Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki

  Image

Justification

I chose Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me for a reading log assignment. I had planned to read it as the graphic novel option for another class but was unable to get a copy for the longest time. While I should be looking at middle-grade-level graphic novels, I selected this one to satisfy the assignment requirement that I read a graphic novel written for a teen audience.

Response

(a) Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me resonated on so many levels. My version of Freddy's story was a repetitive repression of who I was replaced with who I thought I needed to be in order to be loved. I loved that Freddy learned to be herself and realized that her relationship with Laura Dean was not conducive to her being a decent human. It was incredibly heartening to see a narcissistic relationship portrayed in such a soft medium--it somehow made it less jarring from the perspective of someone who has been in a relationship with a narcissist. I think that reading this kind of story is important for young people because people often do not understand what a relationship with a narcissist or an abuser necessarily looks like.

(f) While I did enjoy and relate to the story, there were a few instances that ended up being a bit confusing. Perhaps intentionally so? If intentional, I think that definitely mirrors some of the feelings a person feels when in a relationship with a narcissist. If not intentional, it did not necessarily detract from the overall story, just disrupted the flow a little. At one point, it seemed very clear that all of the people in Freddy's friend group were LGBT+, and then one character discovers she is pregnant, which seemed very abrupt--however, that part of the story worked really well within the plot because Freddy had found herself in a place where she was not being a good friend and had no idea what was going on with Doodle.

(g) Overall, I enjoyed reading Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me. I feel that it is relatable for anyone who reads it, regardless of orientation. I would recommend to anyone who likes romance or graphic novels. I'm interested in seeing what Tamaki writes next.

Conclusion

I think it is important to note that there are some implications of a sexual relationship between Freddy and Laura Dean. Nothing is shown in the images, but at one point, Freddy directs Laura to put her pants back on (both of them are wearing what looks like pajama or gym shorts) so that they can go back downstairs to find something to eat. Freddy's parents seem aware of the physicality of the relationship, but make no remark to Freddy or one another. Freddy also mentions that she is having sex with Laura Dean when writing to an advice column. I would absolutely rate this PG-13, but still feel it is a great read for teens in relationships.

Citation

Tamaki, M., & Valero-O'Connell, R. (2019). Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me.

Genre: YA, Graphic Novel