I Love Amy, Vol. 1

I Love Amy #1

by Unni

Bibi loves Peter. And Peter would love Bibi…if not for that pesky girl Peter was talking to in the school hallway! Bibi needs her out of the way, so she invites her new rival over for “a sleepover”. But instead of making sure the girl from the halls won’t get in her way any further, Bibi enjoys a pleasant night with her new friend, Amy. As they fall asleep, Bibi wrestles with an unfamiliar and confusing feeling. Something must be wrong, because Bibi loves Peter…right?

Genres: Manga, Yuri, Lesbian, Romance, Graphic Novels, Manhwa, LGBT

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2024

Reviews

[fith · Rating 5 out of 5]

lesbians are so cool i wish they were real

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this. The art was funky and original, and the story was surprisingly (no, for real) deep and serious and dark at times, while also overall being lighthearted and fun. A great mix! The art style was used creatively to help tell the story in some original and interesting ways that I really appreciated. Very well done overall!

There was one or two details that I could gripe about, a plotline that might have gotten dropped, but I would say this wasn’t really a problem in the big picture.

I am reviewing for the entire series, no idea how many volumes it is but I’m doing this in one go. The whole thing is a quick read that isn’t too long and is well worth the trip.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book.

The art is a bit too cutesy, but also striking at times. The script is enjoyably absurd in places and just poorly written in others. The characters are occasionally endearing but sometimes annoying. And I'm confused, is this a story of friendship or is it a romance?

Beatrice Luna "Bibi" Reden is a spoiled rich girl who acts like an unhinged sociopath in pursuit of her high school crush, Peter. When she sees him talk briefly to Amy Lee, a quiet loner, Bibi decides Amy is a romantic rival and inserts herself into Amy's life to secretly sabotage her chances. But then the loose cannon and the wallflower are friends? And suddenly Amy Lee's ominous-looking estranged BFF, Camilla Connor, is angered by/concerned about this development and also starts with the inserting and sabotaging too. And, hey, the characters have dark or tragic backstories that are teased throughout with short flashbacks.

I can't decide if this is all very dumb or rather delightful. But the fact that I want to read on to find out means I'm giving this volume a thumbs up.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Character Profile [Bibi] -- Chapter 1. Bibi's First Friend -- Chapter 2. Amy -- Chapter 3. Operation: Meat Pie! -- Chapter 4. The Prom (1) -- Chapter 5. The Prom (2) -- Chapter 6. The Present -- Chapter 7. No Longer Friends -- Chapter 8. Again -- Chapter 9. Nightmare -- Chapter 10. Sleepless Nights -- Chapter 11. The Date (1) -- Chapter 12. The Date (2) -- Chapter 13. Amy, Kidnapped! -- Chapter 14. The Redens (1) -- Bonus -- Exclusive Extras #1. Bibi -- Exclusive Extras #2. Celeb -- Exclusive Extras #3. Camilla -- Exclusive Extras #4. Amy

[Autumn Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun story. Just sweet and cute. Amy and Bibi both, in a way, get along quite well together despite Bibi's psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies and Amy's introverted and sociotropic nature.

Added to this is the 'love' triangles between Bibi and Peter, and Amy and Camilla. It makes for a funny and dramatic story, that is deep and yet also lighthearted. One of the more enjoyable yuri manhwa I've read!

I received a free copy from Netgalley for evaluation purposes.

[Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first in a series, I believe it perfectly set the tone for the upcoming volumes. The art style is so cute but can also feel "thriller-ish" when it comes to the psychopathic tendencies that Bibi has. I never knew what to expect with every other chapter, and I think that makes the story even more interesting and quite silly. Amy as a character is also much more different than what I have expected, and I think she is the most likeable person presented so far. She has a quirky charm, and I think Bibi is catching onto that too. As for Camilla, I am curious to know what is making her act this way, and well.... I hope she stays away before our miss troublemaker will make her stay away. And Bibi is by far the character that intrigues me the most (aside from Amy's mother, who intrigues me in a negative way). I want to get into her brain and see her thought processes, especially with these new realizations she is going through!!

I am very excited to continue reading this story and see if at any point in time will I be able to guess what's going on haha.

Thank you NetGalley and Yen Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this story!!

[Nikolai !! (Haitus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre Read Ꮺ ָ࣪ ۰ ͙⊹
another series my boyfriend recommended!!! Really short so i might finish it reallllll quick

[j. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 / 5.0 stars

I MISSED MY LITTLE UNHINGED BIBI WITH AMY ♡

i read the original webtoon so i was excited to read this tradpub e-arc edition and see how it was formatted with all the extra stuff and arts added!!! very very cute ♡♡♡

special thanks to NetGalley and to Yen Press / Ize Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[gi · Rating 4 out of 5]

binged this today and it was actually more emotional than i expected. also very funny. 3.5ish

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Thanks to Netgalley and Ize Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.]

