I really enjoyed this book!

CW; mentions of parental loss, bullying, anti-Blackness, grief

This book follows a young girl’s journey on acceptance of her hair, and interweaves stories of dealing with grief, dealing with school bullies, and dealing with conflicting ideas of what is best for her hair from her mom. With the help of her cool aunt and her best friend, she is able to learn self-love and change the mind of her mom.

I really loved the art style and the storyline. I loved the purpose of this book and how so many complex topics were tackled. This is a beautiful graphic novel that I know is going to change lives.

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega is a Middle-Grade graphic novel about a Dominican American girl Marlene and her never-ending struggles with her frizzy hair.

Ortega has addressed important issues teens face - self-esteem, self-love, the impact of parental approval, the concept of beauty and outer appearance, and acceptance of one’s roots.

The chapter titles are cute and apt to the story that follows. I loved the font, text size, and vocabulary. They are perfect for the genre and target audience.

Rose Bousamra’s vibrant illustrations depict a diverse cast and bring them to life in an endearing fashion.
Frizzy is a realistic graphic novel and should be read by children and adults. It carries subtle profound messages that need to be spread far and wide.

I received a free copy of this book from First Second Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wordsopedia Rating 4.6/5

I was going to attempt to review this personal graphic novel but honestly, I can't because what this book means to me and other folks like me is priceless.

I kept a Twitter thread while I read this book because my entire childhood was just flashing back. Strong reactions to words, the way some characters were treated, the thought process on our hair that I was raised with by those around me, and how hard that is to undo, to unlearn, to love yourself.

I share all my thoughts and experiences in the Twitter thread here. https://twitter.com/NataliaDeJesusM/status/1579278688377790465?s=20&t=_j40ftgVI5YOg6Bvb9fLEw

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. I loved "Frizzy". This middle grade graphic novel deals with good hair/bad hair myth that persists in certain communities when it's all just hair and how to take care of it. The scenes in the salon that are both bonding and repelling mother and daughter speaks so much for so little dialogue. This was an exceptional graphic novel of familial love and acceptance.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a powerful, beautiful novel for ages 8-12. I think it could be really beneficial for all age groups though. Marlene is an interesting character that has a lot of spunk and tenacity She was a joy to read. I think this would be perfect in all library collections.

This was absolutely perfect. I loved the art style, the color choices, the story and the characters. Everything was beautiful. Marlene is an amazing main character and I feel like this is a book all ages will be able to enjoy. I found it to be quite an emotional story and it focuses on lots of important messages. I cried quite a bit while reading it. Marlene was just very easy to relate too and love, and the ending was very heart-warming.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for this advanced copy!

As a Latina with very curly hair, I can't say how much I related to this book. I was speechless and sobbing throughout the entire read. Marlene, our main character, is a girl who has to get her hair done every weekend to look "presentable" but longs to let her natural curls shine. She's in love with her curls even when society and her family view curly hair as "bad" or "messy."

Throughout the book, we see Marlene struggle with her self-expression as she wants to keep her mother happy but also wants to decide to embrace her curls and, with that, herself. I felt like I was Marlene when reading this story as many of her thoughts of feeling "ugly" when her curly hair didn't turn out the way she wanted it translated to my own experiences as a child when I was doing my own experiments. Curly hair is like a trial and error experience, and Ortega did a fantastic job presenting that within Marlene's story.

And despite not receiving support from the majority of her family, Marlene has support from her best friend, Camilla, and her aunt, Tia Ruby, which help Marlene gain the resolve to start expressing her desires to her mother.

Lastly, my favorite scene from Frizzy is when Marlene is at Tia Ruby's house doing the curly hair routine. Marlene finally got to experience how beautiful her natural hair can be and understood how easy it can be to style her own hair.

Ortega did amazing with this book; my final rating is 5 stars. Whenever you have a chance, please read this story as it touches upon family, fighting back against beauty standards, and, most importantly, self-acceptance!

What an important, beautiful, endearing middle grade graphic novel. There are so many middle grade readers who will relate to Marlene. All of her life, she is constantly told that she has "bad hair." That she needs to go weekly to get it straightened in order to fit in with society. But all she wants is to wear her curly hair, to be herself.

