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A Smile Like Yours
For fans of Heartstopper and Bloom, a sweet YA graphic novel about first love - and navigating life when you see things differently.
Rhys Moore is worried as he starts his first year of university. And not just about the usual things. Rhys has face blindness, which means he struggles to recognize and remember people’s faces. He has ways of coping, but they don’t always work, so he isn’t sure how to manage being around so many new people. There is one bright note, though. Malcolm. He’s caring and kind, and he’s empathetic when Rhys finally reveals his disability to him. Could Malcolm be just what Rhys needs to get through the year?
Emily Thomas’s debut graphic novel offers a delightfully fresh take on falling in love and learning how to truly see another person. It’s both a compelling queer romance and a pitch-perfect coming-of-age story that keenly captures the ups and downs of university life. Readers are sure to be swept up in the romance as Rhys navigates his new feelings and experiences. The book deftly explores themes of disability, friendship, love, mental health and queer identity. A note about prosopagnosia, known as face blindness, and an author’s note are included at the end.
Rhys Moore is worried as he starts his first year of university. And not just about the usual things. Rhys has face blindness, which means he struggles to recognize and remember people’s faces. He has ways of coping, but they don’t always work, so he isn’t sure how to manage being around so many new people. There is one bright note, though. Malcolm. He’s caring and kind, and he’s empathetic when Rhys finally reveals his disability to him. Could Malcolm be just what Rhys needs to get through the year?
Emily Thomas’s debut graphic novel offers a delightfully fresh take on falling in love and learning how to truly see another person. It’s both a compelling queer romance and a pitch-perfect coming-of-age story that keenly captures the ups and downs of university life. Readers are sure to be swept up in the romance as Rhys navigates his new feelings and experiences. The book deftly explores themes of disability, friendship, love, mental health and queer identity. A note about prosopagnosia, known as face blindness, and an author’s note are included at the end.
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2026
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September 17, 2025An adorable and heartfelt story about finding your people in the big, scary world of university! A Smile Like Yours has artwork that bursts with feeling and characters you want to wrap up in a warm blanket.
Emily Thomas created a gorgeous guest mini-comic for Heartstopper several years ago, and I was incredibly excited to get to read their debut graphic novel! Congrats Emily!!
Emily Thomas created a gorgeous guest mini-comic for Heartstopper several years ago, and I was incredibly excited to get to read their debut graphic novel! Congrats Emily!!
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March 4, 2026From the rights report: "This queer YA graphic novel follows Rhys Moore, a university freshman with developmental prosopagnosia, as he navigates his new collegiate life, friendship and even a romance with a cute roommate."
June 28, 2026
Beautiful, sweet, and layered with human characters who feel their emotions in big ways, make mistakes, and work for the friendships they have. I really enjoyed how prosopagnosia was portrayed in this story, and the way the artist used colour to highlight the features in people that stand out when they can't recognize faces.
June 12, 2026
It was so cool seeing how the author conveyed the main character's facial blindness.
June 24, 2026
Short summary:
I absolutely loved this graphic novel.
What stood out to me most was Rhys. His anxiety, overthinking, and struggles with meeting new people felt incredibly real. Starting university is already overwhelming, and having face blindness on top of that made his experience even more interesting to read about.
I had never read a story featuring a character with prosopagnosia before, and I thought it was handled really well. The graphic novel format worked perfectly because you could actually see how Rhys recognized people through hairstyles, clothing, and other details instead of their faces. It made his experience much easier to understand.
I also really liked how wholesome the story was. Even though it deals with anxiety, disability, and questions about identity, it never felt overly heavy. It was sweet, comforting, and full of characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with.
The romance was another highlight. It felt natural and cute without completely taking over the story. What I appreciated most was that the book focused just as much on friendships and finding your place in the world as it did on the romantic relationship.
The artwork was lovely as well. It fit the tone of the story perfectly and helped make the emotional moments land even harder.
Final Thoughts:
This was such a sweet and heartwarming read. The representation of anxiety and face blindness felt thoughtful, the characters were easy to care about, and the whole story left me smiling. It was wholesome without feeling cheesy and emotional without becoming too heavy. I loved it.
I absolutely loved this graphic novel.
What stood out to me most was Rhys. His anxiety, overthinking, and struggles with meeting new people felt incredibly real. Starting university is already overwhelming, and having face blindness on top of that made his experience even more interesting to read about.
