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A Map to the Sun
One summer day, Ren meets Luna at a beachside basketball court and a friendship is born. But when Luna moves to back to Oahu, Ren’s messages to her friend go unanswered.
Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She's dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women's basketball team at their highschool. With Ren’s new friends and Luna all on the basketball team, the lines between their lives on and off the court begin to blur. During their first season, this diverse and endearing group of teens are challenged in ways that make them reevaluate just who and how they trust.
Sloane Leong’s evocative storytelling about the lives of these young women is an ode to the dynamic nature of friendship.
Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She's dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women's basketball team at their highschool. With Ren’s new friends and Luna all on the basketball team, the lines between their lives on and off the court begin to blur. During their first season, this diverse and endearing group of teens are challenged in ways that make them reevaluate just who and how they trust.
Sloane Leong’s evocative storytelling about the lives of these young women is an ode to the dynamic nature of friendship.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2020
24 people are currently reading
4005 people want to read
About the author
Sloane Leong
75 books190 followersSloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She explores themes of survival, displacement, relationships, spirituality, identity, and mental illness through genres like science fiction, horror, adventure, and slice-of-life. She is currently working on the second arc of her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new book coming up in 2020 from First Second called A Map to the Sun.
Current projects: A MAP TO THE SUN (First Second, 2020), PRISM STALKER VOL 2 (Image Comics, 2021)
Current projects: A MAP TO THE SUN (First Second, 2020), PRISM STALKER VOL 2 (Image Comics, 2021)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 492 reviews
September 5, 2020
Fun fact about me: I never read books in one sitting.
Another fun fact: Despite the above fact, I read A Map to the Sun in one sitting. And I think that should be a testament to how good and compelling this graphic novel is.
- Follows five very different girls, their struggles, and how playing in their school's basketball team creates a bond between them.
- This graphic novel is like a 'slice-of-life'; there isn't a distinct plot to the story, other than the fact that this book follows their friendship, particularly between the tenuous and electric friendship between Ren, a Black teen, and Luna, a Hawaiian-Chinese teen.
- The art in this book is gorgeous. I was enamoured by Leong's use of colour to create mood and the gradual gradient across the story.
- Though the art is pretty, the story is anything but. Don't get me wrong - A Map to the Sun has a great story and explores some important stuff, but it's about how teens and people are messy, how friendships can be messy, how the world is unkind to girls who are growing into themselves, and depicts some really vulnerable moments.
- But I liked this. I liked that this graphic novel gives room for these girls to be imperfect and messy and raw and complex. And at its heart, it's about how friendship may not save you, but it buoys you - and, sometimes, that is enough.
I was provided an eARC by the author. This does not influence my opinion in any way.
Trigger/content warning:
Another fun fact: Despite the above fact, I read A Map to the Sun in one sitting. And I think that should be a testament to how good and compelling this graphic novel is.
- Follows five very different girls, their struggles, and how playing in their school's basketball team creates a bond between them.
- This graphic novel is like a 'slice-of-life'; there isn't a distinct plot to the story, other than the fact that this book follows their friendship, particularly between the tenuous and electric friendship between Ren, a Black teen, and Luna, a Hawaiian-Chinese teen.
- The art in this book is gorgeous. I was enamoured by Leong's use of colour to create mood and the gradual gradient across the story.
- Though the art is pretty, the story is anything but. Don't get me wrong - A Map to the Sun has a great story and explores some important stuff, but it's about how teens and people are messy, how friendships can be messy, how the world is unkind to girls who are growing into themselves, and depicts some really vulnerable moments.
- But I liked this. I liked that this graphic novel gives room for these girls to be imperfect and messy and raw and complex. And at its heart, it's about how friendship may not save you, but it buoys you - and, sometimes, that is enough.
I was provided an eARC by the author. This does not influence my opinion in any way.
Trigger/content warning:
November 11, 2020
A diverse group of high school girls, all with various family and personal problems, flounder around for the first 100 pages or so before being drawn together into a basketball team that flounders around for another 200 or so pages. Teamwork, friendship, personal breakthroughs, rah, rah, rah.
There are many good elements here, in what wants to be a low-key, slice-of-life teen drama, but the story was in need of focus and tighter editing. And a professional colorist.
The coloring was atrocious and distracting if not actively working against the story. It's basically a two-color system -- so everything on a given page is, say, either blue or green -- but the color register changes randomly every few pages so now suddenly everything is purple or salmon, then orange and indigo, etc. I could see doing this if the color schemes related to games vs. practice vs. home life or distinguished focus on the different characters, but, no, none of that. A consistent color scheme throughout the book would have been helpful in a story that revolves around a sporting team that wears uniforms and plays against teams that should be wearing different colored uniforms. (Sometimes, the two teams' uniforms are colored the same on the same page!) Also, some of the characters look very similar and confusion might have been minimized had they been given consistent hair colors or skin tones.
For a more humorous and better colored take on a women's basketball team, try The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1.
There are many good elements here, in what wants to be a low-key, slice-of-life teen drama, but the story was in need of focus and tighter editing. And a professional colorist.