Everything about this book works so well together, from the art style to the writing to the characters. The emotion comes through so well, not just through the illustrations, but through the writing as well. My favorite scene was definitely when Marlene was at her aunt's house, learning about her hair and why so many people said her hair was "bad." The fact that she eventually gets to just be herself is so heartwarming; I loved it so much.

There are some lovely side characters as well. Marlene's best friend always has her back, even trying to help her figure out how to wear her hair naturally. Of course, her aunt is amazing, and we get to see Marlene's relationship with her mom evolve throughout the book as well. All of these relationships help Marlene on her journey in learning to be herself, and I can see so many kids being drawn to her story.

All in all, if you're looking for a good, heartwarming graphic novel to read this October, definitely pick this one up!

This is such a cute story! I absolutely loved the way the author told the story from a child's point of view. Our main character Marlene finds her voice in expressing her desire to rock her natural curls! She doesn't understand why her beautiful, curly hair is not considered "good" and why she has to spend EVERY weekend in the salon; which she absolutely HATES!

We follow Marlene on a journey of self acceptance and expression! With the help and support of her best friend and her favorite aunt, she finds her voice! She also finds a natural hair routine that works for her! One of the things that I LOVE about this story, is the author really portrays the struggle that a lot of us face/faced regarding our natural hair, texture discrimination, and even more so, how this all can effect a child. Oftentimes, the identity and self esteem of children can be molded by the feedback and messaging they receive from those around them. If they continually receive negative feedback about themselves, they may begin to internalize it and, unfortunately, believe it.

'Frizzy' is the perfect book for anyone with young children! It's a story about family, community, and most importantly, self acceptance!

Kudos to Claribel A. Ortega for this awesome story! And Kudos to Rose Bousamra for the amazing artwork!

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for this advanced copy!

This was a beautifully well done book, featuring our main character who's hair is too curly for her family and doesn't fit traditional beauty standards. A great story following a character who comes into herself!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

“I wanted to be myself. I wanted that to be enough and for everyone to love me. Especially my mom.”

Marlene has always loved her hair, but there’s one problem: no one else seems to. Every Sunday, she and her mom go to the salon, and Marlene gets her hair straightened into “good hair”—except Marlene doesn’t understand why her curls are considered “bad.” Frustrated, she turns to her best friend Camilla and her Tia Ruby for help. Struggling with bullies and hair hijinks, Marlene will have to come face to face with her family’s fears if she truly wants to learn how to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.

FRIZZY is such a gosh-darn cute middle grade graphic novel, and I loved every second reading it! It’s a pretty quick read, but brimming with honesty and heart. While Marlene’s journey isn’t easy, writer Claribel Ortega and illustrator Rose Bousamra do a fantastic job portraying her confronting both internal and external prejudice. I absolutely loved Marlene’s voice, and the illustrations vividly brought the story to life. FRIZZY is the perfect window and mirror for readers everywhere, and I would love to read a continuation of Marlene’s story sometime in the future. Make sure you get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP, and I promise your heart will thank you.

Content Warnings: Bullying, racism, generational trauma

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

First of all I want to thank netgalley for providing me with this graphic novel.

This graphic novel tells us the story of Marlene, a girl with curly hair, a feature that the women in her family do not like as they take it as something bad, and to please her mother she must constantly fix her hair, something which makes her suffer a lot, since she wants to be free and taming her hair implies that she still has to be calmer. but she wants to be able to be like her aunt ruby ​​who lets herself go, lets her hair be free.
This whole situation has made his relationship with his mother tense.
I really liked how it portrays the relationship between mother and daughter, the dynamics that exists between the Latin family. I don't know if I came to feel identified but there were certain circumstances that made me say: "something like this happened to me too"
what the protagonist is looking for is that her mother can accept that she is beautiful as she is.

The illustration in the book is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, the details in the protagonist's hair, uff chef's kiss.
I love the novel and the message it seeks to leave, it is something that has happened to one of us, whether it is because of their hair, physical appearance or even sexual orientation, we all want to be accepted and loved. I gave it 5 stars out of 5

Seriously. There's just HAIR.