I had never read a story featuring a character with prosopagnosia before, and I thought it was handled really well. The graphic novel format worked perfectly because you could actually see how Rhys recognized people through hairstyles, clothing, and other details instead of their faces. It made his experience much easier to understand.
I also really liked how wholesome the story was. Even though it deals with anxiety, disability, and questions about identity, it never felt overly heavy. It was sweet, comforting, and full of characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with.
The romance was another highlight. It felt natural and cute without completely taking over the story. What I appreciated most was that the book focused just as much on friendships and finding your place in the world as it did on the romantic relationship.
The artwork was lovely as well. It fit the tone of the story perfectly and helped make the emotional moments land even harder.
Final Thoughts:
This was such a sweet and heartwarming read. The representation of anxiety and face blindness felt thoughtful, the characters were easy to care about, and the whole story left me smiling. It was wholesome without feeling cheesy and emotional without becoming too heavy. I loved it.
June 26, 2026
4.5 out of 5 stars
This was SO CUTE. Genuinely, this might be the closest I’ve come to a book that matches the vibes and reading experience of Heartstopper. So if you’re also chasing that same feeling, I highly recommend this. And now it makes so much sense why Alice Oseman personally blurbed this book! Much like Heartstopper, this follows a super cozy, wholesome friend group in a school setting as they navigate their first year in university. There’s also just something extra fun about a college-centric story that I can’t help but love. The dorms, the communal kitchens, signing up for clubs and activities, forging new friendships, making fun memories as well as trying to pass your exams. You’re all living this new chapter together and it’s so many things at once. I also just loved following Rhys and Malcolm. Their story is so sweet, and they each have their own things that they’re navigating, which just makes you feel for them even more and want to reassure them that everything will be okay. (Also, the ARTWORK. Love!)
If I’m being honest, the only reason I’m dropping this down to 4.5 stars is because of the cheating. It only happens one time on New Year’s Eve, and I know that they address it, but it’s still disheartening to read in a book that’s otherwise so positive. And you’re obviously rooting for these two characters to be together and you want their love story to be this beautiful coming together. And unfortunately, it does make you think juuuuust a bit less of them when that’s part of their story. Especially since you can’t even say, Oh, only one of them intentionally cheated because no. RHYS KNEW, TOO. So it does sour things a bit knowing that the first kiss these two characters share is one born out of cheating, when both fully knew that one of them was already in a relationship.
Side note: Bruh, Lottie is a SAINT. I don’t think I could ever be that patient and understanding if I had just found out that my boyfriend of four years had cheated on me over New Year’s.
So yeah. As much as I tried to look past this one thing, it did still end up tainting my reading experience by the end.
Final thoughts: Overall a really enjoyable, cozy read! I also loved following Rhys’s story in dealing with his face blindness, which I’ll admit I didn’t know a ton about but that I found really insightful. Just another new perspective that is so refreshing to read about and to have representation for. A great graphic novel to read for Pride Month! 💜
This was SO CUTE. Genuinely, this might be the closest I’ve come to a book that matches the vibes and reading experience of Heartstopper. So if you’re also chasing that same feeling, I highly recommend this. And now it makes so much sense why Alice Oseman personally blurbed this book! Much like Heartstopper, this follows a super cozy, wholesome friend group in a school setting as they navigate their first year in university. There’s also just something extra fun about a college-centric story that I can’t help but love. The dorms, the communal kitchens, signing up for clubs and activities, forging new friendships, making fun memories as well as trying to pass your exams. You’re all living this new chapter together and it’s so many things at once. I also just loved following Rhys and Malcolm. Their story is so sweet, and they each have their own things that they’re navigating, which just makes you feel for them even more and want to reassure them that everything will be okay. (Also, the ARTWORK. Love!)
If I’m being honest, the only reason I’m dropping this down to 4.5 stars is because of the cheating. It only happens one time on New Year’s Eve, and I know that they address it, but it’s still disheartening to read in a book that’s otherwise so positive. And you’re obviously rooting for these two characters to be together and you want their love story to be this beautiful coming together. And unfortunately, it does make you think juuuuust a bit less of them when that’s part of their story. Especially since you can’t even say, Oh, only one of them intentionally cheated because no. RHYS KNEW, TOO. So it does sour things a bit knowing that the first kiss these two characters share is one born out of cheating, when both fully knew that one of them was already in a relationship.
