Thank you to NeGalley and First Second Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Rating: 4 stars

I honestly wasn't sure about this book at first, since the characters all frustrated me a bit in the beginning and I wasn't really connecting with any of them. That changed quickly though! This focuses on our main character, Hawkins (AKA Belle, but she doesn't really go by that anymore), as she decides to tutor her crush's (kind of mean, at least at first) girlfriend, Chloe. This was intended as a way to get Regina's attention, but obviously it doesn't end up being that straightforward.

I ended up really liking the characters, and the romance in this was developed in such an organic and honestly adorable way, I was rooting for them so hard. I also liked how it explores what happens when people are forced into boxes and don't feel like they can express themselves in a way that deviates from the personality that they've decided to show the world, or that the world sees them as.

If you're looking for a really sweet sapphic graphic novel, I'd really encourage you to give this one a shot!

From the author and artist of Life of Melody, Belle of the Ball tells the story of a love story between the high school mascot (Belle) and an athletic powerhouse (Chloe). This light-hearted graphic novel explores the tangled web of high school romance and how we often find ourselves falling in and out of love unexpectedly.

Sehr süße und kurzweilige Graphic Novel, wenn einen auch keine atemberaubend neuen Ideen erwarten. Trotzdem toll für zwischendurch, wenn man einen kleinen Romance fix braucht um durch den Tag zu kommen. Auch die Zeichnungen sind wirklich nett gemacht!

This NetGalley ARC was in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, this graphic novel was SO CUTE!!!! I am so so so so happy with it, I didn’t read the description going in so I wasn’t sure who the romance was between and had such joy seeing it.
It was a nice twist on the regular “shy girl falls in love with popular guy” letting them characters all be female but still have the same characteristics as a “She’s all that” movie. I did love the redemption arc and the overall happy ending.
Such a sweet read for anyone and I knew I was going to give it 5 stars when the renn faire was featured.
Absolutely will be buying for my library :)

Typically don’t read graphic novels, but this plot line grabbed my attention. This is the story I needed in high school, and while I missed out I’m so glad other generations will have these stories/characters to relate to. Belle of the Ball has likeable characters, a few twists and turns, and the happy ending we needed…. But which happy ending is it?

A really beautiful and earnest queer love story. This story isn't neat, but it is real, and it is soft, and it does feel like your first crush and your childhood friend and the first time you were brave enough to be yourself around someone who looked at you and saw the real you. It's a love letter to love, and I loved reading it.

I love the reps in this. I love the diversity. I love that the characters grow in confidence and understanding and just as people. It was lovely.

This was a really cute romance, with a secondary plot about finding people that let you be your true self. I also loved that it included such an array of what it can mean to be a girl. Also loved the simple pink artwork.

School mascot Belle Hawkins agrees to tutor her cheerleader crush Regina's sporty girlfriend Chloe in English, but ends up developing more feelings for Chloe instead of Regina. I loved how Belle and Chloe's relationship developed and the self-awareness that Belle and Regina achieved. I recommend it for any high school student trying to decide what to do after high school.

B. Hawkins is in her senior year when she finally decides to ask her crush, Regina Moreno (aka Gene), out, after finding out that she has just broken up with her girlfriend, Chloe Kitagawa. The problem is, yes, they did break out two weeks ago, but they’re back together again. However, what could have been an awkward moment transforms into something else when Gene realizes Chloe needs tutoring in English, and maybe Hawkins is sufficiently in love with her as to tutor her girlfriend for free…
I will be honest: I am truly struggling with this review: I did enjoy Mari Costa’s characters, especially Hawkins; the palette in different tones of pink is an amazing aesthetic and really suits the tone of the story; the funny, awkward teenage emotions are really well depicted and it does truly start as the perfect teen romantic comedy.
And still, once finished, there is something that does not resonate well with me. Maybe it is the realization of what Gene must have been going through while not in the page; maybe it is the ending, that feels completely rushed. Something is lacking, and I cannot discuss it without being a huge spoiler, but I can see how Belle of the Ball could be a comfort reading for some people and, at the same time, extremely triggering for some other, especially if they are dealing with some insecurities or they find themselves in the position of Gene.

Another joyous queer YA/teen graphic novel that'll suck you in, take you on a fun ride and then make you want to reread it in no time! This is perfect for fans of titles such as Heartstopper, Bloom (which I'd say it particularly complements with the single colour palette used throughout!), Cheer Up or Lara Jean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. It was campy and low stakes in the way the most entertaining teen dramas are, I couldn't have enough of it.