The coloring was atrocious and distracting if not actively working against the story. It's basically a two-color system -- so everything on a given page is, say, either blue or green -- but the color register changes randomly every few pages so now suddenly everything is purple or salmon, then orange and indigo, etc. I could see doing this if the color schemes related to games vs. practice vs. home life or distinguished focus on the different characters, but, no, none of that. A consistent color scheme throughout the book would have been helpful in a story that revolves around a sporting team that wears uniforms and plays against teams that should be wearing different colored uniforms. (Sometimes, the two teams' uniforms are colored the same on the same page!) Also, some of the characters look very similar and confusion might have been minimized had they been given consistent hair colors or skin tones.
For a more humorous and better colored take on a women's basketball team, try The Avant-Guards, Vol. 1.
December 4, 2021
Seriously gorgeous contemporary YA graphic novel about five girls who join a new basketball team at their high school. Slice of life, extremely poignant. I loved the laser-sharp focus on girls' emotional lives, and the exploration of how hard it is to trust and build relationships when the world has taught you that people will let you down.
Leong is a mixed indigenous writer, artist, and cartoonist. I'm looking forward to exploring more of her work.
Leong is a mixed indigenous writer, artist, and cartoonist. I'm looking forward to exploring more of her work.
July 23, 2020
This could have been better.
This had such promise. The beginning seemed to be about two girls with a strong friendship.
And then she was gone, and the story shifted to other friends, and life goes on, and then she returns, and we have the rest of the long, long graphic novel to find out about how people's lives interweave with their basketball playing, and with all the other things that life throws at you, such as junkie sisters, and low income, and sexism.
In short the novel had no focus, other than the basketball playing.
And it was hard to tell who was who, because of the coloring, and the way the art was done.
There is a lot going on here, perhaps too much to fit into one volume, and the ending left me feeling as though there might be more to come.
Not that I would want to read a second volume if that was the case.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This had such promise. The beginning seemed to be about two girls with a strong friendship.
And then she was gone, and the story shifted to other friends, and life goes on, and then she returns, and we have the rest of the long, long graphic novel to find out about how people's lives interweave with their basketball playing, and with all the other things that life throws at you, such as junkie sisters, and low income, and sexism.
In short the novel had no focus, other than the basketball playing.
And it was hard to tell who was who, because of the coloring, and the way the art was done.
There is a lot going on here, perhaps too much to fit into one volume, and the ending left me feeling as though there might be more to come.
Not that I would want to read a second volume if that was the case.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
May 19, 2025
ooh how i adore the vibrant acidic coloring of this graphic novel! even the outside frames of the panels shift colors across scenes. it's a delight to the eyeballs! the california setting is beautiful, and i love the diverse cast of characters.
i enjoyed the art overall, but i found myself wishing the character designs were more distinctive. the abstract coloring does nothing to differentiate characters, so some of them really needed more unique details to set them apart.
and as for the story... i'm not sure what to make of this slice of life. the high school girls' basketball team is small and close, and each character has their own problems and issues. they experience trauma, drama, fights, and the structural sexism of the hierarchy of public school sports. but there's not much of a unifying plot. there's bonding and growth, but not enough to warrant a 300+ page book.
i was surprised by an explicit depiction of self harm, as well as a predatory coach/student relationship. both of these disturbing things happen to a secondary character, and there is no reflection, commentary, or resolution for her. it's uncomfortable to see such serious issues brought up for no discernible reason. the story follows five teammates, but only the main character has any resolution to her story. these kids are facing very real issues, and i wanted to see them handled with more consideration and care.
i enjoyed the art overall, but i found myself wishing the character designs were more distinctive. the abstract coloring does nothing to differentiate characters, so some of them really needed more unique details to set them apart.
and as for the story... i'm not sure what to make of this slice of life. the high school girls' basketball team is small and close, and each character has their own problems and issues. they experience trauma, drama, fights, and the structural sexism of the hierarchy of public school sports. but there's not much of a unifying plot. there's bonding and growth, but not enough to warrant a 300+ page book.
i was surprised by an explicit depiction of self harm, as well as a predatory coach/student relationship. both of these disturbing things happen to a secondary character, and there is no reflection, commentary, or resolution for her. it's uncomfortable to see such serious issues brought up for no discernible reason. the story follows five teammates, but only the main character has any resolution to her story. these kids are facing very real issues, and i wanted to see them handled with more consideration and care.
August 5, 2020
It's a sports manga but the side story of two friends that broke apart when one moved away and then came back. I didn't care for the coloring at all. I loved the California setting (a basketball court by the beach is so dreamy!) and how it was set at working class kids. That was relatable because so many high school stories are set at among middle class or NYC kids, so it's nice to read an experience that was closer to mine with the puzzle of parents working non-9 to 5 jobs, figuring out transportation, and school budget limiting extracurricular activities.
My biggest issue was the art. The colors were garish to my eyes. I also had trouble distinguishing some characters. Only Ren and Nell stood out and sometimes So because she had short hair. I sometimes mixed the coach up for a student.
My biggest issue was the art. The colors were garish to my eyes. I also had trouble distinguishing some characters. Only Ren and Nell stood out and sometimes So because she had short hair. I sometimes mixed the coach up for a student.