Side note: Bruh, Lottie is a SAINT. I don’t think I could ever be that patient and understanding if I had just found out that my boyfriend of four years had cheated on me over New Year’s.
So yeah. As much as I tried to look past this one thing, it did still end up tainting my reading experience by the end.
Final thoughts: Overall a really enjoyable, cozy read! I also loved following Rhys’s story in dealing with his face blindness, which I’ll admit I didn’t know a ton about but that I found really insightful. Just another new perspective that is so refreshing to read about and to have representation for. A great graphic novel to read for Pride Month! 💜
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
If Heartstopper captures the high school experience, "A Smile Like Yours" captures the first year of university so perfectly that I had flashbacks. I knew Alice Oseman would be mentioned before I even saw her blurb, because this is perfect for the people who grew up on Heartstopper, and are now about to start uni.
This was another book that I almost didn't read, even though I was super interested in the themes and story, because of the way the DRC was formatted that demanded a bigger screen than my phone, and I'm so happy I grabbed my laptop because this was such a unique book.
This story sets itself apart not only through the themes it portrays with so much care that we don’t often see being talked about, such as one character coming to terms with his asexuality and another dealing with his prosopagnosia, aka face blindness, anxiety and mental health, but how the author used the art to not only illustrate, but give us a real window into these character's worldview.
I loved that the entire book was coloured in the Asexual Flag colours and the way other colours were used very sparingly to illustrate Rhy's recognising others.
Rhy's, our Welsh king, definitely joins the ranks of the cinnamon roll protagonists, because this young man was the sweetest, and I'm so glad he found someone who not only appreciated that, but was just as sweet. Seeing a young man crying and struggling and being brave enough to not only open up to his friends but also get help was such an important storyline.
And even if I loved rooting for him and all the other characters, I loved this book even more for making them messy, flawed and conflicted in realistic ways for people their age, who were going through such transformative and important experiences as they were still figuring themselves out, and didn't always make the best decisions.
This is a story that is definitely worth your time, not only because of the character's arcs and themes it touches on, but because it was clear how much care was put into it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author will gift us with next.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Kids Can Press for this DRC.
This was another book that I almost didn't read, even though I was super interested in the themes and story, because of the way the DRC was formatted that demanded a bigger screen than my phone, and I'm so happy I grabbed my laptop because this was such a unique book.
This story sets itself apart not only through the themes it portrays with so much care that we don’t often see being talked about, such as one character coming to terms with his asexuality and another dealing with his prosopagnosia, aka face blindness, anxiety and mental health, but how the author used the art to not only illustrate, but give us a real window into these character's worldview.
I loved that the entire book was coloured in the Asexual Flag colours and the way other colours were used very sparingly to illustrate Rhy's recognising others.
Rhy's, our Welsh king, definitely joins the ranks of the cinnamon roll protagonists, because this young man was the sweetest, and I'm so glad he found someone who not only appreciated that, but was just as sweet. Seeing a young man crying and struggling and being brave enough to not only open up to his friends but also get help was such an important storyline.
And even if I loved rooting for him and all the other characters, I loved this book even more for making them messy, flawed and conflicted in realistic ways for people their age, who were going through such transformative and important experiences as they were still figuring themselves out, and didn't always make the best decisions.
This is a story that is definitely worth your time, not only because of the character's arcs and themes it touches on, but because it was clear how much care was put into it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author will gift us with next.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Kids Can Press for this DRC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Smile Like Yours was a lovely read. The story follows Rhys, a 19-year-old Welsh student starting his first year at university. Rhys struggles with anxiety, perfectionism, and prosopagnosia (face blindness). We watch him adapt to being away from home, manage his difficult coursework, navigate new friendships with his flatmates, push himself to expand his social circle, and gradually become comfortable sharing his neurological disorder with others. Along the way, he explores his romantic interest in his straight-presenting flatmate Malcolm, who, naturally, reciprocates his feelings.
The representation in this book is fantastic. Rhys is white, gay, and has anxiety, agoraphobia, and a disability. Malcolm is Black and biromantic asexual. Rhys’s flatmates include characters who are Muslim, Asian, and lesbian, and his new best friend Oli is nonbinary. These identities are presented sensitively and affirmingly, while also showing the very real biases and challenges these characters face in society.