This was literally SO CUTE. I've been waiting for this to come out for FOREVER!!!! It made my heart go doki doki and I wish there was more.

This graphic novel is so sweet and a breath of fresh air. I loved how this love triangle wasn't annoying compared to most media that has this trope. It was subversive, heart touching, and has an underlying sadness for one of the characters which is rarely seen in some stories anymore.

The main relationship is so sweet and I really enjoyed reading something that wasn't just about coming out. They were all comfortable with their queer identities and still struggles with other things that teens usually struggled with like how to get your crush to notice you and how to figure out what kind of career you want to have in the future.

The art is fantastic and I just couldn't help squealing while reading this. I would reccomend this to anyone that just wants a fun, light, queer read.

Wallflower, Belle Hawkins, ending up in a love triangle. What will happen?

Belle of the ball is about high school senior, Belle Hawkins, who finally works up the courage to ask her crush, Regina Moreno, who is the head cheerleader, and the most popular girl in school, to prom. But she’s already dating Chloe Kitagawa, a star athlete, and a middling English student.. Regina ses an advantage here, and asks Belle to be her friend, and to tutor her girlfriend Chloe. But what happens when Belle and Chloe gets to know each other better? What are the future for these three girls?

Wow, I really liked this comic book! Belle was my favorite character: a sweet, geeky, fantasy-loving girl. I also liked how the story evolved over time. The comic book’s artwork was amazing, and I can’t wait to read more from Mari Costa! I truly recommend this to comic book lovers, lgbt+, and overall to people who like a cute and a easy read story.

Happy reading!♥️

This graphic novel was so so cute! It has all the adorable and fun coming of age tropes from teen movies and I just ate it up.

This was sort of a roller coaster of a story. I think the emotions were up and down and I, for a little bit, didn't know where the characters stood and then it suddenly became clearer. By the end, it became a sweet story of reclaiming a lost friendship, claiming of new love, and some pretty mature understanding.

I admire the normalisation of a lesbian couple, the graphic novel does not make it a big deal and simply allows these characters to enjoy their lives without making a big fuss out of who they love. I definitely agree that many will enjoy this graphic but personally I am not a huge fan of cheating plots which occurs in this graphic. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters: Belle tries to get with Chloe’s girlfriend. Chloe’s girlfriend is using Belle to help Chloe get better grades knowing she has a crush on her. Chloe emotionally cheats on her girlfriend.

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5 stars

An absolute delight of a story that resonated so strongly through all the characters. I liked that the characters weren't perfect and their issues had to be discussed to resolve conflicts. Overall this was a feel-good story that I think many readers will find relatable.

Wow! I loved this from start to finish. It all started when the incredibly smart weird loner girl, who’s also the school mascot, asks the head cheerleader to the dance, but her jock girlfriend finds out and threatens her. Or does it?

Chloe is failing her English class and to stay on the team, as well as get into a good college with her girlfriend, she has to get a tutor. Gina, said GF, finds a name from the school roster and uses her womanly charms to talk her into tutoring for free… all for the mere price of being her friend.

Hawkins (aka Belle) doesn’t have friends in high school. Being the mascot does get its perks tho. She gets to see the girl of her dreams all the time at cheerleading practice. So she’d do anything for her… even tutor her bully of a girlfriend.

What Chloe doesn’t know… doesn’t remember, is that Hawkins is actually her elementary school best friend. They used to play pretend and Belle would wear a princess gown to school every day. But time and high school changed them into the people they are now.

I really loved this book! Did I know what was going to happen by the end? Absolutely! But I wanted the journey along the way to be incredible… and it was!

This story was so cute. The art was adorable and I really really loved the plot. Not going to lie, at one point I was really hoping that all three girls would find themselves in a relationship together but the way it ended was still really sweet.

The story follows Hawkins who was childhood friends with the jock, Chloe. Hawkins has a huge crush on Chloe's now girlfriend Regina and ends up asking Regina to the school dance but gets turned down. The three get tangled together when Regina asks Hawkins to tutor Chole in English (her grades need to get boosted or she is going to get booted from the team). Chloe realizes Hawkins is actually Belle, her dress wearing best friend and crush from grade school. After this things get complicated. Regina likes Chloe, Chloe likes Regina but also likes Hawkins, and Hawkins who used to like Regina now likes Chloe...what will happen??? Who will end up together? Will drama hit the fan? Read Belle of the Ball to find out.

10/10