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Stars in Their Eyes: A Graphic Novel
In this lighthearted YA romance, Maisie and Ollie discover that nothing beats the feeling of falling in love for the first time.
Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love?
Perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, this graphic novel debut is a fresh, one-of-a-kind story that celebrates the excitement of meeting someone special for the first time.
Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love?
Perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, this graphic novel debut is a fresh, one-of-a-kind story that celebrates the excitement of meeting someone special for the first time.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2021
51 people are currently reading
5105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 514 reviews
June 28, 2021
Chronic pain rep? Bisexual rep? Nonbinary rep? And a cute-ass love story at a fan convention? Sign me the fuck up 🙌🏼
August 14, 2023
Ugh. This was fine, I guess, but I was so incredibly unsold on the relationship that it soured me on the rest of it. It also included one of my least favorite tropes in fandom books, which is when pretty much every fandom in it is just a barely-veiled version of an existing one. I cringed every time Sci-Fi Wars was referenced with "the Far Side" as a replacement for the Dark Side because it just made no sense, and all of the art for the mentioned fandoms outside of Midnight Girls and Twisted Beasts was so blatantly a nod to existing ones that it took me out of the story. I know that's a petty complaint but I see it in every fandom book and it drives me nuts--I just wish authors would exert an ounce of creativity when filling in the other fandoms in that universe instead of doing the bare minimum to avoid a copyright lawsuit (or not even that...the Ewok costume and Han Solo cosplayers were pretty identifiable...)
This also hit a recent pet peeve I've noticed popping up in diverse stories aimed at younger audiences where there's chunks where the dialogue is just. so insanely robotic that it hurts in what I can only assume is an attempt to make sure no one takes offense to their phrasing but only results in dialogue that feels like it was written by an AI.
All in all, not a story I'll ever revisit but it has a good portrayal of the fan-con experience and I liked the disability rep with Maisie and her prosthetic leg and the day-to-day details included that a lot of able-bodied people probably wouldn't consider, like the complexities of using a prosthetic leg or things like hotels not having accessible showers.
This also hit a recent pet peeve I've noticed popping up in diverse stories aimed at younger audiences where there's chunks where the dialogue is just. so insanely robotic that it hurts in what I can only assume is an attempt to make sure no one takes offense to their phrasing but only results in dialogue that feels like it was written by an AI.
All in all, not a story I'll ever revisit but it has a good portrayal of the fan-con experience and I liked the disability rep with Maisie and her prosthetic leg and the day-to-day details included that a lot of able-bodied people probably wouldn't consider, like the complexities of using a prosthetic leg or things like hotels not having accessible showers.
April 15, 2022
This was BEYOND adorable! I loved the disability rep, I loved the queer (bisexual and non-binary) rep, I loved that it was younger YA (the MCs are 14 and 15), and I loved that their parents had a prominent role in the story.
September 7, 2022
this book was so cute and educational and i loved the representation in this sm. AND I LITERALLY MET THIS AUTHOR AT MY SCHOOL ON PURPLE DAY. BIGGEST BRAG EVER.
January 1, 2024
Omg this was so freaking cute. It was the perfect short and fast paced story of young love.
Plus the setting of a comic con was amazing (it made me miss the times when I went to those).
Representation: bisexual mid/plus-size amputee main character, nonbinary love interest.
Content warnings: mention of bullying, panic attacks, ableism, cancer, chronic pain.
Plus the setting of a comic con was amazing (it made me miss the times when I went to those).
Representation: bisexual mid/plus-size amputee main character, nonbinary love interest.
Content warnings: mention of bullying, panic attacks, ableism, cancer, chronic pain.
June 27, 2021
Fantastic graphic novel! Queer/disabled rep for the win! More please!
May 19, 2022
I loved the rep in this book, but unfortunately there were a few other things in here that I really didn't enjoy. The pseudo pop culture references just annoyed me. The 'time doctor' who looks exactly like Jodie Whittaker, Bard from 'Danger Things'... Just call them what they are? It's set at a fan convention, so it needs pop culture references, but having pseudo ones that reflect the real world doesn't stop it from dating the book. I mean, there's a new Doctor at the end of the year, and Barb was only in season one. It already has a limited shelf life of relevancy. And there some damn awkward hands in here. I know they're hard, but maybe hide the badly drawn hands in the middle where we're distracted with other stuff, not at the very start when you're paying extra attention to the characters and trying to figure out who they are and what they're about. (Though in the middle there was a picture where a hand was drawn on backwards, so yeah...)