The art style enhances the story beautifully. Most of the book is illustrated in shades of purple, but Rhys’s identity markers, used to help him recognize others, are highlighted in full-color pop-out boxes. While the reader doesn’t initially know Rhys has face blindness, the visual style gives subtle clues before he explicitly mentions it. The illustrations have a soft, endearing quality, with cutesy elements like sparkles around characters and scenes that emphasize feel-good emotions.
Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming, thoughtful, and visually engaging story. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
The representation in this book is fantastic. Rhys is white, gay, and has anxiety, agoraphobia, and a disability. Malcolm is Black and biromantic asexual. Rhys’s flatmates include characters who are Muslim, Asian, and lesbian, and his new best friend Oli is nonbinary. These identities are presented sensitively and affirmingly, while also showing the very real biases and challenges these characters face in society.
The art style enhances the story beautifully. Most of the book is illustrated in shades of purple, but Rhys’s identity markers, used to help him recognize others, are highlighted in full-color pop-out boxes. While the reader doesn’t initially know Rhys has face blindness, the visual style gives subtle clues before he explicitly mentions it. The illustrations have a soft, endearing quality, with cutesy elements like sparkles around characters and scenes that emphasize feel-good emotions.
Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming, thoughtful, and visually engaging story. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
June 27, 2026
Mostly a sweet romance. Mostly. This graphic novel covers Rhys's first year at university, and his growing romance with flatmate Malcolm. Rhys has face blindness and anxiety issues, which I thought was handled really well. Thomas obviously took great care to portray Rhys's face blindness in a way that's realistic and easy to for the reader to understand. The same goes for Rhys's anxiety, and Malcolm's realization that he's asexual. They are, of course, much more than their personal issues. Their romance is a cute slow burn that takes most of the school year, and they make a very cute couple when they do get together.
But one of the reasons it takes most of the school year is that Malcolm has a girlfriend. A girlfriend Rhys is fully aware of, so they're both to blame when Malcolm cheats on her with Rhys. I dislike infidelity in romances, unless it's handled carefully. I don't think this was at all. Everybody takes it very, very lightly, including the girlfriend, Lottie. I was really uncomfortable that Malcolm's confession to her that he'd cheated ended with Lottie comforting him. In the end, she isn't treated like a real character. She's just an obstacle, and I hate that. It didn't entirely ruin the book for me, but it definitely made me lose all interest in the romance itself.
But one of the reasons it takes most of the school year is that Malcolm has a girlfriend. A girlfriend Rhys is fully aware of, so they're both to blame when Malcolm cheats on her with Rhys. I dislike infidelity in romances, unless it's handled carefully. I don't think this was at all. Everybody takes it very, very lightly, including the girlfriend, Lottie. I was really uncomfortable that Malcolm's confession to her that he'd cheated ended with Lottie comforting him. In the end, she isn't treated like a real character. She's just an obstacle, and I hate that. It didn't entirely ruin the book for me, but it definitely made me lose all interest in the romance itself.
April 11, 2026
Ooooh, this exploded my little queer Welsh heart! This sweet YA graphic novel explores crushes, community, and anxiety during the first year of college, a time when every single thing feels like the end of the world. Our protagonist Rhys is a cutie patootie who has facial blindness, a disability which is very rarely portrayed in media, let alone with this much thought and care! Emily Thomas uses her art to show how Rhys uses certain features/accessories to recognize people, also playing with portraying things in full color or black and white to signal his thought process. What a joy to read something that thrives in the medium it’s in!!! The love aspect is very sweet and you root for them at every step of the way while acknowledging how confusing sexuality is at that age.
Plus, WALES!!! They speak Cymraeg!!!! Aberystwyth mentioned!!!! It made me so happy to see Wales shown in such a beautiful light.
A Smile Like Yours is a sweet YA graphic novel that’s perfect for fans of Heartstopper or those who just want to giggle and kick their feet. 4.5/5 from me, this will definitely be a staff rec when it comes out in June 🌸
Plus, WALES!!! They speak Cymraeg!!!! Aberystwyth mentioned!!!! It made me so happy to see Wales shown in such a beautiful light.
