Tripping Over You, Vol. 1 | Queer YA Graphic Novel Review

Title: Tripping Over You, Vol. 1

Creator: Suzana Harcum & Owena White

Genre: YA, LGBTQ+

Ages: 14+

Publisher: First Second

Volume: 1/?

Release: Aug. 19th, 2025

Order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The first volume of a young adult graphic novel series about the long and winding romantic relationship between an energetic theater kid, Milo, and his withdrawn classmate, Liam. Perfect for fans of Heartstopper!

The infamous theater kid Milo and wallflower Liam are unlikely friends connected by a mutual feeling of being misfits in their boarding school. As their friendship and bond develops, unspoken romantic feelings start to bubble up and complicate everything―misunderstandings and bruised eyes aplenty. But with their graduation soon approaching, Milo gathers the strength to finally confess. They begin dating in secret (for fear of Liam’s strict father finding out), but their relationship becomes more difficult to hide over time and they must decide if they are ready for what the future has in store for them.

Tripping Over You is perfect for readers who want more than just the moody teen problems and the ‘getting together’ stage. It’s a story that throughout the three volumes, progresses until they are out of college, showing the relationship mature and change as the characters move through different stages of their lives.

⬇️minor spoilers from chapter 1⬇️

The Basics:

Art: 3/5

After reading so many manga and manhwa, it’s refreshing to see a different art style. That said, webcomic art has come so far in recent years that it’s hard not to compare…

Characters: 2/5

I didn’t really like Milo… way too pushy. Liam also was annoying… but to be fair, aren’t all teenage boys supposed to be annoying? hahaha

Honestly, I just felt like the leads didn’t have any real chemistry; their constant bickering wasn’t the fun, flirty kind of banter, just… tiring.

There were also a lot of side characters, and since I didn’t connect with the main couple, I wasn’t invested enough to care about all the extras.

Story/Plot: 2/5

It jumps right in, which I normally don’t mind, but here it just didn’t quite work for me.

This is YA, clearly written for a younger audience, and some of the references… whew. For example: “50 Shades of Gravy.” I’m not against YA tackling more mature themes in a toned-down, audience-appropriate way…. but that particular reference just felt out of place. There are literally a million other books that could’ve been used instead.

Okay, in hindsight the 50 Shades of Gravy line makes a little more sense after Milo comes on to Liam and then promptly gets punched in the face. (All of this, by the way, happens in chapter one. 😂)

I think the biggest issue is that we go into this with the implication that the two MCs already like each other—but we never really get to see any of that budding romance. They just don’t seem to get along for most of the story. Sure, there are some cute moments here and there, but overall it felt like they’d rather argue than spend time together. The ending was sweet and did lean more into the romance, but I definitely had to push myself to get there.

Writing/Dialouge: 4/5

A bit awkward at times—like the characters weren’t always finishing their sentences. Maybe it was an attempt to incorporate younger slang. That said, it’s a minor gripe, and overall the writing and dialogue were fine.

In conclusion:

This one felt a bit all over the place. I read in other reviews that it originally released weekly back in 2011, and honestly, I think it just doesn’t hold up as well now. I can tell it was trying to tackle important topics like consent, coming out, and condom usage, but unfortunately, it just didn’t feel well executed.