First Crush

The New Girl #2

by Cassandra Calin

Cassandra Calin returns with this charming and comical follow-up to The New Girl, her long-form graphic novel debut that became a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Indie bestseller! This middle-grade graphic novel about crushing and being crushed is the perfect next read for fans of Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Fruitcake by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang.

Lia is finally feeling settled into her new life in Canada. Her friends are amazing, her French is improving, and her periods... ugh, those are still terrible. But Lia's crush, Julien, is noticing her. Lia thinks he likes her, but she can't tell for sure. And while she's obsessing over him, Lia's not noticing another person's growing crush on HER. With so many big feelings and even bigger changes, could things get any worse? In this follow-up to the breakout hit The New Girl, Lia's relationships -- with her friends, her crush, her mom, and even herself -- are all tested like never before.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Romance

272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

Cassandra Calin is a Romanian-born Canadian artist. Based in Montreal, she's a comic artist, illustrator, and a graphic designer. “I draw comics inspired by my life and experiences,” Calin writes on her website. “I enjoy laughing at my awkward self and ranting about silly misfortunes such as being born with curly hair.

Reviews

[SH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fell in love with this series last year and the second installment did not disappoint!! A fav

[Lucy Grace]

YO WHAT MY PRE HOLD ON LIBBY IS GOING UP RN

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in Calin's middle grade graphic novel series about Lia- a Romanian girl who moves to Canada in the first book and now in the second book having sort of ditched her "new girl" status now has her first crush on a boy named Julien. But jealousy rears its head when Julien befriends a catty and pretty girl on the newspaper team too. He chooses to hang out with the other girl but also likes to spend time and plan outings with Lia, though her self-esteem takes a hit and she not only fumbles with a secret from a good friend but also with Julien who decides he needs a little space when she gives him an ultimatum.

It's the kind of story that helps a reader navigate and understand the normality of these experiences with the range of emotions from embarrassment to anger to romance. There's also her family life and navigating her periods which was present in the first book as well. With the signature style from the first graphic novel carried over to the second one, it moves through the school year including Valentine's Day with the warmth and coziness but also fantastical roller coaster that is adolescence.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this sequel to The New Girl, Lia is back at her school in Montreal, and navigating her crush on Julien. She is also dealing with extremely painful periods that the doctor won't do anything about, and is fighting with friend Wan Yin, after Lia accidentally outs her friend after Wan Yin confesses to having a crush on a girl. There is lots of drama on the school magazine, and even on school trips. Julien likes Lia, and they hang out together, but Lia is very jealous of Jade's friendship with Julien, which doesn't go over well with him. Lia and her friends all struggle with body image, and have to learn to navigate relationships as they get older.

The illustration style is appealing, and the colors are bright. Lia's family has come from Romania, so she is enrolled in a Welcome Class, and her family misses friends and family back in their previous home. Readers who enjoy Tessier's Chloe books or Beka's The Love Report will like this series.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in The New Girl middle grade graphic novel has crush and friend drama. Lia has a crush on Julien from magazine club, and he seems to have a crush on her, too. But Lia's friend Wan Yin has a crush on her. Meanwhile, Lia is still dealing with painful periods and learning a new language. My daughter (8) really loved this, and it was a good way to talk about periods and how they can sometimes be painful. She says she's looking forward to all the drama around crushes, so I guess I have that to look forward to lol. I appreciate that all the friends are supportive and kind. Maybe there are too many to keep track of, but that's okay. The art style is also lovely.

[Blu (blus.bookish.blues)]

3/4/2026 - The fact that this says it's perfect for fans of Fruitcake: A Graphic Novel by Rex Ogle is making me giggle since that book hasn't been published yet. But it is another one that I'm looking forward to!

[Melody Keeton]

In this sequel, Lia navigates middle school with her friends. But when a new boy enters the picture, everything gets a lot more complicated. Full of heart, charm, and just the right amount of awkward.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this Graphic Novel. I like the illustrations as well as the plot. The plot was so relatable.

[Gaby Top · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely AMAZING! I recommend this book to people who like friendship and love. You better read this 😁

[Amanda Dempsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great!

[Charese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I wish that I had growing up. It's the kind of story that helps a reader navigate and understand the normality of these experiences with the range of emotions from embarrassment to anger to romance. All the normality of this was amazing. There's also her family life and navigating her periods which was present in the first book as well. One thing I also enjoyed about this graphic novel is that it had different conversation bubbles for the different languages that were spoken. I really will need to continue this series.

[Lavonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lia is staring to really grow as a person but she did a lot of back sliding first, but that makes her feel real somehow? She is starting to actually learn from her mistakes and try to make the situation better. Especially the careless accidental "outing" of her friend in a very public way.