Bloom

Product Information

BLOOM, A NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau, is about two high-school-age boys who meet and fall in love one summer while working at a family bakery. I fell in love with the cover before I even knew what it was about, and I have to take a moment to say just how lovely the art is. Overall, I would still recommend this for readers and fans of cute soft boy graphic romances, however, I reserve the right to consider this a weaker recommendation until I read the second one. Ari’s mom and dad own a bakery and they want their son to continue to live with them and help keep the business afloat, instead of running off with his friends to start a band in the big city. It felt pretty formulaic and stereotypical, so I was never really shocked or emotional at anything that happened.

Ari’s friends are also awful people; they talk shit about Hector, they talk shit about each other… the entire friend group seemed so toxic. The part of the book that had the largest impact on my thinking, and which greatly influenced my positive opinion of this book, was how it normalized queer relationships.

A tender blend of sugary, buttery, and other complex flavors that’s baked with a tremendous dash of heart. The lack of ordinary conflict is simultaneously this breathtaking book’s crowning glory and its most enigmatic aspect.

In a desperate attempt to break free from a future he does not want, Ari finds a young man named Hector to work for his parents in his stead. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the Heartstopper series. Bloom raises the question whether gay stories — be they graphic novels or otherwise — should honor the struggles LGBTQ youth experience by starkly exposing them or by portraying life as completely normal so as to eradicate the hackneyed assumptions and biases that surround them.Hector, as a character was more enjoyable in that he’s facing his own life problems—death of a relative, a recent ex, figuring out where he needs to be to do what he wants in life—while simultaneously falling for the grumpy-read-immature Ari. If you’re looking for a quick read, a sweet, summery romance, and an absolutely adorable book about baking, Bloom is absolutely the best choice! Written by Kevin Panetta and illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau, this is a heartwarming story about finding yourself and stumbling upon love (oh, and baking. It’s a wonder, quite frankly, how this graphic novel so deftly normalizes a burgeoning homosexual relationship between two young men.

Obviously I just wanted to eat all of it but they do include a recipe at the end which I thought was a nice touch. And there’s something equally warm and filling about Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau’s 2019 graphic novel Bloom. I really enjoyed the style and colouring of this graphic novel, it fit really well with the setting in making it feel even more beachy. The murky waters of that time period, the dreams that we have that others do not believe in, and the hesitations we do not want to name. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.This book highlights key issues students are going through, while remaining lighthearted, which could be helpful. Minor cautions to keep in mind before reading would be that there is sexually suggestive content within the book, that may be cautionary depending on the age of the reader, as well as a fire, both with illustrated content. We work closely with publishers and authors to ensure that we offer the best books on the market for your child. This was easily a five-star read, and it’s going to be one I reread a lot (probably a few times a year, but especially in summer).