teen/adult graphic novel loosely inspired by the real life experiences of the trans/nonbinary author - set in the post-industrial collapse of 1980s Troy, New York, with splendid, lyrical text provided in the voice of gender-nonconforming teen Claire Dunroe, raised Irish Catholic with supportive friends but less supportive family; Claire questions whether she/they may be attracted to girls and whether she/they might not be female at a time when people didn't have language to describe nonbinary/trans people, fueling a severe case of alcoholism which places her/them in a youth rehab facility with a very helpful therapist and potential crush / heroin addict Erica (TW/CW: underage drinking, family alcoholism, homophobic comments and cruel abuse from teachers, language)

This is completely brilliant and completely heartbreaking--the artwork, the story, the text are all amazing. I had trouble keeping the male-presenting characters apart (since I apparently don't much pay attention to names, eye/hair color or hairstyles), but contextual clues were enough to keep the story flowing.

Highly recommended. ( )

Gr 10 Up—Vulnerable and piercing, Glasheen’s debut follows a nonbinary teen in the 1980s who faces pressures of
gender conformity and begins misusing alcohol, landing them in a rehab program. Dynamic watercolor pages unveil
a healing story about recovery, friendship, and being true to one’s self—one that leaves a lasting impression.

Told in six parts (denial, acceptance, boundaries, relapse, homecoming, commencement), Constellations is Claire's story of identity, alcoholism, and rehab. Claire encounters bullies at school and at home, but in rehab, Claire finds wisdom, empathy, humor, and pain in others' stories, as well as from the teens' counselor, Charlie. The art was created with pencil, ink, and watercolor, and Glasheen uses a creative layout of panels, air frames, insets, full bleed, and notebook paper backgrounds to create a truly rich visual experience. A powerful story of identity, friendship, addiction, and growth.

Quotes

It's just a drink but it's magic. Tap it against your night like a wand, and what started out like any other evening transforms into an adventure. (17)

Will any of these people people doing these things to me grow out of it? Or will they just get bigger, taller, wider? Will their insides stay small when their outsides expand? (48)

"Using didn't make you feel good, it just hit the pause button on feeling bad. And those bad feelings? They'll be waiting for you every time you sober up." (Charlie, 66)

"Pete, I don't even know if I want to be who I am. How do you stand up for something you don't really like?" (Claire, 112)

"Pain is a virus....It tricks us into thinking the only way to get rid of it is to pass it on to someone else. So damaged people go on to wreak a radius of damages around them." (Charlie, 135)

"If you're living life right, you're in a constant state of improvement....Keep working, and you'll keep growing....You're a ship, the world is the ocean, and you're leaving port....[What's important to you, your values] They'll be your constellations." (Charlie, 177) ( )