Meh. I like that this is an LGBTQ+ graphic novel, but I wasn't impressed with some of the art, and the storyline was pretty typical high school. Good readalike for Alison Bechdel or Anatomy of a Boyfriend.

When we last left off, Ariel Schrag had just finished tenth grade. As good as her freshmen and sophomore years were to read, junior year is even better.

The first thing I noticed about Potential the second book in Schrag’s high school chronicles, is that her drawing skills vastly improved from sophomore to junior year. Gone is the amateurish, cartoons and in their place are drawings with real depth and emotion. The art here is really clever, not only does she depict various moods altered by chemicals (one kind of border represents being drunk, another represents being high) but she really packs a lot of emotion in her character’s faces. My favorite is the hot, young Alexis, one of Schrag’s girlfriends who is pretty but dumb. The girl is drawn with empty eyes. It’s a nice touch, and there are a lot of touches throughout. Another bit of art awesome is the dream sequences which become increasingly realistic compared to the comic aspect of daily life.

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It feels like a "most improved" award is due to the author with the growth of her writing and drawing.

The graphic version of her high school year, following "Awkward and Definition." Really enjoyable, really honest. As a high school student, I could NOT relate to this (seeing her teacher at dyke punk rock shows and getting sex advice from her, really?) but as an older adult I could relate to her relationship dramas.

Potential covers the later high-school years in Schrag's extended comics biography. It's pretty uneven, and naturally a little naval-gazey at times. But it is very earnest, and feels authentic. While it may not be the greatest comcis, or the greatest story, I think it really succeeds on its own terms, and I feel that that is to be commended.

Also - Ariel Schrag's high school experience was a lot more racey than mine.

It is painfully high school but it brings up a lot of memories, some good, some bad or neutral. How she traverses love and sex and identity feels familiar and honest.

Found it on the library book cart at Pride (yay!!). Kind of disturbing, and sometimes I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not. There are very few black people (and no real black characters), and every time a black person appears in a panel they're yelling or angry or intimidating or outright scary---I'm pretty sure that wasn't intentional. Also some unexpected homophobia ('butches are icky and gross eww')---maybe it was being lampshaded? And weird consent stuff, which Schrag didn't directly address, but I was fairly sure that she was trying to portray it in an honest and self-critical light.

Overall, I think I didn't connect strongly because I didn't have any messy stupid messed-up high school relationships. I know I'm in the minority there. (I was a complete classic naiive nerd---shocking, I know.) I don't have a strong desire to go back and read the first one, but I think I will look out for the next one along, since the improvements in art and storytelling were so vast from beginning to end of this volume.

Well, I devoured it, and loved every minute. The art and storytelling improved tremendously from her first book.

This book had more gay drama than I did in my four years at a historically women's college, which I think says a lot about the tumultuous Fantastic documentation of queer life as a high school student. Very relatable, fun and readable.

these comics came into my life at just the right time.