YA Graphic Novels You'll Fall In Love with

Growing up and growing in friendships is tricky business. Sometimes you stick together, sometimes you grow apart. As Megan and Cass grow as artists, will their friendship survive? This is beautiful and poignant and only fitting that a story of artists is depicted with such superb art.

Megan and Cass grew up joined at the brush. Every year, their families vacationed together in Michigan, where the girls relaxed by the lake and created art - from scribbles as toddlers to sophisticated portraits in their teenage years. Megan was always cautious, and Cass was always rebellious. But together, each summer, they grew as artists and friends. The summer after her junior year of high school, Megan arranges to stay with Cass and her mother at their apartment in New York City. Suddenly Megan's world explodes into color. The girls begin collaborating on a piece that pushes both of their artistic boundaries, one that will be showcased in a local gallery show. But when a secret comes to light and one of them crosses a line, will their friendship be able to survive?

Lumberjanes

A summer of adventures awaits and nothing will get in these fierce ladies’ way. Even supernatural things. Or magical things. Any of the above. They are going to have a good summer OK?? And, who doesn’t love a group of bada$$ ladies?

At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams.

Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!

Nimona

by Noelle Stevenson

Can you really resist a villain and sidekick story? This National Book Award finalist is one of those awesome titles that started as a webcomic and became a bestselling book. Plus, when it became a finalist, it really thrust graphic novels into the spotlight (and more and more people are realizing how awesome they are!).

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of a “superstar” talent (NPR.org).

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

The PLAIN Janes

by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

After PLAIN JANES became a cult classic graphic novel, the Janes returned with a third installment with all the same power, inspiration, and guerilla works of art. The Janes prove that anyone can make a difference, anyone can spark change, and a solid group of friends can get you through anything. Even high school.

After getting caught in the midst of a terrorist attack on Metro City, artsy misfit Jane Beckles is forced to leave her beloved bustling metropolis for the boring suburb of Kent Waters. At first Jane thinks her life is over, but then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by only two things--a shared name and an all-too-relatable frustration with the adults around them—the girls form a secret club dedicated to waking up their fellow citizens with guerrilla works of art scattered around town.

But for Main Jane, the group is more than just a simple act of teenaged rebellion, it's an act of survival. She's determined not to let fear rule her life like it does her parents' and neighbors'. Armed with her sketchbook and a mission of resistance, she's out to prove that true passion and a group of good friends can save anyone from the hell that is high school.

Includes the original two installments of the cult classic graphic novel The Plain Janes—The Plain Janes and Janes in Love—plus a never-before-seen third story, Janes Attack Back. And it gets even better: In the final book, each part will be printed in its own distinct color, because there's nothing plain about these Janes.

Fence

You already know our love of Fence at NOVL HQ so you have to check out the comics that inspired our very own novels.

Novelist C.S. Pacat (Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad team up for a new series perfect for fans of Check, Please! and Yuri!!! on Ice. Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Cox is an outsider to the competitive fencing world. Filled with raw talent but lacking proper training, he signs up for a competition that puts him head-to-head with fencing prodigy Seiji Katayama...and on the road to the elite all-boys school Kings Row. A chance at a real team and a place to belong awaits him-if he can make the cut!

MARCH TRILOGY

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

If you don’t already know John Lewis’ story, GET ON IT! We lost a powerhouse in 2020 and this graphic novel trilogy tells the story of his life and work for civil and human rights, as well as the larger civil rights movement. It brings even more emotion and power to an inspiring story.

March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.

THIS ONE SUMMER

Mariko Tamaki; illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

You know those stories about the moment everything changed? It’s sometimes tough to pinpoint in our own lives, but easier to see in stories. This story is one about that moment when suddenly childhood seems over, when someone is thrust into growing up. It definitely tugs on the heartstrings but ends up uplifting and hopeful.

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening.

It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

This One Summer is a tremendously exciting new teen graphic novel from two creators with true literary clout. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of childhood - a story of renewal and revelation.

PUMPKINHEADS

Written by Rainbow Rowell; illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks; color by Sarah Stern

You know Rainbow Rowell for her impossibly good YA novels, and her graphic novel is no different. Get ready to both laugh, and feel all the feels, (of course!) in this story of high school senior “seasonal friends”.

In Pumpkinheads, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell and Eisner Award–winning artist Faith Erin Hicks have teamed up to create this tender and hilarious story about two irresistible teens discovering what it means to leave behind a place—and a person—with no regrets.

Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends.

Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.

But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .

What if their last shift was an adventure?

PERSEPOLIS

Marjane Satrapi

Personally, no graphic novel list is complete without this stunning graphic memoir. I was lucky enough to have college professors who incorporated graphic novels into the curriculum and this was one of the first graphic novels I read and I adored it. It’s an intense portrait and beautifully illustrates how graphic novels make non-fiction work come alive in a completely different way. Deserves a spot on every list, and not just because it has a special place in my heart.

Description: In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.