A standout among the growing genre of graphic novels about young queer people coming of age. Azar and her mother are living in Vermont in the home of a blocked writer of epic sci-fi. His child is her friend, and through these pages, she addresses coming out to her parents, learning more about the adults in her life as people, and exploring an abandoned nearby mall (perhaps a metaphor for the baggage of previous generations the young are left with).

The art is flowing (in terms of story) and expressive (in terms of character). There are wordy excerpts from the SF novel, written by the neighbor, that Azar loves, that frankly I didn't bother reading. But I can imagine that many young people will enjoy seeing a slice of life story where the kids have it together -- they just have to make it through the mistakes their parents keep making.

Low Orbit is a queer coming of age story about Azar, a teenager who is forced to move cross-country to Vermont when her mother’s transferred at her job. Not only does she leave behind her life in NYC, but even her father stays behind. Luckily, she befriends the neighbors, of which is Shannon, an aging Sci-Fi writer and his teenage child, Tristan, who uses they/them pronouns.

While this story seems to be about coming out to the ones you love and being yourself, it has so many levels of familial drama and trauma from everyone involved. Azar wants to come out to her Malaysian mother, but she’s afraid of how she’ll react. Her father has secrets of his own, but when they finally find peace in their family life, he doesn’t want to change that. Her mother doesn’t want to become her mother, but she pushes everyone away in the process, exactly like her own mother did. Shannon doesn’t believe in himself or the world he’s written into existence and he’ll drink himself into oblivion before he deals with the stress of life. Tristan lives with a whole other level of secrets that unfold before the ending of the book…

It has so many levels and it feels like it could be more than 1 book, but alas, it’s a standalone. I really enjoyed it.

4.5⭐️

Low Orbit is a graphic novel that leans heavily into the "slice-of-life" genre. Rather than following a tightly structured plot, it focuses on the daily experiences of Azar, a "Malaysian American teen carving out her own identity in the uneasy space between friends and family".

What struck me most is that while the book frames Azar as someone "carving out her identity", it often feels like she already knows who she is and what she stands for. Instead, it's the people around her, friends and family, who seem to be in flux, and Azar ends up playing the role of guide. She's a bold, headstrong character, and I found her easy to admire, even love.

That said, I felt let down by how certain issues were handled. Some serious interpersonal conflicts (cheating, or coercing someone into doing something against their will) were brushed aside or treated too lightly for my taste. These moments made me question the message being conveyed.

Despite that, there were aspects I truly appreciated. The diverse cast of characters felt fresh and reflective of real-world communities, and the "found family" dynamic was heartwarming. Still, the pacing was uneven, and a few plot developments left me puzzled rather than moved.

Low orbit is a queer coming of age novel about a Malaysian American teen who’s navigating problems in her life such as her friends, family, and her identity as she moved to a new town with her mother.

I like Azar’s story and her relationships with people around her, especially her mother and her landlord… which create an unlikely mentor archetype in a way. Okay, she makes questionable decisions sometimes, but I can brush that off as being a teen (been there, done that). But I do like her friendship with Tristan and their journey towards becoming themselves.

Unfortunately, sometimes the plot is a bit all over the place for me and I dislike how the ending left a lot of loose ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this manga in exchange for my honest opinion.
It's a story with good art, but leaves a lot to be desired in terms of narrative. Not very interesting.Still, the art alone is worth reading at least once.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This was a comic about a young girl finding herself. There was also an ongoing narrative from a book that she was reading that was a bit disjointed. There was a lot going on in the book and it did come together at the end.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

I absolutely cannot believe how many unbelievably awesome Queer and trans stories I have come across in less than a week of being on NetGalley, but Ollie In Between by Jess Callans, and this are two of the most humbly, exquisitely beautiful books I've ever had the privilege of reading.

Low Orbit follows fifteen-year-old Malaysian American Queer teen, Azar, as she navigates the complexities of life, family, prejudice, sexuality, gender, and good ole 'trashy' science fiction. It's a slice of life, but one that isn't too twee and idealised, though it is charming and affirming, and isn't all pain and buried gays, though it deals with some big and difficult issues with honest and unvarnished love, hate, heartbreak, alcoholism, secrets, complicated family dynamics and more without being preachy or maudlin.

My love and appreciation for this comic, it's portrayal of BIPOC, Queer, trans and non-binary, body positivity, disabilities, masks, and so much more without any one thing being the thrust of the narrative or the singular defining traits of a character. There's no afterschool special message or preaching, everything naturally exists and comes up when relavant or doesn't need to be directly addressed in this narrative--This isn't to say more explicit stuff is bad, but there's some truly special about seeing the various marginalisations we face only being single strands of the rich tapestry that makes up each individual character.

