What a cute book. I was so happy to read a book about an adult looking back at her high school years & being able to use her adult brain to realize she read the situation completely wrong & yes this thing did happen but there was so much more going on than just this one thing. AND THEN they actually communicated after the fact because if there’s one thing I hate is when people in books or movies don’t communicate. I loved the artwork In this book & I’m excited to check out some of her other works.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this graphic novel. This did not have any impact on my review.

I loved this graphic novel! It's a short novel, but entertaining and deep enough for it to be a finished story. The illustrations were done very well (and were absolutely adorable), and I really enjoyed the story. It was very relatable, and as a theatre girlie myself, it was fun to have a little insight into the stage making side. Also, this is so queer and diverse! If you're into this, give this graphic novel a try.

5.0

📚 Review: This was so cute! A very sweet, queer, enemies to lovers graphic novel. Being a graphic novel, this was very fast-paced, but the romance felt like it built at a good pace and felt believable. Even more than the romance, I loved the friendship between Tessa and Frankie. Though there were some very real topics discussed, like internalized homophobia and coming to terms with one’s own queerness, this book was lighthearted and left me smiling. I definitely recommend this for a quick, feel good read. I’ll be reading Kathleen Gris’ other books, and hope to see more from this author!

🌸I Hated You In High School is out April 14, 2025! Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the eARC.🌸

"I Hated You in High School" is the graphic novel form of your peers texting you "did you see that so and so is dating a woman now." But instead of it being your friend from high school it's your parents letting your arch enemy move into their basement. This book was a really delightful evening read. It's your average 90s baby whose queer story about coming home and rediscovering that the one person who hated you hated you for reasons that were never your fault.

The art style in this book was delicate and delightful and lent itself really well to the text. My only big problem is that there was an issue with apostrophes and the word why're, where the apostrophe blended in on my computer. Overall I really enjoyed this book! I look forward to seeing if Gros makes more with the characters or if this was just a one shot (come on let our leo(?) royalty find love! We love them!!!!).

I was given the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review thanks to #netgalley and Andrew McMeels Publishing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC! This was such a cute, kick your feet giddy romance. I'm not usually a fan of second chance romances, but I feel like this one did a great job of showcasing their growth and them actually addressing their issues.

I absolutely adored this and if you like sapphic romances, I bet you will too!

I had so much fun reading this book!! The characters were great, and I got to connect to all of them. If I have to pick a favorite I would probably have to go with Frankie, they were hilarious and a great friend. The plot was simple but well executed and the art both visually and as a way to tell the story was stunning. Quick to read, beautiful and fun I think this is a must-read when it comes to LGBTQ+ graphic novels.

This is a fantastic graphic novel following Tessa as she goes home and is confronted with her high school nemesis who has become an integral part of her family. Now that description makes this graphic novel sound like it is very intense and would result in a rather combative energy throughout the book but that isn’t the case. The whole story is relatively sweet and discusses how people perceive situations can lead to miscommunications and the best thing to do is just talk it out. I loved the characters and the world and the drawing was fantastic. I highly recommend it.

This is so funny. The art is adorable and as someone living in a similar pnw city I loved it the realism of the struggle now and the rent/landlord bits slid in. It was fun to read a book about an MC who was *already out* as queer but was still oblivous about her big gay feelings towards her friends rather than the denial being bc of her being comphet <spoiler>Although of course her comphet ex best friend and love interest... when it was bi panic all along 🌈 who can't relate to that iykyk </spoiler>

Thank you to net galley and Andrew Mcmeel publishing for the arc! This was delightful.

This book was provided to me for free by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is exactly what I needed! Something that felt realistic and just wholesome.

The characters I found were very well-shaped. With their imperfections, they felt even more real, which worked perfectly for me since I love characters I can relate to one way or another. I loved how the relationship between Tessa and her family and her friends was presented to us. They are just the cool neighbours that everyone would love to have!

Although it is an uplifting, cute story, it also carries a deeper message: that of self-acceptance, self-discovery, not to just assume but talk things out, make amends, and simply be who you are.

Overall, I gave it a solid 4 stars.

The art was quite nice, and I like the monochrome green style the author has adapted, but it did not quite sit well with me. I wished it had more colour. The writing was approachable, realistic and easy to follow.

I do recommend this graphic novel if you are having a gloomy day or just are in the mood for something that will make you all warm and fuzzy inside!

I think this graphic novel was really cute, it was a super easy read, and had great queer rep! I loved the art style and the green tone throughout the whole novel.

I’m a sucker for queer representation in many forms. I Hated You In High School drew me in with the title, the cover, and the publisher (Love Andrew McNeel books). The story follows twenty-something year old Tessa as she navigates going back home for her parents’ anniversary party and all of the awkward hometown run-ins that typically entails. I loved the art style of the book and enjoyed flipping from panel to panel. Overall it was a light-hearted easy read that really hooked the hopeful optimist inside of me. Would definitely recommend!

