Constellations

In the 1980s, high schooler Claire doesn’t know exactly who they are or where they fit in their Irish Catholic family and the surrounding Troy, N.Y., community (“Having a girlfriend isn’t the part that feels the most wrong. It’s the being a girl part”). The conflict between conforming to their family’s pressure that they “act like a normal girl” and their own discomfort with their gender identity throws them into a spiral that they try to mitigate with increased alcohol consumption. Claire falls further into alcohol dependency when classmates begin bullying them for kissing a girl, and a subsequent spiral results in them being placed in a juvenile recovery program. Loosely lined art by Glasheen (A Radical Shift of Gravity), rendered in soft watercolors, lends a sense of nostalgia to Claire’s tale, varied panel shapes contain a youthful verve, and overflowing text fittingly captures Claire’s feelings of overwhelm. This solo debut—a fictionalized, somewhat autobiographical accounting, as indicated in an author’s note—explores its protagonist’s struggles to be a part of their family and community while learning to accept themself, potently reflecting on themes of addiction, healing, and identity. Ages 14–up. Agent: Anjali Singh, Ayesha Pande Literary. (May)