Lily

by Kat Simmers

Genres: Transgender, Graphic Novels

263 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2025

About the author

Kat Simmers is a trans femme non-binary artist and author who works with comic media and street art to connect seemingly disparate worlds. Born and raised in a special kind of nowhere - Bashaw, Alberta (pop. 830) - Simmers has experienced firsthand the intersection of queer and rural life.

Their work explores identity and relationships to engage the public in conversations about queer identity, mental health and what happens to the stories you never tell.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fear I have a habit of just requesting anything that is queer on netgalley and not paying attention to if it's a series or not. So that's how I ended up here and I'm so glad I landed here. Yes I started with the third book in the series and I didn't know it was a series until I finished. I really liked this. I liked the color palette I liked the characters. The ending is a bit abrupt but after now having read the first and second I understand that it's a continuing story. I did immediately go out and purchase the first and second books as ebooks and I can't tell you the last time I actually bought a graphic novel. Usually I borrow them from the library or use an app like Libby or everand but I could not find them anywhere and so I eventually caved and just paid for them. I'm really glad I did.

This is a story that is described as an inverted coming-of-age story where we have an elderly main character who is suffering from dementia and we're kind of getting his life story through bits and pieces and each book. This specific book focuses on his granddaughter coming to stay with him for the summer and she is trans which is extra fun rep and I really enjoyed the whole thing.

I'm probably just going to throw my reviews for the first and second one here too since I'm here. I will say since I read the third one first, the first and the second were a little underwhelming. I think that you can get a lot of the same context through clues that are in the third book and even though I was happy to see more of Ed's story I wasn't as enamored with books one and two as I was with the third. That's not to say that they're not worth it or that you shouldn't go read them because you absolutely should. I really look forward to seeing what the last two books in the series hold.

[Alyssa | Lyssi's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pass Me By: Lily is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that continues the story of Ed and his journey through memory, identity, and intergenerational relationships. This volume offers a deeper look into Ed’s past and present, while also introducing his granddaughter, Lily, who is navigating struggles of her own.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to balance raw emotion with a sense of quiet intimacy. Ed’s experiences with memory loss and his past relationships are rendered with care and nuance, making his story feel deeply personal yet universally resonant. At the same time, Lily’s struggles bring a fresh perspective to the narrative, showing the ways in which different generations can reflect and support one another through life’s challenges.

The artwork is stunning, capturing both the loneliness and warmth in the characters’ lives. The use of color and panel composition enhances the emotional weight of each scene, drawing the reader into the complex inner worlds of Ed and Lily.

Overall, Pass Me By: Lily is a heartfelt and thought-provoking continuation of the series. It delves into themes of memory, identity, and connection in a way that is both touching and thought-provoking. If you’re looking for a graphic novel that combines beautiful art with deeply human storytelling, this is a must-read.

[Ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the storytelling and relationships in this book! I think there are amazing, compelling characters that I would love to learn more about!

The art was gorgeous and I loved the layout of the panels. My only issue was that it didn't feel like there was much of an ending, but I think that it will be continued in the next book. In all honesty, I didn't know this was part of a series, so I'm sure there is some context I'm missing, but reading this makes me want to go and read the first two!

I'm so excited for people to read this, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Leah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm jumping in -- in the middle of the series. I couldn't pass on reading it after reading the description and seeing the beautiful cover. Lily follows Lily, Ed's granddaughter, as she settles into living with her grandfather. I really enjoyed the story, flashbacks, and the lyrical storytelling that enters throughout the book. I love that Ed and Lily are connected through music. It made me think of my own grandfather and the connections we had. I would recommend this series to someone whose queer in a small town, missing their grandparents, or someone needing to feel hopeful right now.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Struggling to accept Lily’s transition, Lily’s mother sends her away for the summer to stay with her grandfather Ed, who hasn’t been in her life since she was a baby. What neither of them knew was that Ed was stricken with rapidly progressing Alzheimer's.
Ed finds himself increasingly unmoored in time, losing himself in memories of his past in a glam rock band, confusing Lily for his daughter, and becoming disoriented and forgetful. Lily struggles to help care for her grandfather while hurting from her mother’s rejection.

