Heart Takes the Stage: A Heart of the City Collection

by Steenz

"Warm, funny, and a visual delight, Steenz's take on Heart of the City is next-level."  –Dana Simpson, Phoebe and Her Unicorn

This first book collection of Heart of the City comics by the strip’s new creator, Steenz, is packed with outstanding art, a diverse cast of characters, and engaging, positive storylines about friendship, pop culture, ghost stories, and a wide range of real-world issues.

Heart Lamarr is a girl with big dreams who lives in Philadelphia with her single mom. She has her sights set on a life of theater, but she runs into plenty of drama off-stage, too. Luckily, her best friends Dean, Kat, and Charlotte form a stellar supporting cast to help Heart navigate the challenging world of school plays, cliques, rumors, and everything else middle school throws at them.

 

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Comics, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2022

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d never heard of the Heart of the City comics before so this collection was my introduction to Heart Lamarr and her friends.

I liked Kat.

“Friendship is nothing if you don’t stand up for each other.”

I also liked nerds Charlotte and Dean. Their problems are understandable, like worrying that the other is nerdier. And Charlotte’s dog is called Ripley, so you have to love her for that.

The thing is, though, I didn’t like Heart.

“Sorry to interrupt this weird-off, but let’s get to how your skill can help me.”

In this collection, Heart really wants to get her ears pierced. She also wants a part in the school play.



She also attends a sleepover, babysits and hosts a Halloween party. I found Heart most relatable when she was binge watching TV.



I loved the fortune telling bread and I may need to join the Atlantic Paranormal Society.

I would probably want to hang out with Heart’s friends again but I’m not especially keen on crossing paths with her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this collection. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[boat_tiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit to a bit of a shock with both the art style and seeing the characters aged to Jr. High, but the new artist does a great job of appropriately aging them, keeping the cores of their personalities intact, and adding new faces and themes to the strip. At times it felt reminiscent of Foxtrot or Zits, but the essential zaniness and dramatic humor of Heart still shine through.

**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[anakdenesor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book make me remind of graphic novels written by Raina Telgemeier. To me, somehow Heart (main character) looks like Cat (Ghost by Raina) because of the similarity of the figure, I guess.

"Heart takes the stage" plotline plays pleasantly make it one of the most valuable graphic novels. The most admirable quality in this book is when it talks about friendship. People often change and having a person who can always remind you between the good and the bad is a blessing. The friendship that they shown touch my heart.

This is a fun and colorful read. The dialong is easy to understand and move along the story.

[Dinnu Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this graphic novel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute and funny comic book to read. I hadn’t heard about the original comic strip by the first author but I did a bit of research and it looked also incredibly funny and sweet but in my opinion the new author’s style works better for an actual graphic novel collection book, it just looks more fitting. It’s also nice when the characters eventually get older, not stay forever the same.😉
A great entertainment, fun colourful characters and funny situations!😊

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love of comics began with reading the comics section of the newspaper every weekend as a kid. Reading this collection was a joyful experience that took me back to those fun moments. I don't read a lot of comic strips anymore but I am always delighted to find a new series (especially one that brings me joy, like this one!). Heart Takes the Stage is smart, funny, and charming, and will be sure to make you smile.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

[Lexi Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute middle grade graphic novel. It’s age appropriate for elementary or middle school kids. I laughed at the cheesy jokes and funny storylines. The characters are all likeable easy to relate to. I read an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Maritina Mela]

While I went into this already knowing that the target audience was teenage children, I still had some expectations, because I love graphic novels and I am able to enjoy a well-written story, even when I am not the main target audience.

I believe I got 52% into it before DNFing. That of course, was not my intention from the beggining. I did want to enjoy this one but I honestly found myself trying to push and push through, without really enjoying it.

As a whole (or a half, since I stopped reading around that point) it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. At best, it was okay. No great plot, or memorable characters and lines, just a couple of middle-schoolers navigating through every day life.

I may have kept on reading, had this not been a download from NetGalley that had to be read within 50 days, which, since my enjoyment of this was limited and life got in the way as well, I didn't manage to do.

