Jennifer Dugan

Told in two voices, cellist Jubilee and anxiety-ridden Ridley meet at a comic con where both of their families have booths, and begin a relationship they must hide from their parents.

Verona Comics

Daphne

Mythos

3/5 stars

I only dropped this because I realized that it contained the Romeo and Juliet trope. I personally don't like this trope. If I do read a book containing this trope, it's usually due to the insistence of a friend or because it contains another trope I really like. If you like this trope, go ahead and check it out.

Victoria

I’m gonna be honest: it was a little underwhelming, and at times, boring. But I appreciated the mental health representation.

From the author of Hot Dog Girl comes a fresh and funny queer YA contemporary novel about two teens who fall in love in an indie comic book shop. Jubilee has it all together. She's an elite cellist, and when she's not working in her stepmom's indie comic shop, she's prepping for the biggest audition of her life. Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can't stop disappointing them--that is, when they're even paying attention. They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can't help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other's throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible . . . unless they manage to keep it a secret. Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley's anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can't conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give? "A deep dive into first love while learning to manage significant mental health challenges . . . Dugan's strength is in creating a diverse cast of characters. Ridley is bisexual, Jubilee struggles with how to identify and label her sexuality, and most of the supporting characters are queer-identified." --School Library Journal

Gillian Rose

This was a very pop culture-filled take on Romeo & Juliet that focused on a lot of real issues (particularly with mental health). I enjoyed Jubilee and Ridley's meet cute SO MUCH and their ensuing relationship was extremely wholesome. But the mental health stuff could be hard to read at times, even though I have had similar thoughts that Ridley felt.

Isabela H 

** spoiler alert **
           I did not expect to like this book as much as I did; I thought it was going to be like every other Romeo and Juliet retelling with a picture-perfect ending despite the odds stacked against the couple. BUT IT WASN'T
In the best way possible, there was no fairytale ending. Instead, there was a huge mess and a whole bunch of work to be done. The issues were handled so beautifully, and I heard things that I needed to hear.

Charlotte 

I really enjoyed this story. The relationship between Jubilee and ridley had definite romeo and juliet vibes with the tension and opposotion between their families, both in business and with their family dynamic. I would have liked more in the story about comics. About halfway it became less about that as other plot points vied for attention. I felt the end was quite rushed, and i wouldve liked more detail around the fallout and consequences, as this felt glossed over in the last few chapters.

Eliana Mor

does it really matter if you put crisis line resources at the end of the book if you don't put trigger warnings at the beginning

Ari Rose

I just wrote a whole big review for it to get lost 😶 So I'll probably keep this short. 

There was nothing charming about Ridley and Jubilee's relationship. Even without all the manipulation, there was no chemistry. I understand Ridley's perspective and that he has so much going on in his life, but that does not excuse his behaviors and I truly don't believe Jubilee should have forgiven him after the first betrayal. She certainly shouldn't have gotten back with him the first time and I don't believe she should have even in the end. If we had seen first-hand their recoveries, then it might have been alright. Especially if we saw them try again as friends, with the implications of their relationship rekindling. But what we got glossed over their relationship just enough to almost justify a relationship like this.

I admittedly have not experienced a relationship like this, certainly not to this extent, so obviously I can't speak for someone who has. Perhaps this book just isn't for me. But I fear this book justifies staying a in a relationship like this for young readers. I spoke to someone who's been through a relationship like this, or almost, and they agree. 

mia ¿

i simply don't know how to feel about this one... it was easy to read but it was just way darker than i was expecting and that kinda soured my feelings about it. the characters beyond the main two were also not that memorable, and even jubilee felt kinda flat. i understand the reasoning behind retelling romeo and juliet in a way that illustrates the dangers of codependency, but it came out of nowhere in my opinion when the book and description seemed so cheery and all comics! but it's ok i guess. i just think that there was something missing from verona comics that hot dog girl had barrels of. whether that be charm, humor, more realistic characters and friendships, i'm not sure.
(the text messages between ridley and jubilee were very cute tho)

Megan Lapides

So this was a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be. Yes, there was a super adorable relationship between the main characters, but there was so much more than that. Ridley's anxiety, depression, and panic attacks were probably the best representations of mental illness that I have ever read. It was so realistic and true to what it's actually like to live with these mental illnesses and some of the experiences and thought patterns that go with it (at least it's very representative of myself and what I've gone through). I haven't read a YA contemporary in a while and I really enjoyed reading this one. What I didn't like was that Jubilee and Ridley's relationship developed super quickly and I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that. Oh, and I liked the ending.

laura

* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

I really wound up adoring this read. I love this book so much. I was so invested in both the male and female POV. I loved how this book focused on the comics world and beyond comics books and not just comic con. I also like how this book explored harder relationships topics including family dymamics, romance, codependent relationships and anxiety and depression. I thought this was realistic look at what comes after a whirlwind romance. but it was so fun and loved the characters and the harder topics.

Taylor 

There was just something about this that didn't gel well with me. I felt disconnected from most of the characters and felt a lot of them were underdeveloped. There were also a lot of good plot points that weren't played out well.