What I'm trying to say is that it's important to just see us surviving, thriving, overcoming adversity when it rears it's ugly, bigoted head and complicates out lives because of the small minds and prejudice of others, without it being out entire narrative identity.

I absolutely adore Azar as a character and her friends and family all feel so wonderfully realised and complex and real.

There's a fidelity; a realness that this extremely political and subjective piece of art (because all art is political and subjective) that goes far beyond the fetishisation of an ironically idolised apolitical truth and plastic authenticity that has consumed the once great Alex Garland, that he could never hope to capture without understanding photography and journalism as art forms and regardless of how much dirt an actor gets in their moustache.

This is fucking real and it's fucking beautiful!

The art has an expressive and aesthetically pleasing restrained character with absolutely gorgeous pastal tones. There's something that is at once so simple and 'comic', while being so effective in capturing the essence, character, and emotions of the people that populate its pages.

This is going to stay with me and I am completely here for anything Kazimir Lee creates in the future.

No art is perfect, but this is about as close as makes no difference as far as I'm concerned.

This quiet tale of queer teen Azar and the benefits and difficulties of navigating relationships with her newly single mother, her now-living-at-a-distance-father, and the found family she forms after she and her mother relocate provides opportunities for emotional resonance and empathy with the readers. I anticipated a stronger correlation between the fictional world created by Azar's landlord, passages of which are interspersed among her story, but that is a minor quibble.

3.5 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 6
Build-up: 7
Originality: 7
Wow Factor: 6

Set against the backdrop of quiet Vermont, this atmospheric and profound coming-of-age graphic novel follows fifteen-year-old Azar, a Malaysian American teen navigating the uneasy space between friends, family, and her own identity. After moving to a new town where she knows no one, Azar finds comfort in a pair of unconventional neighbors and the pages of a sci-fi novel—until her queerness disrupts the fragile balance she’s built.

This story had a lot of moving pieces that were a bit confusing at first, but once everything clicked, it really clicked. The plot was fun, and the romance—though unexpected—was a lovely surprise. I especially enjoyed watching Azar and Tristan grow into themselves, and seeing Azar realize she deserved more and finally demand it from her family was so satisfying. I also appreciated how the story explores the dysfunction that exists in all of our homes, reminding us that the grass isn't always greener.

Thanks to NetGalley and Top Shelf Productions for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I really liked Low Orbit overall. The art is beautiful and expressive, and I enjoyed spending time with the characters. The only part that didn’t quite work for me was the story of the book. It didn’t resonate as much as the rest, and I found myself more drawn to the main narrative. Still, it’s a solid read with a lot to appreciate.

Low Orbit is a quick read of a graphic novel in which Azar, a young Malaysian American girl who is hiding part of herself from her family after her mom's job moved them to a new state and split her family up (temporarily). She's made a friend, she found a book she likes, but life is just a lot.

Though there was sort of a story here, I just didn't feel like there was much going on. It was almost a coming-of-age, almost a romance, almost a story, but it just never really found its footing in anything. Azar is almost likeable and almost relatable, but she makes a lot of mistakes and doesn't own up to them or seem to learn from them. The different dilemmas that happen throughout don't really get a conclusion either. Like, Azar came upon some rough stuff, and it just kind of gets glossed over?

In conclusion, I thought this was OK. I didn't hate it, but I didn't enjoy it either.

Thanks to Netgalley and Top Shelf Productions for the e-ARC!

A great story about the power of friendship, secrets, compromise and being yourself. I liked the main characters and the intertwined stories. Loads of great LGBT+ rep in this!

Low Orbit follows Azar as she tries to fit in to her new Vermont town. She discovers a sci-fi novel written by her friend's dad and grows obsessed with the story and schemes to have him finally talk to his agent. Things get messy with big emotions and secrets, leading to a fallout with Azar's mom and her only friend. This graphic novel is full of heart and real feelings, but I do think the ending wrapped things up a little too nicely.
Thanks to NetGalley and IDW for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After being forced to move to Vermont because of her mom’s job, Azar doesn’t quite know where she fits in. Making new friends is hard, and she’s missing her dad in New York City. When she discovers The Exiles of Overworld, a sci-fi novel written by her new neighbor, she’s finally found her escape. But a new discovery about her identity is about to throw her entire life out of balance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Top Shelf for an advanced copy of Low Orbit by Kazimir Lee to review! The cover is what grabbed me for this book, and I’m happy to say that the art throughout matched the vibes. I’m also always a sucker for those discovering identity kind of books, and this is definitely that!

