A genius humanoid escapes the university lab where she was made and gets a job at a local coffee shop in this quirky, misfit young adult graphic novel perfect for fans of Giant Days and Heartstopper.
Ruby is a genius humanoid who was grown in a secret lab at the local university, created to solve science’s greatest problems. But Ruby suspects she can’t fulfill her function while trapped inside, so she breaks out.
Now living among humans, Ruby attempts to lie low and fit in as a barista at the university coffeehouse, Inkcap. Working there gives her plenty of opportunity to figure out what problems people need solving. And as far as she can tell, most humans’ biggest problem is struggling to find happiness. And what makes them happy? Love! So, Ruby uses her superpowered brain to play cupid.
As Ruby sets to work pairing up the staff and regulars at Inkcap, she feels more and more human she’s got a community now, maybe even a crush. But the lab believes she’s dangerous, and it wants her back. When pursuing her own happiness leads Ruby straight into a trap, she’ll need her new motley crew of coffeehouse friends to save her from the scientist who only want to use her.
Shaenon K. Garrity is a writer, artist, and editor specializing in comics and pop culture. As an editor, she has over a decade of experience working with comic books. As a freelance writer, she's written extensively on comics, animation, and other popular arts. She's advised companies on comics publishing and spearheaded their entry into the field. Her own comics and fiction have won awards and critical acclaim.
Super cute sapphic romance graphic novel set at a coffee shop with an escaped, genius lab-grown girl! Ruby is hiding out, working in a coffee shop and trying to match people up and use her genius to help them find love. But the professor who created her is determined to track her down and get her back. Meanwhile she builds a community and becomes close to one of her co-workers. It's fun and charming with adorable art. Definitely one to pick up! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• My Reading Experience: Enjoyed!! • Book Spice: None
• Content Thoughts:
Shaenon is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA graphic novel authors. I really enjoy her plotlines and the way she structures a story—it almost feels like stepping back into the cartoons I loved as a kid, but with a fresh twist.
This particular book gave me such a fun mix of vibes: part Lilo & Stitch, part Stranger Things, and part Maximum Ride by James Patterson. That “escaped from the lab” storyline is familiar but handled here in a way that’s lighthearted and easy to fall into.
The pacing is quick, making it a perfect one-sitting read. It’s not overly complicated or weighed down, and I found myself rooting for the FMC the whole time, hoping she would get the happy ending she deserved.
Overall, this was a fun, light read that made me smile. I’ll definitely keep picking up more of Shaenon’s work.
Thank you Simon Teen for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
☕ Arc review ☕ Releases February 3 2026 Thank you to Simon and Schuster, NetGalley, and of course Shaenon
Ruby is a genius humanoid who was grown in a secret lab at the local university, created to solve science’s greatest problems. But Ruby suspects she can’t fulfill her function while trapped inside, so she breaks out.
Now living among humans, Ruby attempts to lie low and fit in as a barista at the university coffeehouse, Inkcap. Working there gives her plenty of opportunity to figure out what problems people need solving. And as far as she can tell, most humans’ biggest problem is struggling to find happiness. And what makes them happy? Love! So, Ruby uses her superpowered brain to play cupid.
I enjoyed reading Steam and watching Ruby figure herself out. This book was sweet and heartwarming. I always enjoy Shaenon's graphic novels.
For fans of Giant Days, Heartstopper and Stranger Things comes a new YA sapphic graphic novel. 🤖 RB aka Ruby has escaped from the laboratory that she was being held and now she lives among the humans. Ruby takes a job at a coffeehouse as a barista and her one goal is to solve problems for people. What better place to do it than near the university she escaped where people go for their daily dose of caffeine? It’s there she meets her coworker who tries to help Ruby with her moral center to do the right thing. When a private investigator shows up to take Ruby away, her new friends hatch a plan to break her out again. 🔬 This was such a joy to read! I found it to be funny, cute and a unique storyline I haven’t seen yet. The crush and subsequent relationship is very tame, despite the title (which refers to the ☕️ coffee steam, people!) I have so many students who I’ll recommend this to when it releases February 3!
THIS WAS SO FUCKING CUTE WHAT THE FUCK!!!! /pos god i love graphic novels. god. anyways i’m very into this art style. everyone’s vibes were so fun. and not going to lie… all of the men slapped so hard. it helped that they were 1) a nerdy kinda pathetic professor who’s down BAD for a mean coffeeshop owner and 2) a suave but also kinda pathetic detective. anyways. wow. i loved the found family, i loved silliness, i loved the absurd plans. but mostly i just loved the art. because art is life man. this has been, graphic novel love, by bindi
The first thing that caught my attention was the cover, then the blurb.
It’s such an adorable story, very easy to read. It’s about an escaped lab experiment designed to fix problems, working at a coffee shop, who devices plan to make people happy.
