'An engrossing escapade with a heart-stealing queer romance. 'An illuminating western with a refreshingly matter-of-fact queer romance.'- Booklist- ( 12:00:00 AM) ' Stage Dreams' sweeping lines and dimensional shading are rich pleasures.'-Etelka Lehoczky for NPR Books- ( 12:00:00 AM) ' whirlwind adventure and a blossoming romance.' -MTV News- ( 12:00:00 AM) 'This charming and poignant queer romance set against a Civil War-era backdrop will resonate with readers.'-starred, School Library Journal- ( 12:00:00 AM) 'elves into queer history and spins a witty and extravagant yarn about a dashing duo.'-starred, Publishers Weekly- ( 12:00:00 AM) They are the creator of the webcomic and graphic novel As the Crow Flies, published in. Melanie Gillman is a cartoonist and colored pencil artist who draws positive queer and trans comics for young readers. Read millions of eBooks and audiobooks on the web, iPad, iPhone and Android. Treat yourself to this book your day/week/life will be better for it.'-Kate Leth, Spell on Wheels- ( 12:00:00 AM) Read Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman with a free trial. A fast-paced, charming adventure story told beautifully in colored pencil-a medium nobody knows better than Mel Gillman. Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.'Melanie Gillman's beautifully crafted YA graphic adventure reveals the hitherto little-known historic diversity of the Old West.'-Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters- ( 12:00:00 AM) Overall, this is a fun, action-filled western adventure with a strong romantic plot and a big middle finger to the Confederate cause. (Flor tries to keep her falconry glove on while wearing a fancy dress.) There's no lengthy angst-filled coming out, but we do get a gentle and funny scene in which both women are being fitted for formal gowns. Grace's flight is why the two women meet and comes into play when she's seen by her father at the Confederate gala, but her gender is accepted by everyone as fact, especially by Flor. What makes this book an absolute keeper, however, is the way that queerness both drives and doesn't drive the story. Annotations at the back of the book provide historical details and context, as well as insight into why Gillman made certain narrative choices. The characters themselves are rendered with honesty and care, with Grace's soft, sweet face sometimes sporting a bit of a 5 o'clock shadow and Flor's propensity for wearing men's clothing matching her prominent nose and devilish grin. Gillman's signature colored pencil artwork is perfect for the setting, rich in dusty desert hues and bright pops of color on clothing and blushing cheeks. Then as the two of them work together to uncover a Confederate plot, their relationship turns into something more romantic. It's a meet-disaster that turns into a working relationship when Flor realizes that she can't ransom Grace. Grace is a trans Georgian belle (sans money) escaping service in the Confederate army when she meets Flor, a queer Latinx lady bandit. Featuring two queer heroines forging their own paths in the Old West, this graphic novel is a fun and thoughtful adventure romance.

Stage dreams melanie gillman