It’s some kind of a miracle that I not only enjoyed this volume but am looking forward to reading the rest of it. Not only does this make a bad first impression, it has a main character that is sociopathic and pretty awful.

Bibi is a rich monster who stomps all over her school and its rules because of the massive money her father donates to it. She is also incredibly possessive about things she loves and has a formaldehyde bunny as a pet.

Her human obsession is the generic Peter, who saved her life once and has therefore put himself directly in Bibi’s crosshairs. Peter seems to maybe show some interest in Amy, a clumsy mess of a student with no self-esteem, and it looks like Bibi’s hunt is on.

Except Bibi’s plot goes awry when she and Amy have a fun time at a sleepover and Bibi finds herself tangled up with Amy over and over again. Amy’s former friend Camilla seems to have some leftover issues, but it’s really all about Bibi feeling super weird when she’s with Amy.

The biggest obstacle here is Bibi herself. Everything about her is either creepy or annoying. She kidnaps, destroys, pays no attention to anything that doesn’t interest her, and has a kind-of off putting design with her heart eyes. She’s not deliberately mean, though about one second away from snapping, and that’s probably why the story doesn’t completely collapse on itself.

Amy is basically a victim in all this, but she’s also a sad and pathetic one. She’s a nervous wreck half the time and covered with bandages. Bibi describes her as a dirty kitty at one point and that’s roughly her level of helplessness. Even a straight up betrayal by Bibi doesn’t faze her, which is an indication of where Amy is at.

Both of them come from homes that are either broken, dysfunctional, or both, and they manage to get along, provided that Amy is of some use to Bibi. A variety of plots to snag Peter ensue, but inevitably they come down to Amy and Bibi hanging out.

The parts where the lesbian stuff comes through are the most fun. Bibi can be downright normal when she’s in that zone and the near kiss this volume is pretty great as those sorts of things go.

But waiting for Bibi to not quite be so loathsome is hard. It’s played up for laughs, but I wouldn’t call this especially funny. It’s a story of two broken people who are probably better off together since they can stand one another.

Even with web comic pacing and the dialogue that sometimes makes less than perfect sense, this still held my attention and I don’t hate stories about broken people finding one another. And these two are as broken as they come.

Sometimes I won’t read a train wreck, sometimes I will. I genuinely want to see what happens with these two and there’s enough seeded here that it’s clear they have their reasons for being like they are. That’s saying something.

3 stars - acquired taste barely describes it, I can see this being way too much for a lot of people, but there’s a compelling ‘it’ factor that I cannot quite nail down that makes me want to read more. Recommended-ish, with reservations.

[Jenda Mazal · Rating 5 out of 5]

juchuuuu toxické Yuri 💕💕

[Raaven💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I love yandere lovesick characters. Bibi’s design with the permanent heart in her eyes is so cute. I’m interested to continue this series because there seems to be some parts that aren’t fully explained. What happened to Amy to where she couldn’t kiss Bibi? It seems to be some sort of traumatic experience. The art was so cute and I’m liking the story so far!

[meli ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

q lindo todo 💗 las amé y aunq algunas veces me confundían mucho, verlas juntas es hermoso 😭😭 y ojo tiene mucho potencial para seguir, se me hizo muy cortitoo, necesito ver más sobre ellas

[Jin · Rating 5 out of 5]

let's go lesbians!!

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Yen Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of I Love Amy, Vol. 1! As always, all opinions are my own and this review is being left voluntarily.

2.25 stars rounded down

✨ Sapphic Graphic Novel
✨ 0.5/5 Spice Level
✨ Volume 1
✨ Rep: Asian MC

I recommend if you enjoy…
- graphic novels
- high school settings
- a quirky, morally questionable main character
- darker themes behind all the silly

Content warnings after review.

General thoughts…
I Love Amy was originally published in an episodic format on Webtoons (and possibly some other sites?). The main character, Bibi, quite frankly needs some help from a licensed psychologist. The source of her atypical, stalker behaviors are someone looked into in this first volume, but I imagine there is a lot more to unpack.

Some things I loved…
- The art! It’s fun, and I really thought the coloring was especially well done. There was more than one point while I was reading that I took time to appreciate how pleasing the colors were to look at.
- The character designs are distinct and easy to tell apart. They didn’t suffer from “same face syndrome”.

