Inbetweens: A Graphic Novel

by Faith Erin Hicks

A new tween graphic novel by bestselling author Faith Erin Hicks. Perfect for fans of Sweet Valley Twins and Ride On!

Twin sisters Ash and Sloane are headed to animation camp―where their courage, drive, and sisterly bond will be put to the test!

Twin sisters Sloane and Ash are two peas in a pod, and they do everything together: watch movies, attend classes, and most importantly, draw! So when the summer animation classes of their dreams are about to start, they can barely contain their excitement!

Well…Ash is excited but Sloane is surprised to find she isn’t as jubilant about it, which makes no sense, since she loves art. Meanwhile, Ash discovers that just because you love something, doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be good at it, and she struggles under the weight of her own expectations and those of her teacher’s. Soon, the trials of challenging classwork and new friendships drive a wedge between the twins. Can their bond survive the summer?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Comics, Art, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2026

About the author

Born in the wilds of British Columbia, the young Faith frolicked among the Sasquatch native to the province before moving to Ontario at age five. There she was homeschooled with her three brothers, and developed an unnatural passion for galloping around on horseback, though never without a proper helmet (because you only get one skull). After twenty years of suffering through Ontario’s obscenely hot summers, she migrated east, and now lives beside the other ocean in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She worked in animation for a bit, and now draws comics full time. She’s not sure how that happened either.

Reviews

[Faith Erin Hicks]

Inbetweens is out in bookstores tomorrow! It is my 16th (I think??) graphic novel. It is about 2 sisters, Ash & Sloane, who attend an intensive animation summer camp and discover that their dream of becoming animators might not be everything they thought it would be. Inbetweens is inspired by my experiences at a competitive animation college, both good & bad. I hope readers enjoy this book! Give it to the nerdy art or animation obsessed kid in your life.

[Valisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️; From the moment I saw the cover, I had a feeling I’d love this book. The illustrations are absolutely stunning, and I especially enjoyed the moments where the characters broke out of their panels—it made the visuals feel dynamic and alive. The story itself was equally engaging. Even though I went in knowing nothing about animation, I came away feeling surprisingly informed. The author balances teaching and storytelling really well, and I appreciated how she explored the challenges of turning a hobby into something more serious. The twin dynamic was a standout—they were opposites in many ways, but their bond felt sincere and relatable. I also really liked how the narrative brought up the reality of sexism in animation. It’s handled in a subtle but eye-opening way, challenging the assumption that a creative field is automatically inclusive. The side characters were super fun, too.

That said, I do wish the side characters had been a bit more fleshed out. With so many themes to juggle, it makes sense they didn’t evolve as much, but it’s still something I noticed. Despite that, I genuinely loved this read and will absolutely be watching for whatever the author does next. This book feels like a fresh and important addition to the shelves, and I’m excited for it to find its readers. Big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC—it was a joy to dive into.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters who LOVE to draw are thrilled to be invited to attend a special program at an exclusive animation school. But their enthusiasm is soon dampened when an instructor turns out to be super critical of their efforts. This was a lot of fun. The characters are likeable, and the situations believable. Any kids who enjoy art should see themselves reflected in these girls and their classmates. Hicks' illustrations are, as always, wonderful. This would make a great addition to a school or personal library.

Thanks to First Second Books and NetGalley for sharing.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC available through Netgalley

In 1999, twins Sloane and Ash are excited to attend a seven week animation summer camp at Ormidale College. The two have been obsessed with animation since a trip to Disney when they were young, and they have worked on various projects, like a comic book about themselves. Ash is SUPER excited to go, especially since she will get to meet her idol, animator Douglas Frye, who worked on her favorite film, Monstrous. Ash is always anxious about first days, and is worried that she won't make friends. Most of the participants are male, but the two meet Nisha, an excellent animator, and Cameron, who loves to draw backgrounds. There are a variety of activities and projects, although things do not go smoothly. Nisha's work is always dismissed by Frye, and Ash's work is criticized to the point where she loses motivation. Sloane, for a change, is the more social twin, hanging out with Nisha and renting Studio Ghibli videos. Ash throws herself into her work, and is devastated when Frye tells her that maybe animation isn't the right course for her. Sloane begins to realize that while she loves drawing, making it her work takes the joy out of it. Ash realizes with the help of another teacher that she shouldn't let one person's opinion make her stop doing what she loves.
Strengths: While this isn't a straight memoir, it is based on the Hick's (Ride On) own experience with an animation camp. The girls have distinct personalities but are clearly good friends as well as twins, and this was a fun vicarious summer experience, even though there are some problems consistent with the current cultural zeitgeist. I'm not sure how much progress has been made in the art world concerning women; I hadn't realized that this was similar to the treatment of women in tech fields. There are enough details about drawing to make budding artists happy, and I enjoyed learning about Canadian film initiatives. This ended on a happy note, which is always good to see.
Weaknesses: Both girls were drawn with freckles across their noses and under their eyes, but there were also black lines almost like football eye black that distracted me. There didn't seem to be a lot of details other than current films (and the video store!) that would settle this story in 1999, but that might be because the world doesn't seem that different from the 1990s to me!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Doodles From the Boogie Down, Doucet's Art Club, or Telgemeier and McCloud's The Cartoonists Club: A Graphic Novel

