Leap

Contemporary dancers Ana Florean and Sara Dumitrescu’s junior year at a Romanian performing arts school turns out to be pivotal and transformative in Popescu’s debut graphic novel. Assigned to share a dorm room, the girls become fast friends. While talented Sara crushes on Marlena, one of her instructors, Ana risks expulsion for frequently skipping classes to be with her girlfriend Carina, an ambitious ballerina who insists on hiding their relationship for fear of derision from her conservative classical ballet cohort. As the school year progresses, Carina’s unwillingness to be open about her relationship with Ana and Sara’s deepening feelings for Marlena threaten to upend the roommates’ professional pursuits and emotional well-being. Sara’s mistaken assumption about Marlena’s feelings for her and Ana’s school suspension prompt the girls to open up to one another about their respective sexualities, cementing their friendship and providing ample support as they each navigate tumultuous situations. Pastel pinks, muted grays, and saturated reds connote the passage of time in this fluidly illustrated work that gracefully captures the ups and downs of first love, ambition, and friendship. Character skin tones are rendered in varying hues that match the palette used. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)