Mar 20

Mar 20 On a Sunbeam

Author: Tillie Walden
Publisher: First Second
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As new member Mia gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. Soon, though, Mia reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.

An inventive world, a breathtaking love story, and stunning art come together in this new work by award-winning artist Tillie Walden.

TL;DR Review

On a Sunbeam is a beautiful graphic novel about young queer love and found family. I read it all over the course of a Sunday afternoon and loved it.

For you if: You want to try graphic novels and / or are drawn to stories of found family.

Full Review

“I like ALL of you, Grace. Even the parts I don't get yet. I'm not dating the 12% of you that I understand, I'm dating 100% of you. Including all your secrets that I don't know.”

This is the first graphic novel I’ve read in years — not because I don’t like them, just because I’ve failed to pick one up in a while. But what a return!

Recommended by and borrowed from my friend @christophermetts, blurbed by Becky Chambers and Martha Wells, and nominated for the Hugo and Lambda Literary Award (among others), On a Sunbeam is a beautiful story of young queer love and found family. The main character, Mia, settles into life with her new crew as they travel to different parts of space, restoring or renovating old buildings. In flashbacks, we watch her fall in love with a girl — and become tragically separated from her — back in 9th grade.

As you can see from the few photos I snapped while reading, this book isn’t just a beautiful story, but also beautifully rendered. I read it over the course of a Sunday afternoon and loved every second. Mia and all her friends — all women and nonbinary people, by the way, no cis men in this book (or seemingly this universe?) — will just burrow into your heart and stay there.

If you’re looking for an escape into an uplifting story, grab a copy of this one.