This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux. Abrams Fanfare, 2025. 9781419768460. 270pp.
Abby Kita is something of an outsider at Wilberton Academy, a transfer student who is pissed off. But at the afterparty for the Wilbergin Theatrical Society’s production of Romeo and Juliette, she ends up talking to one of the play’s stars, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth is found dead the next morning, Abby is the last person who spoke to her. Plus she has Elizabeth’s copy of the play (she kind of forgets that, and then keeps it secret) which includes a note from her secret boyfriend. This turns Abby into an amateur detective of sorts, with the Watson to her Holmes being her not-quite-friend of a roommate. The secret of why she left her last school is held over her head by those who want her to leave things alone.
Tamaki’s writing continues to amaze me; I always think she’s at the top of her game, but her books get better and better. Goux’s art, and particularly her use of limited colors in the book, makes the whole thing shine. If you’ve never read Groux’s graphic novel F*ck Off Squad (cocreated with Dave Baker), it’s a thing of beauty.
Worth noting: This takes place in the age of the Sony Walkman, so it may give you a sense of nostalgia, too.