If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care :) :) :)

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super fun collection of comic strips about Heart, a middle schooler who dreams of stardom, struggles in school and loves her friends. Heart is super energetic, outspoken and occasionally steamrolls her friends in her desire to stand out. She is sometimes difficult to like, but her friends or mom often help balance her out, as do moments like her extremely sweaty opening night of Anastasia which reveal her inner nerves. I really loved her very patient, funny, diverse friends a great deal. Dean, Kat and Charlotte felt very believable and had their own plotlines, struggles and successes throughout the strip. It was so lovely to see so much diversity on the page and the friendship/school challenges felt really believable. Heart tackles her first middle school play, getting her ears pierced, participating in a teachers strike and more in this first volume. I look forward to reading more about she and her friends antics.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
Steenz shares the humor in middle school life. Heart is a bit self-focused but has an incredible friend group. Together, they survive and thrive. Readers of all ages will relate to the school and friendship themed short stories told.

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publishers description: Heart Lamarr is a girl with big dreams who lives in Philadelphia with her single mom. She has her sights set on a life of theater, but she runs into plenty of drama off-stage, too. Luckily, her best friends Dean, Kat, and Charlotte form a stellar supporting cast to help Heart navigate the challenging world of school plays, cliques, rumors, and everything else middle school throws at them.

This is a middle-grade graphic novel, not my usual reading of choice, but when I saw it took place in Philadelphia- my home, I just had to grab it.

Heart has the best support group of adults and the kind of friends a geek like me could only dream of when I was that age.

Just about everything is touched in this comic strip. Heart has friends of every color and sex and seems to have at least one who is LGBTQ, something more hinted at than shouted. And like most kids at 11, Heart didn’t get the hint her bestie tossed her. But I have a feeling it will change nothing between them when this revelation finally comes out.

It was a delightful read and made me smile more than once. Heart is a cool kid, with some cool friends. A mother who is both strict and encouraging. Role models worth looking up to, and she learns from her own mistakes as she grows.

Recommended for any tween.

Thanks to @netgalley, Andrew McMeels Publishing, and Steenz for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review

[Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread before I read volume two.


ORIGINAL REVIEW:

I swear I had this graphic novel added to my Goodreads tbr forever ago with the cover and everything. And it was supposedly already released? But now I can't seem to find it again. So I'm readding this page. And that might explain why I haven't been able to find it at my library or any online retailers. Fortunately, for me, it was 'read now' on Netgalley.

Heart Takes the Stage reminds me a lot of Kayla Miller and Raina Telgemeier. The characters are fun. I couldn't stop laughing. The colors are bright. And the message of true friendship and other life lessons are scattered throughout the fun stuff. I admittedly have never heard of this comic before but I'm definitely interested in reading more. My biggest critique is that the storylines seemed to jump around instead of always going in order. But it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a review copy.*

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You wanted my attention? Why? I don’t pay attention to anyone.”
First of all, thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me a free digital copy of this book.
Okay, I had so much fun reading this. Heart, our main character is so funny, dramatic, extra, and bossy. I wish I was like her when I was in middle school. The characters are all so funny, the stories are great, there are good messages in them, and the drawings are perfect.
I needed a light reading and this one was the perfect one. Everyone can read it, kids, teens, and adults, and everyone will have a good time.
Maybe sometimes I was a bit lost with the timeline and with the order of the pages, but maybe it’s from my side, and even it’s not a big problem.
So yeah, it’s fun, and a great time, and a drama queen for the main character!

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thanks to Netgalery for the eARC of this middle grade graphic novel*

(TW: None)

This collection of comic strips by Steenz flew me back to my days as a goofy 11 year old. This would have been just the sort of comic strip I would have read and re-read over and over again. Delightful humour and a charming drawing style, I felt instant nostalgia reading this! I loved it, and hope to see a sequel soon!

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGallery for the eARC of this middle grade graphic novel*

(TW: None)

This collection of comic strips by Steenz flew me back to my days as a goofy 11 year old. This would have been just the sort of comic strip I would have read and re-read over and over again. Delightful humour and a charming drawing style, I felt instant nostalgia reading this! I loved it, and hope to see a sequel soon!

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute middle grade graphic novel!

This graphic novel follows Heart and her friends as they navigate middle school together. They meet new friends, have sleepovers, join plays, and much more. It reminds me a lot of the Drama books by Raina Telgemeier and I would definitely recommend for any fans of those books. I'm looking forward to more from Steenz!

