School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--In the wake of witnessing gun violence at school, Manuel Soto struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic attacks. When a teacher pairs him with classmates Sebastian and Caysha for a group project, the ensuing friendship takes him by surprise. Manuel discovers that taking cell phone photos of Sebastian's family's cattle farm and his new friends anchors him when anxiety seems overwhelming. He joins the 4-H club to help Sebastian and Caysha prepare to show their animals at the county fair and finds the courage to enter his photography into a contest. But he struggles to convey his anxiety and PTSD to his busy single mother, instead turning to gentle Sebastian, who seems to understand Manuel intuitively, as romance blossoms. Smith weaves a beautiful story of resilience and the sweet onset of first love. Scenes at Sebastian's farm rely on warm, comforting colors; when Manuel has panic attacks, the art turns dark and suffocating as artwork bleeds out of each panel. Smith knows when to let Manuel's burgeoning artistic identity speak, leaving whole pages free of dialogue to show him carefully framing a shot or considering how to capture a sunset. Manuel and Sebastian's queer first love subplot is affirming and positive. Manuel is Latinx, Sebastian is white, and Caysha is Black. VERDICT A stunning work of self-discovery, vulnerability, and finding beauty beyond tragedy, this is the perfect primer for younger readers not quite ready for the work of Tillie Walden and Kevin Panetta.--Elise Martinez, Racine, WI
Publisher's Weekly Review
After saving his art teacher from an armed attacker at school, Manuel Soto, a Latinx aspiring photographer, copes with PTSD with the help of a therapist and his single mother. Specifically, Manuel takes pictures on his phone's camera to anchor himself during frequent dissociative episodes--dark grayscale scenes in angular, fractured panels convey these moments in contrast to otherwise painterly full-color illustrations. In art class, Manuel befriends two tablemates, both agriculture enthusiasts raising animals for the country fair. Sebastian, a white student, cares for a calf on his family farm, while Caysha, who is Black, sees to fancy chickens at her grandparents' house. Smith (The Deep & Dark Blue) slowly builds a tender romance between Manuel and Sebastian--Manuel assists Sebastian with his calf, and Sebastian helps Manuel through an episode. With a soft start and a gentle build, Smith's graphic novel details the realities of Manuel's trauma response while reveling in subdued, generous scenes that showcase the three friends' everyday joys. Back matter further contextualizes PTSD, anxiety, and the grounding techniques Manuel employs. Ages 8--12. Agent: Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management. (Oct.)
