This will be a hit in my classroom. I could tell instantly because my 4th grade daughter read it all in one sitting. It’s bright, colorful, and the kids will really connect with the awkwardness of the main character.

This is such a sweet book, perfect for all the queer theatre kids out there!

The whole story is set at a performing arts summer camp, where they’re putting on a Cinderella-inspired show called “Ella”. Our main character, Ash, is the stage manager, and they have a crush on their best friend, leading lady Ivy.

I really liked the setting of the summer camp; the rehearsal and show process provided a really strong narrative, and there was that sense of excitement and camaraderie that felt really nostalgic as an adult reader.

I also loved how all the characters were able to exist without their identities being a central talking point. They were all able to live as their authentic selves, without comment or question, and I think it’s so important to have books out there like this one for queer kids as they’re growing up.

The real star of the book, of course, is the friendship-turned-romance between Ash and Ivy. They have such a lovely friendship, and it was so sweet to see them figure out their feelings for each other.

All of this is tied together with bright, vibrant artwork, that really completes the summer fun vibes. While the book is aimed at middle grade readers, I think there’s something for all ages to enjoy.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

This graphic novel follows Ash as they navigate their last summer at theater camp. Ash has a huge crush on their theater camp bestie, Ivy, and is jealous when Ivy starts to bond with her co-star. This book is cute and packed full of feelings. I love the nonbinary rep and the cute relationship between Ash and Ivy. I also thought the art was excellent. However, I wanted there to be more happening. I also get that Ash was navigating feelings of jealousy and loss but I found them to be unlikeable at times. I would happily recommend this to teens and tweens in the library though!

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

The Good:
-Adorable art
-LGBTQIA+ rep for days
-Great message about friendship and the importance of communication

The Meh:
-How did this camp work? I assumed everyone was working on the play but there was a conversation where some people weren't working on the play. What are they doing if not the play?
-The plot felt a little rushed. I think I just wanted more time with the characters working on the play altogether, but it jumps to the performance pretty quickly after a major setback happens.

The Bad:
-There is no way Ash is dying their brown hair purple without a lightener first. That's not how vivid color works.

Super cute story about queer kids at a performing arts summer camp. Great for middle school students. I would read another book about these characters.

This was a great read. The art was cute. Students will enjoy the story. I will definitely add this to my library because students will connect with the characters and how it addresses friendship and friend drama. I also loved the LGBTQIA representation.

Very cute graphic novel that covers friendship, friend drama, and a little growing up.

I would definitely recommend for addition to middle grade libraries!

A short and sweet drama camp romance .. …. . . . …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Upstaged is a cute graphic novel set at a theater camp. It focuses on ash who has a crush on their best friends and is wanting to confess, the comic deals with feelings of jealousy and accepting that things are not always how you expect them to be. I loved the LGBTQA+ representation. I think my only critique is it kinda feels a little like a sequel to another comic, I'm not sure how to explain it but it felt like I missed some story building.

Ash must find a way to confess their crush to their long-time friend Ivey while producing the camp's play.

This book hooked me in from the first couple of pages. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Ash is in love with their best friend, and plans to tell her while they're at their summer theater camp. Unfortunately, they end up having to spend more time apart than together due to their different roles in the show. Ash struggles with jealousy, insecurity, and accepting help from potential new friends. I think this is a really fun middle grade book about a first big crush, especially for theater kids. I appreciated how the queerness in this story was intrinsic, and while essential to the characterizations for many of the main and side characters, it wasn't the focal point to the plot itself. This is not a coming out story, instead we have a character who is already firm in their queer identity, which I haven't gotten to see in a lot of middle grade reads. Very much enjoyed this one!

This was very cute. I loved the PB&j references that was adorable. I am begging publishers though when they send out advanced copies, please for the love of everything, make them so that the file isn't freaking blurry. I swear I thought my eyesight was going out while trying to read this book because everything was blurry. It took me way longer than it should have to finish because I genuinely had to take breaks.

It has a non-binary main character with a bisexual love interest. It is a nod to summer camp and theater and overall a very cute graphic novel.

Sweet, fun story of a nonbinary tween at theater camp. Ash is relatable: they have good intentions, but sometimes they definitely make mistakes. It's lovely how supportive and forgiving all their friends and colleagues at camp are when they finally realize that they've been so focused on their crush that they've been letting everything else slide. A good-hearted book that also has a lot of fun theater stuff!

This was such a cute, fun graphic novel! I loved seeing such diverse characters, and it was really fun to see all the theater stuff going on. The art style was awesome, and the colors really made everything pop! I loved the character development, as well, and the arc of the story! Will definitely add to my reader’s advisory lists!

Love to see more nonbinary rep in graphic novels, particularly from authors with lived experience. This is a super cute summer theatre camp story with great rep, a sweet romance and a realistically flawed protagonist. An easy recommend!

I ached for Ash so many times in the story, holding in a crush, almost ready to speak, letting so much valuable time slip by. It was inspiring to see the other campers and and friends rally around them and willing to look past their preoccupation. A timeless, universally relative tale of missing the life going by you while you focus on your own fear and insecurity. I can't wait to hand this to fans of Smile, the Sunny series, and Awkward.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Such a fun read! The art, of course, is adorable, and all the characters are so charming. I found myself falling in love right away. It’s refreshing to see nonbinary characters having small adventures without gender-related drama, and I really enjoyed Ash’s arc of growing as a friend and a theatre artist. Even through their fumbles and mistakes, I was rooting for them the whole way. The relationships felt very grounded and sweet. I so appreciate the balance between the main conflict—Ash’s crush—and the development of other characters and friendships. I would love to see more comics with this cast. Really made me miss both theatre and summer camp!

A sweet graphic novel about the drama (pun intended) of a first crush that also happens to be your BFF!

Does the job—cute story, set at theater camp, minor conflicts, resolved. It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago we wouldn’t have seen a middlegrade graphic with a nonbinary protagonist crushing on their bi cis female best friend from a mainstream (or any?) press. It doesn’t feel remarkable at all.

Thanks due to #netgalley for access to the digital ARC.

A really great middle grade coming of age about a non-binary kid learning to deal with complicated feelings of jealousy and anger. The book does a great job of treating the protagonist as a character first rather than making their entire story about being non-binary. Ash is already comfortable with themselves and their identity, but they need to learn to process their emotions and navigate new and old relationships.