The story had a good pace and The topics of conversation were realistic, with recently divorced parents something that happens in life, it gave the kids perceptive great, made it a relatable character. I let my son take a peak at this story and he said the art was good and he enjoyed how the boys view.

Buckle Up is a story about a kid with recently divorced parents that (as the title may suggest) takes place mostly in a car. Divorce is hard, especially when you can remember it. Lonnie is angry and embarrassed because of his parents' divorce and how other people feel about it, and is given the space to feel that way, though his troublemaking behavior because of it isn't excused. Mental health and queerness, and the problematic stereotypes of both, were discussed. The father held some ill opinions, but through discussions with Lonnie, his opinions were reformed. I liked Lonnie's relationship with his sister as it felt very realistic--lots of arguments, though they still love each other. I feel as if the mom wasn't as present throughout the book except for the "young, intelligent, and Black" joke. The ending felt like it cut off abruptly. I was expecting more pages when NetGalley wouldn't let me swipe anymore, and then I saw 243/243 at the bottom of the page.

The art style is simple and uses a lot of copy and pasting of panels. I think it is fine in moderation but it was used a LOT in this graphic novel. I know cars (and backgrounds in general) are hard to draw, but most of the backgrounds were white voids. I liked how during arguments, Lonnie and his father appeared to be sitting farther away from each other, but when things are fine they are closer together. I also liked the use of color.

This is a good story for younger kids dealing with divorced parents and other struggles to read. I know I am older than the target demographic, yet I still derived some enjoyment from it--though my issues with the art and the abrupt ending brought it down a few stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid graphic novel focusing on what it's like for a tween navigating the new "normal" of his life, when his parents get divorced. As a child of divorce, I can totally relate to this character and all the confusing thoughts going through his head. Our house v. Dad's house; thinking everyone is talking about me and my parents' divorce. Learning how to talk to the parents about feelings/confusion etc. I liked how the author used the outline character drawings to represent what thought were going through Lonnie's head. Things he wanted to say out loud but was afraid to. Kids who may be going through a divorce will gravitate to this book

4 stars

Little Lonnie needs a hug, and you will want to give him one so many times while reading his story in this charming middle grade graphic novel!

Lonnie's parents have recently divorced, and his struggle with this is real. This situation is handled so authentically, and I think many young readers (and perhaps their parents/guardians) will also benefit from some good reminders about how difficult this scenario can be for kids. Lonnie's interactions with his mom, dad, and sister (with whom he has the most hilarious fighting method) are at the core of this heartfelt exploration.

One area where I'd have appreciated more focus is in a somewhat difficult exchange between Lonnie and his dad regarding sexuality. It happens quickly, but Lonnie's dad expresses some heteronormative perspectives that lean into the realm of homophobia. While Lonnie does not share this opinion and confidently calls out his dad, I wish this section had been further developed to clarify a fully accepting perspective, especially since there are some also brief mentions of Lonnie's sexuality. For me, this is too big of an issue to be touched on this lightly. I'd have liked a clearer YOU ARE WELCOME HERE thread.

I'm looking forward to sharing all of Lonnie's critical car convos with my students in the near future.

This book is a graphic novel about a boy struggling with his families divorce. It gives a great first hand perspective of how an adolescent deals with his feelings about divorce. I felt that some of the storyline was a little unclear (like at the start of ch. 2) and there was a very brief sexuality conversation that seemed irrelevant.

An engaging and quick read, this well-written story imparts a valuable lesson for both parents and children—emphasizing the importance of refraining from quick judgments and hasty comments. Particularly beneficial for middle schoolers navigating the complexities of newly separated or divorced parents, the narrative also offers support for kids grappling with uncertainty about their own sexuality. The illustrations, while not reaching the heights of fantastical, purposefully maintain a rudimentary style. Diverse drawing techniques distinguish between Lonnie's internal musings and the more detailed depictions of his interactions with family and friends. Notably, the majority of the narrative unfolds within the confines of either his mom's or dad's car, underscoring a symbolic journey throughout the book.

While I did not love the art style personally, the character expressions are very clear and may entice reluctant readers with the minimal text and emphasis on art driving the plot. The book is quick, but still offers positive representation for children of divorced parents and what it might look like to come out as bisexual.

Strong, but not strong enough. Pretty awkward art style and little to no meaningful character growth, especially with regard to Lonnie's unexpected declaration of bisexuality. It was out of nowhere, and then it isn't explored again. This would have benefited from cutting down on some of the more superfluous panels and adding more character exploration in the text.