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[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MG graphic novel by the great @faitherinhicks
✍️
It’s 1999 and twin sisters Ash and Sloan have both been admitted to animation camp for the summer. Both love to draw and have been obsessed with animating movies since they went to Disney World as kids. But when they get there, they both have very different experiences and realize that while art is a love for them both, they might not follow the same path as each other or as they once thought.
🖌️
I love everything Hicks writes and this was no exception. The artistry is some of my favorite in the GN community and the fact that this book centers around becoming a professional artist was so surreal to see how it starts to where it ends up. This entire novel was joy and inclusiveness and really shined a light on the sexism and racism that can be embedded in any industry, even now. Fans of the graphic novels Art Club and Twins will love this one when it releases March 31!

CW: racism, sexism, dementia

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twin sisters both love to draw and are so, so excited to attend a top-tier animation camp over the summer. Well, one of them is excited and the other is just...fine with it. The pair's experiences over weeks of camp sees them uncovering their true interests while also coming to understand that, even though they're twins, they might be different people.

Inbetweens is well written and illustrated, it just never quite takes off in an unexpected way. The plot points all hit their marks, including the rude teacher who thoroughly lets down one of the girls because he was her idol. Sweet and fine, definitely of more interest to budding artists and animators.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, as I do almost everything I read from Faith Erin Hicks. It shows so much, the excitement of reaching your goal, worrying you might still not be good enough, realizing it actually might not be what you want to do with your life, dealing with people who put your work down, etc. and does it in a very relatable way.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy

[Arleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Good for a children’s graphic novel

[Jerry Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hit me in the feels.

As a graphic novelist who initially pursued the animation field, the story spoke to me as no book could, knowing how it felt to struggle with where to take my art. Faith Erin Hicks had already expressed this is based off her experiences, and you can tell how autobiographical it is by the emotions that embody this throughout.

This is a wonderful story about finding who you are as an artist, which we all are when we grasp that reality, regardless of skill level. Highly recommended.

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is a fantastic graphic novel packed full of themes and motifs that will easily speak to and engage both middle grade and young adult audiences...and let's be real. The rest of us, too!

Ash and Sloane are siblings, and they are spending their summer doing something their peers cannot believe: opting for more school! In this case, they'll be attending an exclusive animation program where they'll continue to hone their skills and passions. Before the session begins, it's clear that both characters have different relationships to art and to their reasons for pursuing it. This passtime is a foundational connecting point between them, so more seasoned readers will know immediately that both characters' futures are at stake, and their relationship might be to some degree also.

While the sibling relationship is at the forefront, I LOVE what Hicks does with the secondary characters. It's very easy to establish utter respect and aggressive loathing respectively for the teachers, full devotion to some of the classmates, and absolute heartbreak over one character's family member. How Hicks accomplishes this is a real testament to the power of the genre. The words are meaningful, but these strong emotions show up through the interplay between text and images. That is expertly accomplished here.

Another highlight? Representation, which is always important, but maybe much more so now than in the recent past. Readers are likely to make assumptions about Ash especially in direct comparison to Sloane, but it's the small, intentional details that really feature who Ash is. There are a lot of readers who will feel very seen by observing how some of these characters are NOT seen and how others are bizarrely promoted. Hicks addresses these issues explicitly at times, but it's the implicit showing versus telling that really hammers in the meaningfulness of this full package.

