You Belong Here written by Sara Phoebe Miller and illustrated by Morgan Beem is a coming of age story about Esther Rosen and her senior year of high school. Full of drama, angst, and romance galore, You Belong Here is a true-to-life glimpse of one teenager’s struggle to find out where she belongs.
Esther Rosen, Essie if you please, is more than ready to leave her hometown of Harborview. Luckily for her, it’s her last first day of high school and she can’t wait for school to finally end so she can graduate and get away from here! While it seems like the end may be far off in the future, time has a funny way of playing tricks. With her best friend off at Columbia living her best life, her brother across the country in rehab, and her mom turning every conversation into a fight, Essie is struggling to find her way. Essie should be able to turn to her boyfriend Bruno, but even he has become weirdly distant. Through all of these ups and downs, Essie knows one thing: she has a limited number of days before she will start school at NYU in the acting program of her dreams with her best friend.
It doesn’t take long before Essie’s plans start to unravel. Her best friend isn’t responding to her texts, Bruno breaks up with her, and her mom’s constant nagging about perfection ramp up her anxiety. After she bombs her audition, Essie is at a loss. She missed the audition window for the community theater group she usually works with and instead has to try out for the school play. When she’s cast opposite Christopher Sun, Essie is conflicted. While Christopher is charming and attractive, he is also the young brother of the drug dealer who got her older brother hooked on drugs and caused all her family’s problems. How can she be attracted to Christopher? Is he a rebound? Or is what she feeling for him real?
This young adult debut graphic novel was gorgeously written and drawn. The illustrator used blue watercolor tones to highlight the story, focusing on details and expression in each interaction. Even though the artwork is monochromatic, readers are easily able to see the big emotions play across each character. You Belong Here is ripe with teenage angst as Essie struggles with her family, friends, and feelings.