When I saw this advanced reader’s copy on Net Galley, I knew I had to snag it!  I was already familiar with the author, Faith Erin Hicks, through some of her graphic novels, Friends With Boys and Brain Camp.  Even though this one was not a graphic novel, I was excited to see her take on a modern-day Romeo & Juliet story revolving around…comic books.

Miriam lives in the small Canadian town of Sandford, a place that feels small yet familiar to Miriam.  She dreams of leaving to go off to college but is afraid because all her friends will be staying behind.  On top of her college worries, her best friend Raleigh is becoming more distant the more she spends with her hard-edged boyfriend.  One comfort is working at the Emporium of Wonders, a book and comics shop.  Not only can she save money for college, but she can also feel connected to her grandfather, the illustrator of the original TomorrowMen comic books who signed away his half of the TomorrowMen fortune to his business partner.

Weldon is new to Sandford and is living with his aunt and uncle for the summer because of his poor decisions that keep getting him suspended from school.  His father, the owner of the TomorrowMen comic characters, is also busy overseeing the new TomorrowMen action movie and has no time to control his out-of-control son.  Weldon, bored, finds the Emporium of Wonders and by chance meets Miriam.  His interest is peaked, however, once hearing his name Miriam visibly goes cold towards him.  Time and time again, the two find themselves thrown together, but can they get over generations of hostilities between the two families?

I loved just about everything about this YA novel.  Miriam’s uncertainty about leaving her hometown, family, and friends to pursue her college dreams and her troubles navigating her changing friendships.  Weldon’s complicated family relationships (divorced parents who both won’t take him in for the summer or find the time to stop his rebellious antics) and his public facade that many people can’t—or are unwilling—to see through.  They all felt very real and applicable to students today.  Then there’s the who idea of putting aside prejudices against people just because of who their family is.

Yes, it’s Romeo & Juliet, star-crossed lovers, but it also has heart and strength and vulnerability.

Comics Will Break Your Heart is a romantic comedy that it's afraid to be funny, serious, lush, and heartbreaking. Miriam is a great narrator, realistically bitter about her family's loss of the TomorrowMan, but not as upset as to dampen her own love of comics. With the inclusion of Weldon, Miriam finds her self caught between her heart and her family's legacy which is just ripe for the DRAMA. Which is not only here in spades, but natural enough for the story to flow easily, allowing itself light moments as well. This isn't a particularly impactful story, but damn if it isn't a fun one.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillion books for my free copy in return for my honest review! Love you lots!

Two words…Bill Finger also known as the guy who got snuffed on being one of the original creators/illustrators of Batman. The guy who spent decades of his life, trying to get recognized for his work, but was not 
acknowledged until after Mr.Fingers death in 1974. Mind you Batman made his first appearance in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detective_Comics back in 1939! Tsk tsk on the comic book world, but this was and still a big issue in the Graphic Novel industry. There is a great documentary about Bill Finger on Hulu https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_and_bill_2017

Ok now that I have ranted a little, my review on Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks, which is out now! Go pick it up at https://www.amazon.com/Comics-Will-Break-Your-Heart-ebook/dp/B07G14VS3N/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2SCF1LW33FQBB&keywords=comics+will+break+your+heart&qid=1550118951&s=gateway&sprefix=comics+will+%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-2 

We follow Miriam who is the granddaughter of the co-creator of the famous 1960’s comic book The TomorrowMen. Her family should be rich, considering The TomorrowMen has a huge nerdy fan base, with a multi-million dollar movie coming out. But when her grandfather had to sell his rights, his family literally got nothing. Then a strange handsome boy walks into her job and her world is turned upside down.

This book was really great. I try not to consider myself a comic book snob, because I’m a thirty something year old mom, that bags and boards all her comics, and may or may not have a stash of action figures her kids can sell when she dies. I just know the feeling of being a nerd. Before it was cool be a nerd. When you would get looks for reading comics at lunch time, or you were the only girl in the comic shop filled with boys. I digress, I’m sorry.

We are giving this very great, very awesome book a 5/5 stars! Why you ask? BECAUSE IT GAVE ME ALL THE FEELS!!!!

Make sure you follow us on Instagram! @beedlethebardbooksleeves

See ya soon!

Angie

When I read the premise of Comics Will Break Your Heart, I was all for it. Not only am I a fan of Faith Erin Hicks, but this story is a hate-to-love trope revolving around the world of comic books. Can it get any better than that? No, no it can't.

In a Romeo and Juliet style, Comics Will  Break Your Heart is about Miriam, and the struggle that she calls her life. Mir questions choices, like most teens do, but in this case, she questions if she should continue with her life, her future, if her family can't barely continue with today. The story starts off with a bang. A meeting of Miriam and Weldon, our fated Romeo and Juliet, a fight, and cops. It's an amazing first chapter, and it catapults the story into this superhero trajectory.

