Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (in Love)

High school sophomore Kirby Tan is a skilled competitive climber, an activity she picked up from her late thrill-seeking father. When her dynamic move at the Texas Youth Fall Invitational goes awry, Kirby must participate in another extracurricular while she waits for her broken arm to heal. It turns out the newspaper club needs a coeditor for its anonymous, horoscope-inspired romance advice column “Ask the Universe,” and Kirby needs to boost her English grade if she wants to get into Bellevue University and join its prestigious climbing team. An initial clash with fiery, crystal-carrying coeditor Bex Santos requires churchgoing Kirby to make amends, which she manages with a strategically placed flyer that results in the first “Ask the Universe” request. Romance soon sparks between the coeditors, forcing Kirby to confront her guilt surrounding her queer identity; though her local Chinese church offers vital support, some members have begun espousing homophobic rhetoric. Using soft brushstrokes and a limited color palette, Gao (Messy Roots) approaches this conflict with care, delicately balancing the pros and cons of Kirby’s close-knit Christian immigrant community in Texas with the personal agency and meaning-making that astrology and tarot can afford in this soaring addition to queer graphic novel canon. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. (Mar.)