View source for Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me

{{short description|Graphic novel}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox book
| name         = Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
| author       = [[Mariko Tamaki]]
| language     = English
| country      = United States{{efn|name=Canada|Although described as a Canadian work<ref name="CBC2019-a"/> due to being written by Canadian comics writer [[Mariko Tamaki]], the novel was published by American publisher [[First Second Books]].<ref name="Macmillan"/>}}
| genre        = {{unbulleted list|[[Young adult fiction|Young adult novel]]|[[Lesbian literature|Lesbian teen fiction]]}}
| published    = May 7, 2019
| publisher    = [[First Second Books|First Second]]
| isbn         = 978-1-62672-259-0
| image        = File:Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me - book cover.jpg
| image_size   = 200px
| caption      = 
| cover_artist = [[Rosemary Valero-O'Connell]]
| illustrator  = [[Rosemary Valero-O'Connell]]
| media_type   = Print ([[hardcover]])
| pages        = 304
| awards         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Harvey Award]] (2019)
* [[Ignatz Award]] (2019)
* [[Eisner Award]] (2020)
}}
| isbn_note    = 
| congress     = 
| oclc         =
| preceded_by  = 
| followed_by  =
}}

'''''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me''''' is a graphic novel written by [[Mariko Tamaki]] and illustrated by [[Rosemary Valero-O'Connell]]. It follows Frederica "Freddy" Riley throughout her struggles with her [[on-again, off-again relationship]] with the eponymous Laura Dean. The novel was first published by [[First Second Books]] on May 7, 2019. A [[young adult fiction|young adult]] and [[lesbian literature|lesbian teen]] novel, ''Laura Dean'' includes themes about teenage lesbian and queer sexuality.

''Laura Dean'' received critical acclaim from book critics and media publications who lauded Tamaki's and Valero-O'Connell's work on the novel, as well as their dynamic. The novel's writing and narrative was critically praised, with many publications calling the dialogue authentic. Valero-O'Connell's artwork was also positively received, with reviews of ''Laura Dean'' praising her visual storytelling and use of color. The story also received praise for the diversity and relatability displayed by its characters. The novel went on to receive multiple industry awards and was included in various publications' year-end lists regarding the best comics and novels of 2019.

==Plot==
''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me'' is set in [[Berkeley, California]].<ref name="QQ2019" /> It follows Frederica Riley, or Freddy—a 17-year-old lesbian of a mixed East Asian and white background—as she struggles in her relationship with her girlfriend, Laura Dean.<ref name=Bircher2019/><ref name=Sava2019/><ref name=Kirkus2019/> Portrayed as a popular and aloof "cool girl", Laura continually breaks up with Freddy, only to start their romantic relationship up again whenever the former desires.<ref name="QQ2019" /><ref name="Kiely2019" /><ref name="cbc2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/14-books-to-read-on-valentine-s-day-1.5463770|title=14 books to read on Valentine's Day|website=[[CBC.ca]]|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=February 14, 2020|access-date=March 13, 2020}}</ref> While focusing on a way to prevent a further break up, Freddy inadvertently distances herself from her social circle, which includes Buddy, Eric, and her best friend Doodle, by repeatedly neglecting her friendships with them.<ref name="QQ2019" /><ref name="Sava2019" /><ref name="AndersonMinshall2019" /> Distressed about her relationship struggles, Freddy seeks out answers as to why Dean keeps breaking up with her. Freddy receives relationship advice from the Seek-Her, a local [[mediumship|medium]]{{efn|While the novel does not explicitly describe the Seek-Her outside of being an "advice-giver", media publications have referred to her as a [[fortune teller]],<ref name=Bircher2019/> [[mediumship|medium]],<ref name=Macmillan/> or [[Mysticism#Contemporary meaning|mystic]].<ref name=Pereira2019/>}} recommended to her by Doodle; from Vi, a potential [[crush (psychology)|crush]] of hers; and from Anna Vice, a relationship [[advice column]]ist.<ref name="QQ2019" /><ref name="Bircher2019" />