Some things to consider…
- Because this was originally published in an episodic format, I think the storytelling suffered a bit. This is more noticeable in a graphic novel format. I think the author may have benefited from re-working the story/panels to create a better story flow. Unfortunately this made it difficult to follow along at some points as well as a bit of repetition and time jumps that were hard to follow.
- The main character, Bibi, is not very likable. I don’t think the reader learns enough about her early on to look past her glaring red flags.

Final thoughts…
I think I may have enjoyed reading this more in its original format versus this graphic novel. It wasn’t awful by any means, but I struggled to follow along with the story. I will likely not read the next volume.

(beware potential spoilers below)

Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
kidnapping, stalking, bullying, family trauma, family neglect

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you YEN PRESS | IZE PRESS and NetGalley, for providing me with this arc, in exchange for my honest review.

Don’t let the gorgeous, girly and fun cover of this graphic novel fool you, the girl on the cover is kind of a psycho, but you will laugh and be obsessed with this amazing story too, I promise!!

The first pages are as pretty as the cover and arranged in a girly journal kind of way, which I love and want to copy in my own journal, if I ever get to making one.

Bibi looks like a popular rich girl who is beautiful and has everything, but when you look closer, especially at her eyes, you can sense she is disturbed.

Beatrice or Bibi, is a 17 year old girl who is known at her school for being crazy. She doesn’t have any friends and has a crush on a popular guy from her school, named Peter.

She has apparently stabbed people with a fork and keeps her beloved and very dead pet rabbit in its cage, preserved in a jar and yes she talks to it. She also really loves stalking people but in a very funny way!

When she ties up a girl from her school, named Amy, on a chair in her basement, because she saw her talking to Peter, they accidentally become friends! They both have a troubled past and Amy ends up helping Bibi or is kinda forced to xd actually, to realize her dream of going to prom with Peter.

A third girl called Camilla, who seems to like Peter and used to be friends with Amy, comes into play and makes things extra interesting! And when Bibi is forced by Camilla to stop seeing Amy, their relationship seems to go in an unexpected direction.

Bibi is intense and definitely has a screw loose but she makes this story so fun too.. You can’t help rooting for Amy who is clumsy and shy but just a very good person too. I would love to see more of Peter because apart from maybe one short conversation and him always being surrounded by girls, so clearly being popular, you don’t really get to know him. Camilla is intense too but she seems to still really like Amy and wants to protect her.

I cannot wait to read the next volume, for some more fun drama and just more of these compelling characters!

[пташатко · Rating 2 out of 5]

(1.5)

психічно неврівноважена (й до біса annoying) гг1, бібі, абсолютно безпідставно сохне за якимось рандомним тіпом в школі, пітером, хапає собі у підстилки подруги затуркану й мляву гг2, емі, щоб з її допомогою добитись уваги вищезгаданого тіпа, а ні — то бодай потренуватись на ній, поки не почне з ним власне зустрічатися. все це нам подають у придурошно-потішному тоні, з купою придурошно-токсичних ситуацій, де емі виконує свою роль краще килимка у ванній, а бібі самозакохано з неї знущається та на думці собі одне лиш має — дістати пітера. і ми, типу, маємо хіхікати та з завмершим серцем спостерігати, як мило тупо вимальовуватиметься їхня дружба, накльовуватимуться щирі почуття й розкриватимуться дохуя травматичні події минулого бібі, які зробили її такою бідною та нещасною тупою та бісячою... на тлі також є миршавенька родинна драма і з боку емі, її мутна колишня подружка, майже-поцілунок з бібі, новий фокус її обсесивності і всяке таке.

мені чесно похуй, як там афігєнно авторка далі розрулюватиме сюжет, за що з нього всі так, здається, від щирого захвату всикаються, бо у мене на такі метАірОНіЧні та гЛиБОкі історії бажання час тратити нема. яким би колосальним не був потенційний розвиток персонажок, я сумніваюсь, що payback буде того вартим. meh