While I have limited but positive experience with this author, I have a lot of experience with First Second, and I'm consistently grateful for the attention this publisher pays to very specific writers and artists, characters, and themes. This is an incredibly successful collab between all parties, and I can't wait to recommend this to my students with hearty enthusiasm.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and First Second for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Thank you to Netgalley and First Second for an e-arc of Inbetweens by Faith Erin Hicks! All thoughts are my own!***

In the summer of 1999, twin sisters, Ash and Sloane, go to Ormidale College for their prestigious animation camp. They do everything together are excited to accomplish this together to better their art.

This is the feel good, palette cleanser of a graphic novel I needed. I'm familiar with Faith Erin Hicks's art style, but I've never actually read one of her graphic novels. Her art is always stunning to me, but so legible. As much as this is a cute YA graphic novel, I feel like I actually walked away learning things about the animation industry that I didn't know before.

Our main characters are so different from each other, Ash being a social butterfly and Sloane being the wallflower, but they share their love for art and animation. I absolutely loved the message of this story. I loved the different references and inspiration in the graphic novel. I enjoyed the addition of the side characters and how they all help each other in the end.

I enjoyed the constructs that we were shown in the graphic novel from sexism and inclusivity in the animation industry, dealing with criticism, and maybe finding out you may not want your passion to be your career.

Inbetweens by Faith Erin Hicks is available March 31st, 2026! Thanks again to Netgalley and First Second for an e-arc!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
When a pair of self-acknowledged “crazy art twins” earn the chance to attend Canada’s most prestigious animation school’s summer session, it is the realization of a shared dream. But dreams often throw unexpected curves. Richly-colored and patterned frames reveal the fourteen-year-old twins’ differences: dark-haired, boyish Ash’s vibrant energy and passion for animation, contrasted with red-haired, bohemian Sloane’s quieter introspection. The tough reality of pre-professional expectations, the obstacle of an unsympathetic mentor, and the forging of new friendships are shown in dynamic and varied panels that are a master class in cartoon and animé styles. The in-betweeness of middle-school growth and struggle is richly represented in a warm, humorous and satisfying story of siblings pursuing their passion and dealing with reality. Characters are white and Indian-Canadian. Review based on an ARC.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith Erin Hicks is back with another gem! I'll always pick up the latest by Faith due to her stellar art style alone. I appreciate how consistent her style is between graphic novels, but with a slight upgrade every time. All of the characters feel unique but still so distinctly her. Inbetweens follows teen twins who enroll in an animation summer program of their dreams. It explores how the reality of living your dreams can be so vastly different and nuanced from what you've anticipated, as well as how difficult those unexpected complications can be to process. I did also really appreciate the slow realization of disappointment when your heroes do not live up to your expectations, that they're flawed and sometimes terrible people even though they make work you admire. Ultimately, as all Faith Erin Hicks graphic novels do, this one left me feeling super hopeful and cozy.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the arc!

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a confusing book. It seems aimed at middle-schoolers but it is absolutely not timeless or placeless. It is presumably on or after 1999. And the only animation that the characters know about is Disney and Sailor Moon and Pokemon. There was always more animation around then that. And there is a mixture of fact and fiction - more or less would have been better. We never really know what is going on with the star bad teacher. We do get the message that you work to be better at something, you don't go in expecting to be already great. I'm not sure if this would land with middle schoolers. The art and text are both good and the characters do seem real. 3.5 of 5

[JoyAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Students will really enjoy this book. Artists will really enjoy this book. Middle schoolers will really enjoy this book. I really enjoyed this book.

The dynamic between the twins was very realistically portrayed. The depth of emotion that can come at any age with the idea of a dream shifting or feeling unreachable was well captured. This will be a very relatable story for a lot of middle schoolers even if they are not artists. Hicks books already do well with middle schoolers, and this is my personal favorite one yet!

[Erin H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good! It was heavy on the topic of animation, which was only mildly interesting to me, but to a late elementary or middle schooler who was interested in art, I could see this resonating. I enjoyed Hicks’ artistic talent as this was a graphic novel, and I loved the twin main characters (especially having a fraternal twin sister myself!)