It is a very sweet first love though, and it does capture the excitement and hustle of a fan convention.
It is a very sweet first love though, and it does capture the excitement and hustle of a fan convention.
January 24, 2024
4 stars
This was a really good graphic novel with all the representation and showing of two youths falling instantly for each other. Sometimes you just meet someone and you click instantly. I like to think these two stayed in touch after they had to leave each other but their day together was awesome!
This was a really good graphic novel with all the representation and showing of two youths falling instantly for each other. Sometimes you just meet someone and you click instantly. I like to think these two stayed in touch after they had to leave each other but their day together was awesome!
April 8, 2024
this was such a cute little love story with great queer and disability rep!! some parts were a little cheesy but i kind of expected that!
March 24, 2024
3.5 stars The rep was great and this was quite a cute, wholesome story. Not sold on the romance, but that's just a me thing, I don't like instalove xD
Rep: bi amputee mc with chronic pain, nb love interest
Rep: bi amputee mc with chronic pain, nb love interest
October 5, 2023
Super cute and sweet! A nice, quick read that covers what it's like to be disabled and attend a convention! Plus all the sweet feelings <3
March 31, 2025
Cute, nerdy, gay. Chill read.
November 28, 2023
This was ADORABLE. Not only is the story itself super freaking cute and I love all of the representation but I especially liked that we got younger main characters and I think my favorite part was actually the kids relationships with their parents. It was so wholesome and cute and I know I'm getting old because I related to the mom and her jokes 😂😂
Midsize disabled bi MC with chronic pain and anxiety, non-binary LI
Midsize disabled bi MC with chronic pain and anxiety, non-binary LI
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January 18, 2024 CW: chronic pain, ableism, medical content, cancer
A sweet graphic novel and budding romance between two queer teens (14 and 15) who meet at a fandom convention. This graphic novel heavily discusses the need for disability representation and intersectionality. Our main character Maisie is bisexual and an amputee and our love interest, Ollie is non-binary.
A sweet graphic novel and budding romance between two queer teens (14 and 15) who meet at a fandom convention. This graphic novel heavily discusses the need for disability representation and intersectionality. Our main character Maisie is bisexual and an amputee and our love interest, Ollie is non-binary.
January 10, 2024
jan 10, 2024: such a cute and inclusive story, 3.5 stars, also fandoms are such a good way to 1) find people that are interested in the same things you are and 2) find people like you (who can relate to your life experiences etc)
May 26, 2024
I LOVED this graphic novel. The story is so adorable.
Maisie and her mom, Jo are headed off to Maisie’s first ever fan fair. As a disabled person herself (author notes their preference for disability first language vs. Person first language), Maisie cannot wait to meet the disabled rep actress who helped Maisie learn to love and accept herself post amputation from her favourite series Midnight Girls. While there, Maisie meets Ollie, a non-binary individual with a love for illustrations and the series Twisted Beasts. They quickly fall into a whirlwind connection while attending the fair together.
What I loved most about this graphic novel was the range of representation that is seen throughout it. We have Queer representation(bisexual, non-binary), disability representation, single parent representation (Ollie’s father and Maisie’s mother), and it is filled with little Easter eggs of popular geek culture. I adored this graphic novel, I found myself smiling the entire time I read it, I loved the support from the parents and the feeling I got experiencing Ollie and Maisie’s fast romance and first kiss experience.
Maisie and her mom, Jo are headed off to Maisie’s first ever fan fair. As a disabled person herself (author notes their preference for disability first language vs. Person first language), Maisie cannot wait to meet the disabled rep actress who helped Maisie learn to love and accept herself post amputation from her favourite series Midnight Girls. While there, Maisie meets Ollie, a non-binary individual with a love for illustrations and the series Twisted Beasts. They quickly fall into a whirlwind connection while attending the fair together.