After continuously and inadvertently distancing herself from her friends, Buddy strongly suggests to Freddy that she should "talk" to Doodle. Following this, Doodle admits to Freddy that she became pregnant after having sex with a married man, and that she intends to have an abortion.<ref name=Nojadera2019>{{cite web|last=Nojadera|first=Amanda|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/laura-dean-keeps-breaking-up-with-me|title=Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me|publisher=[[Common Sense Media]]|date=2019|access-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref> Freddy plans to go with Doodle to her abortion clinic appointment, and tells Laura that she won't be able to see her on her birthday. Freddy later receives a text from Laura concerning an emergency. As a result, Freddy visits Laura and is told that there is no emergency. Rather, Laura explains that for her birthday, she wanted to see Freddy, despite her earlier assurance that Freddy's absence would be alright. Freddy is taken aback, and as people begin showing up at Laura's home, Freddy leaves to go to Doodle's appointment. Following the appointment, Freddy consoles Doodle at the latter's home. Freddy then finally receives an email response from Anna Vice, who advises Freddy to ask herself what her love for Laura offers in regard to being a better person. Ultimately, Freddy visits Laura in the aftermath of her birthday party, where she breaks up with Laura. Surprised and angered by this, Laura lashes out and curses at Freddy while in tears. The novel ends with visuals of Freddy and Doodle dancing at their [[prom]] paired with a final email from Freddy to Anna Vice, where she expresses her choosing to be "things that are something other than the ex-girlfriend of Laura Dean."

==Development and publication==
In April 2016, Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell announced they were collaborating on ''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me''.<ref name="Brown2016">{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Tracy|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-mariko-tamaki-rosemary-valero-o-connell-laura-dean-20160408-htmlstory.html|title= Exclusive: Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell announce 'Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me'|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 8, 2016|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> It was the first collaboration between Tamaki and Valero-O'Connell.<ref name="QQ2019" /> Valero-O'Connell told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' that the previous December, [[First Second Books|First Second]] editor Calista Brill had sent her an email asking if she had interest in testing to be the artist for Tamaki's next book, to which she agreed.<ref name="Brown2016" /> As a teenager, Valero-O'Connell was inspired by Tamaki's work to begin working on comics of her own.<ref name=Sava2019/>

When asked if there were any specific inspirations for ''Laura Dean'', Tamaki stated that she "always liked the idea of an ex-ex-girlfriend story, about the girl that got away and then shows up a week later with a smile like nothing happened," and added that a lot of her relationships when she was younger "weren't fairy-tale girl-meets-girl, girl-finds-true-love-type things. They were a mess".<ref name="Brown2016" /> She added that television series ''[[My So-Called Life]]'' and ''[[Freaks and Geeks]]'', as well as [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]] films, influenced the novel's development.<ref name="Brown2016" /> In a 2019 online interview with the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), Tamaki stated: "I didn't want [''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me''] to just be a story where the goal is just to find love and love is achieved, then that is the end of the story. I wanted to look at love and relationships and then complicate them. When I was a younger person, especially a [[queer]] younger person, all I wanted were stories about relationships. All I wanted were love stories."<ref name="Patrick2019">{{cite web|last=Patrick|first=Ryan B.|url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/why-writing-realistic-teenage-stories-and-comic-books-is-important-to-mariko-tamaki-1.5191083|title= Why writing realistic teenage stories and comic books is important to Mariko Tamaki|website=[[CBC.ca]]|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=June 27, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref>

The cover for the book was revealed in September 2018.<ref name=ValeroOConnell2018>{{cite tweet|last=Valero-O'Connell|first=Rosemary|author-link=Rosemary Valero-O'Connell|user=hirosemaryhello|number=1044297203081244672|date=September 24, 2018|title=oh man! the cover of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, the graphic novel @marikotamaki and I made together, has been revealed! coming May 2019!|access-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Weekes2018">{{cite web|last=Weekes|first=Princess|url=https://www.themarysue.com/cover-laura-dean-keeps-breaking-up-with-me/|title=Exclusive: Cover Reveal of Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell's Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me|work=[[The Mary Sue]]|date=September 24, 2018|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Although originally pegged for a 2018 release,<ref name="Brown2016" /> [[First Second Books]] published the novel on May 7, 2019.<ref name="Macmillan">{{cite web|url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626722590|title=Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me {{pipe}} Mariko Tamaki|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|access-date=March 13, 2020}}</ref> Valero-O'Connell sold her artwork for the graphic novel as a fundraiser for [[Bernie Sanders]]'s [[Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign|2020 presidential campaign]].<ref name="Hyska2020">{{cite web|last=Hyska|first=Erik|url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/the-rundown-030520/|title=The Rundown: March 5, 2020|work=Multiversity Comics|date=March 5, 2020|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref>