A Smile Like Yours is a sweet YA graphic novel that’s perfect for fans of Heartstopper or those who just want to giggle and kick their feet. 4.5/5 from me, this will definitely be a staff rec when it comes out in June 🌸
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Smile Like Yours is a YA graphic novel about a group of teens in their first year at university who struggle to find their way in this new phase of their lives. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the inclusion of an invisible disability of prosopagnosia or face blindness. Rhys can only recognize people by identifiers like their clothes or hair but can't recognize them by their faces, even his family members. The graphic novel style was paired with this aspect beautifully by highlighting the identifiers Rhys uses to recognize people and highlighting them in a different color from the rest of the artwork. My second favorite aspect was the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ identities in the book and the discussions the characters have around sexuality. Since these were the two main themes (invisible disabilities and sexual orientation), a lot of the book was also about trust and developing relationships with other people, which I think is so important for young people to read about. This book is definitely the next Hearstopper and I can't wait to see kids reading it. This is a must add to any library serving young adults and up. This was a five-star, cream of the crop read for me.
Review of advance copy
As he dips into his first year at university, Rhys Moore struggles to fit in, especially when connecting with new people and dealing with his face blindness condition. Yet, using identifiers to help recognize someone helps him along the way, even when making friends with Malcolm. While Rhys eventually opens up to Malcolm about his face blindness, friends and drama still unfold at their university. By the end of the year, can Rhys be open to telling the rest of his friends about his condition, all while passing his exams?
An absolute treasure of a graphic novel. Set at a London university, Rhys Moore struggles with anxiety and also face blindness. While there’s dating, drama, and a whole lot of studying for exams, this story shows the ups and downs of mental illness and how Rhys copes with it all. Burgendys and Whites paint a picture of Rhys’s life through art, biology, and finally learning about one’s own sexuality.
An absolute treasure of a graphic novel. Set at a London university, Rhys Moore struggles with anxiety and also face blindness. While there’s dating, drama, and a whole lot of studying for exams, this story shows the ups and downs of mental illness and how Rhys copes with it all. Burgendys and Whites paint a picture of Rhys’s life through art, biology, and finally learning about one’s own sexuality.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’m always looking to add more graphic novels to my shelves~ I don’t think they get nearly enough appreciation, despite being able to convey so much emotion and depth in a relatively short amount of time. A Smile Like Yours was such a lovely addition to my collection.
Following Rhys as he starts university and navigates life with prosopagnosia (face blindness), I appreciated how thoughtfully the story handled disability representation. It felt like a meaningful part of Rhys’ experience rather than something included solely for the plot.
The romance was adorable, capturing all the excitement and nervousness of first love. Combined with the challenges of a new stage in life, it made for a charming story about growing up, finding your people, and learning to navigate a world that suddenly feels much bigger than before
Following Rhys as he starts university and navigates life with prosopagnosia (face blindness), I appreciated how thoughtfully the story handled disability representation. It felt like a meaningful part of Rhys’ experience rather than something included solely for the plot.
The romance was adorable, capturing all the excitement and nervousness of first love. Combined with the challenges of a new stage in life, it made for a charming story about growing up, finding your people, and learning to navigate a world that suddenly feels much bigger than before
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This was so cute! I've never read a book with a character that has face blindness so that aspect was really interesting.
If you like Bloom or Heartstopper: Volume One then you will love this book too!
If you like Bloom or Heartstopper: Volume One then you will love this book too!
June 29, 2026
Rhys is nervous about starting school. He has never been to London and it's so big. He's nervous about making new friends because he has face-blindness and that makes it really difficult. But when he meets Malcolm, there is an immediate connection. Of course Malcolm has a long-distance girlfriend, so he's off-limits, but Rhys can dream, right? A lovely story about finding your feet and finding your people.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Beautful art style and colours!! Travelling along with these characters on their journeys to self-discovery while navigating the chaos of balancing uni, family, social life, and self-care with heartfelt and high friction moments that keep you flipping the pages!
There is never a dull moment and always something new to spot when going through it again!
There is never a dull moment and always something new to spot when going through it again!
June 27, 2026
This graphic novel was phenomenal! I loved everything about it. The art style is adorable, and the use of spot coloring was an excellent idea. The story was so cute, I loved watching Rhys and Malcolm’s relationship bloom. Cute, sweet, wholesome, I loved this! I wish there was more.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Received an ARC courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss+
I liked the protagonist and his friends. Reminded me a little of Heartstopper
I liked the protagonist and his friends. Reminded me a little of Heartstopper
June 8, 2026
*4.5 stars
Malcolm being biromantic asexual means everything to me!!
Malcolm being biromantic asexual means everything to me!!
June 24, 2026
Very cute - and ace rep!
July 3, 2026
So beautiful, I wish it never ended.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews