"The Bluest Eye" meets "Freaky Friday" in graphic novel format! This was a blast to read, despite the disheartening feelings both Flip and Chi Chi experience throughout the book. I appreciated the author's choice to illustrate not just the struggle that Chi-Chi goes through as a young black woman, but also the struggle that Flip goes through even as others see him as living the perfect privileged life. I found the rich development of the main characters, and most of the side characters as well the often hilarious quest to fix the unexplained "curse" that forces them into each others' bodies, to be engaging enough to speed through this one. But by the end, after many laughs, the reader arrives at a powerful message: as Ukazu writes in the author's note at the end, "Some do not have access to their own self-worth". The power of friendship gives us perspective about ourselves. We just need to borrow the eyes of another to see ourselves for who we truly are.

I went into this graphic YA novel thinking it would be a fun beach read, and I do recommend it for a light read, but it also deceptively includes deeper concepts of self love, class structures, racism, depression, culture, and educational privilege. I thoroughly enjoyed Flip! I laughed out loud at several parts, and was stricken by some of the implications of flipping places.

I recommend this book for anyone who questions the legitimacy of graphic novels. I would argue this story could only be told in graphic medium. The author and illustrator, Ngozi Ukazu, did an amazing job of portraying who was speaking even if it was Chi Chi inside Flip's body. On one level, she changed the eye color. Ukazu also shaped Flip's expressions as more cheesy and less confident when he was Chi Chi. And to truly make the point, there were times when Chi Chi spoke directly to us either through captions, or as herself, with a mask of Flip's face lifted up. Literally, she took off the mask to speak to us, as in literary tropes. Genius.

Flip as Chi Chi also showed quite a transformation. When Chi Chi's body was inhabited by Flip she looked cold, stern, and angry. And her eyes were blue. Not the European-American blue with iris and pupil, but a glowing orb of blue like she was possessed.

The afterword, where the author describes her own life and experiences that shaped this book were eye opening. I was intrigued to learn that she was inspired by The Bluest Eye by Toni Morisson when writing this. I plan to read that as well, so I can fully appreciate the story.

I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

This was "being in someone else's shoes" made into a graphic novel and it was good. Flip and Chi-Chi go through a lot of issues with home and school and self esteem. So when they swap they learn a whole new side of life, perspective, and acceptance. As a Black presenting person (I'm mixed), I was raised to think my black looks were lesser than and inferior to white looking people. My father pushed the narrative all my life as a kid where I couldn't see how I truly looked to others. and to myself. So I definitely understood Chi-Chi and seeing how much she hated herself hit me way too deep.
And Flip doesn't have it easy either. With a dad in jail and his mom becoming an alcoholic, Flip's rich boy life shattered and he feels lost and incomplete. He has to try and be normal with the circumstances of his life. So when he switches with Chi-Chi I feel like he learned far more than he would have without the flip.
All in all this is a good book with a great concept and definitely a good read.

This was a fun read and brought up a lot of feelings from my own high school days! Flip follows Chi-Chi, a scholarship student at a boarding school who keeps having crushes on rich white boys. A promposal video she makes accidentally (and embarassingly) gets shared publicly, leading to people making fun of her, and Chi-Chi feels really down on herself afterwards. The next day, she wakes up in her crush's body, and they have to work together to figure out what's going on - because they keep switching. I really loved the moments of Flip and Chi-Chi coming to a better understanding of each other's lives and interacting with the other's friend groups! Chi-Chi's friends are obsessed with a k-pop group, and part of the plot revolves around trying to fix the switching before a big concert. Flip has some hidden depths/his own personal struggles that are revealed later in the book, and I appreciated the balance there. There were a couple confusing elements - I know it was indicated by the eye color, but I got lost a couple times trying to keep track of who was in whose body, and I'm not sure I entirely understand how the ending went down, but overall I was able to follow things well enough. Both characters grow over the story and the book ends up being about Chi-Chi's self-esteem and self-acceptance, which I loved. So fun to see a new story in Ngozi Ukazu's familiar art style - I hope young readers love this!

Flip is honest, baring the parts of being a teen that are uncomfortable and lonely. I found it a bit slow to start in terms of forming a connection to the characters, but once it got going there were plenty of moments that really hit home. Parts of the plot were more intense than I expected, with a brief visit to an adult that reveals some daunting aspects of the body-swap plotline. The art is solid, and the language in-depth and descriptive. Chi-Chi and Flip describing the sensation of when the swap takes place is really effective, alongside details indicating how they physically respond differently. The friendship that builds is sweet, and I really enjoyed the camaraderie with Chi-Chi's friends and Flip as they all figure out dynamics and learn to navigate everything from attending a K-Pop concert, to self care and hygiene, to encounters with friends and exes.

NGOZI!!!! This was just such a cool idea that turned into something really emotional and deep.

Chi-Chi keeps having crushes on rich white boys who don’t know she exists. And when a proposal to one Flip Henderson goes awry, Chi-Chi has an out of body experience. Literally. She and Flip change bodies and learn what it’s like to live in each others’s skin.

I was kind of floored by this. Ngozi has been talking about this book for years on Patreon and to see it come to fruition is just incredible. She put her heart and soul into this, and it shows. It was so genuine and poignant in a way that only Ngozi could do. I’m laughing on one page and tearing up on the next.

I hope everyone reads this and loves it like I did.

This is an interesting and novel take on the Freaky Friday narrative. I enjoyed the characters learning about each other.