==Style and themes==
A "queer [[coming-of-age story]]", many media outlets noted the queer themes present in the novel.<ref name=Kirkus2019/><ref name="McMillan2020">{{cite web|last=McMillan|first=Graeme|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/why-dont-go-me-makes-rosemary-valero-oconnell-as-a-comic-talent-watch-1282127|title='Don't Go Without Me' Makes Rosemary Valero-O'Connell as a Comic Talent to Watch|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=March 2, 2020|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Gustines2019">{{cite web|last=Gustines|first=George Gene|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/books/surely-books-lgbtqia-graphic-novels-mariko-tamaki.html|title=New Imprint for Graphic Novels Aims to Increase the Presence of Queer Authors|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 3, 2019|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Particularly, media publications noted the presence of a dynamic cast of [[LGBT]] characters, who were portrayed with a diversity in their races, sexualities, [[gender expression]]s, and body types.<ref name="Bircher2019">{{cite web|last=Bircher|first=Katie|url=https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=review-of-laura-dean-keeps-breaking-up-with-me|title=Review of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me|work=[[The Horn Book Magazine]]|date=June 18, 2019|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Johnson2019">{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Destiny|url=https://www.kgw.com/article/entertainment/culture/comics/laura-dean-butcher-of-paris/283-4716bc63-1c74-4df9-9d73-fb7562a7d89b|title=Let's talk comics: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me & The Butcher of Paris|publisher=[[KGW]]|date=December 12, 2019|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Kirkus2019/> While Laura has been cited as having as "charismatic appeal" or being "enigmatic",<ref name=Bircher2019/><ref name=cbc2020/> the novel also depicts her as the catalyst for a bad and abusive romantic relationship involving two girls.<ref name=Kirkus2019/><ref name=Donachie2019/> Laura [[Gaslighting|gaslights]], emotionally manipulates, fetishizes, and [[Infidelity|cheats on]] Freddy throughout the novel, and as a result of Laura's behavior toward her, Freddy is kept from being involved in the lives of those she cares about.<ref name=Sava2019/><ref name=Kirkus2019>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mariko-tamaki/laura-dean-keeps-breaking-up-with-me/|title=Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me|work=[[Kirkus Reviews]]|date=March 7, 2019|access-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref> Aside from highlighting themes about queer romantic relationships, the theme of platonic friendship is also explored in the novel.<ref name=Kirkus2019/> In ''Laura Dean'', subplots involving Freddy's friends help "address other issues faced by queer teens and sexually active young women."<ref name="Sava2019" />

Literary media publications have also noted the novel's setting in Berkeley, with the city portrayed as queer-friendly.<ref name="QQ2019" /><ref name="Bircher2019" /> Valero-O'Connell stated that she and Tamaki toured Berkeley and the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] in order to "look at architecture and look at locations and take stock of the world that these people live in," and she developed characters "to feel like people that [she] knew and like people that existed in [her] life, in the world and specifically in the Bay Area."<ref name="Orr2019">{{cite news|last=Orr|first=Rachel|url=https://www.thelily.com/our-lily-lit-club-pick-defies-traditional-storytelling-heres-how/|title=Our Lily Lit Club pick defies traditional storytelling. Here's how.|work=The Lily|date=August 15, 2019|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>  Due to Valero-O'Connell's "California glow" portrayal of the novel's city setting, ''[[Quill & Quire]]'' likened the vibe of the novel to that of television drama ''[[The L Word]]''.<ref name="QQ2019">{{cite web|url=https://quillandquire.com/review/laura-dean-keeps-breaking-up-with-me/|title=★Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me|work=[[Quill & Quire]]|date=2019|access-date=March 17, 2020}}</ref> Of the novel's visual aesthetic, several publications noted the splash of pink accents to go along with the novel's otherwise black-and-white coloring.<ref name="QQ2019" /><ref name="Bircher2019" /><ref name="Sava2019" /> Valero-O'Connnell's art was also compared to the style often seen in [[manga]] works.<ref name="Salkowitz2019" /><ref name="BCCB2019" />