What I loved most about this graphic novel was the range of representation that is seen throughout it. We have Queer representation(bisexual, non-binary), disability representation, single parent representation (Ollie’s father and Maisie’s mother), and it is filled with little Easter eggs of popular geek culture. I adored this graphic novel, I found myself smiling the entire time I read it, I loved the support from the parents and the feeling I got experiencing Ollie and Maisie’s fast romance and first kiss experience.
June 11, 2024
*2.5
This was a light, fun read. It's strong in queer acceptance, and the focus on Maisie's disability and her devotion to the fandom that made her feel powerful was great. This is a love letter to fandom culture in many ways.
Her and Ollie's friendship (and eventual romance) felt a little rushed, given that this entire book only takes place in a single day, but their bond was sweet. I thought Maisie's mom seemed a little overinvolved in her daughter's love life, but Maisie was mostly fine with it.
The worst part of this book though, that kept taking me out of the story, were the blatant "copies" (if they can be called that) of preexisting fandoms. "Sci-Fi Wars," "Danger Things," etc. And the artwork from these fandoms looks EXACTLY like the real thing! If there's a copyright rule against actually referencing Star Wars, why make the "smuggler character" perfectly copy Han Solo? And then there's the "Time Doctor" who looks just like Jodie Whittaker and has her own TARDIS. What are we doing here? (Also, I read this book to distract myself because I was one episode away from the season 13 finale at this point, so I didn't appreciate that lol.)
It's darkly ironic (if that's the right term) that the only fully original content, "Midnight Girls," is Maisie's favorite because it features a disabled woman. Can't find something like that in modern fandom, can you? Makes you stop and think.
Also, despite this book taking multiple Star Wars quotes and rephrasing them as "Sci-Fi Wars" lines (like "the Far Side" and altering "may the Force be with you"), Maisie's mom says "I love you" "I know" MULTIPLE times, entirely unchanged!
Part of it honestly feels like the author was told two weeks before publication that she couldn't say "Star Wars" or "Doctor Who" so she had to change all the fandom references last minute. But hey, the disability rep was very nice.
2.5/5 stars.
This was a light, fun read. It's strong in queer acceptance, and the focus on Maisie's disability and her devotion to the fandom that made her feel powerful was great. This is a love letter to fandom culture in many ways.
Her and Ollie's friendship (and eventual romance) felt a little rushed, given that this entire book only takes place in a single day, but their bond was sweet. I thought Maisie's mom seemed a little overinvolved in her daughter's love life, but Maisie was mostly fine with it.
The worst part of this book though, that kept taking me out of the story, were the blatant "copies" (if they can be called that) of preexisting fandoms. "Sci-Fi Wars," "Danger Things," etc. And the artwork from these fandoms looks EXACTLY like the real thing! If there's a copyright rule against actually referencing Star Wars, why make the "smuggler character" perfectly copy Han Solo? And then there's the "Time Doctor" who looks just like Jodie Whittaker and has her own TARDIS. What are we doing here? (Also, I read this book to distract myself because I was one episode away from the season 13 finale at this point, so I didn't appreciate that lol.)
It's darkly ironic (if that's the right term) that the only fully original content, "Midnight Girls," is Maisie's favorite because it features a disabled woman. Can't find something like that in modern fandom, can you? Makes you stop and think.
Also, despite this book taking multiple Star Wars quotes and rephrasing them as "Sci-Fi Wars" lines (like "the Far Side" and altering "may the Force be with you"), Maisie's mom says "I love you" "I know" MULTIPLE times, entirely unchanged!
Part of it honestly feels like the author was told two weeks before publication that she couldn't say "Star Wars" or "Doctor Who" so she had to change all the fandom references last minute. But hey, the disability rep was very nice.
2.5/5 stars.
February 11, 2024
I found the hip mother and her relationship with her child incredibly grating. No teenager is that much of a comedy team with their mom. And about sixty percent of the story was incredibly artificial conversations written to fill in backstory for the reader. Also annoying: not using the names of the copious pop culture references. We know what is being discussed when a character references Bader and the Duke. So just use Vader and Luke.
The graphic part of the graphic novel did a great job conveying what it's like to navigate a con with a prosthetic leg.
The graphic part of the graphic novel did a great job conveying what it's like to navigate a con with a prosthetic leg.