August 5, 2020
Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★
A Map To The Sun is a vibrantly colored YA graphic novel about friendship and a newly formed all-girls basketball team. But, at its heart Leong delivers a more quiet narrative focusing on the girls lives and struggles off the court! Perfect for fans of the Avant-Guards looking for more a gritty, slice of life story!
↠ A Map To The Sun ARC Review 🏀☀
Ren and Luna meet at the beach and a summer friendship begins. But, when Luna has to leave for Oahu to see her ill mother, their friendship ends as quickly as it begun. As 2 years pass, Ren has moved on, but never forgot the pain of being ignored after Luna's quick departure.
When Luna returns, she seems to fit in quickly. But, there's still a rift between them. Over the course of the story, we see the team quickly form when Jetta and Nell are given gym cleaning duties and a new teacher wants to form a team for the school!
Throughout the novel, we navigate each of the girls lives off the court and some of what goes on in their day-to-day. What really resonated with me about it, was how real it felt...the characters, the different topics that are discussed, and the realism explored through each of their perspectives. Especially navigating relationships (especially family & friendship) when people find their way back into your life, through Ren's POV.
The art has a softness, hand-drawn quality to it that makes each page look like a masterpiece. The color palette has vibrant, but also features muted colors that are visually stunning. Leong brilliantly alters the colors based on the mood, weather, and energy of the characters, which allows for an array of combinations from pinks, yellows, orange, greens, purples, blue, and so on. Paneling is wonderfully done as well and in my full review, I'll talk more about specific panels (pg. 6, and 226)
As the team grows, we see them navigate friendship, family, etc. Leong discusses many different tropics in this 300+ page graphic novel from body image, loss of loved ones, loneliness, difficult family life, smoking, and misogyny. Each girl is tackling something different in their lives and while some plot threads may feel unfinished, A Map To The Sun doesn't shy away from different topics. (tw // for a panel depicting self-harm)
A Map To The Sun also features a diverse cast of characters with our main character Ren being Black, Luna is half Hawaiian & Chinese, Jetta is half-Native and Latine, Nell is Jamaican, and So-Young is Korean.
The reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because the story while it balances their basketball team and the girl's lives really well, it feels like it stuck more with the slice-of-life storyline. While I absolutely love those kinds of stories, in A Map To The Sun in particular, it feels like it wanders among the real life plot threads for quite a bit. The plot is unexpected, but many important threads are just left either incomplete or left for brief conclusions at the end, like Ren and Luna talking about their friendship.
However, a positive of that is how the characters feel incredibly real in this early 2000's scene of sports, surfing, friendship, and navigating life. The ending definitely leaves possible threads for future books that navigate the girl's friendship.
A Map To The Sun is a delightful graphic novel about friendship, sports, and navigating complicated events in ones life! Perfect for those who love sports stories and looking for more quiet, slice-of-life tales about friendship and self!
A Map To The Sun is a vibrantly colored YA graphic novel about friendship and a newly formed all-girls basketball team. But, at its heart Leong delivers a more quiet narrative focusing on the girls lives and struggles off the court! Perfect for fans of the Avant-Guards looking for more a gritty, slice of life story!
↠ A Map To The Sun ARC Review 🏀☀
Ren and Luna meet at the beach and a summer friendship begins. But, when Luna has to leave for Oahu to see her ill mother, their friendship ends as quickly as it begun. As 2 years pass, Ren has moved on, but never forgot the pain of being ignored after Luna's quick departure.
When Luna returns, she seems to fit in quickly. But, there's still a rift between them. Over the course of the story, we see the team quickly form when Jetta and Nell are given gym cleaning duties and a new teacher wants to form a team for the school!
Throughout the novel, we navigate each of the girls lives off the court and some of what goes on in their day-to-day. What really resonated with me about it, was how real it felt...the characters, the different topics that are discussed, and the realism explored through each of their perspectives. Especially navigating relationships (especially family & friendship) when people find their way back into your life, through Ren's POV.
The art has a softness, hand-drawn quality to it that makes each page look like a masterpiece. The color palette has vibrant, but also features muted colors that are visually stunning. Leong brilliantly alters the colors based on the mood, weather, and energy of the characters, which allows for an array of combinations from pinks, yellows, orange, greens, purples, blue, and so on. Paneling is wonderfully done as well and in my full review, I'll talk more about specific panels (pg. 6, and 226)
As the team grows, we see them navigate friendship, family, etc. Leong discusses many different tropics in this 300+ page graphic novel from body image, loss of loved ones, loneliness, difficult family life, smoking, and misogyny. Each girl is tackling something different in their lives and while some plot threads may feel unfinished, A Map To The Sun doesn't shy away from different topics. (tw // for a panel depicting self-harm)
A Map To The Sun also features a diverse cast of characters with our main character Ren being Black, Luna is half Hawaiian & Chinese, Jetta is half-Native and Latine, Nell is Jamaican, and So-Young is Korean.
The reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because the story while it balances their basketball team and the girl's lives really well, it feels like it stuck more with the slice-of-life storyline. While I absolutely love those kinds of stories, in A Map To The Sun in particular, it feels like it wanders among the real life plot threads for quite a bit. The plot is unexpected, but many important threads are just left either incomplete or left for brief conclusions at the end, like Ren and Luna talking about their friendship.