I adore Weldon. And while some may say "first-world-problems," emotions are a valid thing. We all want to be love, despite what fortunes life affords us. And Mir. Ugh, my heart breaks for her. We have all been in the place of insecurities and uncertainties. She is on the opposite side of the life spectrum, but her emotions are also a valid thing.

Comics Will Break Your Heart talks about the upside and the downside of riches. But there is so much that goes on within the pages of this book. There are tones of family, loyalty, and forgiveness.  And why I won't seclude it to just financial riches, Faith does a great job talking about these topics in the most relatable way.

I enjoyed this so much, and I think you will to.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This one was just ok for me. Fun for comic book fans, but the characterization was shallow and the ending was rushed.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. It was just as charming and lovely as Geekerella and I think fans of that book will gobble this one up. I loved that this was a new spin on Romeo and Juliet. 

The plot wasn't the strong suit of this book. The characterization of this book was the real star. I was floored by how real and fleshed out the characters were. We saw a friend break-up and the consequences of that. We also saw Mir have to make a hard decision about what she wanted and how that would affect her family and friendships. I loved that this big issue of comic rights was so murky and real. Each side had a different story and a different view of who was right and wrong, whereas the truth lay somewhere in the middle. We got to see how this one decision, made generations ago, affected families and lives. 

The parents were flawed, real people and we got a look into their lives. We saw a divorce and the nasty, lingering pain. We also saw a very healthy relationship between parents. We saw a healthy parent-child relationship and a toxic one. I think this ticks off so many of the boxes that are missing in YA books these days that people are really wanting. 

It was heartwarming, swoony, and real. I think anyone who reads this book will take something away from it. They'll find themselves in one of these characters or recognize a struggle they're having. I really loved the very real problems this book tackled. It didn't really solve any of them, but these problems aren't those to be solved. They're ever changing and evolving. This book tackled a lot of complex issues that don't really have an answer and I think we need to be showing this more to teens. There's not always an answer and that's okay. Sometimes you just have to do what's best for you at the moment and that's what Mir taught me.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Roaring Book Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

As a comics writer and artist, Faith Erin Hicks knows a thing or two about the industry, which she shares in her first novel.

Comics Will Break Your Heart tells the story of Miriam Kendrick and Weldon Warrick, whose grandfathers together created a long-running comic series, The TomorrowMen. Weldon’s family is wealthy and stands to become even more so when the long-anticipated movie adaptation is finally released. In contrast, Miriam’s family doesn’t have much money because her grandfather signed over the rights to the characters he originated in his artwork for the comics, something he later sued over. So, when Weldon comes to visit family in Miriam’s small town, she’s not exactly thrilled to meet him. But as they get to know each other, both Miriam and Weldon realize that in spite of the divide between their families, they have a connection that goes beyond comics.

If you are at all interested in comics, this book is worth reading. Hicks gives some insight into how comics are created and the effects of their current popularity on the industry. She also describes ComicCon, which sounds like it would be both fun and crazy to attend.

Even though the growing feelings between Weldon and Miriam are the core of the plot, Hicks also spends time on the difficulties each of them is experiencing as individuals. In addition to coming to grips with feeling that her family has been cheated by Weldon’s, Miriam is trying to figure out whether she wants to go away to college and is navigating changing relationships with her friends. Weldon is dealing with the fallout from his parents’ divorce and feeling emotionally abandoned by them. If you are reading for the romance, be aware that Weldon and Miriam don’t even hold hands until more than halfway through the book, and kissing takes a lot longer than that.

Outside of the relatively leisurely pacing, I enjoyed this book, and I’d recommend it to readers who like comics and YA contemporaries.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Mir’s grandfather sold the rights to the comic he co-created for next to nothing. Now the comic is mega popular and Mir feels cheated.

Weldon’s grandfather also co-created that comic and created Warrick Studio’s. But Weldon after some trouble at school gets shipped off to his aunt and uncles for the summer.

I really loved this one! Possibly because I’ve slowly been getting into comics and this heavily involved comics. The relationships we great in this I felt like they were very authentic. And I love that the budding relationship between MC’s went slowly.

I definitely recommend if you’re getting into comics like me or if you’re interested in a Romeo and Juliet contemporary retelling.

I love Faith Erin Hicks' graphic novel work and I've been so excited for this novel! I love the Romeo/Juliet trope and the romance in general. It's clear that Hicks has a great understanding of nerd culture, and I think my fellow nerds (and those who love comics, in particular) will greatly enjoy this read. Hope to see more YA from Hicks in the future!

