Inspired by his own experiences of being high school (note that the main character and author are both named Jonah and have red hair), this is a graphic novel that covers a closeted boy's high school experience (it begins in grade 9 and ends in first-year post-secondary). Jonah has a crush on a boy, and in spite of not having any experience/talent for playing baseball, joins the team to get closer to him. While the story does not follow the author's experiences closely enough to be a memoir per se, the plotlines feel very real. Characters make bad decisions, which have realistic repercussions; students are bullied in (sadly) realistic ways; some plot threads lack satisfying endings. I enjoyed this tremendously. Note: this is not appropriate for middle school; characters drop a lot of f-bombs, have sex, drink alcohol, and some mention of smoking marijuana.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Jonah Newman for a free copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This is apparently not a straightforward memoir, according to the author's note, but it does bristle with lived experience. While the main character plays baseball throughout, that is definitely not the focus, but rather his relationship to the toxic masculinity in these friends that he has made...and his crushes. Everything comes together quite nicely.

*thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

This was a good graphic novel. Not a favourite, but not my least favourite.

The art style was great. The story itself was entertaining.

I give it 3.5 stars. I recommend it!

Rating: 3.5

Themes:
High School
Coming Out
Baseball
Friendship
LGBTQIA+ Characters
Gay MC

Trigger Warnings:
Slurs
Bullying
MC being outed
Sexism (in sport)

A quick read based loosely off of the authors life. Quite a typical coming out story, would be very interesting for a reader who likes sports / baseball focused reads.
As I’m not much of a sporty person, and so much of this was based on the sport elements, I thought it was okay. I mainly picked this up for the LGBTQIA+ rep which is also a main focus.

A few trigger warnings listed above that may hinder readers enjoyment. I wish this was handled better within the story however a lot of it was just brushed off. I wish we saw more people calling out the bad behaviour, but it was not challenged at all really.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jonah is in 9th grade and likes history. So of course he’s getting bullied and he’s affraid to tell anyone he’s gay. In this graphic novel we see pure unfiltered reality, which does not happen often in books. It shows us what high school is best at doing (there’s nothing it excels in more) = breaking a nice and smart kid’s spirit. I know from experience. Bullying, peer pressure and teachers just never having a clue of what’s going on (something I still don’t get) or even caring about how students feel, just makes you hate school and have the worst time of your life. And how can you even get decent grades if you feel like crap?

This graphic novel is too realistic, so basically mostly one heap of negativity and it rushes relationships (and there’s a lot of swearing). I think the author did a great job incorporating his experiences into this but went a little too far in doing so. Too far and too much. I want reading to be diverse and not shy away from topics as sexuality and discrimination but I also want to enjoy reading and really get to know the characters and not be too uncomfortable for too long or almost all the time in this case. I think if the author made this a series of graphic novels and incorporated one or a few high school struggles and new experiences at a time and included the struggles of other students one or a few at a time too and took more time to let us really get to know the characters, this would have been a lot better. I mean this included a pervert(ish) gym teacher, a discriminating baseball coach, loooooots of different kinds of bullying and a lot of it, coming out to friends (which is a big first step), hiding your sexuality, inappropriate gossiping, being an untrustworthy friend, rushed first relationships and breakups and first times having sex, not feeling comfortable in your own skin, catching someone you like like who pretends to be straight, with someone of the same sex, finding out a bully is gay and comforting him, inappropriate behavior when drunk (no means no!), having the wrong friends, finding the right ones and almost losing them again,… And that’s all okay if this was developed a little better (like the rushed relationships) and spread over several novels. Unfortunately I’m not the biggest fan of the illustrations either.

I do feel the need to say that it must have been both really hard and a great feeling for the author to turn his experiences into a novel and I think it’s great he did but it just made a very negative (even if that’s reality) and uncomfortable read.

So if the cover makes you think this is going to be a hard but also fulfilling read or if it’s anything like more upbeat and cozy queer graphic novels like Heartstopper, you should alter your expectations.