However, a positive of that is how the characters feel incredibly real in this early 2000's scene of sports, surfing, friendship, and navigating life. The ending definitely leaves possible threads for future books that navigate the girl's friendship.
A Map To The Sun is a delightful graphic novel about friendship, sports, and navigating complicated events in ones life! Perfect for those who love sports stories and looking for more quiet, slice-of-life tales about friendship and self!
July 22, 2020
4.5/5
I am sooo happy I got to read an ARC of this one!!
part i: the art!
to me the art of a graphic novel is what makes me want to keep reading it. And this book had the best style. Graphic novels really are art. Like just stories and paintings all at once and I love it. This has amazingly bright colors and beautiful diverse characters. I could just look at it forever or frame it honestly.
You should absolutely look at this book and see for yourself because it is soo pleasing to see!
part ii: the characters
This graphic novel is the story of Ren, a young girl who one day decides to take part in a new girls basketball team with her friends. But it is actually about the whole team. We see this group of girls who all have their own struggles and lives and personalities and they come together to play. It is amazing to read about their friendships! I really loved each and every one of them and it is such a nice way to show how these girls are unlikely-friends yet when they join the team they all start caring about each other more and more. Though Luna and Ren's friendship is the most highlighted one, we also get to see a lot from the other dynamics and I thought it was awesome. I am not really a sport-person and I have never been in a team, but reading about them almost made me want to join.
part iii: the story
The story is a feminist masterpiece and here's why: it focusses on a lot of different girls, it starts out with Ren who like most girls has this weird idea that 'I don't like other girls' and it ends with her finding out that 'not being like other girls' really means 'not being like girls in media, but actually having a personality' and she then finds out she loves a whole group of girls. It also doesn't have a romance in it which is AMAZING TO ME AND I NEED MORE BOOKS WITHOUT ROMANCE (yeah I know everyone ships everything but honestly I prefer friendships rn). Then it has very realistic depictions of every-day sexism like cat-calling. Oh and of course the whole story is about how the school can't have a girls-team because it would mean there's less money for the boy's team. And there's more. You honestly should just read this because I really really liked it and it's beautiful for many reasons.
I am sooo happy I got to read an ARC of this one!!
part i: the art!
to me the art of a graphic novel is what makes me want to keep reading it. And this book had the best style. Graphic novels really are art. Like just stories and paintings all at once and I love it. This has amazingly bright colors and beautiful diverse characters. I could just look at it forever or frame it honestly.
You should absolutely look at this book and see for yourself because it is soo pleasing to see!
part ii: the characters
This graphic novel is the story of Ren, a young girl who one day decides to take part in a new girls basketball team with her friends. But it is actually about the whole team. We see this group of girls who all have their own struggles and lives and personalities and they come together to play. It is amazing to read about their friendships! I really loved each and every one of them and it is such a nice way to show how these girls are unlikely-friends yet when they join the team they all start caring about each other more and more. Though Luna and Ren's friendship is the most highlighted one, we also get to see a lot from the other dynamics and I thought it was awesome. I am not really a sport-person and I have never been in a team, but reading about them almost made me want to join.
part iii: the story
The story is a feminist masterpiece and here's why: it focusses on a lot of different girls, it starts out with Ren who like most girls has this weird idea that 'I don't like other girls' and it ends with her finding out that 'not being like other girls' really means 'not being like girls in media, but actually having a personality' and she then finds out she loves a whole group of girls. It also doesn't have a romance in it which is AMAZING TO ME AND I NEED MORE BOOKS WITHOUT ROMANCE (yeah I know everyone ships everything but honestly I prefer friendships rn). Then it has very realistic depictions of every-day sexism like cat-calling. Oh and of course the whole story is about how the school can't have a girls-team because it would mean there's less money for the boy's team. And there's more. You honestly should just read this because I really really liked it and it's beautiful for many reasons.
June 20, 2022
I picked up this ferociously bright graphic novel because it had basketballers on the cover and I quite like a sporty graphic and the colours were like a shiny beacon. But by even just a few pages in I was confused. The pages are confusing, there is no consistency, it feels like pages or parts have been missed and I think the author is hoping that you'll follow along with limited dialogue and large graphics, but I didn't.
It is the story of some girls who meet and discover a friendship based on a mutual love of basketball. They end up being a really competitive team after a teacher decides that they will be the first female team in the school and she drives them to work harder, get better and achieve. And it goes really well. But challenges arise. Lots of them. Distance, competitiveness, money worries.
This is such an expensive feeling graphic novel. but the story has too many holes, too much is left for the reader to assume, that the reader gets a bit lost. The girls somehow look similar. It all feels like a missed opportunity to me.
It is the story of some girls who meet and discover a friendship based on a mutual love of basketball. They end up being a really competitive team after a teacher decides that they will be the first female team in the school and she drives them to work harder, get better and achieve. And it goes really well. But challenges arise. Lots of them. Distance, competitiveness, money worries.
This is such an expensive feeling graphic novel. but the story has too many holes, too much is left for the reader to assume, that the reader gets a bit lost. The girls somehow look similar. It all feels like a missed opportunity to me.
March 21, 2022
Some of the best coloring in all of comics.
