It’s hard enough being a teen but add in the extra challenges of being new at school in a new town, your mom doesn’t accept you, and you’ve newly transitioned and you’ve found Phoebe. Everyone goes through periods of trying to understand who they are and where they fit in the world and this story is no exception. Phoebe is also new to being a girl and everyone in the school seems to notice. She has to figure out who really has her best interest in mind and who might be using her - among friends and boyfriends. Great read! Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

*3.5/5*

Overall, I enjoyed this contemporary story of a trans girl figuring out what being a girl means, specifically what it means for her. I liked that the message gave us a not every girl needs to be or is going to be the same kind of girl/have the same interests vibe. And I liked the growth that the chracaters, especially Mackenzie, went through. I appreciated that she grew to someone who didn't care what guys thought (and into a musical theater person! We love to see it lol). I try not to judge characters on who they are at the beginning or middle of a story, but at the end and I really loved who she and Phoebe grew into at the end. AND THE ART! I'm a big fan of Paulina Ganucheau so of course the art of lovely and I have no complaints in that department at all!!

There were, though, some parts I struggled with. I know why Mackenzie had the attitude towards guys that she did for most of the story, but as someone on the other side of the trans journey, someone who is trans masc, I really struggled with the language that reduced guys to idiots who just wanted to get into girls' pants. Not to mention, despite the main character being trans, there was mention of nonbinary people or how they fit into this worldview at all. There was also multiple instances of an ostensibly straight character using the d-slur, and, listen, I'm queer, I'm not trying to police the author's reclamation of words, but I do worry about straight teens reading this book and thinking it would then be okay for them to use this kind of language. Despite the book starring a trans MC and having a queer side character, the whole thing felt very heteronormative and gender binary heavy, if that makes sense.

Overall, this was a fun book, it had a good message, and I think it will be great for teen audiences, but I was left a little underwhelmed!

From the artwork to the message and everything beside this book is beautiful, it is powerful, and it is exactly the representation that we need to be seeing when discussing a trans person potential lived experiences and looking at how someone can truly become an ally and friend. I think the journey in this book is just believable. It will resonate within the community. It is hard navigating the world not knowing people’s intentions if you’re cis gendered but having to navigate the world as a trans person and trying to figure out who truly likes me and sees me for me must be a complicated journey. This journey or one version of this journey is so beautifully laid out within these pages. I appreciated the fact that at least one character in this book who originally wronged Phoebe is able to realize what she did wrong and make amends I also think is powerful. Thank you for making such a lovely graphic novel.
Thank you to Harper Collin’s Children’s Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

In what universe is the entire school told before a student arrives that the student is trans?? That threw me off so much ngl

The art is LOVELY and it was very much meant to be a school-grade read, the DramaTM of all involved could easily have been rectified with a little communication but wasn't (obviously) since the kids are... kids!! Shocking.

Gorgeous art and a cute storyline of acceptance and friendship.

* reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley

teen graphic novel - Newly transitioned, new girl in school Phoebe Zito makes a fresh start in fictional Rocosa Beach of the Los Angeles area, where she can also get reacquainted with her (divorced) dad. On her first day at Sally Ride high school she meets "Star Graph" geek Ben Wheelock and popular girl Mackenzie Ishikawa--Mackenzie is excited to "help" Phoebe with a makeover, but Phoebe isn't sure she wants one.

Love this--all of the uncertainties of trying to fit in at high school come back in a flash of cringey memories, but somehow in a good way. You really feel for all that Phoebe's going through, even though her relationships with her friends keep getting more and more complicated, and even disastrous. Good to see her grow as a character, and Mackenzie too.

Girlmode was an incredibly enjoyable graphic novel with beautiful art. Set at a solid, medium pace, and with well-developed characters, the story was interesting and engaging. Set against the beautiful backdrop of sunny southern California, Girlmode tells the story of teenage Phoebe, a trans girl who moved with her divorced father away from her mother on the East Coast to hopefully be closer to where her famous mother does film work. Phoebe is swept up as the new shiny thing at school, with the enormous chance to redefine who she is at this new school but not quite knowing herself, and torn between being a girly-girl and enjoying nerdier hobbies. Throughout the story, Phoebe grows into herself and learns to be a girl on her own terms, to kiss who she wants to kiss and do what she wants to do. I loved the supportive father figure in the book, who stood strong as a voice of care and love for his daughter, and the messages around standing up for other women. The graphic novel felt as though it had a bit of a welcomed Jane Austen flair, and included allusions to media such as Little Shop of Horrors to help frame the character development of the cast. I would recommend this to any teen or young adult looking for a coming of age, diverse graphic novel!