Tamaki stated that during their scouting of Berkeley, Valero-O'Connell "kept taking pictures of [[Succulent plant|succulents]]."<ref name="Orr2019" /> This translated to the novel's artwork, as the visually abundant plant life is another key motif in the novel.<ref name="Sava2019" /><ref name="Kiely2019" /> Brendan Kiely of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "the lush foliage and plant life bursting from the background, sometimes even overtaking the foreground, suggests that life is growing, even thriving, all around Freddy."<ref name="Kiely2019" /> Oliver Sava of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' similarly wrote that the lush greenery adds "an element of natural beauty to the panels while evoking different emotional responses."<ref name="Sava2019" />

==Reception==
{{multiple image
|total_width=225
| image1= Mariko Tamaki by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| width1= 
| alt1= Mariko Tamaki
| image2= Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, Small Press Expo, September 2019.png
| width2= 
| alt2= Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
| direction = vertical
| footer=Tamaki (top) and Valero-O'Connell (bottom) received praise from critics for their work on the novel.
}}
The novel received widespread critical acclaim.<ref name="McMillan2020" /> Tamaki's writing was praised, with various publications describing the novel's characters and dialogue as realistic and authentic.<ref name="QQ2019" /><ref name="Yu2019">{{cite web|last=Yu|first=Mallory|url=https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2019&book=122|title=NPR's Book Concierge – Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=2019|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> Valero O'Connell's artwork also received praise, with her coloring and use of space being noted by outlets.<ref name="Sava2019" /><ref name="Yu2019" />

''[[Toronto Star|The Toronto Star]]'' wrote "[Tamaki and Valero-O'Connell] showed that a story about a lovelorn queer teenage girl, published in a YA book, can be relatable to anyone who's ever had a bad relationship."<ref name="Donachie2019">{{cite web|last=Donachie|first=Mike|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2019/07/04/no-matter-your-age-theres-a-graphic-novel-on-this-list-for-everyone.html|title=No matter your age, there's a graphic novel on this list for everyone|work=[[Toronto Star]]|date=July 4, 2019|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Kiely wrote that "Tamaki and Valero-O'Connell slyly undercut the rocky romance, preventing it from veering into melodrama with endearing moments between the girls' other friends and flashes of humor," adding that the author–illustrator duo's "tenderhearted narrative sings with real, honest emotion that will resonate with anyone trying to figure out love."<ref name="Kiely2019">{{cite web|last=Kiely|first=Brendan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/books/review/ya-novels-for-teenagers-romance-social-justice-san-francisco.html|title=Summer of Love, Where Have You Gone?|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 28, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190628134008/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/books/review/ya-novels-for-teenagers-romance-social-justice-san-francisco.html|archive-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref> ''[[Quill & Quire]]'' also commended the two's collaboration, writing "Tamaki and Valero-O'Connell have developed a sophisticated storytelling dynamic, which involves sparse dialogue pushing the narrative forward while detailed illustrative attention to body language and facial expressions provides the emotion."<ref name=QQ2019/> ''[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]'' writer Rob Salkowitz wrote that ''Laura Dean''{{'}}s inclusion of a "depoliticized and unfussy depiction of [[Non-binary gender#Terms, definitions, and identities|gender-fluid]] teen culture in the 2010s" makes the novel "a step forward in LGBTQ graphic literature."<ref name="Salkowitz2019">{{cite web|last=Salkowitz|first=Rob|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2019/12/13/the-best-graphic-novels-of-2019/#8f45e63584d1|title=The Best Graphic Novels Of 2019|work=[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]|date=December 13, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref>