This was a cute read with an unexpected amount of depth. Being a loose autobiographical fiction, I appreciated the messiness of Jonah's journey - much of which was rooted in the authors own experiences. Having suffered similarly in middle school and high school from being different (maybe /also/ due to my own"Lord of the Rings" obsession and closet-queerness), I really related to his desire to simply fit in. Like Jonah, that meant overwriting parts of my identity and striving for the status quo, before ultimately realizing that others' approval wasn't worth my own misery. Maybe it's for this reason that I teared up somewhat when the story ended with the opening lines from "The Fellowship of the Ring", indicating that the crumbling of one world can lay out the path for a promising and hopeful future.

“Out of Left Field” follows a fictionalized version of the author - Jonah Newman - as he navigates being a high schooler trying to come to terms with his identity. In order to get closer to a crush, Jonah joins the baseball team and finds out that he rather enjoys the sport. Jonah has to navigate bigoted teammates, platonic relationships, and budding romances.

This graphic novel was such a delight and I read it all in one sitting. The pictures were bright and colorful, but still realistic. I loved the characters. They all felt very real…probably because it is based on the author’s life. I really enjoyed a story where the character isn’t immediately out and proud. They have these feelings, but they have to work through just what that means for them in the world. I was invested in Jonah and wanted to see how he would handle the trouble that is growing up.

I loved the illustrations—the colors—I thought in particular that the school marquee was a highlight.
The characters were honest to this time in their life, and I loved the relationship between our main character and his HS history teacher..
I was drawn into the emotions, the angst, the gossip….it’s just a well written story.
My only issue with this book: there are two sex scenes. One between a heterosexual couple, and one between a homosexual couple. One scene is fade to black, one scene is kissing to unzipping of pants, to shucking of tops to grabbing the condom to naked shoulders in bed. It felt rushed, I felt inappropriate reading it—like a voyeur. It killed the book for me.

This book was a joy to read, I need to read more graphic novels and this has definitely made me even more excited to dive into picking more of them up, this book hit hard at times but it was a beautiful look into a teenager's journey of discovering himself and his sexuality. If anyone liked Heartstopper, I would highly recommend you check this out as I liked it even more than I liked that. The characters were amazing, with flaws and their own personalities and the art style and colours were pure perfection.

I was sent this e-Arc on Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A big hearted graphic novel debut based on the author/illustrator's own experiences playing on a homophobic baseball team in high school and struggling to embrace his sexuality among his friends and peers. This was an honest look at how hard it can be for queer teens to be out in high school when there's such intense pressure to fit in. Highly recommended especially for fans of books like the Heartstopper series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The synopsis caught my attention because it sounded innocent, one of those that remind you what it is like to be a teenager. To some extent it also has that 90s feel. However, it was an honest story above all, realistic, without trying to give a perfect or idealized image of what it is like to grow up as the creator did.

Full review to be published on February 9th: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2024/02/comic-out-of-left-field.html

This was a very interesting, but decidedly Young Adult, look at how the author tried out and made his school baseball team even though he had no previous playing experience, and how the homophobia on the team affected him. This would be great for high school, but had a lot of f-words, on page sex, drinking, and a lot of negative language.

This is more of a 3.5, than a true 4, but I enjoyed the messiness of it, so I'm rounding up. I really enjoyed this book. It felt authentic to the high school experience, used modern references, and was stylistically appealing. My biggest critique would be the pacing. Some years, we're given the full experience, while others, we jump right out of it. It felt like if we're going to label the seasons or semesters, you should have all of them included.

Our main character, Jonah, is trying to survive high school. He is not sure where he fits in or who he wants to be, so he tries his hand at baseball and making friends. I liked Jonah. He's flawed, but trying. You see a lot of typical teenage drama, but you also see great examples of communication. There is an okay cast of characters. I did enjoy Sophie and Jonah's friendship though. It also helped shape Jonah's journey in sexuality. The discussions surrounding it were honest and showed the pressures or discussions happening around teens too.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend it as a read. It's a great story of exploration and being a teen. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

There was so much character growth throughout the book. Jonah started as a kid who was passionate about history and was quickly bullied for it. Along with other conflicts that arise throughout the book. Jonah met each conflict and found a solution. When he joined the baseball team, he knew nothing about it, but with the support of his coach (and no help from his teammates), he found a way to enjoy baseball. By the end of the book, Jonah is able to be true to who he is.

The format of a graphic novel makes the book easier to read and more engaging. The illustrations are wonderfully done and knowing the author drew them makes it even more realistic.

