KIRBY'S LESSONS FOR FALLING (IN LOVE)

“Queen of Balance” Kirby Tan knows what to do on the rock-climbing wall, but she struggles with navigating the rest of her life.

After sophomore Kirby, a champion climber, injures her wrist in a fall at an invitational, she’s unable to climb for at least two months. In need of an extracurricular, she joins the newspaper club in hopes of bringing up her dismal English grade. Kirby teams up with Bex Santos to write an astrology-themed column to help their fellow students find love. Kirby isn’t sure she believes in the premise behind “Ask the Universe,” but she gets swept up in the adventure of guiding their classmates toward the romance they desire. In between matching others, Chinese American Kirby deals with her growing attraction to Bex, who’s Latine, and what that might mean for her relationships with her family and her church. Missing rock climbing, combined with grieving her father, who died eight years ago, and worrying about her immigrant grandfather’s worsening health, leaves Kirby feeling on edge and readers filled with empathy for her. Gao’s predominantly black-and-white illustrations feature bold lines and pops of salmon that emphasize strong emotional moments. The panels vary in shape, layout, and perspective, creating fresh, compelling visuals for this work that’s filled with powerful images of struggle but also of joy.

A refreshingly raw and vulnerable exploration of grief and hope.