This charming graphic novel is about Chi-Chi, a scholarship kid at her wealthy, mostly white private high school; and Flip, the popular, sporty white classmate on whom Chi-Chi has a crush. When Chi-Chi accidentally asks him to prom in front of everyone in class, Flip rejects her. As Chi-Chi vents to a chatbot afterward, it causes her and Flip to switch bodies for increasingly long periods of time. For most of the novel, they are attempting to find a way to switch back. This novel is light-hearted, funny, and sweet, but it also has depth: It's about the importance of learning to love and accept oneself. In particular, Chi-Chi is learning to love the nerdy Black girl that she is. (And Flip, for his part, is learning to take better care of his emotional well-being.) And of course, the two of them are shaking up the school's social order and becoming friends. My only complaint about this novel would be that it was sometimes hard for me to tell if Chi-Chi and Flip were in each other's bodies or in their own bodies. I wish that it had been made very clear each time they swapped back and forth.

Ngozi Ukazu has done it again. I loved how this graphic novel took the classic body swap trope and made it feel fresh and meaningful. Watching Chi-Chi and Flip navigate each other's lives was entertaining, but the story also digs deep into identity, self-acceptance, and the pressure to fit in. Chi-Chi’s friend group was a highlight, and the emotional depth balanced really well with the humor and heart. A great read with a lot to say.

I loved reading Ngozi's other books BUNT! and Check, Please!, so I was super excited when I saw that she was releasing another book this year. Art style, characters, and deep writing are great as always, and I would read a sequel in a heartbeat.

I really really enjoyed this and I do think it's a very powerful story. This wasn't really what I was expecting, in a really good way. I will say, there was a side part that I thought could have been cut because it took away from the overall message? But when I think about it minus one specific part, I very much enjoyed it.

Ngozi Ukazu has proven in the past that she's the master of taking serious topics and wrapping them in an easily digestible comic package... and 'Flip' is no exception. Following a chronically shy PoC girl who mysteriously body swaps with the rich white boy she has a crush on, 'Flip' deals with social and racial inequalities, as well as not judging someone before you know them. The artwork is just what you'd expect from Ukazu- bold and animated, and the way she manages to capture a character's essence when body-swapped is a, absolute master class.

Ukazu is an absolute auto-read for me - her graphic novels are SO funny and full of heart. This one is more introspective and existential, but I swung wildly between giggling and feeling deeply for the MCs. A fantastic read!

This was okay. Not what I use to read but it was entertaining, It has a good representation of friendship and teamwork. It also shows the importance of having a good relationship between parents and children, and how that relationship affect your daily interactions with others. One of the negative, is that transitions weren’t not always smooth, I felt a little bit confused every time Flip and Chi Chi switched bodies. It took me a few pages to know who was who.

A compelling graphic novel about two high school seniors at an elite boarding school, each suffering from a deep depression they fail to recognize in themselves, who are magically compelled to switch bodies. There's a lot about race, power, privilege, and economic difference as well as a good bit of just good old fashioned coming of age character development. The main character's best friends are particular standout characters among a case of just generally excellently drawn and written people.

The Bluest Eye meets Freaky Friday in this YA graphic novel.
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Chi-Chi attends a wealthy private school outside of Houston as a scholarship kid and she keeps getting crushes on rich, white boys. When her promposal video is seen by her crush and the class, her wish has her and crush, Flip Henderson, switching bodies. Their switch doesn’t last long, but then it happens again. As the switches keep getting longer and longer, Chi-Chi and Flip realize that soon they will become the other person. They spend time trying to figure out a way to flip out of each other once and for all, while also learning a lot about the other person and themselves.
🧒🏼
I adore Ukazu’s work and had the honor of moderating a panel she was on at NTTBF. This book includes Ukazu’s signature artwork style and a unique story that I was immediately invested in. Loving who you are can be difficult growing up so I’m thrilled that a title like this will exist for our students struggling with their own identity and self-worth. Flip releases September 23 from @01second

CW: microaggressions, racism, depression, alcohol, alcoholism, prison, classism, suicide ideation

I really enjoyed Flip! There were certain points where there were time jumps or subject changes that felt jarring, but the storyline and artwork were fantastic. I loved Check Please by Ngozi Ukazu, so I had high hopes for this graphic novel. It did not disappoint! It was a lighthearted story with giant heart of two opposites learning that they are more alike than they thought. I also enjoyed the storyline of finding friends and your place at school through music, because I feel like that is a universal experience. I recommend Flip for anyone who has felt out of place and who enjoys graphic novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for an eARC!

As an adult reader who enjoys YA and graphic novels, I enjoyed "Flip" and would be glad to recommend it for school libraries and for individual students. I like the positive representation of Africans living in America and definitely root for Chi Chi. Regarding adoption for classes, I decided it's not the right choice because it is rather "on the nose" in terms of thematics, and I have experienced that my students at a Brooklyn high school are not interested in narratives that are about identity and ethnicity. I think they SHOULD BE, but they are not. We have whole bookshelves in our classrooms and by our library offering books of this kind for free, and we don't have takers.

Ukazu is a significant talent. You picked the right graphic novelist to work with.

I'm a fan of Ngozi's previous comics and this newest one does not disappoint.
The art remains excellent and Chi-chi's story of self-discovery is fun to read.

"Flip" explores identity and how we see ourselves through the body-swap trope. Chi-Chi has a crush on Flip, a rich, popular, handsome white boy, and plans the perfect "promposal", which goes horribly wrong and Chi-Chi ends up humiliated after being turned down in front of the whole class. The next day, Flip and Chi-Chi wake up in each other's body. This is where it gets a little hard to follow, because Flip and Chi-Chi swap several more times and each time is harder to determine if we are seeing Flip or Chi-Chi. The blue eyes are not really enough to help the reader through multiple swaps, although I do love the call out to Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye".
I did overall enjoy this story, especially the idea of learning to love yourself, which I think is a message many teens need to hear. If it were a little less confusing, I would rate it 5 stars.