p.s. мальовка й кольори гарні

[Shiritaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Artstyle ist auf jeden Fall gewöhnungsbedürftig, nach einer Weile hab ich's aber kaum noch bemerkt. Wobei die ständigen Herzaugen von Bibi schon etwas creepy aussehen 😂 der Plot ist eigentlich ganz simpel: Bibi ist ein Mädchen, das alles hat, was sie will. Allerdings fehlt es ihr an Zuneigung und Liebe, vor allem aus familiärer Sicht. Aber auch sonst gibt's da niemanden, mit dem sie sich wirklich angefreundet hat. Bis plötzlich Amy auftaucht und Bibi ihr vorschlägt, Freunde zu sein - da sie gesehen hat, wie Amy mit ihrem geliebten Peter spricht. In den ist sie nämlich unsterblich verliebt, seitdem er sie vor einem näherkommenden Bus gerettet hat. So versucht sie seitdem, ihm näher zu kommen.. und Amy hilft ihr nun dabei..
Natürlich gibt's viele Szenen, die anders laufen, als von Bibi geplant, das macht es aber irgendwie auch ganz witzig und charmant 😄 auch dass plötzlich Dinge geschehen, die Bibi nicht einordnen kann. Und man erfährt von beiden immer wieder etwas aus der Vergangenheit. So erkennt man schnell, dass es beide auf ihre eigene Weise nicht gerade leicht hatten früher - oder auch jetzt. Ich kann mir in etwa vorstellen, was da noch so kommt. Aber maybe passieren auch noch einige unerwartete Twists 👀 mal sehen! 😄 Jedenfalls denke ich, dass die Story sicher noch so einiges an Tiefgang parat hält.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this might be my first ever manhwa? And it was straight up my alley. Super cute but also dark and twisted.

It is an entirely compelling story, with all of its drama. Bibi is an interesting main character because it's pretty hard to be on her side, she's clearly acting like an unhinged lunatic from the get go.
In the same way Amy is fascinating because why would you stay where you know you're being used? But  it creates a fun dynamic and lots of intrigue to learn who each of the characters are, and their personal motivations.

I love the balance of crazy humorous drama and real heartfelt moments. Don't be fooled by the (beautiful) very pink and cutesy artwork, you'll be in for a much more complex experience as it seems – and it does handle quite dark themes.

I'm excited to see the characters and relationships build more over the following volumes.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was expecting to. For a first volume, this seemed to be trying to set up a LOT and it just didn’t hook me. There was too much going on and it was confusing trying to piece together the characters’ backstories and motivations.

I love a good unlikable character, but Bibi is just too much. She’s cruel, blatantly using and discarding Amy like it’s nothing to her. And then they nearly kiss…am I supposed to believe she actually felt something? Nothing so far indicates that she would. Am I supposed to root for them to get together??? Nah.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Seems to be pretty popular, just wasn’t for me.

[Leila ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estoy genuinamente sorprendida por lo mucho que me gustó este primer volumen ??? El arte me pareció precioso, y me llama mucho la atención lo loca que está Bibi xdd ya quiero leer cómo sigue todo !!

4 de 5 estrellas.

[ezraaaa ୨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read it online back two years ago and i absolutely loved it, so glad i have the part copy! (re-read #1)

[The_Ugly_Squid · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLYYYY this was so good. the character depth, the development, THE ART STYLE. UGASGSGA

[Rach' B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reseña:

Bibi es considerada la chica rara del instituto, y tienen razón para juzgarla de esta manera. Una chica adinerada que suele salirse con la suya gracias a su dinero, sin embargo, los problemas que causa hacia las demás personas no se limita solo a ser una "mean girl", más bien caen en tendencias agresivas y psicópatas. Su falta de empatía e importancia por los demás la caracteriza, pero claro que puede mostrarse interesada por algo, o más bien... Obsesionada, y este es el destino de Peter, un chico al cual todos adoran por su personalidad cálida y amistosa, ¿Cómo un chico tan genial como Peter no se fijaría en una chica como Bibi?... entonces que hace él prestándole tanta atención a una chica tan insignificante como Amy.



Por los celos que esto le provoca, invita a Amy a su casa, disfrazado bajo la mentira de querer ser su amiga, sin embargo, sus verdaderas intenciones son desaparecerla de su camino. Su plan se ve frustrado por lo bien que pasa la noche junto a Amy, está experimentando por primera vez lo que es una amistad, o el intento de esta.



Bibi y Amy se unirán bajo una amistad que ante los demás puede verse toxica, pero comparado con la historia de sus vidas, es un respiro a todo esto.



Opinión personal:

La historia al principio me sorprendió bastante, porque todo el dibujo de esta obra es bastante tierna y "soft", por lo cual cuando comienzan a mostrar la personalidad agresiva de Bibi, es bastante sorprendente, no esperas que la obra realmente gire a tintes "oscuros". No consideraría a esta obra como un thriller o algo por el estilo, pero si tomar en cuenta que puede ser difícil de leer para algunos lectores. Me gusto bastante la historia, como se muestra lo complicada que ha sido la vida de ambas y como esto influye en su personalidad y vida, especialmente me gusto la historia de Amy, da a entender mucho el porque de sus acciones.