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5- A graphic novel about twin sisters who take an animation course over the summer at a prestigious animation college. Of course they learn a few lessons along the way, about the animation industry, art, finding/restoring your passion, and hard work/talent. A must read for any young artist interested in animation and design.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt middle grade graphic novel about two aspiring twin animators who get into an exclusive animation summer camp and find themselves making new friends, learning about what kind of animators they want to be and facing sexism from a famed instructor all at the same time! I enjoyed this book a lot, especially as someone who dreamed of being a Disney animator when they were younger. It's sure to resonate and inspire young readers and is a book I wholeheartedly recommend!!

[RaspberryRoses]

Telling a story About animation in a GN is always going to be a bit wonky, but I do think this one did the best job it could + like. the fact this person used to work in the animation industry is very telling and shows throughout.

[Alex H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I find myself echoing one if the bad guys in this book: "boring."

Half-hearted attempts at social justice messaging don't come to fruition, and the characters resolve their problems far too quickly and easily. The illustrations feel quite web-toonish.

There are some visual metaphors that are alright, keeping the book from being a 1-star.

[Andrew Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of Faith Erin Hicks' best books yet! Anyone who is an artist, animator or really any kind of creative should check this one out! Love the art and the story. Lots of great references to cool animated movies too! Love it!

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A love letter to creativity and the bonds of sisterhood.”

[Allison]

Gosh, I loved this, especially the very specific 1999 setting. The story wouldn't have been the same in a contemporary setting, with 3D animation having overtaken hand-drawn animation. This title felt like a love letter for traditional animation fans.

[Shelby Nower · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is well done, I just got a little bored. Then again, it's not meant for me. It's meant for kids who want to go into animation, especially those kids who really want to work for Disney. Which was never me anyway.

[Jenna Reed · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Very cute! Extremely accurate to how it is starting out as an animator as you would expect from a former industry professional. It really captures the feeling of comparing yourself to others and thinking if you just tried harder you can make it. Unfortunately teachers like Douglas are a very common occurrence. I’ve had various professors tell me I wasn’t cut out for animation or that I didn’t have the “spark”. But the book is right, it’s up to you, not anyone else, to decide to pursue animation. I’m glad this book acknowledges that as well as the problems within the industry that make it so hard to work in, such as bias, burn out, and negative working conditions. And like Lisa says, learning animation can take you on different, better, paths that you might not expect! Looooved the Kiki references, I think most artists can deeply relate to how it felt watching the movie for the first time.

[Ryofire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I generally really love Hicks' works. "Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong" is one of my favorite graphic novels, and I really liked "Friends With Boys", "The Nameless City", "Pumpkinheads", "Superhero Girl", and "Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy". I don't love them all equally: "Ride On", "Pumpkinheads" and "The War at Ellsmere" aren't at the top of my list for her works. But I do really love her art style and writing.

This book unfortunately sits closer to those of Hicks' work I think are enjoyable on their own but not things I'd reread. The art is lovely as always, and the narration is quite good. I think bias comes in here that I have my own sibling discomfort to unpack when it comes to the leads, and that made connecting with them quite difficult. It's not a constant thing: I can read plenty of stories with siblings just fine. I think the issue was the story being about sisters, which I always have trouble with. It sucks, because I think stories like this that tackle sexism (and racism, though Nisha was not a problem for me) in different industries are important. It's worse because I appreciate Hicks' ability to write other close-to-home issues. This one just didn't work out for some reason. But I think she wrote an enjoyable sibling relationship with great characters. I've met a number of twins in my life and these felt quite true to them.

There was also something really meaty missing from this one that Hicks' better works have. I don't know if it was the sibling issue that made it not as big to me as "Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong" or "Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy", but this just didn't feel as punchy as Hicks' other works. And that's fine. I don't think the story is small, exactly: it's about the futures of these very young animators exposing themselves to important opportunities and learning from big names in the field. But it feels small. And that's not usually a problem either: I like very gentle stories with low stakes (even though the stakes are arguably not low here just because it's not as dire as "The Nameless City"). Hicks is good at writing that, and making small things feel as important as they are. But the central plot just didn't matter as much to me. Maybe it's because too much time was spent focused on talking about movies I knew rather than developing the plot or exploring the art of animation or something. I don't know.