Reflections: This is very much a snippet of a larger story which reads more as a glancing look into the lives of the characters rather than a story arc. What I read left me wanting more. I definitely need to go back and read the first two installments and I hope the next two bring Ed’s and Lily’s stories to a strong conclusion. Ed, as an elderly queer man facing the onset of dementia, was a unique character to read. His past reveals itself in bits and pieces through flashbacks and hints about his relationship with his daughter. There’s a persistent and well-captured melancholy in the way his past returns to him as he’s losing bits of himself to his illness. I also appreciate the complexity and sympathy afforded to his character even when his dementia makes him irrational, angry, or difficult. Lily’s connection with him was interesting to watch develop. She’s clearly to some degree throwing herself into life with him and contemplating staying past the summer as a way to keep avoiding her mother and facing her problems back home. (I also see living with Ed who only knows her as his granddaughter and mistakes her for his own daughter as being affirming for her as a trans girl in a way she doesn’t get where she grew up.) But she also builds a genuinely sweet bond with him, helping care for Ed and connecting with him through music.

I had mixed feelings about the art. At first, I found the pink and turquoise palette striking, but as the story went on I cooled to it somewhat. It adds to the majesty of some scenery. The illustrator also uses the hues well to accentuate emotions or the atmosphere of scenes when Ed is getting lost in his memories. But for stretches in the present day, it was flatter and dull. I also found the faces, particularly the eyes to look strange to me.

[Vanessa Stefaniuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a soft colour palette and glam-rock inspired style, this graphic novel hits emotional beats about Ed's trans granddaughter and his ongoing struggle with progressing dementia with sensitivity and mindfulness.

Although some formatting errors did impede my experience (ex. word bubbles going from single to double spaced on the next panel, text not centred or sized properly for the bubble, tangents throughout) and there were often some panel angles that were bizarrely chosen and broke the flow of the page, LILY is still quite an enjoyable read overall.

Thank you NetGalley and Renegade Arts Entertainment for sending me a copy for a fair review.

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dementia is incredibly scary and it affects everyone around the person who has it. It’s nice that Ed is getting a chance to reconnect with his granddaughter before everything gets worse and that she’s getting a chance to get to know her grandpa.

The soft tones of most of the story perfectly contrasted with the vibrant tones of the flashbacks, but overall, the art left a little to be desired. The eyes in particular threw me off a bit.

Even though this particular installment of the series wasn’t especially sad, I’m afraid this kind of story is not for me. My heart is already breaking just imagining Ed’s future, I’m too soft for this

[Lindsey (Lindseysbookishreviews) Swindlehurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book 3/5 stars the artist was beautiful hut this was not my favorite of the three stories it was written well and I did enjoy it. I will be recommending the series to others. The art style was my favorite part of this story, so unique and creative, I loved it.

[Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC - similar to another reviewer I happened to request this queer graphic novel on netgalley without realizing it was in a series, but I think it stands up pretty well on its own too. The color choices and art style is very much enchanting.

[Giminey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel! Like sipping warm tea with a friend 🧡

[Blake Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes, I do struggle to make sense of things. But I try to accept things, even if I don't fully understand them!"

[Quin Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The local pharmacist gleefully refuses to fill Lily’s HRT prescription. He tells her taking hormones “is a major decision that can have lifelong consequences!” He doesn’t ask, but Lily has taken the medication for the last 14 months and spent over a year on a wait-list to receive it in the first place. In a time when gender-affirming care continues to be restricted in Alberta, Lily’s response, “Okay… well… you are not my doctor,” feels especially poignant. She doesn’t need this pharmacist’s approval to know who she is. She puts her headphones on and finds another pharmacy. Later Lily tells Ed, “Please don’t ever hide yourself away.” Her request is central to the Pass Me By series and hopefully resonates with queer people and anyone else who has found belonging in unexpected places.

I reviewed this book for Alberta Views! Full review is here: https://albertaviews.ca/pass-me-by-lily/