Katie Bircher of ''[[The Horn Book Magazine]]'' praised the novel's writing, as she opined that "Freddy's insightful and painfully honest first-person narration [...] is balanced by dialogue full of witty banter and warm moments of friendship."<ref name="Bircher2019" /> Mallory Yu of [[NPR]] wrote that Tamaki's dialogue feels natural and is delivered by "infinitely relatable" characters.<ref name="Yu2019" /> Also lauding the novel's dialogue, ''Quill & Quire'' wrote that it "feels more authentic than most YA teen-speak, with characters holding back, not risking too much, worried about saying the wrong thing. Valero-O'Connell matches the verbal starts and stops with a multi-panel style that acts as a form of visual editing."<ref name="QQ2019" /> ''[[The A.V. Club]]''{{'}}s Sava also praised Tamaki's writing, stating that she "excels when she's writing stories about young women discovering their strength in times of crisis, and ''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me'' falls right in her creative sweet spot."<ref name="Sava2019">{{cite web|last=Sava|first=Oliver|url=https://www.avclub.com/laura-dean-first-second-and-the-rise-of-queer-romance-1834648367|title=''Laura Dean'', First Second, and the rise of queer romance in YA comics|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=May 11, 2019|access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> While positively receiving ''Laura Dean'', Sava found issue with one element of the novel's storytelling, writing:

<blockquote>One puzzling element of ''Laura Dean'' is the hallucinated dialogue that Freddy hears, usually from her mutated stuffed animals but sometimes from environmental elements like a pin-up lady printed on a shower curtain [...] the dialogue conceit and its purpose in the emotional storytelling was confusing. The lines themselves are external verbalizations of the characters' feelings, but they aren't necessary when the artwork is so good at depicting these inner states.<ref name="Sava2019" /></blockquote>

Of the artwork, Sava wrote "the visual storytelling is precise and thoughtful, and it's evident that the artist has spent a lot of time designing spaces that feel lived in and characters who immediately exhibit specific personalities. Lush arrangements of greenery are a key visual motif, adding an element of natural beauty to the panels while evoking different emotional responses."<ref name="Sava2019" /> ''Quill & Quire'' praised the coloring work in the novel's illustrations, writing "the pages are predominantly black, white, and grey except for splashes of the most beatific shade of peachy-pink, which perfectly accentuate the bittersweet quality of this story of high-school heartache and friendship," and added "this singular [color] becomes an anticipated comfort throughout the entire story."<ref name="QQ2019" /> In their review of the novel, ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' similarly praised the usage of color in the novel, writing that "Valero-O'Connell's art is realistic and expressive, bringing the characters to life through dynamic grayscale illustrations featuring highlights of millennial pink."<ref name=Kirkus2019/>

===Awards and honors===
''Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me'' won the 2019 [[Harvey Award]] for [[List of Harvey Award winners#Best Children's or Young Adult Book Award|Best Children's or Young Adult Book]].<ref name="McMillan2019">{{cite web|last=McMillan|first=Graeme|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/2019-harvey-award-winners-announced-at-new-york-comic-con-1245635|title=2019 Harvey Award Winners Announced at New York Comic Con|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=October 4, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> The novel was also nominated for the Harvey Award for [[List of Harvey Award winners#Book of the Year Award|Book of the Year]].<ref name="Cavna2019">{{cite news|last=Cavna|first=Michael|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/08/14/new-york-comic-cons-harvey-award-nominations-show-streaming-services-gaining-ground/|title=New York Comic Con's Harvey Award nominations show streaming services gaining ground |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 14, 2019|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814185903/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/08/14/new-york-comic-cons-harvey-award-nominations-show-streaming-services-gaining-ground/|archive-date=August 14, 2019}} {{subscription required|s}}</ref> Additionally, at the 2019 [[Ignatz Awards]] ceremony, ''Laura Dean'' won three awards–the novel won for Outstanding Graphic Novel and Outstanding Story, and Valero-O'Connell's work on the novel garnered her the Outstanding Artist award.<ref name="MacDonald2019">{{cite web|last=MacDonald|first=Heidi|authorlink=Heidi MacDonald|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/laura-dean-keeps-breaking-up-with-me-leads-2019-ignatz-award-winners/|title='Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me' leads 2019 Ignatz Award winners|work=The Beat|date=September 16, 2019|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> ''Laura Dean'' was thrice honored at the 2020 [[Eisner Award]]s, with Valero-O'Connell winning Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team, Tamaki winning [[Eisner Award for Best Writer|Best Writer]] (for ''Laura Dean'', along with her work on ''[[Archie (comic book)|Archie]]'' and ''[[Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass]]''), and the book winning [[Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens|Best Publication for Teens]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Polo |first1=Susana |title=After controversial voting, these are the 2020 Eisner Award winners |url=https://www.polygon.com/comics/2020/7/25/21337631/sdcc-2020-eisner-awards-winners-voting-problems |access-date=July 25, 2020 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725203516/https://www.polygon.com/comics/2020/7/25/21337631/sdcc-2020-eisner-awards-winners-voting-problems |archive-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref>