August 17, 2022
This is a beautiful, complex book which follows five high school girls in Los Angeles, struggling to stay motivated and in school despite shaky friendships, challenging home lives, and a world of factors outside of their control. A young, peppy teacher convinces them to join a new, underfunded girls basketball team at the school and the desire to win becomes their motivating factor. The emotional heart of the story is the relationship of Ren and Luna, who spent one summer as best friends before Luna moved back to Oahu and stopped answering any of Ren's calls. When Luna reappears at the start of the next school year, she seems to think she can slot right back into Ren's life as if nothing happened. But Ren as been abandoned before, and she doesn't trust so easily a second time. Colored in a palette of bright, vivid tones that bring out the heat of an LA summer and the emotions of a bruised heart.
September 3, 2020
3.5 stars
I picked up this graphic novel because I had read a review or description of it somewhere that compared the coloring of the art to the vividness of Lisa Frank, which is a stark contrast to the trend of more minimalistic, monochramatic artwork in a lot of graphic novels. What was interesting about the artwork here is that it can still be somewhat monochromatic - it's just that the coloring is done in bright oranges, pinks, and purples, rather than white and black. And actually, as I write this review, I find myself flipping through the book and just looking at the colors - I didn't even notice as I was reading how the background panel colors change throughout. Each new scene shift is indicated by a new panel color set. It really is vivid and beautiful, and can be appreciated on its own, even apart from the story.
I think the coloring certainly lent some added power and interest to the storytelling. There's a scene pretty early on when one of the characters describes the sky as "dish soap yellow," which is backed up by the actual color of the sky in the panel. It certainly enhances that scene, and lends more feeling to the words on the page. The way the coloring is used to show the various shades of daytime and nighttime, of sun-setting, or rising in the early morning, is beautiful.
The downside to the coloring is that there are a few points where words on a dark background can be difficult to read, especially depending on the lighting you're reading in. I discovered immediately upon starting this book that it was not one I would be able to read in the dim light of my bedside lamp at night. I needed full lighting, preferably in natural sunlight. Then the vivid colors can be truly appreciated, and even the harder to read points are less so. I also found myself, at certain points, struggling to differentiate the characters. Depending on the combination of the drawing and the coloring, it could be hard to distinguish between some of the characters - particularly Luna and Jetta for me.
As for the story itself - It's a touching one about friendship, and life, and the way everyone kind of struggles through it. There is SO MUCH that is touched on, even if the story doesn't go too deep into any of it. Each of the 5 girls in the story has their own secret struggle or battle they're fighting and keeping (mostly) to themselves. This is something that is often frustrating to me - when characters (or people) don't communicate. But looking at it from the point of view of being a teenager, especially in a community where the struggles and adversities to overcome are greater, it makes sense that these girls would keep some of those struggles to themselves. And it was interesting to watch, as the reader who can see all of their stories, the ways in which their personal struggles played out within the group.
I do wish that some of the storylines would have been given a bit more time. Honestly, each girl in this graphic novel is worthy of her own book. I loved the way this book dipped in and out of each of their lives, and brought the reader into their private lives and homes, showing the ways they came together and stayed separate. But it also meant that there were themes and darknesses touched on that weren't able to be fully dealt with or addressed within the story. I mean, there's a lot here - drug abuse, body image issues, diversity, cutting, #metoo - and it just can't all be done justice in once place. I appreciated the effort to get to know each of the girls (even if it always felt to be primarily Ren's story), but it meant that we could get a sampling of each of their struggles. That being said - I do think even with the sparseness of the paneled storytelling, there's a lot of success in saying a lot with very little.
I'm just rambling at this point, so I'm going to wrap this up. A good story with a great message, and breathtaking, vivid artwork.
I picked up this graphic novel because I had read a review or description of it somewhere that compared the coloring of the art to the vividness of Lisa Frank, which is a stark contrast to the trend of more minimalistic, monochramatic artwork in a lot of graphic novels. What was interesting about the artwork here is that it can still be somewhat monochromatic - it's just that the coloring is done in bright oranges, pinks, and purples, rather than white and black. And actually, as I write this review, I find myself flipping through the book and just looking at the colors - I didn't even notice as I was reading how the background panel colors change throughout. Each new scene shift is indicated by a new panel color set. It really is vivid and beautiful, and can be appreciated on its own, even apart from the story.
I think the coloring certainly lent some added power and interest to the storytelling. There's a scene pretty early on when one of the characters describes the sky as "dish soap yellow," which is backed up by the actual color of the sky in the panel. It certainly enhances that scene, and lends more feeling to the words on the page. The way the coloring is used to show the various shades of daytime and nighttime, of sun-setting, or rising in the early morning, is beautiful.
The downside to the coloring is that there are a few points where words on a dark background can be difficult to read, especially depending on the lighting you're reading in. I discovered immediately upon starting this book that it was not one I would be able to read in the dim light of my bedside lamp at night. I needed full lighting, preferably in natural sunlight. Then the vivid colors can be truly appreciated, and even the harder to read points are less so. I also found myself, at certain points, struggling to differentiate the characters. Depending on the combination of the drawing and the coloring, it could be hard to distinguish between some of the characters - particularly Luna and Jetta for me.
