3 ⭐️

First off I would Like to thank NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC.

Rhiannon is about a girl that is having a hard some but everything is about to change when her friend Kit comes into town. But also another teenager named Elizabeth. Where secrets are held that could make or break current friendships.

I really enjoyed the concept of the graphic novel, the friend ships, secrets and how Rhiannon was treated during her summer. Also the atory about her grandmother was very interesting. I also enjoyed how Rhiannon got out of her shell and tried a new thing skateboarding

But I felt like the ending just fell flat. I wanted more of the story. I felt like it just kind of left me hanging. It didn't tie everything together for me. Otherwise it would have been a great graphic novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of Rhiannon by Kiara Brinkman and Sean Chiki for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I chose to read this ARC because First Second publishers have a track record of putting out some really great graphic novels and I was admittedly swayed by graphic novelist Jen Wang, of Ash’s Cabin, who stated that they, “want to recommend this book to everyone.” Since I loved Ash’s Cabin, I assumed Rhiannon was going to be worth my time and be a superb read.

Rhiannon is a girl who lives with her kind-of Grandmother in a retiree trailer park called Golden Canyon Retirement Community. She lives an unusual life, where she spends time with older women, a mysterious coyote, who she leaves food scraps for at night, and who is constantly complaining of a litany of physical ailments (like an older person might). There are no other kids in the community, except for the summertime. This summer, instead of just one other kid coming to join her, there are two. Kit is a summer friend of hers who is the grandchild of a neighbor, and Elizabeth is the former ballerina granddaughter of another neighbor. Kit and Rhiannon always had a great time and palled around during previous summers, but with the new addition of punk rock Elizabeth, the dynamics changed. Rhiannon feels left out, blames Kit, and snubs Elizabeth. Without any spoilers, this coming of age story becomes just that, the characters develop and learn to be friends, and some significant life events take place.

Overall, the character development is interesting to follow, however, I found the main character to be irritating and hard to like. It also seemed like the story was missing something or could perhaps continue in another volume. Personally, I gave this graphic novel two stars because it just missed the mark for me. I wanted more and I expected more. If considering as a purchase, I would suggest for public libraries as a secondary purchase and will not likely buy for my high school library’s collection.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this to read and review.

I love graphic novels, they are a fun and fast way to read a book.
this one was a cute coming of age story with great representation, cute art and a nice story to go with it.
I hope there is a second book because it definitely feels like there can be more from this group of characters. There could even be more back story as well I would love to read about.

I think this novel is great for any age and you all should definitely check it out.

A great coming of age graphic novel, good for fans of Raina Telgemeier (Smile) and Jennifer L. Holm (Swing it Sunny). I was drawn in by the art style and really enjoyed the story! Will definitely recommend to young adults.

Thank you, NetGalley for the free eARC of this graphic novel. I adore coming of age stories, and ‘Rhiannon’ had all of the pre-teen big feelings. I loved her friendship with Elizabeth (and Elizabeth as a character all on her own!) and her Gran’s backstory. It was a story with a whole lot of heart.

This was 3.5 for me. I didn't find myself connecting a bunch with the characters, maybe some of the insecurities of being a teen and the music taste but I think overall, it was a good coming-of-age story. It touched on some major points that aren't the most common experiences for teens but could be, which I think is important to bring to the attention of YA readers. I did appreciate the diversity within the book so I do want to add that as well. Also thought it was cool that the author noted the songs that were playing.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of Rhiannon!
3 / 5 ⭐

“Always remember, Rhiannon, the body is a self-healing organism.”
I didn’t find myself connecting with any of the characters in Rhiannon. I liked the art style and the story, but neither were as whimsical as what I normally read and angsty teenagers aren’t usually very interesting for me. I did feel like the graphic novel had a well done conclusion and I was invested in the characters enough to be glad their stories were resolved in the way they did. Hard themes were handled appropriately.

Content warnings (most brief mentions): loss of a parent, loss of a partner/love interest, death in a car crash, death by drowning, pregnancy, miscarriage

This is a beautiful coming-of-age story. I'm loving that so many of these recent graphic novels are set during my youth. It's so relatable. I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up due to the content.

I love the graphic novel format. It is so important to cover coming-of-age topics in a medium that kids read often. Great book!

I enjoyed this story overall. It was different from other YA graphic novels I have read and readers will be able to see themselves in the characters and situations even though it is set in the past. Rhiannon and Kit felt very real. I liked how the author used the song lyrics throughout the story as well. The art style matched the narrative perfectly. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I received an ARC from First Second Books via NetGalley. This YA graphic novel follows Rhiannon during one entire summer in 1989 where she lives in a retirement trailer park community with her grandmother. Kit who spends every summer with his grandma, just got home and is someone Rhiannon is excited to see. Elizabeth, who is staying with her grandma for the summer, is a rebellious edition to their community.