Overall, I feel mixed about this one, which is unfortunate because that's not how I usually feel about Hicks' works. I've bought "Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong" multiple times, and I own a number of her other works. I don't know about this one, though. It's a very good graphic novel that I think a lot of art folks will appreciate, and it's a nice dig at people - including artsy people - who shit on anime in particular. I KNOW people like that guy who mocked anime for being ugly. And they are as foolish and small-minded and just racist, and I'm glad that attitude was confronted. And I really loved the reference to "Princess Mononoke", which is my favorite Ghibli film. So if you likes Hicks' works, this is another pretty decent one, and I would recommend it on that front. If this is your first time reading her stuff and it doesn't wow you, I would highly recommend checking out some of her other works, as she's a great artist and writer.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins Ash and Sloane have always loved drawing together. They’ve said for years that they are both going to be animators and work on the Disney movies they love. The summer between 8th grade and 9th grade they get into the prestigious Ormdale College summer animation course. The instructor is a legend in the business who created one of Ash’s favorite animated films. Ash is psyched for the summer and the next step in her dreams, while Sloane seems more reluctant. But will this course be everything they hoped? Or will it challenge them in unexpected ways and test the strength of their dreams?

This appears to be set in Canada in the early 1990s. Computer graphics isn’t even a discussion at any point, and they do all the animation by hand. The real animated movies referenced were big in the 80s and 90s. And clothing styles seem to be from that era. Ash and Sloane have opposite personalities. Ash is the extrovert, Sloane is the introvert. Ash is gung ho on everything, and Sloane takes her time to make decisions. It also appears that Ash is a perfectionist, and Sloane is ok with good enough. They make some good friends at this weeks-long, overnight course which I liked seeing. The other kids and they learn a lot about themselves and their art over the span of the weeks, which is great. And they learn some resilience and how to figure out if animation is what they really want to do. Unfortunately, they experience a bit of misogyny and/or racism from the instructor who praises a work until he finds out a Indian Canadian girl did it. It felt like it was more a comment on her gender (and probably the author/illustrator commenting on such issues in the field historically and currently…you just have to read Nathalia Holt’s The Queens of Animation about women animators in Disney to get a glimpse of the uphill climb women have faced in this field). I wish there were more resolution to that plot line, but it did feel realistic for the time and setting in how it was dealt with. Overall, this is an encouragement to artistic readers to do what they love for their own enjoyment and to not worry about what anyone else thinks. And to make sure how much you love something before you dive into making it your job; exploring it like the twins did at a summer camp is a fantastic idea to test the waters. (It will also likely get readers to go watch or read Kiki’s Delivery Service since the characters talk so much about it.)

Notes on content [based on the eARC]:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: The twins are white Canadian and so is their friend Cameron, their friend Nisha is Indian Canadian. The instructors are white Canadian.
LGBTQ+ content: Cameron at the very end introduces Ash and Sloane to his 2 dads at the end of the course.
Other: See above about the passive aggressive misogyny/racism.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ronald McCutchan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictionalized memoir of Canadian animation school in the late 90s or early 2000s (I think—Kiki's Delivery Service is a key element of the plot and it was released in 1989). I'm not sure what contemporary tweens/teens think of these kind of narratives. For me, it felt odd to be reading about kids going to the video store to rent VHS tapes, and for Studio Ghibli films to be a novelty--something the protagonists learn about/see for the first time as part of the story (the twin protagonists are both heavily into mainline Disney cell animation, which doubly makes it weird, since Disney had the English rights and released the dub of Kiki's Delivery Service, though not until 1998, so I'm assuming they are watching the original Japanese version). As a contemporary reader, the strangest thing for me in terms of the temporal setting is the huge absence of Pixar and all things digital (and stop-motion) in terms of animation. At the end of the book, there's a short list of animated films referenced in the book, all of them 1980s releases (with the exception of One Hundred and One Dalmations 1961.

There's an odd plot hole involving Nisha, one of the twins' fellow animation students. She's set up as a very good animator, but the celebrity instructor Douglas Frye (modeled on Brad Bird? Frye's hallmark movie Monstrous is definitely a call-out to Bird's The Iron Giant.) continually downplays his response to her work ("it's fine...") whenever he is told that it's hers. And, other than the fact that Frye seems to be cool on work done by any of the three girls in the program, vs real enthusiasm and positive comments for the boys' work, we don't find an underlying reason. There's one strange detail (maybe?) in that another instructor, Lisa Sato, who teaches the film studies class and is basically the voice for all animation outside Disney/the major studios, at one point says that her ride is here, and in the art, she points to the car's drive, a brown-skinned woman who doesn't NOT look like Nisha's mother. I'm sure it's not her, since Nisha's mother doesn't really understand animation (and makes a big scene when the final student projects are shown), but it's just a really odd little flex. Nisha's father also is not mentioned, so I was also prepared to find out that Frye is Nisha's dad, but that doesn't happen (ditto re: Nisha's mom and animation).