As for the story itself - It's a touching one about friendship, and life, and the way everyone kind of struggles through it. There is SO MUCH that is touched on, even if the story doesn't go too deep into any of it. Each of the 5 girls in the story has their own secret struggle or battle they're fighting and keeping (mostly) to themselves. This is something that is often frustrating to me - when characters (or people) don't communicate. But looking at it from the point of view of being a teenager, especially in a community where the struggles and adversities to overcome are greater, it makes sense that these girls would keep some of those struggles to themselves. And it was interesting to watch, as the reader who can see all of their stories, the ways in which their personal struggles played out within the group.
I do wish that some of the storylines would have been given a bit more time. Honestly, each girl in this graphic novel is worthy of her own book. I loved the way this book dipped in and out of each of their lives, and brought the reader into their private lives and homes, showing the ways they came together and stayed separate. But it also meant that there were themes and darknesses touched on that weren't able to be fully dealt with or addressed within the story. I mean, there's a lot here - drug abuse, body image issues, diversity, cutting, #metoo - and it just can't all be done justice in once place. I appreciated the effort to get to know each of the girls (even if it always felt to be primarily Ren's story), but it meant that we could get a sampling of each of their struggles. That being said - I do think even with the sparseness of the paneled storytelling, there's a lot of success in saying a lot with very little.
I'm just rambling at this point, so I'm going to wrap this up. A good story with a great message, and breathtaking, vivid artwork.
August 5, 2020
I received this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ren and Luna became fast friends one summer. When Luna moves away without a word, Ren feels abandoned and is hurt. Years later, Luna returns and hopes to pick the friendship back up from where she left it. Ren is still hurt by what happened and keeps Luna at a distance. It is again through basketball that Ren, Luna, and Ren's current friends find a way to support each other and carve out their place.
I loved the color palette, but I think it made it difficult to tell the characters apart. There were many times that I had trouble following who was saying what. I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I think that it had a depth to it that would allow for discussion.
Ren and Luna became fast friends one summer. When Luna moves away without a word, Ren feels abandoned and is hurt. Years later, Luna returns and hopes to pick the friendship back up from where she left it. Ren is still hurt by what happened and keeps Luna at a distance. It is again through basketball that Ren, Luna, and Ren's current friends find a way to support each other and carve out their place.
I loved the color palette, but I think it made it difficult to tell the characters apart. There were many times that I had trouble following who was saying what. I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I think that it had a depth to it that would allow for discussion.
June 1, 2024
3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this in about two hours and I’m really getting into my graphic novel bag!
A Map to the Sun predominantly follows Ren, but we see her friends’ lives sprinkled as well. I really love how we get right into Ren meeting Luna and then everything that follows. There wasn’t a lot of exposition to establish because we genuinely learn things about these characters or events as they happen or are revealed to other characters. I think that was done really well in this story because there really was SO MUCH going on.
I love how the girls have such close but also realistically tense relationships with each other. Drama doesn’t just happen for its own sake, there are real issues that the girls face and they have to navigate those together as well as separately.
I will say that there are some topics that are handled… not the best, but also not the worst? Like, we get scenes of things that I would’ve preferred to have a trigger warning for a few things just because I wasn’t expecting nor prepared for some of the subject matter.
‼️TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR:
🔊 Fatphobia
🔊Domestic abuse
🔊self-harm
🔊Addiction
🔊Pedoph!lia & portrayal of an inappropriate teacher/student relationship
—— these are what I remember, but there may be more!
Overall, I enjoyed this so much, but I definitely wish some things were handled a bit better and not introduced and then dropped without much real attention.
A Map to the Sun predominantly follows Ren, but we see her friends’ lives sprinkled as well. I really love how we get right into Ren meeting Luna and then everything that follows. There wasn’t a lot of exposition to establish because we genuinely learn things about these characters or events as they happen or are revealed to other characters. I think that was done really well in this story because there really was SO MUCH going on.
I love how the girls have such close but also realistically tense relationships with each other. Drama doesn’t just happen for its own sake, there are real issues that the girls face and they have to navigate those together as well as separately.
I will say that there are some topics that are handled… not the best, but also not the worst? Like, we get scenes of things that I would’ve preferred to have a trigger warning for a few things just because I wasn’t expecting nor prepared for some of the subject matter.
‼️TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR:
🔊 Fatphobia
🔊Domestic abuse
🔊self-harm
🔊Addiction
🔊Pedoph!lia & portrayal of an inappropriate teacher/student relationship
—— these are what I remember, but there may be more!
Overall, I enjoyed this so much, but I definitely wish some things were handled a bit better and not introduced and then dropped without much real attention.
May 31, 2020
While this graphic novel started out strong, I was disappointed by the follow through. I was confused by the cast of characters and the artwork didn't help me along with this struggle. I wasn't always sure who was talking/thinking and not always sure of where the plot was going. I thought there was a romance brewing, but that didn't seem to go anywhere. I felt a bit empty at the end of the story. I had high hopes for a strong female sports graphic novel, and it was good, just not great as I had hoped.
September 8, 2020
So good, so gorgeous. I think this is YA? But it’s not that like message-y kind of YA where you’re like ok old person trying to write about how kids are. It’s just good character development and interesting believable relationships and it’s funny and sweet even though it’s tough stuff these girls are dealing with.