This is a cute enough love story. Tessa is queer. And early on, we learn that she had a crush on Olive, who appeared to be a straight girl, in high school. Despite the fact that she came out in 6th grade, she didn’t recognize it was a crush. Just a really good friendship.

Olive, on the other hand, did know what it was, and so, because she was dating a boy, at the time, felt that it had all gone wrong, and started treating Tessa like a piece of dog dropping, so she would stop hanging out with her.

And now Tessa is back in Toronto visiting her parents, after moving to Vancouver, and who is living in the basement sweat, but Olive.

So, Tessa has to figure out what to do. It is a friends to enemies to friends to lovers sort of story. In between, of course with all good romances there is a lot of lack of communication to gum up the works, as well as, as Tessa’s best friend says “Talk to her.”

I enjoyed the story. It was all quite plausible, and having a crush on your best friend is the worst. Been there. Totally relatable. Apparently this was a webcomic before it became a graphic novel. Quick read.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 15th of April 2025.

Thank you to AndrewsMcMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. The character design  is not one that I personally enjoy, but the overall art and text variety along with the story is great. Highly Recommend! 4 out of 5 stars.

2.5 stars | "I keep making choices because I don't want to hurt you again"

Stopp this is so cute 🧸💗
(The scene where they are both trapped and end up discussing their sexuality is just everything <3)

NetGalley, thank you so much for the arc <33, this is like a dream come true 🤍🧸.

A low-angst story of a girl who returns to her hometown, only to run into the girl who hated her on high school. But as everyone in Tessa's family seems to love Olive, Tessa wonders if maybe she misremembers their ill-fated teenage friendship.
A nice story, but bland. Characters and art was solid.

Tessa goes back to her parents' place for an extended stay to help organize their anniversary party, only to find out that they're now renting out their basement to Olive... who Tessa's known since high school, where they seemed to be really good friends until one day they just weren't anymore.

A cute queer enemies-to-lovers graphic novel, with an accompanying exploration of making sense of one's life at 25, fostering artsy aspirations while working a shitty day job, and navigating the modern world in general. Both the main and secondary characters are nicely fleshed out, which is not a given in the space provided by a rather quick read of a graphic novel.

Publication date April 15, 2025.

I got an eARC of this title through NetGalley. The review above is my own opinion.

This was such a good story! I loved every bit of it! The parts about being out in high school, finding who you are during college for Olive, the sibling relationship when you're close in age, a beautiful friendship dynamic between Tessa and Frankie(!) and the pieces of working through how others have treated you in the past and how to navigate that when put in situations with them later in life. I absolutely adored this book!

This was such a fun quick read. I adored the story and all of the characters throughout.

I felt like I was on a journey with Olive and Tessa. They had a lot to work out and overcome together and separate and it was great to see them handle everything. The things they went through felt like real life struggles and it was so nice to have down to earth relatable characters.

I think Tessa might be one of my new favourite graphic novel characters! I loved her humour and authenticity. A lot of the interactions between Tessa and Frankie had be giggling out loud. 'Fine. I'll die a hot and sexy spinster with lots of agency'

I thought the grey scale colouring with shades of green was unique, and while I liked the vibe it gave the story, I'm not sure everyone will love it.

The story itself is like a balm, healing my own queer youth. The dream of finding reconciliation with the person who was horrible to you in high school is one many of us have. To then find love in that renewed relationship, while unlikely for most of us, is sweet and life-giving.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! In this we follow Tessa as she returns to her parents house in Toronto to visit and plan their anniversary party with her sister. While there she discovers that her sister's friend from high school Olivia is living in the basement apartment her parents created. However Tessa remembers that she did not get along with Olivia but can't seem to remember why when catching her roommate up back home in Vancouver. However over time talking it over with her roommate Frankie and rereading her teenage diaries she remembers how despite starting to be friends Olivia had turned on her and became incredibly homophobic to boot. However Olivia appears to have changed and clearly Tessa's parents love her so Tessa has to figure out whether Olivia has changed or if she misremembered her experiences.

This graphic novel is illustrated in such a cute style. I feel like I can actually imagine both Tessa and Olivia and what they looked like in high school and as adults. I admit I did not recognize all of the Vancouver and Toronto landmarks but still appreciated that the author included tags to keep you appraised as to where they are. I also loved that the graphic novel has flashbacks and you can see how well the author did at capturing how some of the characters have grown and changed between their high school and adult selves. The characters even with the stylized art are so expressive and I found myself laughing out loud at times to their reactions.

I definitely will be checking out other offerings from this author and I am sort of hoping based on the ending that we will get to see more of roommate Frankie who I felt like was especially magnetic.