I received a PDF copy of this graphic novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashlee Gautreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received eARC from NetGalley

A fun look at life as a middle schooler. I loved that each member of Heart's little circle was different. I also loved the complete obliviousness of Heart on occasions, especially when Kat was trying to tell her she didn't like boys.
The art was very cute and all the different subjects that were covered are definitely things my tween is already going through
I also loved all the little pop culture references

[Johanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overly familiar plot lines, one-dimensional characters, a lack of backgrounds, and lumpy character designs make for a comic strip collection that's completely forgettable.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

11yo Heart Lamarr wants to be the star of the musical. She has already decided that she will someday win a Tony Award. She befriends one of the techies, Charlotte. Heart's friend Dean discovers that he has a lot in common with Charlotte, but neither knows quite what to do to progress the relationship. Also, Heart needs money to go to a concert - and might have to actually earn it!

Fans who know of Steenz online comic strip will appreciate this compilation. As a graphic novel, it was choppy and a bit disconnected, as the story is told in mostly one page panels. I expected a lot more theater content ("Takes the Stage") and I really didn't connect at all with Heart, she's kind of awful. Not going to purchase for my library. Heart is White, Charlotte is black -the characters culture and race are only identified by the illustrations.

Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com

[Niche · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this as a comic strip in the paper (there was a time when news sites printed out their articles and blogs on paper and had them delivered each morning to people's houses). It had kind of a Peanuts art style and focused on the antics of Heart, drama-queen star of her own life, and her nerdy friend Dean. She dreams of being a celebrity actress, and mostly acts like she's already achieved it.

This is a soft continuation of that series by a new writer, Steenz. The art style is different and it's all in color, but the character personalities are mostly similar. It looks like they did a relationship reset so there are no love interests this time around, which I like, Heart can be a lot in her egoism without throwing in romance plotlines.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't have any experience with the comic Heart in the City so the reading of the comics/graphic novel Heart Takes the Stage felt like I was missing just a little something to understand the totality of who Heart is and her personality around friends, her mom, and in this one, on stage.

So while I knew what was going on, the collection bounced around without any real delineation to friendship, family, school, theater, and all the things Heart gets herself in to leaving me feeling scattered while reading it. It's still lovingly done, this style of comic is popular with the intended audience of middle grade kids.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel is very clever and funny at times, but it never fully gels together as a story. Because it is based on a comic strip, it makes sense that it would have miniature story arcs and feel a bit choppy at times, but there were enough ongoing narrative threads that it felt like the story was missing pieces. The ending is also extremely abrupt. If there are sequels, I will probably read them, but I would rank this low as a potential recommendation because there are so many better options out there.

[Towntaker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Remember the comics you read in the Saturday newspaper not because you enjoyed them but because that's all there was in the 1980s? They weren't funny, or interesting, or quirky. But they had colors and pictures and came out every week.
https://twitter.com/towntaker/status/...

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart treads the fine line between being endearing and annoying, falling to either side of it at various points in this collection. Rarely laugh out loud funny, it does still have enough enjoyable moments that I made my way all the way through it. Definitely targeted at middle school girls, there's just enough other storylines on the margins to make it palatable for other audiences.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! I've been a fan of Steenz for a while now and this does not disappoint. At once enjoyably nostalgic for older forms of comic storytelling and refreshingly contemporary. I would have loved this as a kid even more than I loved it as a reluctant grownup.

[Kersten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh, it was ok. The art was only ok, the main character was mostly unlikeable, but had her moments. Some of the comics were cute, but for the most part I think even for the age level it won’t hold interest. Not passing it on to my daughter who loves graphic novels.

[Victoria Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot is non-existent. The timeline is nonlinear. There are jumps in scene with no indications. There's a two-week school vacation that then somehow becomes a summer vacation and then they go back to school and are somehow still in 6th grade. And the main character is highly annoying.

[sayitwithasmile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was enjoyable! Reminded me of the Foxtrot comic books I devoured as a kid. Heart is just as scheming and dramatic as Jason and is the perfect theater kid.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is so cute! It captures the essence of newspaper comics I grew up with, but thankfully the writing is more modern.