Firebird

Asian American high school sophomore Caroline Kim is struggling to fit in with her classmates when she begins tutoring lesbian senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo, also Asian American. Everyone warns timid Caroline that Kim—who sports chipped nail polish, multiple piercings, and a grunge aesthetic—is a loose cannon. It turns out, however, that the two share much in common, including having absent fathers, demanding mothers, and no clue who they want to be (“These days I feel so lost and distant from everyone,” Caroline says. “My brain’s like, on fire all the time”). Soon, they are meeting up outside of school, going on late-night drives, and bonding over their mutual love of music and desire for freedom. As the girls grow closer, they help each other navigate their respective interpersonal troubles, and Caroline, having never been attracted to another girl before, is shocked when she finds herself crushing on Kim. Debut creator Sunmi’s grayscale graphic novel artfully captures the trials and tribulations of one teen’s experience wrestling with who she’s always been and who she wants to be via emotive facial expressions and youthful language, making for a sensitive and meditative character study. Ages 13–17. Agent: Susan Graham, Einstein Literary Management. (July)