This book has great representation for the LGBTQ+ community. As someone who is recently out, a lot of the feelings and emotions that Jonah felt, I related to. While this book is for an older audience than the students I work with, I think this book would be a great addition to any high school classroom or library.

'Out of Left Field' was a graphic novel I read and besides that, that's really all I have to say.

The story was underwhelming, the art style was okay but felt suited more to short form comics than semi-autobiographical graphic novels. I think like within all queer books, the hope and discovery was what kept me inclined to finish but this isn't something I'd think about, or really recommend in the future.

The pacing felt off, the relationships were uninteresting and the sports metaphors and team and everything else unfortunately really didn't work for me. I hope others have better luck with this one!

Based on author Jonah Newman's experiences as a teen, this graphic novel perfectly captures the identity struggles as a young gay person. Hiding their true selves and even laughing along with homophobic jokes in an attempt to protect themselves. The art is bright and engaging, and the pacing is just right. What a fun, poignant book to read! Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this graphic novel. It’s perfect for a wide variety of young readers from sports fans, LGBTQ+ readers, as well as just fans of fun stories with empathetic characters. Recommended.

One of the first graphic novels I have read and it is a wonderfully illustrated, semi-biographical novel that is full of heart, awkwardness, teen angst and growing up.
I thought the detail in the pictures showed great humour and thought. It complemented the story very well. I loved how you could see the emotions plainly in the characters faces.
Jonah went through a lot in the 4 years that the story was based on. The most important of which was to stay true to himself. A very important lesson that often is overlooked in high school.
I think this was a great read and an important one for teens of all shapes, sizes and sexual orientation.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 /5 stars

Out of Left Field is a semi- autobiographical graphic novel that follows Jonah throughout his high school career. It interweaves the joys of high school with all the gritty hard spots including discovering yourself. The story follows Jonah, an excited freshman as he begins high school. We watch him develop crushes, join a sports team, and try to find ways to fit in with his peers.

I think this graphic novel does a great job illustrating just how hard adolescence can be in terms of figuring out who your friends are and what others want of you. It captures the pressure high schoolers can feel to fit in/or fit a model of what is considered “normal.”

You also get to see the joys, like Jonah connecting to best friend Sophie and geeking out over their love of Lord of the Rings. I thought that overall, the story did a great job displaying how we can come into our own in high school.

I loved the art style and how easy it was to read the emotions in these characters facial expressions. It really made the emotional arcs of the story come across, and you can see both the joys and struggles as Jonah works through figuring out his sexuality.

If you enjoy graphic novels, coming of age and LGBTQIA+ stories the this should be on your list of graphic novels to read. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Out of Left Field" is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel that follows high schooler Jonah (loosely based on the author of the same name). Jonah is into history and fantasy films. To get the attention of a boy he likes, Jonah decides to join the school baseball team. What follows is the four years of Jonah in high school learning to navigate his new feelings, his new friends, and his baseball team.

What I loved - the artwork. I'm an avid reader of comics and graphic novels, and the visuals are just as important as the plot. The artwork was eye catching and engaging. It did a great job of telling the story. Emotions were conveyed easily on the faces. Things didn't get too cluttered. Overall, this was the highlight of this book.

What I liked - the story. Every LGBTQ+ student has their own journey. It won't be Jonah's, but seeing someone similar to them learning to navigate these new and different feelings will help them out. It's wonderful to see more of these voices out there. Jonah's struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality is very relatable. There's some humor in there, but not too much. The plot never feels too heavy or in your face. It's not preachy. It just wants to tell Jonah's story - the good parts and the bad parts. It's honest. It's emotional. It's real. You can easily connect with Jonah.

What I didn't like - The book takes place over the 4 high school years for Jonah. So much happens in this book, but it's rushed and underdeveloped. Huge chunks of what could have been interesting pieces to these characters is left out when you jump months at at time. I felt like many questions were left unanswered (or at least, the answers weren't satisfactory) for many characters. Also, as a science teacher, seeing students doing an experiment without goggles - extra big no from me. ;-)

Being that this is a graphic novel, what is the appropriate grade level? High school (F-bombs and other curses, plus some PG-13 sex scenes)

Overall, this should be on your list of graphic novels to read. Thanks to NetGalley for this early look.