Wooowie, what a cute novel!  As a lover of comic books of all sorts, I was so excited to read a novel all about them, and I was not disappointed in the least!

Not only is this all about comics, but it has an underlying Romeo and Juliet aspect, with two families feuding over the rights to a popular superhero comic known as The TomorrowMen.  Usually I am not a fan of the Romeo and Juliet reimagining, but this book did it so subtly, it was perfect.

Mir is the granddaughter of The TomorrowMen’s founding illustrator, while Weldon is the grandson of the founding writer.  When their grandparents were alive, Mir’s grandfather was kind of duped out of his share of the comics, while Weldon’s grandfather prospered, leaving his family much more well off than Mir’s.  The two meet in a comic book shop and from there, a friendship blossoms.

As stated earlier, I felt like the Romeo and Juliet trope aspect of the story was so well done.  Mir’s family was always very accepting of her hanging out with Weldon and Weldon’s family was mostly the same, with just a few snide comments from his aunt.  Of course there was a lot of bringing up what happened in the past from the adults, but it didn’t have much of an effect on the teens.  They still choose for themselves to form a relationship, and spoiler alert, no one died in the end.

The relationship between Mir and Weldon is really sweet and also very well done.  The progression of it was paced nicely throughout the story without a drop of instalove in sight.  Weldon is definitely smitten with Mir after their first encounter, but more in an “I’m new in town and want to get to know you because I don’t know anyone” sense, rather than just being flat out in love with her.  It felt realistic of a teenager.  Mir on the other hand, takes a little while to warm up to him, and when she does, it’s cute how she realizes her feelings crept up on her seemingly out of nowhere.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was such a lovely homage to comic books and the people who love them, and would most definitely be a great, fast paced novel to pick up on Valentine’s Day, or really any day that calls for a dash of sweetness.

*Thank you to Roaring Book Press and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Comic and graphic novel writer Faith Erin Hicks makes her debut in young adult fiction with <em>Comics Will Break Your Heart</em>, and does it beautifully! In this sweet YA novel, two teens from families with a long-standing grudge meet and connect one summer in Nova Scotia. Miriam's grandfather co-created the TomorrowMen comics with Weldon's grandfather, but sold his rights to the brand for only $900 many decades earlier. Since then, TomorrowMen has blown up with a huge fandom and a blockbuster movie in the works, and while Weldon's family stands to profit hugely, Miriam's will see not a dime, despite the 20-year lawsuit waged by her grandfather to undo the shoddy deal he unwittingly agreed to.

When Miriam and Weldon meet, they each carry their families' baggage, but their mutual love of comics as well as their own personal struggles to figure out their futures draw them together and help them move past the animosity that's lingered for so long. This is a quick, fun read, with touching moments too, and has some lovely scenes that highlight the intricacies and quirks of best friendships, relationships between teens and their parents, and the heartaches and worries that come with making decisions about where to go in life.

<em>Comics Will Break Your Heart</em> is also a terrific ode to the glories of fandom, culminating in a visit to (of course) San Diego Comic-Con. I'm sure everyone with a secret geeky obsession will relate to the characters' reactions to entering geek heaven:
<blockquote>In a flash he saw everything as she saw it, the madness and energy but also the joyful heart of the convention.

"Oh, wow," she whispered. "Comics made all of this."</blockquote>

This book has a case of a great plot idea, terrible execution. When I read the synopsis, I was so in. While I’m not a comic book reader myself, I’m very much a proud member of that kind of nerd community. I think a book discussing the importance of something like a comic book and how it effects your whole life is a fascinating concept to explore. This just wasn’t it. This felt very much like a debut novel, almost as if full scenes weren’t included in the story. Time was all over the place, I kept forgetting that all the way up to more than halfway through the book, we still technically still hadn’t made it to summer break. Why were they never at school? All the characters and their backstories were just barely explored. The author would mention something as if we should have already known a specific plot or character attribute, when it was actually never told to us. I never got Romeo and Juliet dynamic that was mentioned in the synopsis.

The writing was very juvenile. These kids could have easily been just starting high school, not going into their senior year. I believe dialogue can make or break a piece of writing and the dialogue in this felt so forced. There was no flow between the characters. I think the author took off more than she could chew. She tried to tackle things like classism and the hate-to-love trope, but never got there. All in all, I was really disappointed with this read and it made me sad.

This book was a cute quick read that I couldn't put down. I found the relationship between Mir and Weldon to be rushed. I found myself very angry at how Miriam's grandfather was screwed out of his legacy when his comic characters he drew became popular. I felt terribly for his family. I'd recommend this as a summer read. 

