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No Ivy League
When 17-year-old Hazel Newlevant takes a summer job clearing ivy from the forest in her home town of Portland, Oregon, her only expectation is to earn a little money. Homeschooled, affluent, and sheltered, Hazel soon finds her job working side by side with at-risk teens to be an initiation into a new world that she has no skill in navigating. This uncomfortable and compelling memoir is an important story of a girl's awakening to the racial insularity of her life, the power of white privilege, and the hidden story of segregation in Portland.
216 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2019
About the author
Hazel Newlevant
18 books101 followersHazel Newlevant is a Portland-raised, Queens-residing cartoonist. Their comics include Tender-Hearted, Sugar Town, No Ivy League, and If This Be Sin. They are the editor and publisher of the anthologies Chainmail Bikini and Comics For Choice. Their work has been honored with the Ignatz Award, Xeric Grant and the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
July 16, 2019
I feel like this graphic novel bit off more than it could chew, tbh. It tried so hard to do so many things and I feel like every aspect was lacking because of it. I am SO BUMMED that I didn't love this.
September 28, 2019
Earnest, but needs so much more reflection, because ultimately this homeschooler-meets-the-real-world narrative touches upon many issues (white privilege, racism, dating a younger and a much older man, etc.) but understands absolutely none of them.
April 25, 2022
I sadly didn't like anything about this beyond the art, which wasn't cute enough to save it from a 1-star rating. Right off the bat, the representation of the side characters feels... really uncomfortable and poorly done to me? I mean, we have a book where a character is learning to observe her white privilege, but many of the side characters — especially the Black characters — feel like over-the-top caricatures of outdated stereotypes. Don't even get me started on the age gap flirting... I skimmed a lot of this because I got so tired of reading it and whew, am I glad this was just a library loan. What a big disappointment. :(
January 31, 2020
Hazel’s story of her working as a teen in a summer program clearing ivy from public parks. She's self-described as affluent, though I don't see much evidence of her being more than middle-class, but the central point is that she's home-schooled, she wins an animation contest, she comes from a loving, supportive home, but she is home-schooled and has become quite sheltered from any but white, similarly free and creative kids in Portland, Oregon.
So this is a quiet little story about facing her own white privilege as she meets a range of diverse kids working in the program. Not all that much happens, really. The story spends a little time without much of a point about her hitting on an older guy in charge, and about having a kid say something (sexually) rude to her, which is related to gender issues that her mother had experienced, leading to Hazel's homeschooling. But much of it seems pretty tame, not earth-shaking. I like Hazel as she depicts herself, and the art style is very inviting.
I like it just fine, it's all right, but it feels mostly to me like a beginning, where I'd expect a second volume and more. Though I have already read her Sugar Town, which is about her early twenties and her sort of poly life, so maybe No Ivy League is a kind of prequel to that. I also read her collection Comics for Choice, so she's an emerging activist on issues of gender/sexual diversity.
So this is a quiet little story about facing her own white privilege as she meets a range of diverse kids working in the program. Not all that much happens, really. The story spends a little time without much of a point about her hitting on an older guy in charge, and about having a kid say something (sexually) rude to her, which is related to gender issues that her mother had experienced, leading to Hazel's homeschooling. But much of it seems pretty tame, not earth-shaking. I like Hazel as she depicts herself, and the art style is very inviting.
I like it just fine, it's all right, but it feels mostly to me like a beginning, where I'd expect a second volume and more. Though I have already read her Sugar Town, which is about her early twenties and her sort of poly life, so maybe No Ivy League is a kind of prequel to that. I also read her collection Comics for Choice, so she's an emerging activist on issues of gender/sexual diversity.
September 17, 2021
A coming of age autobiographical story about a homeschooled teenage girl working her first summer job removing English Ivy for the Parks Department in Portland. She's lived a sheltered life up to this point. About two-thirds of the way into the story she encounters sexual harassment from another teenager which eventually deals with her confronting her white privilege in the mildest way possible by researching the history of Oregon and how it was founded as a "white utopia". I like Newlevant's art. It conveyed a lot of emotion but overall this book doesn't have much of a point as it just touches the surface of any important issues.
June 28, 2019
Insulated in her homeschool group, Hazel has no idea how privileged she is as the daughter of vegan, middle-class hippies in Portland, Oregon. Many of her preconceptions and ignorance are challenged, however, when she accepts a job at No Ivy League, a youth program designed to get city kids working in nature pulling ivy.