December 5, 2021
This was phenomenal! It's a beautiful little story about a queer disabled teen, Maisie, finding love at her first fan convention while struggling to manage her chronic pain (and her overzealous but adorable mother). It was so fun and sweet and I just loved Aśka's beautiful illustrations. And kudos for making sure the text was legible throughout the story! More graphic artists could learn from this 👀
February 10, 2024
Trigger warnings: cancer (in the past), amputation (in the past), mental health, chronic pain
This was utterly adorable from start to finish and I'm so glad I finally read it. The fandom nods were all delightful, and I liked that Maisie was only 14 - so many young adult books and graphic novels feature 17+ year old characters, so it was nice to have a younger teen at the core of the story. I did wish there was a LITTLE more wrap up than there is, but on the whole I had a lovely time!
This was utterly adorable from start to finish and I'm so glad I finally read it. The fandom nods were all delightful, and I liked that Maisie was only 14 - so many young adult books and graphic novels feature 17+ year old characters, so it was nice to have a younger teen at the core of the story. I did wish there was a LITTLE more wrap up than there is, but on the whole I had a lovely time!
August 21, 2023
This was cute, but I'm old and ready for the concept of "representation" as a metric that trumps everything else to be retired.
August 12, 2024
Really sweet story about two kids meeting at a Con.
I reviewed the Proof edition, which was only colored through page 16. That said, the color work in those 16 pages was really distinctive and vibrant.
Warm and fuzzy, cute and sweet. Love the depiction of limb difference and queer representation.
I reviewed the Proof edition, which was only colored through page 16. That said, the color work in those 16 pages was really distinctive and vibrant.
Warm and fuzzy, cute and sweet. Love the depiction of limb difference and queer representation.
December 1, 2024
Absolutely loved the rep and all the relationships shown in this novel.
Pseudo pop culture references just weren't my thing tho. Them popping up in between would just throw me off the loop.
Pseudo pop culture references just weren't my thing tho. Them popping up in between would just throw me off the loop.
April 7, 2025
4.5⭐️
this was so lovely! 🥹 that’s all.
this was so lovely! 🥹 that’s all.
June 9, 2025
I adored this one just as much the second time around.
It's so excellent seeing things in an Aussie setting, too.
It's so excellent seeing things in an Aussie setting, too.
July 21, 2025
I love all the queer & disability rep in this book along with all the funny nods to pop culture & sci-fi fandoms but the plot fell a little flat. still cute though 💖
June 23, 2023
4.5 stars.
Amazing diversity in this beautiful graphic novel about Maisie, a girl with an amputated leg from having cancer.
Cover/art: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A really simple kind of art but the cover is as cute as the story inside. I do wish there was more colour.
Story/Plot: ⭐⭐⭐
The plot wasn't that interesting to me as I'm not here for love stories, but it was cute and I liked all the nerdy stuff, including the made up names for real shows like Firefly (Firesky) etc.
Great little romance novel with a difference.
Amazing diversity in this beautiful graphic novel about Maisie, a girl with an amputated leg from having cancer.
Cover/art: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A really simple kind of art but the cover is as cute as the story inside. I do wish there was more colour.
Story/Plot: ⭐⭐⭐
The plot wasn't that interesting to me as I'm not here for love stories, but it was cute and I liked all the nerdy stuff, including the made up names for real shows like Firefly (Firesky) etc.
Great little romance novel with a difference.
August 14, 2023
Amazing disability representation, I recognized myself during the scene at the hotel swimming pool. The story and characters were really cute and well developed. I also loved the art, it was colorful and exciting to look at (there were so many details!) Also the slightly off names/references to all the tv shows, movies... were so well thought off. At first I didn't even notice then because it was so subtle but then when I did notice it, it was fun trying to match them all up.
April 19, 2022
3.75
I can never write full reviews for graphic novels because I can't think of anything to say about them. hah whatever I did like this one though.
I can never write full reviews for graphic novels because I can't think of anything to say about them. hah whatever I did like this one though.
February 17, 2025
Is it gay? Of course. Is it for the straights? I’d say no? Her mom was everything, actually
Displaying 1 - 30 of 514 reviews