It has a bit of pining, found family and matchmaking. Well worth the read.
Thank you to Shaenon K. Garrity, Simon and Schuester Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.
This is an adorable sapphic romance with a side of genetic testing on humans… perfect for a morning read over a cup of coffee. Especially when the majority of the story takes place at a busy university coffee shop.
Ruby is a genius-level humanoid who was grown in a lab as part of an experiment to help solve all of the world’s problems. But when you have such brilliant research subjects, they can outsmart even the most intelligent people. Being trapped within a tiny room, never being allowed to see the world can be suffocating. Which is exactly why she breaks out.
Trying to slip into anonymity as a barista at one of the local coffee shops may just be the perfect disguise. In a university campus, there has to be dozens, if not more, of places to blend in to. Inkcap Coffeehouse is a small business that roasts and brews their own beans (which makes the flavor all the more better - this coming from an ex-barista of 10+ years) and the perfect place to observe people. It’s also the perfect place to meet a great cast of characters.
I love a found family and seeing as how Ruby is lab-grown, she doesn’t have a birth family… I think. So the coffeehouse crew was perfect: A grumpy owner, the knowledgeable teacher-esque older barista (and love interest), eccentric patrons, and even a spy sent to retrieve her who ends up being won over to their cause in the long run.
The story was sweet and a quick read for anyone who loves love.
Thank you to Simon Teen for my gifted copy of the book.
This was my first graphic novel by Shaenon K. Garrity, and my first ya graphic novel in awhile, but I am absolutely sure that it won't be my last. This is an adorable story of a escaped laboratory experiment who ends up in a coffee shop using her powers for good to help people find happiness, aka: love.
This was a fun and quick read with surprisingly well developed characters and themes. I loved Ruby and her quest to help others and find a place she belongs. The found family aspect of this was an added bonus.
As a middle grade teacher, I think this is an awesome intro to sapphic lit for tweens and early teens who are looking for crushes and exploring their feelings without being ready for a more mature relationship. It also does a great job of exploring themes of belonging, what happiness is, and what it means to be human. I loved it as an adult reader, but I know that my students are going to devour this as well. I will absolutely be purchasing this title for my classroom.
The illustrations by Emily Holden bring Garrity's story to life in a light and whimsical way that absolutely captures the vibes of the writing.
This is a must read for fans of ya graphic novels and middle grade sapphic stories.
Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for this eArc. This is my own personal review.
OK, this was the cutest thing ever. Love that the setting was mostly a coffee shop set at an university! Ruby was such a sweetheart and the whole cast was a delight. From Mira (who at first was crushing on someone else and now is crushing on Ruby) to Lynn the boss who loves mushrooms to two eccentric people one loves art the other believes in conspiracy theories to the boy meant to get Ruby back... but figures out something is off. And there is so much more! I loved every moment and Ruby was such a sweetheart and I was rooting for her to figure things out and get her freedom (and not just her). I didn't like the lab peeps, so rude, you can just keep people, even if they are superhuman/genetically modified like that. The art was fantastic! Oh, and that ending! YESS!
Maybe a longer short review is coming, or a long long review, I will see.
Steam was such a wonderful read. I loved the premise that a genius humanoid escapes from a lab and instead of causing chaos like expected she just wanted to find a way to make everyone happy. Oh and she works at a coffee shop. The found family aspect with that was surprisingly sweet. As was Ruby’s relationship with her coworker Mira. Although at times I wished for a little more detail, I enjoyed the story and there was even a twist I didn’t see coming. As for the art, it was stunning! I loved the bright colors and simplistic style. It kept me engaged the whole time.
*I received an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.*
This was totally forgettable and had a lot of underdeveloped side characters (especially Ward), but it's got a sweet tone and an appealing art style. My teen patrons really like it which counts for a lot.
Steam is such a masterful collaboration between writer Shaenon K. Garrett and illustrator Emily Holden. The powerful character driven story and gorgeous color pallet mixed with the fun and quirky illustrative style make for something that I personally want to read again and again and again! This book has an active and exciting plot, but is so clearly this beautiful exploration of the human condition, being made to think, feel, and process differently, and how isolating that can leave someone. While this is on its face a tale about an experiment created in a lab, escaped out into the world and running amok, it can be interpreted a lot deeper than that. This dual understanding of the story makes this a fantastic read for all ages from children to adults.
I personally see the parallels between someone with autism or neurodivergence. Our character see things in black and white and wants to fix what’s in front of her through step by step processes, but learns the power of NOT being perfect, allowing people to FEEL messy feelings, and wading through the messy shades of grey in life.
Especially relatable were the feelings of isolation our main character felt. It was so painful to see the scientists locking her up insisting to her face that they were there to help her make the best decisions for herself, and to watch her question whether that was th case. I think that is the situation for so many neurodivergent or just “DIFFERENT” folks who are so often forced into boxes and certain ways of being for the comfort of those around them.