Sin embargo hay que dejar en claro que la relación de Amy y Bibi es algo muy toxico y que no debería ser romantizado.

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A student told me I would love this one and that I could borrow his copy as soon as it came in. He was right. I loved it! The art work reminded me a lot of Sailor Moon. And to be honest, Bibi is a little unhinged too. I did love her chaotic energy and obsession with Peter. All in all, solid recommendation made to me and that I will recommend to others.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun! I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself into when I picked this up, but I’m definitely glad I did.

First and foremost, Bibi is deranged 😂 I do think there’s a reason why she’s the way she is, though, and I look forward to learning more about it. There’s definitely some sketchy stuff happening with her family that’s only implied in this volume and not developed quite yet. Most of the characters are just scared of her and think she’s a “psycho,” but I’m just curious about the way she ticks 🤔

In the same vein, Amy also has a similarly dark and mysterious past. Her mom especially is someone she seems to think back on fondly, but there seem to be traumatic memories of her as well (beyond just the fact that she’s dead). I’m even more curious to know about her family if I’m honest, especially considering that Amy seems so “well adjusted.” I put that in quotations because she actually is not well adjusted at all 😅 She’s simply taken her trauma and made herself be as small and not troublesome as possible. She’s quiet and reserved, and she doesn’t really have close friendships. All of this actually reflects her own frailty and how susceptible she is to more harm. Exhibit A: Bibi literally kidnaps her, and her response to that is extremely calm and measured.

I’m curious to see how things will develop between Amy and Bibi and also Amy and Camilla. Both relationships seem fraught in different ways.

All in all, definitely looking forward to the release of the next volume!

[Katie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked I Love Amy! I feel like there was a good mix of light hearted and dark moments in this manga. I liked both Bibi and Amy as characters especially Bibi, I always like reading a good yandere type of character and I’m both excited and curious to see how she develops in future volumes. I enjoy Amy’s character too but I feel like I just need to see a bit more from her, Bibi and Amy are nearly complete opposites in personality but I’m enjoying their moments together, I’m liking the toxic friendship between them and I’m intrigued on how things will proceed with them. I’m curious to know what kind of direction this story will go in both character and plot wise, I wonder if both of these characters will receive some form of help or if they will match each others darkness. Either way I’m intrigued! I loved the art style of I Love Amy, the cutesy pastels, character outfits, chapter starters, and especially Bibi’s heart eyes are the cutest but just the general art style of this manga is adorable. It’s very fitting and I love it. Thank you to the publisher for giving me a complimentary review copy of the book.

[Sophy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure whether to call this story cute or creepy — it’s definitely a mix of both! Our main character, Bibi, is a rich girl with a bad reputation for being a bit unhinged — she’s known for violent outbursts, breaking things, and generally scaring off everyone around her. When she sees Amy talking to her crush, Bibi impulsively invites her over for a “sleepover,” but what happens is surprisingly normal — and the beginning of an unexpected friendship.

As the two girls grow closer, their bond becomes something both strange and sweet. However, Amy’s old best friend isn’t happy about the new friendship and tries to drive them apart. The story blends dark undertones — including hints of stalking and obsession — with bright, adorable artwork that creates an eerie contrast.

For parents:
This story touches on themes of loneliness, toxic relationships, and emotional instability. While the art is cute and colorful, the content leans dark and is better suited for older teens or mature readers who can handle unsettling psychological elements.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bibi has a massive crush on Peter, and she'll stop at nothing to make him hers. That includes taking down the girl that she sees talking to him at school. What starts out as a sleepover designed to destroy her romantic rival turns into a budding friendship with Amy. But, as the girls grow closer, Bibi has to wrestle with the weird feelings she's having for her friend. But she can't love Amy because she loves Peter, right?

I loved the art style in this one. It was cute and quirky, and while the main idea is pretty lighthearted, the story can get surprisingly deep at times. It was a super quick read, and it left me wanting more of Bibi and Amy's story. I can't wait for the next volume!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Lilith · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 /5 stars
[3.5 /10 stars]

- story [0.5 /2]
- worldbuilding & consistency [0 /1]
- art [1 /1]
- characters [0 /1]
- length & progress [0.5 /1]
- ending [0.5 /1]
- originality [0.5 /1]
- enjoyment [0.5 /2]

~quick thoughts~
• too much of a psycho without any redeeming qualities for the main character
• the art gets really good at some points and you can read through very quickly - barely any text

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

(DNF - pg 98)