January 13, 2021
This was such a fantastic graphic novel. It dealt with female friendships, family drama, and how to be on a team. I loved the neon colors of the pages and the artwork was amazing as well. Overall, this was a fantastic graphic novel that I would highly recommend to anyone.
July 30, 2021
I cried. Not a huge fan of the basketball elements, but def a huge fan of the color palette & diversity & all the storylines going at once.
December 25, 2022
Every girl in the story is written so well, every one has character ✨ growth ✨ and NOTHING falls short.
Absolutely loved reading it. The artwork is out of the world. Diverse and how.
Absolutely loved reading it. The artwork is out of the world. Diverse and how.
March 8, 2021
This is a very slow-moving, day-in-the-life style comic following a group of highschool girls on a basketball team. There isn't really a plot per se, although there are some larger story threads that carry through. I don't typically like that style of storytelling - which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of something higher - but I still found this enjoyable. If you really like that type of storytelling, you'll likely enjoy this more than I did.
I liked that each of the characters felt very defined but there was a part in each of their characters I could always identify with or reminded me very specifically of myself in high school. This also tackles some heavy topics as the girls deal with issues like addiction, self-harm, harassment and sexism.
I REALLY liked the art, although I do have a nitpick. The way this comic is colored is that each page has a monochromatic theme. This is excellent at conveying emotion quickly. However, when I'm reading a group comic I usually differentiate characters based on their hair and skin color which was impossible to do here, and since it follows the girls' daily lives their hairstyles and clothes change. Some of the characters look very similar and have a similar build so I kept getting them mixed up - specifically Luna, Jetta and the basketball coach. There are some minor details that make them stand out (like Luna having a birthmark) but you have to spend a bit longer on the page than you normally do in a comic. This could be intentional since the whole flow of the comic is meant to be slow, but it is worth mentioning.
Content Warnings: self-harm, a "relationship" between an adult teacher and a student, references to death and addiction.
Representation: Main cast is various races (asian, indigenous, black), Author/artist is mixed indigenous (of Hawaiian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Native American and European decent).
I liked that each of the characters felt very defined but there was a part in each of their characters I could always identify with or reminded me very specifically of myself in high school. This also tackles some heavy topics as the girls deal with issues like addiction, self-harm, harassment and sexism.
I REALLY liked the art, although I do have a nitpick. The way this comic is colored is that each page has a monochromatic theme. This is excellent at conveying emotion quickly. However, when I'm reading a group comic I usually differentiate characters based on their hair and skin color which was impossible to do here, and since it follows the girls' daily lives their hairstyles and clothes change. Some of the characters look very similar and have a similar build so I kept getting them mixed up - specifically Luna, Jetta and the basketball coach. There are some minor details that make them stand out (like Luna having a birthmark) but you have to spend a bit longer on the page than you normally do in a comic. This could be intentional since the whole flow of the comic is meant to be slow, but it is worth mentioning.
Content Warnings: self-harm, a "relationship" between an adult teacher and a student, references to death and addiction.
Representation: Main cast is various races (asian, indigenous, black), Author/artist is mixed indigenous (of Hawaiian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Native American and European decent).
September 12, 2021
I loved this book and I'm surprised I haven't heard more about it. The color alone is highly worth a look, even just flipping through the pages to see the neons and pastels mixing (the cover doesn't do it justice). The use of shadow was impressive too, and I liked how the girls changed appearance as they grew just a couple of years older. The female form, in motion and NOT through a male gaze, was wonderfully on display in many variations, and ones not often seem (I like Molly Knox Ostertag's work in this direction but felt like it was a bit more realistic here).
The story was meandering, which was fine with me - there were a lot of threads, and I would LOVE to see a series made from this story, because each of the many characters had full lives that I would be interested to read more about.
The story was meandering, which was fine with me - there were a lot of threads, and I would LOVE to see a series made from this story, because each of the many characters had full lives that I would be interested to read more about.
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February 20, 2023Illustration-style is thick, hot pink with dense colors of summer Crayola marker 8-pack that was so vivid. The adjustments in portrayal of the girls alone versus together was so effectual. Really enjoyable for my first graphic novel read! The storyline reads as very YA with bright colors but surface-level dark themes, yet the illustration was captivating enough to glide through the story quickly. I hope Sloan Leong illustrates adult graphic novels! Need more hot pink graphic novels.
September 11, 2020
I loved this. I think Sloane Leong has created something really special here. Superb storytelling with deep, authentic characterisations, distinct and atmospheric use of colour and deftly considered visual pacing. Highly recommend!
February 24, 2021
Reading this was like watching the sun rise and set, rise and set. The colors are glorious and bold- oscillating from warm sunrise pinks to bright noon blues and deep violet evenings. And the young women themselves are rising and setting over and over like days coming and warming.
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September 27, 2020Review copy: Digital final copy via author
Spoiler alert: I’m going to recommend you pick up A Map to the Sun. The cover alone is reason to check it out. (I mean, just look at it.) There honestly isn’t a single page that isn’t visually stunning.