The novel received a Blue Ribbon honor from ''[[The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books]]''.<ref name="BCCB2019">{{cite journal|editor=Stevenson, Deborah|url=https://bccb.ischool.illinois.edu/blueribbons/2019-blue-ribbons/|title=2019 Blue Ribbons|journal=[[The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books]]|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> In January 2020, ''Laura Dean'' was named as [[Michael L. Printz Award|Printz Honor Book]], with the [[American Library Association]] writing: "Through soft-hued illustrations and cinematic scope, this graphic novel captures the intoxication of teenage love and the search for identity."<ref name="Morales2020">{{cite press release|last=Morales|first=Macey|url=http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2020/01/dig-wins-2020-printz-award|title="Dig" wins 2020 Printz Award|website=ala.org|publisher=[[American Library Association]]|date=January 27, 2020|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>

===Year-end lists===
''Laura Dean'' was included in the year-end top graphic novels lists curated by several publications, including [[NPR]], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', and the [[CBC.ca|CBC's online service]] among others.<ref name="Yu2019" /><ref name="Cavna2019" /><ref name="CBC2019-a" /> Publications relating to pop culture media highlighted the novel,<ref name="Stevens2020" /><ref name="SavaRosberg2019" /> particularly those that cater to LGBT and [[feminism|feminist]] topics such as ''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]'' and ''[[Bitch (magazine)|Bitch]]''.<ref name="AndersonMinshall2019" /><ref name="Lewis2019" /> ''[[The Mary Sue]]'' also included the book in its Book Club Picks in May 2019.<ref name="Weekes2019">{{cite web|last=Weekes|first=Princess|url=https://www.themarysue.com/mary-sue-book-club-picks-may-2019/|title=The Mary Sue Book Club Picks: May 2019|work=[[The Mary Sue]]|date=May 6, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref>

