The complicated intersectionality of sexuality and culture is this graphic novel's most intriguing aspect. It's shown in all of its messy confusion effectively portraying something that's hard to put words to. How grief laces itself through everything Kirby does and how she processes emotions is so realistic. I do wish that the art style was more distinguishable between characters. It hinders the emotional impact and the flow of reading when time's spent trying to figure out who certain people are in a conversation.

This graphic novel is another story about navigating family, identity, friendship, and love, and just like the many stories that have come before it, this one is well told and offers another perspective on how to approach life.

I liked the way action was drawn, but too much else -- particularly backgrounds and transitions -- was missing for me. The story was jumpy as well. I did not finish.

Kirby’s Lessons for Falling in Love is a thoughtful and heartfelt coming-of-age novel that left a lasting impression. It offers a reflective look into a teenager’s journey of self-discovery, as they come to terms with their identity and grapple with the complexities of love—what it means, how it feels, and how to do it right. It’s an emotional and resonant read that will stay with you long after the final page.

I wanted to love this sapphic YA graphic novel, but it fell a little short for me. While I did like it, I went into it with such high hopes that I think they just could not be met. The art style was interesting, but I had a hard time with the font. I never felt deeply connected with the characters, but I did enjoy the story overall. Even though it was not a total hit, I would not consider it a miss and would say to give it a try if it interests you. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I absolutely adored Gao's Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American and this book had similar execution. A lovably messy main character, a fascinating and intricate setting (Kirby's professional rock climbing career had me locked in like a sports anime), and a soft love story. It was a beautiful story about grief, growing up, and giving your all. The astrology love column was as humorous as it was "only in a YA novel" ridiculous. The only drawback was that I felt the story lost momentum at times and I had to gather my bearings after zoning out.

Overall, a heartwarming coming-of-age graphic novel that gave off sapphic sports anime vibes.

i'm forever pissed at chrome for updating while i was drafting this review (and myself for not writing it on a better place lmao), but it is what it is.

this was a cute and enjoyable graphic novel! it follows kirby, who joins her school's newspaper club (because she desperately needs extra credit in english) after suffering an injury that requires her to stop rock climbing. there, she's recruited by bex for the astrology-based love advice column, where she's responsible for orchestrating matches between people using doubtful plans, along with bex. although they're admittedly not *the* greatest at that, it starts feeling like the two might have some feelings for each other.

i think me remembering the plot so clearly a month or two after having read this shows how much i must have enjoyed it! the story was compelling, the characters were good, and the art style was really nice. i also loved seeing the added layer of how kirby's family and her church community impacted her love life and her feelings, thoughts, and doubts.

overall, this one was really enjoyable! i'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for your standard queer young adult contemporary romance graphic novel.

Kirby's Lessons For Falling (In Love) is a heart warming and entertaining coming of age graphic novel. The characters are unique and loveable. This belongs in all YA collections.

I think this graphic novel does a really great job at showcasing the difficulty that can exist in embracing both your sexuality and religious identity and trying to find where you fit in the balance between them. It's a very easy to follow portrayal of a first love, and the pacing was very well done in how it portrayed time passing and their relationship shifting. It also highlights both the influence and importance of family dynamics to a teen's sense of self. I appreciated that we saw flawed characters who make mistakes and struggle through their personal growth, but are given the room to do so on the page. There's a lot of forgiveness and communication focus, without everyone being neat and tidy in how they get through it. It felt pretty authentic and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a realistic but hopeful queer narrative.

I liked Gao's first book but this one was a miss for me. It's a queer YA romance comic about a girl who is a top rock climber. Her dad passed away when she was young and she's grown up in a tight knit church so she hasn't told anyone she's gay. When she breaks her arm, she's forced to take an elective and joins the newspaper where she is assigned to the astrology column with a quirky, punk girl. There's way too much time spent on astrology and tarot that had me completely check out of this. I also have my doubts about how accepting a Texas church would be about gay members as well.

The art looks really rushed and unfinished. I couldn't tell who was who most of the time except for Bex whose punk hair cut made it look like she had a lamb sitting on her head.

After loving Laura Gao's MESSY ROOTS, I was thrilled to be given an e-ARC of KIRBY'S LESSONS FOR FALLING (IN LOVE). Alas, it paled in comparison to its predecessor. Where MESSY ROOTS soars with its richness in symbolism, plot development, character development, etc., KIRBY'S LESSONS FOR FALLING (IN LOVE) falls flat. The plot and character development both felt clunky. When we first meet Bex she felt like more of a caricature. That being said, Gao is at her best when she employs visual metaphors, and there are some strong moments--and I wish there had been more of these interwoven throughout the story. As much as I wanted to love Gao's sophomore piece, this just wasn't for me (and that's okay!). I look forward to Gao's next work.

Being a rock climber, one of the lessons Kirby learned since she’s little was how to handle a fall. But her falling experience was tested when she met Bex, a quirky astrology practitioner in the newspaper club she was forced to join (for a whole different context and with addition of some external factors).

I enjoyed the story, it’s fun and wholesome. Sometimes I found it hard to comprehend the scenes bc of the illustration style, it looked like a draft sketch I’m so sorry🥲 but then again, the storytelling was so good!

A pretty standard coming of age plot, but executed well with some really fun and interesting illustrations. I liked the characters and it managed to cover a lot in the amount of pages it had.

I loved following Kirby throughout this graphic novel as she discovered herself and learned to work through the fear of her everyday life.

While there were a few times I struggled to understand what was happening (which was probably more my fault than anything), the artwork was absolutely stunning and fun to follow. I loved the repeated use of falling throughout it as well.

I’m excited to read Laura Gao’s other novel as well!

a heartwarming YA graphic novel about sapphic first love, rockclimbing, astrology, tarot, grief, and figuring out yourself out while making mistakes along the way. there's also the heavy matter of reconciling coming out with religious family ties.

though there's nothing objectively wrong with the art style, i had a hard time vibing with it. some characters are hard to distinguish, and there were panels where i wasn't sure exactly what was happening.

however, the art does exude emotions - my favorite was the bao-making montage, filled with joy and culinary magic! the soft color palette is also lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I really liked this book! Will fit perfectly on the shelf with the YA graphic novels and fans of Heartstopper. I loved the art style and the character design. The use of color to emphasize the characters' emotions throughout the book was a great way to convey the mood of the panel. As someone who also read the author's memoir and like this one as well, I can't wait for their next book!

When Kirby fractures her wrist while rock climbing, she is forced out of her comfort zone and pushed into working on the school paper. Kirby does not really want to be there, and she wants to work on the astrology column even less. But Bex, the writer of the column, and Kirby quickly warm to each other. As they crush on each other, Kirby's mom discourages the relatrionship. As a single parent (after her dad passed) who is religious, she only sees Bex as trouble. But this relationship may just be the thing worth fighting for.
A cute, queer teen coming of age/first love, Kirby's Lessons for Falling is a sweet read.

I enjoyed the story, but the art style at times seemed rushed and messy, and others it was beautiful. I'm assuming it was done like that on purpose, but it just isn't my favorite, stylistically. I did, however, enjoy the color theme. Lots of drama and great rep.

Nothing drives a YA novel quite like the intense, unshakable desires of the characters. With impressive straightforward clarity, Gao captures the life-or-death, heart-on-the-sleeve emotions that high schoolers experience--from the drive to win at sports, the aspiration of attending a particular school, the struggle to redefine relationships with family, and of course romance. Gao's expressive use of line in their illustrations brings to life the intensity and physicality of the characters as well as the deep emotions that drive the story, making this title a compelling, unputdownable YA graphic novel from start to finish.

Teen readers will love the astrology, tarot, and rock climbing in this one. When Kirby has to work with Bex to raise her English grade, the stars do not seem to have aligned. Kirby is still dealing with grief of the loss of her father, of her grandfather’s illness, and of the feelings she has around her church’s ideas against “rainbow people”. What comes is a balance between the light and joy of writing a relationship and advice column with the darker topics Kirby struggles with.
The art is a bit hard to follow, especially in a digital format, so I would recommend print!
For fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me.