The Do-Over by Rodrigo Vargas is a graphic novel about a young girl, Mariana, yearning to fit into her new school after moving from California and still reeling from the loss of her mother. She is nervous and unsure about how to talk to her new classmates, constantly imagining the conversations in her head rather than speaking them out loud, Her father runs a barbershop and the two of them are unsure how to reconnect again after the loss of the mother. Mariana and her friends bond over a mobile truck of hair-styling and social media engagement.

Though this graphic novel deals with heavy topics, they do not overwhelm the reader and hint at it rather than address it in a way that feels heavy-handed. The main character is extremely relatable, as are the eccentric friends she makes through the story. The dialogue feels natural and the overlapping speech bubbles and internal monologues keeping Mariana from fully hearing other characters sometimes, makes it a very dynamic reading experience as well. The color schemes are bright and joyful, and the hairstyles silly and creative. A great read for middle grade!

Enjoyed this graphic novel - great representation and friendships! Always good to find a graphic novel to add to the classroom.

For young social media expert Mariana, trying to give her dad's hair salon business is tough. At school, she's quiet and reserved, but by chance, she meets two young girls who share a love of hair. Her friends, Zoe and Everly, created a new hair color product, and with Mariana's grandmother's help, all three girls set up their own salon. But when the festival arrives, can the girls get everything under control before it's too late?
Wild hair colors meet one rambunctious dog in The Do-Over, a graphic novel about growing up and becoming someone new. With friendships that change over time and reconciling with bullies, Maraiana has a lot on her plate. But with the help of Zoe and Everly, she's able to make closure on her mother's passing and open up to her dad about all her troubles. Another amazing comic on hair, gal pals, and all the colors of the rainbow. I loved it!

Cute graphic novel in the same vein as Sisters/Guts/Smile. A story about friendship, self-expression, and learning to show your true colors. The three friends come together and balance each other out.
The title was odd, yes it was about starting over a new life after the death of her mother, but just didn't fit the story. I would have called it True Colors. A quick read and a good addition to a MS collection.

My middle school daughter enjoyed the book - she said it teaches kids to branch out & make new friends, but at the same time try new things.
She said it's a great book & loved the hair styles!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

Pros:
-super cute artwork
-super cute story and lesson
-super cute characters
-did I mention this is super cute?

Cons:
-I don't feel like the title really matches what the story is about
-Other than that, I got nothing because I literally read this in one sitting

Awesome middle-grade graphic novel about friendship, self-expression, and not being afraid to show your true colors. I would definitely recommend for middle school kiddos and maybe even younger.

Mariana has lost her mother, who was the last person to style her hair. Her father is a hair stylist, but she doesn’t want him to do it. Nor does she want the new girls she meets at school to do it. It is the last thing she has of her.

And what do the girls want to do, but open up their own hair salon. Zoe has come up with a hair dye that washing out after three shampoos, and Everly is very creative at hair styles, so they are very into this.

OF course there are misunderstandings, and kids not telling parents what is going on, because they always do that.

I’m not saying that this is typical, I’m just saying that this story has all the tropes you expect to find.

And yet, it is also fun. Everly does up one guys hair like a giant corn cob, because, as she says, she is an artist. On another woman, she makes her hair into a giant swirly snow cone.

But what is sweet is that the kids and adults love how much care they get from the girls. They treat them like the customers that they want them to be.

And they do listen, in the end, if someone says no.

Overall a fun romp, though a bit unrealistic that they could carry it off, but that’s not important.
This is a cute middle grade graphic novel that is about, surprise, friendship, which is what most middle grade graphic novels are about, really.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>