A newly transitioned girl, Phoebe is starting at a new high school. Immediately, Mackanzie is already interested in becoming her friend and teach her the ways of what it's like being girl. As Phoebe navigates new friendships, boys, and how each of her parents navigate her transition, can she truly see who she really is?

This was a grower. This took me awhile to get on the train because I have no idea how to navigate the beginning of this graphic novel. I was so protective of Phoebe because all the other characters didn't feel real. But when I got into it, you'd want to swim deeper to get more.

This story was so good! It even made me look at myself as a girl and as a woman. It even gave a sense of nostalgia as to what it was like in high school and how I navigate frienships and boys. This honestly felt a little therapeutic because this graphic novel went deep, like really deep! It tackled so much more that what it presents itself on the surface. I definitely feel like this is something that everyone should read!

The art in itself is also so very good. Though it's really not, the art really reminds me of the slam book aesthetic with all the bright colors, deep hues, and bold lines. I really like it a lot. It also gave justice to a layman's perspective of what Los Angeles, California is like,

This was such a good story to read, and such a good art to appreciate!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Arriving in Los Angeles from the East Coast, newly transitioned Phoebe is ready for a new start in high school amongst the drama, friends, and a new love of surfing. However, when she meets Macca, being the perfect “it” girl is all her new friends want for her. With new makeup, clothes, and shopping, Phoebe is overwhelmed by being true to herself. As the new trans teen, can Phoebe finally realize her love for herself before the end of the school year?
This graphic novel was a delight to read. The DRAMA of everything was hilarious, who to date and who should be friends with whom, Phoebe has her hands full. I liked seeing Phoebe coming from a quiet new kid to someone who loves herself and possibly catching more waves. Boys and even girls pass on by, but being true to oneself means everything to Phoebe and even myself.

I adored this graphic novel. Thank you to Harper Alley, Magdalene Visaggio, and Paulina Ganucheau for the ARC!

Exploring the life of a high school trans girl experiencing girlhood for the first time, we get to see all the highs and lows of her school year, between boys, friends, and the transphobia that can creep out of the most unexpected places.

This story is soft and gentle but still touches on the challenges in a real and raw way. I adored the art style and how well it brought the story to life. Many pages I just stared at for a while because of the beauty; others, I laughed out loud at how well the art brought the humor out.

Overall an excellent piece of art! ❤️ I adored it.

I really enjoyed this book and wish I had something like this when I was younger. It's not just about growing up as a transgender teenager, it's about growing up as a teenager who is a girl, learning how to be her own person, trusting in her true friends and herself, dealing with the frustrations of clueless parents and boys who haven't learned to deal with their own stuff. Recommended!

Girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio is a beautiful story of girlhood, friendship, and being trans. This graphic novel takes a hard look at how teenagers not only experience being queer, but also how they experience other people's queerness and how society sometimes thinks they own other people's identities. Phoebe, our protagonist, has moved schools late in her high school career, to live with her dad. She has also recently transitioned. At her new school, Phoebe meets a host of people who try to tell her how to be a girl, how to date, how to survive high school in their coastal town. But everyone's "best intentions" turn out to be wrong for Phoebe.

Not only is the narrative of this story great, but the artwork is stunning. The colors, bold lines, and character design all left me craving more from Visaggio and Ganucheau. The composition of the pages felt just right, and the layout of the story made it feel perfectly-paced.

This was really sweet and tender. The pacing worked really well, the issues felt very realistic (not everything was tied up cleanly with a bow), and the teenagers were teenagers. I liked that there were multiple examples of what unhealthy relationships looked like--I think that's really important for young adults to learn to recognize, especially when it's not *always* bad all the time. Watching Phoebe figure that out in real time was really hard, and it's understandable to see how Mackenzie tries to protect her. I would have loved to see more scenes with her dad, what a sweetheart. The art is really lovely, especially with characters' hair and outfits.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

Absolutely one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. The character growth for not only Phoebe but Mackenzie too was stunning. I also loved how Phoebe doesn't end up with anyone by the end of the story. Even though I liked both boys (Ben in the beginning for a little bit, and Ethan for most of their relationship) it was fitting for Phoebe to stand alone (with Mackenzie) in the end. I also really loved how Mackenzie joined theatre and was in Little Shop of Horrors! That musical is honestly very traumatizing but still good and it's wild that a high school would put it on to me lol. The art for this story was also SUPER pretty. I was really glad in the end when the girls were able to make up and be friends again. IT was a really sweet ending for them.

Girlmode is a heartfelt and relatable graphic novel about Phoebe, a trans girl navigating her identity at a new school. The story beautifully explores friendship, self-discovery, and the challenges of fitting in while staying true to yourself. With its fun art and well-drawn characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about growing up and finding your place in the world.

I usually really enjoy reading queer comic arcs, but I felt very questionable about the way this story was represented.