Though this isn’t sci-fi, there are pieces of the sci-fi novel that Azar grows to love interwoven throughout the story. Azar also deals with some complicated family/friend stuff, in addition to trying to figure out her identity. There’s a lot for teens to relate to in her story, and I appreciated that the ending isn’t necessarily quite a happily ever after. But it still ends with hope.

There’s a cast of strong characters here, with all of their relationships evolving over the story. Tristan, Azar’s neighbor turned best friend, was possibly the most interesting to me. They have a lot on their plate with their dad, but their friendship with Azar allows them a little more freedom to be themselves again. It really is a sweet story.

All in all, if you like graphic novels that explore identity and relationships, definitely check it out when it comes out at the end of this month!

Growing up is hard, especially when you're a closeted queer Malaysian kid in North Carolina. I really liked the way this novel treated a coming-of-age story. Azar was a struggling teen, and she made a lot of flawed choices. She forcefully inserted herself into Shannon and Tristan's life, she refused to compromise with her mom, and she got obsessive about Shannon's life and career. She was messy, but so sweet. Her and Tristan's awkward and short almost-romance reminded me of growing up with all those crushes that never ended up going anywhere. I appreciated how Azar's mom tried really hard to support Azar, even if she couldn't get there at first. The artstyle was absolutley lovely, and the final reconnection at the epilogue was adorable. I think this is a great novel for anyone, but especially someone looking for a queer coming-of-age with messy teen protagonists.

Azar life has been upended - she and her mom have moved to Vermont from New York City and her dad, who was supposed to follow, is now staying in NY, for much longer than planned. As Azar tries to adjust to a new life, mother and daughter begin chaffing against each other without dad as a buffer. Azar feels like she cannot live up to her mom's high standards, and has more in common with her neighbors than with her own family. As Azar starts to find herself through science fiction, fandoms, and conventions, she also realizes her own queerness. This additional strife may be too much for her mom to handle, and Azar isn't sure where she belongs.
A very relatable story about families and expectations, and how we all have to learn to live with the people we love.

A fantastic exploration into the life and existence of a queer Malay teen. I found myself so disheartened by Azar’s relationship with her family and though I found some comfort in the evolution of her relationship with her mother, her father storyline felt so disheartening and I am hoping for a sequel where he can find peace. I'm glad that she had such a great relationship with her landlords but I hate that it because so dependant that she ultimately felt so betrayed by them. My only issue with this was the pacing, the end came so suddenly and without any true resolution (though I guess that's life), some of the important aspects of discussion also felt rushed which was a ashame and I felt jarred by the book inserts as they did not feel relevant to the main plot, I think if the quotes/storyline of the novel felt attached and relevant to Azar's relationships then I would have enjoyed them.

Really enjoyed this debut graphic novel from Kazimir Lee! Stunning artwork, compelling story, and diverse and complex characters. Azar’s journey of self discovery, navigating her queerness in a new small town, and dealing with her dysfunctional family, were very well executed and overall a wild ride crammed full of chaos and emotion.

I thought that the sci-fi/ fantasy novel Azar became engrossed in ‘The Exiles of Overworld’ running alongside her own journey was a really intriguing idea. Though I can’t say I was always following its connection to the events unfolding (whether this is just something I missed I’m not sure) but it was an effective representation of the escape from reality and growing comfort Azar had found in the Wathe family. This ‘found family’ dynamic was also super heartwarming, though of course it came packed with its own twists, turns and dramas that aren’t as easy to escape as in the pages of a fantasy novel.

Overall, I think this story, and the artwork, really represented well how life, relationships and our inner selves can be so incredibly messy and complex, and in this case how difficult it is to navigate queer identity and our place in the world. A super funny, moving, and tender story, with beautiful art. I would love to see more of these characters in the future/ more from this author in general!

I really enjoyed the story and the art style.

It's a heart fealt story where I got pulled into the life and troubles of the main character. I felt all the feels, the joy and the heartbreaks.
The art convayed the emotions and the loneliness in a small town.
Damn though, wasn't expecting it to go that way.

This was an interesting read that dealt with a variety of issues, ranging from the diaspora experience to homosexuality and coming out. However, I feel that the pacing had some issues; it dragged during minor events and, on the contrary, rushed through significant ones. Lastly, the ending left me with mixed feelings. Trying to keep it spoiler free, let's say it was not as gratifying as I would have liked. Of course, open or dubious endings are nothing new so maybe it's a personal matter of taste in my case.

Thank you for providing me with a free copy.