Most of the book is spent worrying about how Jubilee's parents would react to Ridley kind of being a spy and with the reveal we got nothing. It was very glossed over and no details were provided about it afterwards either. I felt the ending was very rushed and would have liked more things explained 

** spoiler alert **
           There was just something about this that didn't gel well with me. I felt disconnected from most of the characters and felt a lot of them were underdeveloped. There were also a lot of good plot points that weren't played out well. 

Most of the book is spent worrying about how Jubilee's parents would react to Ridley kind of being a spy and with the reveal we got nothing. It was very glossed over and no details were provided about it afterwards either. I felt the ending was very rushed and would have liked more things explained

Heather Harrington

Jubilee is an elite cellist who spends almost every waking moment prepping for the biggest audition of her life. On the rare moments she's not making music, she helps out at her stepmom's indie comic shop. Ridley's parent's own the biggest comic book chain store in the country and he's either completely disappointing them or being ignored by them. The pair meet by chance at a convention prom and can't help falling for one another without knowing their parents are pretty much arch nemesis. When Ridley discovers who Jubilee really is, he tries to get on his father's good side by pretending to spy on the competition, but he doesn't count on falling in love with the enemy. When Jubilee uncovers the truth, the pair soon learn that not everything is fair in love and comics.

This is basically a modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, so you know right off the bat that you're in for some serious melodrama. While I did really enjoy all the pop culture/comic references, the rest of the story felt a little too dramatic for me. I did think the anxiety/depression representation was handled very well though. I also felt like you didn't really see much of the fall out after Jubilee's parents found out who Ridley was, I would've liked to have seen how they reacted to it. Overall, it was a decent story and I enjoyed parts, but was just hoping for a little more.

Lysh (She/Her)

This one is so hard to rate. 

I enjoyed the diversity in this book - Jubilee identifies herself as bisexual and/or pansexual (she says that she alternates between the two, but is unsure about using either), whilst Ridley is bisexual. Ridley also suffers from severe panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Side characters are also diverse, including Layla who is a BIPOC Lesbian, Nikki who is an adopted Korean-American, Vera who is gay latinx, and Jubilee's mum who is bisexual. 

I really REALLY wish there were trigger warnings at the start of this audiobook. This is not light and fluffy and definitely needs to be treated more as a mental health book than a rom-com. The first half is definitely more of the Romeo and Juliet retelling, enemies to lovers situation, whilst the second half takes a huge shift, focusing on Ridley's deteriorating mental health. It almost feels like two different books. 

The trigger warnings include: Alcoholism, Anxiety, Attempted suicide (past, discussed), Broken bones, Car accident, Cheating (mentioned), Depression, Drug use (implied), Homophobia, Hospitalization, Panic attacks, Parental abuse (verbal and emotional neglect, almost physical), and
Suicide ideation

I don't think that the characters were in healthy relationships or that the characters in here were very likeable overall. Particularly the friends. I enjoyed reading about the cast, but I wasn't always on their side. Each made a strange decision at some point in the plot. However, I did really like that the characters eventually (view spoiler)[ realised how toxic everything was and sought professional help.  (hide spoiler)] There were resources provided at the end of the book. 

(view spoiler)[ And, as someone whose partner has spent years applying to, being accepted, and being rejected by top tier music universities, I doubt that Carnegie Hall would have accepted Jubilee based on her practice videos.  (hide spoiler)]

Manon van Heumen

Irin 

● Trigger and content warning - 
Panic/anxiety attacks, references to suicidal ideation, mention of a past suicide attempt, abusive parent (verbal, emotional neglect) codependency & depression. • 
God, I loved reading this book so much! 💙 
I started reading Verona Comics expecting a fluffy YA romance, but I got so much more from it. I really liked how the book dealt with heavy topics like depression, anxiety, sexuality and diversity while being a story about two teens falling in love. The mental health representation was so perfectly done. There are not a lot of YA books with a bi male protagonist and queer female lead, so I really liked how the author handled this aspect of the story. 
•The MCs, Jubilee and Ridley were so lovable! JUBILEE IS A QUEEN. I loved reading about her from the very first page. Her outspoken nature, despite being so young, made me so happy. Admittedly, I didn't like Ridley in the beginning , but as the the story continued, he became really relatable to me. I wanted to hug him a lot of times because of how badly he was treated by his parents. The romance between Jubilee and Ridley was really cute, but different from any other YA romances I've ever read. They've secured a place on my list of favorite fictional couples. :') 
• The fangirling sessions & comic-cons which were described in the story made the book really enjoyable too. • I loved how the author discussed a lot of themes in the book but found a way to button up all of it and created a truly wonderful story. I can't wait to read more from Jennifer Dugan! 
Thanks to the publisher for the arc!

Sorenza

Stella

Aida Izquierdo

Emory

From the author of Hot Dog Girl comes a fresh and funny queer YA contemporary novel about two teens who fall in love in an indie comic book shop. Now available in paperback Jubilee has it all together. She's an elite cellist, and when she's not working in her stepmom's indie comic shop, she's prepping for the biggest audition of her life. Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can't stop disappointing them--that is, when they're even paying attention. They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can't help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other's throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible . . . unless they manage to keep it a secret. Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley's anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can't conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give? A deep dive into first love while learning to manage significant mental health challenges . . . Dugan's strength is in creating a diverse cast of characters. Ridley is bisexual, Jubilee struggles with how to identify and label her sexuality, and most of the supporting characters are queer-identified. --School Library Journal

Verona Comics

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