This story has depth of characters. Rhiannon’s grandma is a recluse. Hank is a wise sage the teens like to talk to who lives in the park. Each character has their own backstory and their own problems, which make this story just a slice of life for good or bad.

I was very excited for Rhiannon with the nostalgia of my own teenage years. I was disappointed in this graphic novel. I am a library assistant for grades 6-8 and am always looking for new graphic novels that appeal to our older students. This one left a lot to be desired. Some of the content was very boring, and then it swings to the extreme with teenage pregnancy/miscarriage and her grandmother's true love. It felt unfinished.

Tweens are going to enjoy the graphic novel Rhiannon. They will relate to some of the characters' problems and hopefully learn some empathy for other problems that they don't have!

4 stars

I always get excited when First Second has new YA graphic novels on the horizon because they tend to focus on themes and motifs that actually matter to the target audience and the representation is usually spot on. Such is the case with this book.

Rhiannon lives in a retirement community with her aunt and has since she was quite young. Much of the novel focuses on Rhiannon grappling with the loss of her mother. This happens in the form of handwritten letters (this takes place when that was still a thing), and readers have the privilege of perusing snippets and full text entries from these notes. Rhiannon also struggles a bit with her aunt who is loving but remarkably private and also prefers to stay home at all times. The illustrations provide so much insight into just how isolating Rhiannon's life and landscape are, and how badly she needs connection and experience in the world. Fortunately, she has two peers who help her begin to learn related lessons and show her that there is opportunity in the future; there is no need to dwell on the past.

One added feature I enjoyed is Brinkman's use of music and specific lyrics to punctuate moments of Rhiannon's experience. This offers a sense of time and place, but it also provides deeper insight into Rhiannon's moods and emotional landscape, which matters for a character who is trying so hard to grow.

This is a bit of a grittier graphic novel, which is right on brand with the target audience. I enjoyed the characters, subject matter, and presentation, and I'll be looking for more from this author.

Rhiannon is a simultaneously quiet and profound coming of age tale. I saw so many kids I’ve known reflected in the main characters, especially Rhia and Elizabeth. Sure to be a modern classic.

Rhiannon is a coming-of-age graphic novel that focuses on our main character of the same name, who is awaiting the arrival of her friend for the summer. Rhiannon lives with her "aunt grandma" in a mobile home retirement community in the middle of the desert, where individuals from all walks of life have formed a found family of sorts. During this summer Rhiannon experiences the awkwardness of adolescence, feels the hardships of changing friendships, and learns about the messiness of adulthood as seen through a new friend Elizabeth and her own aunt.

I think that this graphic novel opens up an important conversation regarding coming out to loved ones, miscarriage, as well as how someone handles and emotionally works through those life-changing moments. I do think that this novel could have developed the relationship and personal interactions between Rhiannon and her aunt a bit more, and I would have liked to have learned more of Rhiannon's thoughts about this life-changing summer. Overall, though, I liked this graphic novel, and it is one that I will be book-talking and sharing with my students, since I know that I have many who will connect with the overall themes and topics of the text.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for the early advanced digital copy of this book, and the chance to read and review it! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was entertaining and intriguing.. Rhiannon is a teenager with lots of insecurities and fears, who lives in a trailer home with her grandma, The illustrations has a nostalgic style, it reminds me of Sunday’s comic strips.. The story is realistic and easy to follow. I enjoyed the relationship she has with her grandma, her friends and neighbors. I liked how Rhiannon is always kind and respectful with each character, even with a wild animal who visited her often.

Lovely little graphic novel about friendship, family, and growing up. Wonderfully nostalgic with tons of music references and perfect for anyone who comes from a small town.

Rhiannon is billed as in the same vein as This One, Summer, and a lot of the story beats do run the same but it lacks the same charm and heart.
The best thing going for it is the interspersed songs which would make a fun tie-in playlist for playlists.
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I really wanted to like Rhiannon. I liked the art style and the concept, but I had a really difficult time getting into the story. I was attributing that to my general disinterest in coming of age stories, but other reviewers seem to echo my thoughts that the story just felt disjointed. There are a lot of things going on with Rhiannon, and they're all depressing. It's hard when a novel is bouncing between multiple disheartening threads.
While I will not be purchasing for my school library (too mature), I don't recommend against adding it to a high school collection.