Heartwarming, Queer, Coming-Of-Age Graphic Novel A Story About Find Yourself

Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey award–winning publisher of groundbreaking comic books and graphic novels since 1997, is proud to announce ‘How Could You’ – a heartwarming, coming-of-age love story by cartoonist Ren Strapp, out December 17, 2024. Ren is a comic artist, designer, and gender nonconforming lesbian werewolf. She grew up in Susquehannock territory and now lives on unceded land at the confluence of the Wimahl and Willamette Rivers. Ren started her comics career in zines and web comics, and is making her graphic novel debut with ‘How Could You’.

The humorous graphic novel spotlights four college upperclassmen navigating morally gray decisions regarding the relationships in their life—friends, lovers, exes, roommates…and most importantly, themselves. It is a coming-of-age tale that will warm your heart, and makes for a perfect holiday gift for a teen or middle schooler, given the relatable themes.

Falling in love? Scary. Falling for your best friend? Terrifying. Naming all the ways your heart hurts? Impossible. College upperclassman Molly Song is set on getting over her ex this semester, but it’s hard when she dumps you via email and posts all over social media about cozying up with her study-abroad roommate.

Molly convinces her friend, Lou Kingston, that they should go to parties and find rebound girlfriends, but with only so many eligible lesbians in their college circle, the two best friends end up vying for the same girl’s attention. Soon, Molly learns to be careful what she wishes for when she starts to develop real feelings for someone she’s not sure feels the same way

Meanwhile, Molly and Lou’s exes, Yona and Olene, have left their pasts behind as they study abroad in France. Together they see springtime in Marseille, find new friendships, and uncover new personal truths. Will their whirlwind trip bloom into a whirlwind romance, or will their journeys to self-discovery put them on different paths entirely? College is a time to find yourself, but what could you stand to lose along the way? According to the creator, heartbreak is a rite of passage for college students, but it shouldn’t have to require losing who you truly are along the way.

“Every year of college is a discovery into some new form of heartbreak,” said Ren in a press release. 

“It’s your junior year, your girlfriend left you and your best friend is graduating at the end of the year. You’re caught between moving on and praying things will stay the same. It’s your junior year, and you left your girlfriend in America to go to France with a girl who gives you butterflies, but she won’t look you in the eye. It’s your sophomore year and changing your mind feels like shame. It’s your senior year, and you still don’t fit in anywhere. You look to graduation for salvation,” she details.

‘How Could You’ is for anyone who made mistakes, who spoke unkindly, who were selfish, who lost friends, who lost themselves. It’s for people stumbling into adulthood, carrying guilt over faux pas, betrayal, and not making amends when you could. I hope this book finds you and tells you you’re not alone,” the author and creator continued.

Senior Editor Grace Scheipeter says this story “masterfully weaves readers into the lives of its characters–complete with messy breakups, messy rebounds, and even messier college dorm rooms. Ren has a uniquely clever way of telling a story that is full of humor, heart, and heartbreaks. But through it all, ‘How Could You’ tells a story about finding yourself and staying true to who you are, no matter what college throws your way.”

If you’re looking to add this heartwarming tale to your gift list this season, be sure to check out an exclusive preview of pages 55-59 below, and order your copy today!