To preface, I am a lesbian and some of these things rubbed me the wrong way:

Lines like:

“You have really gorgeous hair, too. It’s so thick! I bet the right stylist could work miracles.”

“Oh, that’s not really necessary…”

“Of course it is! Unless you’re a dyke. You a dyke?”

Not only is an expressed straight character using a slur, but what is that insinuating?

But that isn’t the only time that slur is used.

They have a drawn girl in what looks like the most basic outfit ever labeled as dyke and a girl dressed up with makeup as slut beside it. These are the negative things men will call them—is suggested. If you’re trying to look pretty you’re a slut and if you’re not you’re a dyke. (Thats basically a line) okay.. idk how to feel about that. I’m not saying some men don’t think a similar way, but why act like them and use a slur? The word lesbian is used in this story on the next page once, so why weren’t we using it all along?

On the next page dyke is used not once, not twice, not even thrice, but FOUR times between the two girls. In this line specifically, why the fuck could you not just use the word lesbian. “Bitches can be dykes and vice versa, but they also figure dykes just haven’t screwed the right guy.” Why are we so casually using slurs. Like there’s quite literally no reason to. Neither of these character even like women…why is it treated like normal conversation…

And again-this is partially the character’s personality, but it’s never corrected. “Now, let’s take care of this mess.” This is her referring to the mcs curly hair. Could you say in that moment she meant it being tangled? Yes. However, because of that earlier comment and the fact they straighten it, it makes you feel strange about the way curly hair is being viewed. After the mc stops hanging out with this character, she starts letting her hair stay curly. But afterwards they become friends again and she never mentions anything and they never treat the slurs used as if it were problematic, they only mention the time when she was verbally aggressive (in a transphobic way) towards the mc. So is this friend wrong for the other behavior or not? They don’t say.


All in all, I really loved the art style, but being slapped in the face by a slur used against people like me so quickly with no criticism, then continually used in the story, ruined it for me. It tainted the whole thing. I’m not trans, so I can’t say much about how that representation is, but I think if the author knows enough to write one queer character, then they should also know that that word is unkind and not for these characters to use without thought.

I don’t want to rate this story one star because I believe queer stories should be told and should be valued. If this felt important to someone else I don’t want to demean their opinion, only share my own.

I wanted to love this and I probably would have if all the secondary characters hadn't been so awful.
Our MC keeps making weird and stupid decisions after stupid decisions while being guided by terrible people. Some who redeem themselves in part by the end but I still couldn't understand what had even happened. The other secondary characters are pretty much non-existent and don't bring much to the story except the surfer and the little sister. But even them, who were my favorites of the whole book weren't very layered.
I, honestly, just didn't get into the story which is a shame cause I love a trans girl story and I wish we had more.

Girlmode was an enjoyable graphic novel that blends the growing pains of girlhood with coming into yourself as a trans girl in high school.

At times, I did not know how I felt about certain characters and situations, and I found myself constantly worrying for our protagonist and the intentions of the people around her.

While I appreciated the story as a whole, I was not a fan of the lack of repercussion for the violence against Phoebe from Ben. That was my biggest qualm.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this!

Real, approachable. Obviously a graphic novel, so characterization has to be quick in pacing, especially for the length of this one. I did like Girlmode, though the pacing felt very fast. I do love the arc it shows, and the fact that the main lead is advocating for herself. This graphic novel shows how messy relating to one another amidst trying to find out who you are and transitions. The heartbreaking realities of being a gender-minority!

3.5/5 stars, rounded to 4 because I like how realistic and nuanced it is, though the characters can be very unlikeable, particularly the best friend (though she redeems herself) and the two boyfriends. I understand that high school can be cruel and figuring out that these types of people can exist in your life is gross, and I like the wide spectrum of characters, but it can be triggering and overdone at times. I do like the book and hope that more people read it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I absolutely loved Visaggio's previous graphic novel "The Ojja-Wojja" so I was very excited for this one! It mostly met my expectations. I love the art and story, but sometimes felt like Phoebe was too passive and everyone else so aggressive. This story definitely had more bite than a lot of current YA graphics, which took me by surprise and will give me pause about recommending to some readers, but for those who like their teen stories sharp and cutting (ala Heathers) will enjoy it!

Thank you to negalley for the free arc. I have mixed feelings about this graphic novel. On the one hand, I really appreciated the authentic representation of a transgender character, their trials and tribulations, and the realistic portrayals of both positive interactions with other characters and negative ones. However, I felt like this book had difficulty sticking to a consistent plot. At times, there were powerful moments when there was an impactful scene or something important that was said by a character. At other times, the graphic novel seemed to go off tangent and I found my attention drifting. Perhaps this graphic novel would benefit from a little bit more editing to finely tune all of the details into the plot of the book.