous and awkward and very real. Definitely give this (and the others in the series) a read.

I loved the new protagonist in the latest Awkward book! It was great to be inside the mind of someone who has a difficult time articulating his feelings, but has a lot going on inside his head. This new book will definitely appeal to tweens, but also does a great job of looking at the complexities of cyber bullying and its impacts. Love!

Crush tells the story that many middle school students will be familiar with - their first crush and subsequent interactions with that person that can be everything from mortifyingly embarrassing to something you want to replay in your head over and over again. With familiar characters from Svetlana Chmakova's previous titles in this series, kids will love this realistic look at middle school and first love.

Crush is Svetlana Chmakova’s third graphic novel set at Berrybrook Middle School. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because my oldest daughter is in the sixth grade, and she loves graphic novels. For several years, she read graphic novels almost exclusively. She has always been a voracious reader, so this meant that we always had a lot of graphic novels in the house. She has recently branched out and found some novels that she really likes, but she still loves graphic novels.    

Since she is an expert in the genre, I thought that it would be nice if she could share her thoughts on Crush:  

So, I just want to say that I LOVE Svetlana Chmakova’s books, and that I was so exited when I heard there was a third book! 

What I like about Svetlana’s books is that she takes a supporting character from a previous book and makes a book about them! This book is about a character from Brave, Jorge. He loves sports and will help anyone who is in trouble! At the beginning of the story, we get an intro to Jorge’s best friends, Liv and Garret and we are also introduced to the football team and this worsethanajerk quarterback who is a honor roll student, but he acts like a total worsethanajerk. But Jorge has a crush, Jazmine, who’s part of the drama club. (She has a boyfriend though. But he acts like a TOTAL jerk to Jorge.)  Eventually, Jazmine and her boyfriend break up, which gives Jorge a chance to jump in and become Jazmine’s boyfriend. You’ll have to read the book to find out if it works out for them or not.  

I really liked this book and was waiting for another graphic novel about the students of Berrybrook Middle School! If you haven’t read Awkward or Brave, you need to read them before reading!!! Svetlana draws and writes AMAZING YA graphic novels that I have become a big fan of! (Svetlana, if you’re reading this, congrats on the baby!)

Clearly, this is an enthusiastic recommendation for Crush. She is already looking forward to the next book the series, and I’m sure that she will be re-reading the other Berrybrook titles until then! 

We voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Another great title from this author! A very sweet and charming title great for 5th grade through middle school.

Crush is adorable! 

Jorge is the strong, quiet type. He is also kind and good and always standing up for the little guy along with his hyper but trusty best friend, Liv. He is so big his classmates are afraid of him, which helps him keep order, and much more mature than them, which is why he has to keep order. At least, he’s mature in some ways. There is one way he’s still so young: he’s never liked a girl before. And he does not know what to do with it. The crush; not the girl, though he doesn’t really know what to do with her either. He forgets how to speak around her, gets frustrated when he realizes his feelings, and is constantly running off when his confusion becomes too much. His is not a giddy crush. Even when Jazmine agrees to go out with him, Jorge has to think hard about what to do next. Oh yeah! Maybe get her phone number! 

Apart from Jorge’s delightful confusion and first love, Crush has great messages about consent, bullying, friendship, and even feminism mixed in to the overall story. When another girl realizes her boyfriend only liked her for her looks, she drops him like a hot potato. Jazmine breaks up with her previous boyfriend because he treats her badly. Liv is a constant advocate for respect among all her friends, though she doesn’t mind hurting people a little bit to get her point across. Chmakova’s beautiful art also shows an implicit acceptance of diversity in Jorge’s middle school.

Crush is the 3rd in the series Awkward, and as far as these three go, Chmakova always writes uplifting stories that encourage respect and kindness to everyone. She also looks at issues from a different angle from other books I’ve read. My students love the first two. I’m sure they’ll devour the third one as well.

This GN has it all.  A great guy, a lovely girl, feminist empowerment, Body anatomy, and even a little intrigue.  Jorge is the nicest middle schooler I have ever met. He's a big boy, but he looks out for the little guy.  He is the quiet type and believes in feminism, body anatomy, and that everyone should be excellent to each other.  But middle school can be complicated.  Some friends try to fit in with the wrong crowd, and how is a quiet guy supposed to talk to the girl he likes?  It’s just all so hard and confusing.  I am completely enthralled with this book and now must read all the others by this author immediately.  She does a great job of talking about consent, and it's not just by the girl characters, but Jorge is totally on board as well.  As well as body positivity, and that there are more to girls than being “beautiful”.  I loved everything about this book, and see myself putting it in a lot of holiday stockings.

First crush, can barely talk, why am I so nervous? Now everyone knows... this is going to get awkward fast.
I love the illustration style, every aspect of middle school has been captured. I already have students lining up for this one.

Svetlana Chmakova can do no wrong - Crush is a fantastic middle grade graphic novel (the third in her Awkward series) and it has been my favorite so far. Jorge Ruiz is such a wonderful character, feeling a bit uncomfortable in the changing atmosphere that is middle school; romances, old friendships, new bullies, and fitting in. What I loved about Jorge was that there wasn't any wavering in who he was as a person. So many times middle grade novels that deal with social pressures focus on the character changing who they are to please someone else, and then realizing at the end of the book that who they are is good enough. While this happens to Jorge's best friend, I really appreciated that Crush didn't take that path of character development. Plus, a book about a boy crush that involves consent and appropriate boundaries - Jorge isn't a creep on his crush whatsoever - is a huge win!