Unfortunately, Marlene has been told most of her life that she has "bad hair." This means weekly trips to the salon with her mother to get it straightened. As Marlene begins to embrace her curls, her relationship with her mother suffers and she has to deal with bullies at school. Luckily she has an AMAZING aunt with curls galore--and Marlene is about to get an education in not only haircare...but loving herself, as well.

What I love most about this is that all the women in Marlene's life love her and have good intentions--even those around her trying to "fix" her hair. Marlene's best friend Camila and her Tia Ruby are the kind of people I wish every young girl had in their lives--protective and supportive and confident.

Powerful and emotional (I had to wipe a few tears there at the end) and perfect for middle grade readers.

Frizzy is such a wonderful and heartwarming story about a young girl dealing with the unfortunate reality of hair expectations that society has put on people of color. While “society” does not exist as the antagonist in a visual way—much of the commentary and behavior comes from family members—the white pushed norm of demonizing hair styles that are more typical for black people as “unprofessional” is touched on in a quick, but immensely impactful way.

Main character, Marlene, just wants to be her truest self. She has grown to despise the weekly visits to the hair salon that her mother brings her to as a direct result of generational impact that racism in America has had on her family. With determination, resilience, and perseverance Marlene confronts the various struggles those around her place on hair in a beautiful journey that leads her down a path where she can one day proudly sport her natural hair and be true to her personal needs.

This is a story about growth and how our children can teach us. It’s one about acceptance and love in spite of outside adversity. This is a story that I am certain will mean so much to a great many girls and women out there as they navigate this world of ours. And I am so thrilled this story exists.

Hi everyone!
Thank you First Second Books and Netgalley for the arc!

This graphic novel is beautiful and heartwarming.
It follows Marlene and her curly hair forced straight every week by her mother and society.
This book has character development and family dynamics put in an amazing art style with warm colors.
A short but emotional story that inspires everyone to love themselves as they are.

Frizzy is a book that will positively impact girls everywhere. It follows Marlene, a Dominican-American who struggles with her thick, curly hair. She is dragged to the salon to get it straightened, subjected to rude comments about her girls from her family, and is bullied for her natural hair at school. I can't speak to this experience as a white woman, but I think young readers will connect. This story shows just how important hair is, and how looks are so often prioritized in the lives of young women. This gets heavy at points, but is hopeful, and interspersed with lessons on anti-blackness and generational trauma. I love stories about women healing from the suffering that has been past down to them for generations, and this one does it in a way that is at once inspiring, educational and full of heart. This is ultimately a joyful story, and I appreciate that,

I loved the art in this as well! Rose Bousamra makes these characters come alive with their hair. Everything is so bright and vivid, and all of Marlene's emotions feel so big. I loved looking at this, The art and the story came together in a truly lovely way.

This absolutely ruled. I can not wait to get it for our library and for all the young people with similar struggles to read it. It is at once fun and educational, funny and hopeful.

This graphic novel was everything that I would have loved as a child and teen. The story follows a girl and how she grows to love her curly hair despite the world trying to influence her that something other than curly and frizzy is beautiful. 5/5 stars and thanks to NetGalley for the early review!

Thank you to First Second and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. I really enjoyed this sweet story with a powerful message of staying true to oneself, despite the pressure. Loved the art style and beautiful colors. Very relatable. Looking forward to sharing this book with my upper elementary students.

Hair is such a hot button topic, especially when "neat" and "professional" are code for white. Marlene grows up thinking that she has "bad hair," and is taken by her mother every Sunday to have it straightened and made "respectable." Marlene dreads this every week and just wants to enjoy her curls. Luckily she finds help from her best friend and her aunt, who give her the courage to have the hard conversation with her mother. There is a lot of great information about the issues surrounding Black hair, explained in a kid friendly way. Highly recommended for grades 3 & up.

A really warm story about self-acceptance and unlearning harmful beliefs—in this case, about hair. Well-paced and earnest, and only a little bit on-the-nose (in a way that felt appropriate for the intended audience, I think). Lots of themes that middle grade readers will relate to, no matter their hair type. I'll definitely be recommending this one to my realistic fiction graphic novel fans!