''[[The A.V. Club]]'' placed the book within its list of the 20 best comics of 2019, writing: "Rosemary Valero-O'Connell draws characters who breathe. [The reader] can feel their nervous inhale when they're about to start a tense conversation, the exhale of a longing sigh. Winding word-balloon tails ride waves of air, informing the pacing of the loaded conversations in Mariko Tamaki's script."<ref name="SavaRosberg2019" /> ''[[HuffPost|HuffPost India]]'' listed the novel at first in its list of the 10 best graphic novels of 2019, writing: "Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell prove just how firmly they grasp the pulse of this demographic though, with a tale that delights and moves in equal measure."<ref name="Pereira2019" /> The CBC selected ''Laura Dean'' as its top Canadian comic of the year.{{efn|name=Canada}}<ref name="CBC2019-b">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-best-books-of-2019-1.5405881|title=The best books of 2019|website=[[CBC.ca]]|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=December 23, 2019|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Year-end lists
|-
! scope="col"| Publication
! scope="col"| List
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|A.V. Club|''[[The A.V. Club]]''}}
| The 20 best comics of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="SavaRosberg2019">{{cite web|last1=Sava|first1=Oliver|last2=Rosberg|first2=Caitlin|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-20-best-comics-of-2019-1840464630|title=The 20 best comics of 2019|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=December 26, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|Advocate|''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]''}}
| The Best LGBTQ Graphic Novels of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="AndersonMinshall2019">{{cite web|last=Anderson-Minshall|first=Jacob|url=https://www.advocate.com/books/2019/12/23/best-lgbtq-graphic-novels-2019|title=The Best LGBTQ Graphic Novels of 2019|work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]|date=December 23, 2019|access-date=March 13, 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|Bitch|''[[Bitch (magazine)|Bitch]]''}}
| The Best Queer YA Novels of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="Lewis2019">{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=Rachel Charlene|url=https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/best-lgbtq-young-adult-novels-2019|title=The Best Queer YA Novels of 2019|work=[[Bitch (magazine)|Bitch]]|date=December 10, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row"| {{sort|CBC.ca|[[CBC.ca|CBC]]}}
| The best books of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="CBC2019-b" />}}
|-
| The best Canadian comics of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="CBC2019-a">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-best-canadian-comics-of-2019-1.5382861|title=The best Canadian comics of 2019|website=[[CBC.ca]]|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=December 11, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|Forbes|''[[Forbes (magazine)|Forbes]]''}}
| The Best Graphic Novels Of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="Salkowitz2019" />}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|HuffPost India|''[[HuffPost|HuffPost India]]''}}
| The 10 Best Graphic Novels Of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="Pereira2019">{{cite web|last=Pereira|first=Lindsay|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/best-graphic-novels-of-2019_in_5ddf7e5ee4b0d50f329ca1f2|title=The 10 Best Graphic Novels Of 2019|work=[[HuffPost|HuffPost India]]|date=December 2, 2019|access-date=March 13, 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|NPR|[[NPR]]}}
| NPR's Favorite Books of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="Yu2019" />}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|Salon|''[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]''}}
| 5 must-read graphic novels you missed last year
| {{center|<ref name="Stevens2020">{{cite web|last=Stevens|first=Ashlie D.|url=https://www.salon.com/2020/01/04/5-must-read-graphic-novels-you-missed-last-year/|title=5 must-read graphic novels you missed last year|work=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]|date=January 4, 2020|access-date=March 3, 2020}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row"| {{sort|Washington Post|''[[The Washington Post]]''}}
| The best graphic novels, memoirs and story collections of 2019
| {{center|<ref name="Cavna2019b">{{cite news|last=Cavna|first=Michael|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-best-graphic-novels-memoirs-and-story-collections-of-2019/2019/11/20/447e7f76-0722-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html|title=The best graphic novels, memoirs and story collections of 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 24, 2019|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124055436/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-best-graphic-novels-memoirs-and-story-collections-of-2019/2019/11/20/447e7f76-0722-11ea-8292-c46ee8cb3dce_story.html|archive-date=November 24, 2019}} {{subscription required|s}}</ref>}}
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Mariko Tamaki}}
[[Category:2010s LGBTQ novels]]
[[Category:2019 American novels]]
[[Category:2019 Canadian novels]]
[[Category:2019 graphic novels]]
[[Category:2019 LGBTQ-related literary works]]
[[Category:Fiction about abortion]]
[[Category:American bildungsromans]]
[[Category:American graphic novels]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ novels]]
[[Category:American romance novels]]
[[Category:American young adult novels]]
[[Category:Books by Mariko Tamaki]]
[[Category:Canadian bildungsromans]]
[[Category:Canadian graphic novels]]
[[Category:Canadian LGBTQ novels]]
[[Category:Canadian romance novels]]
[[Category:Canadian young adult novels]]
[[Category:First Second Books books]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners]]
[[Category:Fiction about infidelity]]
[[Category:Lesbian-related comics]]
[[Category:Lesbian teen fiction]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related graphic novels]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related young adult novels]]
[[Category:Novels about friendship]]
[[Category:Novels set in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Romance comics]]
[[Category:Novels about sexuality]]
[[Category:Graphic novels set in California]]