Graphic Novel Review: Bloom

Posted on June 13, 2019 at 11:50 am by Gene Ambaum

Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau. First Second, 2019. 9781626726413. 364pp including a recipe for sourdough rolls and some production art in the back.
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High school is over, and so is his sister’s wedding. Ari wants to move away to Baltimore with his friends/band mates. His parents need him to stay and help out at the family baker, so Ari hatches a plan to hire a replacement for himself. Enter Hector, a handsome dude who loves baking. Hector will either make it easier to leave or impossible, especially if their friendship ever moves on to the romance it seems destined to become.
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The art is black and blue-green, a color that reminds me of a crayon I used to love, and it’s wonderful. The book seems destined to be a favorite of high school kids like my daughter, who hate it when adults their parents’ ages try to label everyone’s sexual orientation. There’s no coming out scene, no weirdness or negative attitude in this book, just a slight thick-headedness on the part of Ari as he tries to figure out what’s going to make him happy.
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Reading this reminded me of This One Summer because both graphic novels capture an in-between moment in the lives of their characters. In This One Summer’s case, that was the moment kids become adults. In Bloom it’s the moment when young adults push away from their parents and take full responsibility for their lives and happiness. Highly recommended for all high school libraries.