This comic book tries to strike the balance between a child's emotions and the relationship with their parents. I applaud the author for tackling the emotions a child goes through when their parents divorce. I appreciated the inner dialogue Lonnie had with himself, while talking with his dad. At times I thought to myself, "this must be what goes through my son's head when I'm asking him questions and he doesn't want to talk." I also enjoyed the banter Lonnie and Nicole had with each other and how they managed to insult each other in a way their mom didn't pick up on, at first. I can see my own children doing something like that and thinking they pulled a fast one.
I did struggle to identify who each text belonged to at times. And though I know comics are a mix of pictures and text, there seemed to be some "filler" pictures (pictures repeated on the page with no words). I understand it may have been done to illustrate a drawn out silence that can happen in conversations, it caught my attention a few times.
I really appreciated the dad's advice to Lonnie of "mean what you say or don't say it" and how it turned into a lesson for both of them. Overall, I enjoyed the book and my tween, who read the book with me the second time through, also liked it.

This book was a very accurate representation of middle school struggles that I think anyone can relate to. I would definitely see this being popular with my juvenile patrons.

I absolutely love this book and I teared up a lot of times reading this. Lonnie's parents are divorced and he's worried about what the other kids at school are thinking things. In this story, Lonnie learns to express himself and learns to talk things through. I absolutely love the potrayal of healthy communication between the child and his parents. However, I would've loved to see glimpses of the therapy session they go for it to be more authentic. Will recommend this to my students!

I loved this book! As a retired teacher/counselor I found this to be a valuable book to share with both children and parents as they deal with divorce. The book is very well written in a format (graphic novel) that is appealing to children, is beautifully illustrated with great facial expressions, and divorce is handled in a caring manner.

Lonnie's parents are newly divorced and he now has two homes. Dad drives Lonnie up to and from school every day and during their commute Dad tackles the hard topics like divorce, their new living arrangements, racism, sexuality, getting along with siblings, counseling, and using every available moment to talk & share.

Buckle Up was a well-done graphic novel, I'd say for middle schoolers and up. I appreciated the use of the car as a place for the parents to have serious conversations with their son, Lonnie. I liked the author's exploration of divorce and sexuality. It was well done and not heavy handed or preachy. Fun illustrations and use of text messages.

Lonnie doesn't like the change in his family. he wants things to return normal. he's been handling the change badly and it's starting to affect his life.

this book shows not only the outer appearance but also Lonnie's internal turmoils, with him being kid and all the emotional unstability that comes with it. the scenes are mostly happen in a car, thus the title and cover. everything was okay for me, I think.

I really enjoyed how the story is mostly told through conversations a kid has with his parents while they are going through a divorce. In real life, a lot of our important conversations occur in the car because that's when we're stuck with each other without other distractions.
It's great how you can get the feeling of time changing and the family learning to accept each other and their circumstances.
The pictures were simple but I really liked them, there was a roundness and a brightness that made you feel positive reading this graphic novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A really fun and powerful middle grade novel! 4.5 stars. Something about the artwork was so nostalgic for me and I loved how much it added to the emotion of the story. A fantastic glimpse into the dynamics of divorce. I loved the creativity of the setting of the car tied in with the title. So cute. Honestly I don’t say this often but I feel like it could have been longer but I don’t know if it’s meant to become a series and/or the author wanted to appeal to a younger audience having a shorter page count. Regardless, I’d definitely come back to this author and am so grateful to have received an advanced copy! Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lonnie doesn’t like that his parents are divorced, and so he doens’t want anyone to know. He thinks that by having his parents drop him off a block from school that no one will notice that they aren’t doing so together. But the kids find out, and he is embarrassed, and starts acting out, and getting in trouble.


I love how the author draws Lonnie’s thoughts, as he tries to tell his father how he feels. And it is also funny when his mother tells him to stop saying his sister is stupid. That she is young, gifted and black, and they start to use that phrase instead of stupid.


Good story for those who are going through divorce at this age, and those who are not, so they can see how much it hurts. When my best friend in 6th grade had her parents divorce she didn’t tell anyone for years. Her mother thought that the reason no kids came over was because she was embarrassed,and perhaps she was. And when we finally found out we were like, oh, that happens all the time, and it did too.
Kids have no control of what happens to their parents. And this book is a perfect example of how it is best to talk it out, or go to therapy, so everyone can understand how they are feeling.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 27th of August 2024.

A MG graphic novel about growing up, changes and growth from the view of a car.
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Lonnie isn’t happy about his parents’ divorce. He’s the only kid in his class whose parents are t together anymore and he’s getting teased about it. He’s annoyed by his sister, struggling with his identity, his anger and his new way of life. As his mom and dad drive him around, we see Lonnie’s struggles and how he works through it.
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What I didn’t like: the artwork and the conversation about the dad saying having two moms is odd. Yes, Lonnie stood up for them and it lead to a great conversation, but the whole thing made me uncomfortable until it got to the dad being more accepting.
What I liked: how honest both parents were with Lonnie and how he expressed himself as well. It felt very real, particularly having to attend family therapy. Let’s normalize that as something all families could do.
This graphic novel releases August 27.

CW: racism, divorce (theme), homophobia