Belle of the Ball

 

My Thoughts:

Asian, queer, super jock in a love triangle and who needs tutoring from an old friend set up by her girlfriend. . . yes, this high school love is complicated and stereotype bending, but I'm here for that! What a fabulous world where all the -isms and -phobias are non existent. This is really just friendship that got lost and found again. . .and love. 

I cannot say this enough, but I am so for the Asian jock who breaks down all of the model minority stereotypes (she is not meek, she is not small, and she does well in school, but still needs tutoring in English). Chloe Kitagawa, our superjock, also has a smoking hot, head cheerleader and academic superstar girlfriend, Regina Moreno. In comes scrawny school mascot Hawkins who has been pining over Regina from behind her mascot mask. When Hawkins asks Regina out, the fun begins.

From the Publisher:

High-school senior and notorious wallflower Hawkins finally works up the courage to remove her mascot mask and ask out her longtime crush: Regina Moreno, head cheerleader, academic overachiever, and all-around popular girl. There’s only one teensy little problem: Regina is already dating Chloe Kitagawa, athletic all-star…and middling English student. Regina sees a perfectly self-serving opportunity here, and asks the smitten Hawkins to tutor Chloe free of charge, knowing Hawkins will do anything to get closer to her.

And while Regina’s plan works at first, she doesn’t realize that Hawkins and Chloe knew each other as kids, when Hawkins went by Belle and wore princess dresses to school every single day. Before long, romance does start to blossom…but not between who you might expect. With Belle of the Ball, cartoonist Mariana Costa has reinvigorated satisfying, reliable tropes into your new favorite teen romantic comedy. 

Author: Mari Costa

Publisher: First Second

Publication date: March 21, 2023