Thank you netgalley for providing me an e-arc of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of Comics Will Break your Heart in exchange for an honest review. 

Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin HIcks is an enjoyable contemporary YA Romance.  It's small town Canadian setting along with the relevant topics covered that are applicable to all adolescents such as first love, changing friendships, forgiveness, and leaving home.  The characters are likable, each with their own faults. 
  I recommend it for readers who love the Marvel Universe.

This was a really cute contemporary romance set in a small Canadian town. Miriam really does not want to have anything to with Weldon once she realizes that he is the heir to the TomorrowMen comic fortune that her grandfather was cheated out of. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an adorable and geeky romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for giving me the chance to read and review this book early!

Faith Erin Hicks, creator of several graphic novels, tries her hand at a contemporary ya romance in Comics Will Break Your Heart. 

Part Romeo and Juliet part comic book lore, this book tells the story of Miriam and Weldon whose grandfathers worked together on the hugely popular TommorowMen comics decades prior. Miriam's grandfather was cheated out of millions by Weldon's father after a lengthy legal battle, leaving bad blood between both families. When Miriam and Weldon meet in a small town in Canada, they can't help but feel drawn to each other.

Many topics relevant to teens are discussed in Hicks' book. What to do after high school, leaving your hometown, forgiveness, first love, and changing friendships are just to name a few. Miriam and Weldon are likable characters, both with their own faults. 

This was a cute, fun romance that does tackle some important issues. I'd recommend it for fans of Hicks' other work and readers who enjoy the Marvel universe.

Comics Will Break Your Heart was an enjoyable story for me, but not something that overly wowed me. Dialogue was simplistic to me and often forgettable. I loved the idea behind this story, but for some reason it just didn't click with me the way I thought it would. I think other people will really enjoy this story though.

His family has made their fortune from the TomorrowMen, while her family watches from the sidelines. Can Mir and Weldon rise above their family history and forge a relationship?

• Pro: I was actually a big Weldon fan. He had quite a bit of baggage to unpack, and I was glad Nova Scotia was a hospitable place for him to do it. 

• Pro: The romance was very sweet. I liked how Mir's feelings for Weldon snuck up on her, while Weldon was sort of gooey from the start. 

• Pro: The Hendricks were such a fabulous family, and Mir's household may have been physically shabby, but it was filled with love and parents, who were genuine and supportive. 

• Pro: Hicks has an obvious love for comics, and some definite feelings about the comic and superhero industry. There is some intriguing commentary in the book that had me nodding my head. I really liked getting a peek at what goes into writing and illustrating a comic. We got to hear from an artist in the book, as well as tagging along as Mir and her friend attempted to write a comic script. 

• Con: Don't get me wrong, I really thought the ending was nice and sweet and I was really happy with the resolutions, but it felt a little rushed to me.  

• Pro: This wasn't just a romance. Both Weldon and Mir were struggling with some issues relating to letting go and moving on, which were definitely themes for several characters in this book. Mir and Weldon grew over the course of the book, and it was clear in the way their approach to this issues changed. 

Overall:  An adorable romance with a side of coming-of-age and geekery, which was fun and light and smile inducing.

An enjoyable light-hearted YA romance. The small Canadian town setting was a highlight. Perfect for both comic fans and those not so interested in them as well.

I graciously received a free arc of this title from Net Galley in exchange for a  review. All opinions are my own honest opinions. 
I have read a lot of character driven books and sometimes I think they are amazing and other times I feel like they fall flat. For me, a good character driven book has to have that oomph factor. I am also not a big fan of the whole 'look how much happier this family is because they’re poor and how much this one sucks because they have so much money' trope. I grew up pretty poor and let me tell you, that was not my life at all. I hate when I feel like books want me to be happy about not having money because look at all these rich people problems! See, their family doesn’t care about them! Being poor sucks.
On to the positives though! I really enjoyed the Canadian small-town setting. Before this book I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in Canada. I do also think the small-town portrayal was pretty accurate in a lot of ways. Seeing smaller, locally owned businesses being bought out and new chain stores opening in their place and the challenges and emotions that come with that was handled well. I also really loved Miriam’s family. They were unique and loving, and the mom, Stella, was so awesome. Her personal style and love of painting and gardening were so fun to read about. Also, the entire family dynamic was just super refreshing to read about and were my favorite parts of the story. I don’t know what the deal is with YA and dead/missing/awful parents, but I am glad to see some changes in this specific area personally.
Overall, this book is getting 3 stars from me. This book would be a good match for people that like character driven stories, good family dynamics, and coming of age stories. 
Anyways, I want to thank Net Galley for giving me this arc and the opportunity to read this book and I can’t wait to dive into my next read!