This is a queer romance, a story about the power of friendship and accepting people as they are, and has SO many vibrantly funny moments and characters, ON TOP OF banger quotes throughout.
I truly can’t emphasize enough how much this book made me FEEL, reflect, and want to get lost in this beautifully designed world. This is an ultimate comfort read and I’ll certainly be buying a copy ASAP and recommending to friends and library patrons alike !!!!
Thank you to Simon Teen for the advanced reader copy! #SteamGN #SimonTeenInfluencer
Here is my genuine review:
I absolutely loved this graphic novel. It mostly takes place at a coffee shop (idky but I really like coffee related scenarios lol) and I thoroughly enjoyed each of the characters.
This graphic novel is full of comedy (I actually laughed) and pure fun! Ruby as the main character was lovely — and the supporting characters also added much respected dimension to the book!
I love quirkiness of it all.
I also appreciate the sapphic romance here.
Very appropriate and fun for YA (and even adult) audiences!
Ruby is a genetically engineered lab subject who has escaped from the university that created her. She finds a job at a local coffeeshop, and uses her superhuman intelligence and directive to "fix" things to meddle into the lives of their customers. However, the scientists who made her believe she's a danger and will stop at nothing to get her back. She'll need to rely on her new friends to maintain her freedom.
This was a fun fast-paced story full of community and friendship, with the strangest cast of characters. I always love a story that focuses on what makes us human. Ruby sets out to help people find happiness, but soon realizes that the complexities within us are what makes us who we are.
I also really loved the art style! It was very expressive and added a lot of humor to the story. I did find the romance to be a little lacking. It felt like Mira switched so quickly from her crush on a customer to a crush on Ruby. I think if we had cut down on our characters, or spent less time on their story arcs then we could have fleshed out Ruby and Mira's relationship more.
This story was so cute! Our main character is a scientifically created teenager who was made to live in a lab and crunch numbers at a level that regular humans can't. Her overall directive is to "fix" things. When we jump into the story, she has already escaped the lab and is working at a coffee shop. That was a bit jarring to me. I wished I could have seen her escape and seen her process to find the job. It was odd to me that she already had it.
The characters and art were adorable! I truly loved each character and the family they were creating at this coffee shop. The plot was a bit meh to me. The stakes were low, but the moral lesson was great, and I think teenagers could get a lot out of reading this story.
Overall, a fun read, and I look forward to even more graphic novel stories from Garrity!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
This was so cute! I loved the bright art style, the found family, and the questions about what makes us human were so well captured! Ruby is a humanoid who has escaped a secret lab on campus where she was grown and is working at a coffee shop trying to answer the age old question of what will make humans happy.
While working at this coffee shop she meets a host of different people, and decides matchmaking and love are the answer. While she makes a few good matches, a co-worker catches her and challenges her to think about things deeper than just a simple calculation or fix. I loved how Ruby's new community comes together and becomes a little family of its own.
I highly recommend if you are looking for an adorable, cute, sweet read that is filled with thoughtful dialogue, caring relationships, and love. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5. It was cute but lacking a little bit. And sadly the romance came out of nowhere. I wish we got to see a little more of Ruby's "genius" but there was just a little at the end. She reminded me a lot of Starfire from teen titans lol, could just be the pink hair. The humor didnt quite hit for me either.
I mean, it was okay. Meaning: not a terrible way to pass time. Story was basically just Stranger Things (even had the 56 main characters thing going for it too!). Didn't really enjoy the romance "twist" and was hoping it'd be a story about friendship. Alas.
I really liked this one, although I do think it could have used another round of drafts. It's kind of wild that like, we never see how Ruby went from "I just escaped from this evil lab that is using me just for my intellect" to "I want to work at this coffee shop"???? Like, I feel like that is such a key part of the story we're just. Missing. I also feel like Mira's affections switching from CBG to Ruby were shown instead of told to us.
But as always, I usually note the stuff I dislike because I find it easier to talk about it. I overall had SUCH a good time with it, these quibbles aside. It has a lot of heart.
Quirky and fun. This had plenty of elements I enjoyed - found family of off-the-wall characters, humor, and light sci-fi with a deeper meaning on humanity.
It took awhile to figure out what was going on in the beginning and the characters don't become fully realized. There would be odd jumps in dialogue or scenes that would disrupt the flow. The romance subplot at the end came out of nowhere, with no chemistry between the characters beforehand.
The art fit the vibes of both the light sci-fi and the quirky characters. I appreciated the bright coloring.
Cute, quirky, sweet - with a bit of science fiction mixed in. Could use a few more pages to fill in some story gaps and perhaps some characters are a bit too out-there.