The Invisible Lesbian Review
The Invisible Lesbian by Océanrosemarie and Sandrine Revel
CW: Nudity, Internalized Fatphobia, An Attempt to Turn the Main Character Straight, Toxic Relationships, Depression, Homophobia, Swearing, Drug Use, Underage Sex, Gatekeeping, Jealousy, Hallucination, Positive References to Problematic Popular Culture
4/5
The Invisible Lesbian started as a one-woman comedy show, written in 2009. Océanrosemarie is the persona of Ocean Rose Marie. She sees it as herself, but played up. This graphic novel is a memoir, but it is important to note that it was written by the persona. While I did not learn about this difference until after I finished reading, the story very clearly read like a stand-up comedy piece. There's lots of comedy in it and it feels like a caricature of French culture. The graphic novel was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I had trouble putting it down.
Océanrosemarie is a high-fem woman who has struggled her whole life with being seen for who she is. While her mother knew early on and was quite accepting, everyone else seemed to think she was lying. It didn't help that she kept falling for heterosexual women! In her memoir, The Invisible Lesbian, we watch as she goes from early childhood to adulthood, learning all about what it means to be a lesbian. From stereotypes to the lesbian fairy, to the love of her life and every other girlfriend, this comic shares it all with the help of the talented artist, Sandrine Revel.
Revel illustrated this as a part of being featured in the PEN World Voices Festival. The art style is a nice balance between playful and sleek. There are a lot of moments that call for sexiness and sexuality, making the sleek and pretty parts of the design necessary. Still, there is humor at almost every corner. This comes across in the motifs, such as someone dancing across a page, or the clown makeup most characters seem to be wearing. The medium appears to be watercolor, which is helpful in representing memory. Overall, the art is quite lovely and absolutely played a part in keeping me interested.
The Invisible Lesbian is a very sexual book, which is not my preference, but the sex is usually paired with humor, making it more approachable for me. Océanrosemarie doesn't take herself very seriously, allowing for all outrageous statements to be enjoyable instead of bad. She's not a perfect person, but she's interesting. Her story and perspective are worth getting to know. This is ultimately a discussion on how you can be feminine and still be a lesbian, that there isn't just one way to present who you love. It's important to be yourself and Océanrosemarie assures us by the end that she's doing that.
One thing I got out of reading The Invisible Lesbian that I hadn't expected, was a lot of information on French culture. There's a portion of the novel where Océanrosemarie is trying out lesbian punk clubs, welcoming a global audience into a world they may not have known about otherwise. I learned about party-goer archetypes, stereotypes specific to French lesbians, French fashion, and more! Throughout I had a hard time guessing when the events took place. While I wish I knew Océanrosemarie's age for the events, I think the timeless quality helps transport the story from when it happened to when it was adapted into graphic novel form.
If you're looking for a quick queer graphic novel with pretty colors and French culture, I absolutely recommend The Invisible Lesbian by Océanrosemarie and Sandrine Revel. It's best if you're comfortable with nudity, but as I've proven, you don't have to be to enjoy this book. Go see the Invisible Lesbian!
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It’s Pride 2023! Time to put up some more comic recs!
This time I’ve put together some stories about discovering one’s own queer identity, outlining a family history of queerness, and several stories where being queer isn’t the focus - queer characters are simply allowed to be.
Belle of the Ball By Mari Costa
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.
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The Moth Keeper By Kay O’Neill
Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn't exactly what Anya thought it would be?
The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya's dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun's warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.
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Hollow By Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White & Berenice Nelle
Isabel "Izzy" Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by—and obsessed with—Washington Irving's legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, with new friends. Ghost stories aren't real, after all....
Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town's teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel (yes, that Van Tassel) and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky's weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it—meaning it's a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky.
Can Izzy's practical nature help her face the unknown—or only trip her up? As the calendar runs down to the 31st, Izzy will have to use all of her wits and work with her new friends to save Vicky and uncover the mystery of the legendary Horseman of Sleepy Hollow—before it's too late.
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Until I Meet my Husband By Ryousuke Nanasaki & Yoshi Tsukizuki
The memoir of gay activist Ryousuke Nanasaki and the first religiously recognized same-sex marriage in Japan.
From school crushes to awkward dating sites to finding a community, this collection of stories recounts the author’s “firsts” as a young gay man searching for love. Dating is never ever easy, but that goes doubly so for Ryousuke, whose journey is full of unrequited loves and many speed bumps. But perseverance and time heals all wounds, even those of the heart.
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Is Love the Answer? By Uta Isaki
When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just "hasn't met the one yet," but Chika has doubts... It's only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside--asexual--and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all--and that that's perfectly normal.
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M Is for Monster By Talia Dutton
When Doctor Frances Ai's younger sister Maura died in a tragic accident six months ago, Frances swore she would bring her back to life. However, the creature that rises from the slab is clearly not Maura. This girl, who chooses the name "M," doesn't remember anything about Maura's life and just wants to be her own person. However, Frances expects M to pursue the same path that Maura had been on—applying to college to become a scientist—and continue the plans she and Maura shared. Hoping to trigger Maura's memories, Frances surrounds M with the trappings of Maura's past, but M wants nothing to do with Frances' attempts to change her into something she's not.
In order to face the future, both Frances and M need to learn to listen and let go of Maura once and for all. Talia Dutton's debut graphic novel, M Is for Monster, takes a hard look at what it means to live up to other people's expectations—as well as our own.
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Golden Sparkle By Minta Suzumaru
Himaru Uehara’s first year of high school is off to a good start, minus one problem—he keeps having wet dreams. With only his mom and sister at home—and having skipped health class in middle school—he thinks it means there’s something wrong with him. Thankfully, a new friend has just the remedy and teaches Himaru exactly how to deal with those pesky dreams! But his solution only leads to more confusion, and the two find themselves navigating feelings they’ve never felt before.
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Thieves By Lucie Bryon
Ella can’t seem to remember a single thing from the party the night before at a mysterious stranger’s mansion, and she sure as heck doesn’t know why she’s woken up in her bed surrounded by a magpie’s nest of objects that aren’t her own. And she can’t stop thinking about her huge crush on Madeleine, who she definitely can’t tell about her sudden penchant for kleptomania… But does Maddy have secrets of her own? Can they piece together that night between them and fix the mess of their chaotic personal lives in time to form a normal, teenage relationship? That would be nice.
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Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic By Alison Bechdel
Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescense, the denouement is swift, graphic -- and redemptive.
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She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat By Sakaomi Yuzaki
Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she finds herself making way more than she can eat by herself. And so, she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this impromptu dinner invitation...?
Kasuga and Nomoto promised to spend their Christmas and New Year’s together. Now, they find themselves learning more about each other’s families through the food sent by Nomoto’s mother. Cute character bento, salmon and rice, stollen, fruit sandwiches, roast beef…Nomoto and Kasuga warm up to each other over a cheerful holiday season.
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How Could You by Ren Strapp
How Could You, my debut graphic novel published by Oni Press, is coming to stores everywhere December 17, 2024. It’s full color, 200+ pages, and lettered by the talented Tayden Kovac aka @catskullery
Join Molly, Lou, Olene, Yona, Jackie, and Anjali as they try to sleep with each other and have the worst semester of their lives <3
Read all about it at The Mary Sue and at Bleeding Cool
PRE-ORDER NOW!! use indiebound if you're sexy
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