Of course, that’s not all there is to this graphic novel. A Map to the Sun follows Ren and her friends as they navigate friendship and family, and everything in between — all while growing as a women’s basketball team. It’s a powerful and poignant story that fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and This One Summer will love. The story doesn’t shy away from heavier topics, so I would recommend paying attention to any content warnings available, if that’s relevant to you — I’ve noted three items at the end of this review.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again — there’s so many incredible graphic novels coming out. A Map to the Sun is one of them. Be sure to pick it up when you get the chance.
Content warning: Self-harm, sexual harassment, and abuse.
Recommendation: Get it soon!
Spoiler alert: I’m going to recommend you pick up A Map to the Sun. The cover alone is reason to check it out. (I mean, just look at it.) There honestly isn’t a single page that isn’t visually stunning.
Of course, that’s not all there is to this graphic novel. A Map to the Sun follows Ren and her friends as they navigate friendship and family, and everything in between — all while growing as a women’s basketball team. It’s a powerful and poignant story that fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and This One Summer will love. The story doesn’t shy away from heavier topics, so I would recommend paying attention to any content warnings available, if that’s relevant to you — I’ve noted three items at the end of this review.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again — there’s so many incredible graphic novels coming out. A Map to the Sun is one of them. Be sure to pick it up when you get the chance.
Content warning: Self-harm, sexual harassment, and abuse.
Recommendation: Get it soon!
December 9, 2023
Trigger warnings: self harm, body shaming, fatphobia, teacher/student relationship, death of a parent, drug addiction, theft
Hmm. I liked that this dealt with teenage girls playing sport and bonding as a team. I HATED the constantly changing colour palate because it made it legitimately hard to identify most of the characters to the point where when a teacher/student relationship is revealed, I thought it was a relationship between the two coaches and was confused af for half a dozen pages.
I also felt like there were so many complex plotlines going on at home for all of the girls that jumping between the five of them meant that none of their stories was done in sufficient detail. Like, one of them is self harming. And it's literally shown once and then never mentioned again. Why show it at all if you're just going to move onto something equally difficult and then not discuss THAT in any detail either?!
Ultimately, I enjoyed the basketball aspects of the story. But the art didn't work for me and there was too much going on.
Hmm. I liked that this dealt with teenage girls playing sport and bonding as a team. I HATED the constantly changing colour palate because it made it legitimately hard to identify most of the characters to the point where when a teacher/student relationship is revealed, I thought it was a relationship between the two coaches and was confused af for half a dozen pages.
I also felt like there were so many complex plotlines going on at home for all of the girls that jumping between the five of them meant that none of their stories was done in sufficient detail. Like, one of them is self harming. And it's literally shown once and then never mentioned again. Why show it at all if you're just going to move onto something equally difficult and then not discuss THAT in any detail either?!
Ultimately, I enjoyed the basketball aspects of the story. But the art didn't work for me and there was too much going on.
October 22, 2022
This book’s colours are so gorgeous. I LOVEDDDD the art style and the emotion you could feel from each page. the palette was so unique, I’ve never seen these kind of awesome contrasty, neon colours in a graphic novel before. the story was also excellent. I wish we got a resolution on some of the storylines though. The main characters family storyline wasn’t resolved, but in a way I think it made sense why it wasn’t. also, there was a page on self harm that I really really wish had also had a resolution of some sorts. At least an acknowledgment in further pages or something. Lastly the awful boys teams and the coach. I hated them.. so much… and coach deserved jail time fr. if all those plot points had been resolved this would have been five stars for me. I loved that you could feel the team getting better as they played and practiced more, sports books are always so fun and powerful to read. Such a good read!!
October 1, 2021
I'm so excited to read what Sloane Leong does next.
This is a beautiful story about the members of a basketball team and their intersectional hardships, relationships, and realities. Leong's color work is inventive - the book is stunning to flip through, but as you read the story, the changing colorscapes don't take you out of the story.
Honestly, it felt a little like Tillie Walden did a take on Orange is the New Black, although Leong's figure drawings are a lot more variable than Waldens. There were a few places where I lost track of the character stories - I kept mixing up a couple of the members of the team in my mind, but that's the kind of thing that will polish up as this creator makes more graphic novels.
Love.
This is a beautiful story about the members of a basketball team and their intersectional hardships, relationships, and realities. Leong's color work is inventive - the book is stunning to flip through, but as you read the story, the changing colorscapes don't take you out of the story.
Honestly, it felt a little like Tillie Walden did a take on Orange is the New Black, although Leong's figure drawings are a lot more variable than Waldens. There were a few places where I lost track of the character stories - I kept mixing up a couple of the members of the team in my mind, but that's the kind of thing that will polish up as this creator makes more graphic novels.
Love.
April 20, 2021
I didn't have any expectations going into reading this, but I was super super impressed. First off the art style of this is really well done the characters just look so perfect for their storylines and personalities. The color palette matches the vibe of this book, the way the color changes based on character/subject is really cool and definitely added a lot to the way I read the book. Also, the story was just really well done and thought out while it was all fairly mundane it was a beautiful book about friendship between this group of girls. Definitely look up TW's, the few I can think of are age gap relationship, abusive relationship, fat-shaming/body-shaming (there may be a few more sorry!!) I highly recommend this graphic novel it was fast may have made me tear up in the end!!
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