I really enjoyed Gao’s first graphic memoir, so I was looking forward to reading her second release. While I found the color palette and plot interesting, I did not appreciate the illustrations as much. I will still recommend this book to teens I know who enjoy graphic novels and books about sports.

There are a lot of ways to fall in life, think trick is knowing how to get back up again.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Harper Collins for this copy of #KirbysLessonsForFallingInLove in exchange for my honest review.

If you've gotten your fill of Heartstopper and want a mixed-race, southern American, lesbian take on the slow burn queer high school romance give this book a chance. Kirby's Lessons for Falling does a great job at weaving so many elements of the two main character's stories to create an interesting narrative dealing with religion, queer acceptance, grief, and coming into oneself as a young adult.

I don't really want to say much else about it, as I think the story will speak for itself. Truly I only had a few small issues with this book - 1. The digital format split pages that are meant to be full spreads so I had to turn the page back and forth (always a nitpick for me), 2. The art style got a little muddy so sometimes things were hard to follow but the story line does a good job of leading you through that, 3. There's an attempted serial assault situation that caught me off guard. It's not graphic, the panels are short, and the friends put a stop to anything before something actually happens but it's there and something to look out for if that's sensitive for you.

Overall though, the messages are clear and important and worth checking out.

What’s the hardest part of learning fall? Remembering that someone will be there to pick you up. Kirby is a star at the local rock climbing club, but despite her success, she’s dealing with a lot — the passing of her father, her ailing grandfather, and the strain that comes with growing up queer in a religious family. When an injury and slipping grades force Kirby onto the school newspaper team, she meets someone who will teach her to trust fate, the stars, and, most importantly, herself. In this story, Gao brings fully realized characters that are forced to navigate a lot throughout this story, though readers may struggle to find their grip as they grapple with frequent flashback exposition. Romance seekers will adore the slow burn and the will-they-won’t-they plot, but it may become lost in the shuffle for others. The artwork presented is familiar and on trend, but the lack of distinct character design and busier pages can make it difficult to discern who’s who.: A heartwarming tale of trusting yourself and growing into your own. A supplemental purchase for those looking to expand their LGBTQ+ YA Graphic Novel offerings.

Thank you Netgalley and Harperalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Laura Gao’s “Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love)” is a heartfelt YA graphic novel that focuses on romance and self-discovery with an honest look at identity and belonging. At its core, the story follows Kirby Tan, a rock-climbing prodigy whose world shifts after a falling injury forces her to step away from her sport. While recovering, she joins the school newspaper’s astrology column, where she’s paired with the outgoing and opinionated Bex. What starts as an unexpected partnership soon turns into something deeper, as Kirby navigates her growing feelings for Bex while struggling with the fear of coming out to her religious family.

Gao excels at capturing the highs and lows of high school life. The humor is sharp, with witty dialogue and small visual details—like club posters and exaggerated facial expressions—that bring the world to life. The supporting cast of queer friends adds warmth and authenticity, making the friendships feel both genuine and heartfelt. The slow-burn romance between Kirby and Bex is sweet, though it leans into some predictable YA tropes, such as jealousy and a third-act breakup. While the chemistry between them may not resonate with every reader, their dynamic offers a compelling contrast—Kirby’s cautious approach to life versus Bex’s unabashed confidence.

The story also tackles heavier themes, particularly around queerness and religion. Kirby’s struggle with coming out is complicated by her relationship with her widowed mother and the lingering impact of her grandfather’s stroke, which happened shortly after she came out to him. The story thoughtfully explores how religious spaces can be both a source of comfort and pain for queer individuals, as well as the judgment that can come from both inside and outside those communities.

While “Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love)” is full of heart and important themes, some elements feel a bit underdeveloped. The sports aspect and the astrology club—both key parts of Kirby’s life—could have used more focus. The storytelling occasionally feels rushed or unclear, especially in the romance’s progression.

Despite these minor flaws, the story shines as a touching exploration of grief, identity, and the courage it takes to be yourself. The ending, though bittersweet, leaves you with a sense of hope and belonging. Perfect for middle-grade and teen readers, “Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love)” is a charming, queer-positive read that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to carve out their own place in the world.

This is a beautiful graphic novel that grapples with a lot of important issues: growing up, religion, first love, self-doubt, etc. I can see multiple folks relating to this little snippet of Kirby's life, particularly teen kiddos. The events in the novel are sandwiched between Kibry falling and breaking her arm rock climbing, trying to reach the tallest point, and getting the courage to get back up and maybe fall again. There is so much going on in Kirby's life that would be a lot for an adult to deal with, let alone a senior in high school. I enjoyed seeing her interact and trying to make sense of it all with the wonderful supporting cast, especially Bex. The vibrant pinks, blues, and creams of the illustrations were so gorgeous, that I almost wanted to step into the graphic novel and swim around in them. I highly recommend all school librarians get a copy of KIRBY'S LESSONS FOR FALLING (IN LOVE) for their libraries ASAP.

Immense thanks to all involved for the ARC of this dazzling graphic novel.

Didn’t get a chance to finish this one in time before the book expired on my tablet. I will have to get the book and read it in person and then edit the review once I’ve finished.

"Kirby's Lessons for Falling (in Love) by Laura Gao" is a fun coming of age and first love story! The astrology aspect was really fun!

I really enjoyed Laura’s graphic memoir, so I was really excited to read their first work of fiction, and it was great! Full of heart and some surprisingly teary moments. I’m not sure how the final artwork looks, but the art style in the ARC made for some difficulty for me in telling some characters apart; other than that, I had a really great time reading.

✨ Review ✨ Kirby's Lessons for Falling by Laura Gao

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperAlley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is a super cute YA / coming of age graphic novel!

Kirby’s one of the top rock climbers in her state, but an injury forces her to get involved in a different activity while she heals. When she joins the school newspape, she befriends the quirky Bex. Bex and Kirby are very much opposites but in their schemes to match make to help their relationships column flourish they find a tentative friendship

This had lovely art and a sweet storyline though it was a bit slow paced for me. Lovers of queer YA graphic novels and coming-of-age stories will enjoy this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Graphic Novel, coming of age, LGBTQ+
Pub Date: March 4, 2025

This was cute! I've previously read Laura Gao's Messy Roots and so I was already familiar with Gao's art style and storytelling. I really enjoyed this one as well. I think Gao does a great job of portraying the various intricacies that come with life especially how people can choose who they invite in their life. Kirby and Bex were nice opposites in some ways and similar in others and were a great way to show these differences in life. One storytelling aspect that I think worked better in Messy Roots than here, is Gao's habit of jumping around in time. I think it worked well in Messy Roots with the memoir aspect but it was a bit more confusing here where we're in a fictional story and trying to keep track of the time passing.

Thank you to NetGally for the e-book ARC.

I wanted to like this more than I did. It is not a bad book, but was a somewhat predictable YA romance. Further, as is sometime the case with graphic novels, the narrative was somewhat choppy and hard to follow with the visuals not always filling those gaps.

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

I think the most I struggled with was that the font was so dang tiny that I was zooming in on the file just to read it (which was annoying, so it took me ages to commit to reading it... oops...). The art is nice, the plot holds itself together, and also it's QUEER!! not anything outstanding imo but plenty of fun. :)

Once a star rock climber, Kirby Tan’s injury lands her in the school newspaper—writing astrology-based love advice with free-spirited Bex Santos. As sparks fly, Kirby questions if their stars align. But with family and faith at stake, can she navigate love without losing herself in the ultimate balancing act?

This was a different kind of sport to read about: rock climbing. I wasn't a fan of the relationship between Kirby and Bex and the whole joining the newspaper. The rest of the cast of characters was solid. The relationship between Kirby and her mom was a typical teen one, with the added stress of being a single mom and living with/taking care of an elderly, ill parent.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was really touching. I like how the author handled all the aspects of Kirby's life. How balance not only plays apart of every day life, but also in climbing.

This didn't entirely live up to my expectations, and honestly I ended up with mixed feelings. I thought this story was good, but it didn't stand out to me as something that will stay with me. I feel like I've read similar stories before and have enjoyed some of them more. It didn't help that I struggled with the art style - I didn't find the characters very recognizable, so I struggled to tell them apart and keep track of who's who, which made it harder to follow along with the narrative. I did enjoy the writing, the humour and the colour scheme, but it wasn't enough for me to really enjoy this.

Kirby Tan learned to love rock climbing from her dad, but his loss and an accident that sidelines her has her feeling like her life has no foothold. Add the fact that she has a crush on the quirky girl she's working with on the school newspaper, and Kirby will have to decide if she can balance her wants and her family and community.

I love the story's themes and how deep Gao goes into all the hard topics. There are some truly emotional moments that hit all the right spots, be they sad or happy. Following along as Kirby regains her balance in a world where everything and everyone around her is pulling her in different directions and giving her mixed signals is an extreme flashback to teendom. Even if your situation wasn't as charged and complicated, you will connect to the things Kirby and friends face. I'd like to think it shows teens that everything can be overcome if you're open to listening and talking things out.

The art is cute and expressive, but the way the panels and text are arranged is sometimes super confusing. Nothing major, but it's a little annoying.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for the emotional read!

Kirby's Lessons for Falling (in Love) follows rock climber Kirby Tan after she breaks her arm in a fall. Kirby is roped into joining the newspaper club as the co-author for its astrology romance column with Bex. The two initially butt heads as Kirby comes from a religious home and Bex is very into astrology, but quickly begin to understand each other better. The two start setting people up for their column, but realize there are feelings between themselves too. I enjoyed all the different characters in this, especially Kirby's grandfather, but I did struggle with the art style feeling too unfinished.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful artwork overall. I thought the diversify of the characters were also great. I don’t know if it’s just me but I got confused multiple times trying to follow the storyline. I tried several times to read it and ended up not finishing it.

I really liked this book! The artwork was very visually appealing and demonstrated the characters well. I liked the diversity of all of the characters. They were relatable and interesting. I saw myself in the main character's struggles. I recommend this book for high schoolers who can identify with struggling families and identity.

this was cuuuteee and I appreciate how it showed different forms of love as well but also explored grief, growing up, and getting to know who you are. My favorite part of this though, was the huge lesson of be yourself and mind your own business, everyone's religion is what works out for them, everyone's sexuality and identity is what feels right to them, everyone's chosen family are just that, a choice they made, don't try to take that away from anyone