[libreroaming · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Inbetweens" is the term used for the moments of animation between the big movements. It's a good title for the story of sisters Ash and Sloane, who are accepted to an illustrious (pun intended) Ormidale animation program in the 1990's. Ash is more than excited to attend, while Sloane seems subdued in comparison to her sibling's enthusiasm. The graphic novel takes place over the course of their studies, finishing in a group project of a student film.

In terms of strengths, you can tell that Hicks knows her stuff and a lot of this seems to come from her history. The animation homework pieces are still used in animation classes today, and the student body accurately reflects 1990's animation nerds perfectly. The side characters of Cameron and Nisha are fleshed out personalities and inhibit a real world dynamic with the twins. Although it almost creates a problem because Nisha's story is far more engaging than Sloane or Ash's, once readers understand her backstory. Her inclusion in the graphic novel is what gives Sloane her big character arc moment, and puts Ash's frustration at not being immediately amazing at animation in a nuanced context.

I will point out a continued annoyance I have of pop culture books putting the actual title of famous stories alongside knockoff titles, which creates a dissonance as to the reality of the world. Hicks does this too, and it creates a confusing set up since animation titles play a central part in the story, with "Kiki's Delivery Service" being a huge creative revelation for Sloane and one of the strongest sequences of the graphic novel. But it's more than a little frustrating to have a world where students name drop Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective" and Ormidale have a poster of "Mystery Mice" with the same character design. Same thing goes for Don Bluth's "All Dogs Go to Heaven" poster but with the title "All Good Boys." The part where becomes harder to ignore as a fun "Easter Egg" experience is the character Douglas Frye, who creates the "Inbetweens"-only movie, "Monstrous" but it looks exactly like Brad Bird's "Iron Giant." And considering Douglas Frye is a bad teacher who shows misogynistic favoritism to the boy animators, it leaves me wondering if Hicks left those knock off titles in to give some legal plausibility for any critical discussions.

Overall, the strengths of "Inbetweens" comes from the inbetween moments, small discussions between the sisters, and the slight frustrations of schoolwork that challenges you. There is no action sequence or huge dramatic moment to point to in terms of interest. In fact, the ending feels a little bit of a let down since the graphic novel's theme about collaboration and creativity is achieved in the student project, and Sloane/Ash's rebellion against Douglas Frye's institutionalized artwork seems to detract from that rather than strengthen their positions. I also would have liked more of the siblings dealing with their newer relationship dynamic rather than that. There was a lot of really great material left untapped in the story (Nisha in particular) that keeps it from being an amazing 5-star review, but it's a great graphic novel to give to kids interested in sibling dynamics and creative pursuits like animation.

[Elyrria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inbetweens was absolutely breathtaking, from the art, to the relatable characters, to the realistic storytelling it featured. This is a must-have for the shelves of all comic lovers, teachers, parents, and people who love art and animation.

The story follows two twin sisters (Ash and Sloane) who get to attend a summer animation intensive. Throughout the story, the twins learn how racism and sexism can be embedded at the core of animation culture, how your heroes can sometimes let you down, and why loving your art is more important than simply working for a big-name brand. Themes from the comic center around friendship, sisterhood, overcoming self-doubt, and pursuing one's goals for the right reasons.

The artwork in this was stunning, and I wish it were a full series! At my middle school and high school, almost everyone went through a phase where they wanted to be an animator or work for a comic strip company. This story will reach back through time and touch everyone who once held the dream of working in an industry that inspired their passion and nurtured their joy. It is wholesome and sweet in every way! The story will also teach children (and remind adults) that art is nuanced and unique to each artist. Many cultures have broad art forms that not everyone will appreciate, but they still deserve respect. Part of being an artist is learning to see things for the unique beauties that they are-- Not just judging art by one cookie-cutter standard.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers at First Second Books for sending me an ARC of Inbetweens! If readers want a patch of light in a dark world, this comic offers a joyous reprieve from the monotonous siren-songs of obligation and perfectionism, and gently reminds us how to stay in touch with our passions, instead.