I enjoyed this, but felt like it would have been better if it was a little longer and explore the major theme of white privilege a bit more instead of dancing across the surface.
I did like that Hazel explored her discomfort and realized that her actions (like reporting the sexual comments of a Black coworker) would have different ramifications for him and would be treated differently than the incident of boys sexually shaming another girl for her choice in reading (that the team leaders saw). While his words were completely uncalled for and the incident was alarming, Hazel realized first hand the differences in repercussions and how unfair a system can be.
Another thing that I liked was that Hazel bumped against her parents' own racial prejudices. I grew up in Oregon and it took me a very long time to realize that many, many free-loving hippies have racism and prejudice embedded deep into their core.
Plus, not-fun fact: Oregon was founded as a whites only state, with some very harsh anti-black laws and a strong KKK presence. So when integration began in cities that were segregated (there were many sundown laws preventing black people from moving into many places in Oregon—it was very dangerous to be a person of color, and in some places it still is), there was a lot of push back, in ways that rippled down through the adults of Hazel's parent's generation, as she realized when she learned why her parents homeschooled her and why there were so few people of color among her homeschooled peers.
Speaking of homeschooling, I did enjoy the turmoil Hazel felt when , particularly when she had learned many of the methodology behind children being homeschooled and had been confronted with the inequalities her coworkers at No Ivy League faced.
However, there were some parts of this book that felt very...stereotyped, such as Aisha wanting to bring grape soda to celebrate her culture (I also get Hazel wanting to find something about her culture because she had no culture—girl, I feel you there).
And I wasn't a big fan of the weirdness of Hazel flirting with Toño (her doing the math of 32-17=15 with an "oh, same age gap as my parents!" and flirting through music was...ehhhhhhhhh). I get it. I was a sheltered upper middle class white kid like Hazel (although I did go to public school), and I can see the appeal of flirting with and having an attraction for an older dude. Toño's discomfort with Hazel is all over the page, showing that current day Hazel sees the cringeworthiness and inappropriateness of her flirting, but he still offers to take her home on rides and lets her borrow his ipod. I dunno. It just felt weird.
Anywho, much of this story hit home with me (for reasons discussed in the above paragraph), particularly when you're a pretty sheltered kid with lots of privilege that you aren't really aware of. Having your privilege smacked in your face and feeling out of place can be hard. But you gotta learn to deal with it, and confront your privilege and learn. And yeah, those kids were mean to her, but they were also trying to tell her about her privilege—even what she ate showed how privileged she was that she had the options to get better food.
Anywho, it was a decent coming-of-age graphic novel, I just wish that it had gone a little more in depth (and had kinda less of Hazel playing with Shane and Anson and less kissing? that seemed a little much? I dunno).
I received this ARC from Edelweiss for an honest review.
I enjoyed this, but felt like it would have been better if it was a little longer and explore the major theme of white privilege a bit more instead of dancing across the surface.
I did like that Hazel explored her discomfort and realized that her actions (like reporting the sexual comments of a Black coworker) would have different ramifications for him and would be treated differently than the incident of boys sexually shaming another girl for her choice in reading (that the team leaders saw). While his words were completely uncalled for and the incident was alarming, Hazel realized first hand the differences in repercussions and how unfair a system can be.
Another thing that I liked was that Hazel bumped against her parents' own racial prejudices. I grew up in Oregon and it took me a very long time to realize that many, many free-loving hippies have racism and prejudice embedded deep into their core.
Plus, not-fun fact: Oregon was founded as a whites only state, with some very harsh anti-black laws and a strong KKK presence. So when integration began in cities that were segregated (there were many sundown laws preventing black people from moving into many places in Oregon—it was very dangerous to be a person of color, and in some places it still is), there was a lot of push back, in ways that rippled down through the adults of Hazel's parent's generation, as she realized when she learned why her parents homeschooled her and why there were so few people of color among her homeschooled peers.
Speaking of homeschooling, I did enjoy the turmoil Hazel felt when , particularly when she had learned many of the methodology behind children being homeschooled and had been confronted with the inequalities her coworkers at No Ivy League faced.
However, there were some parts of this book that felt very...stereotyped, such as Aisha wanting to bring grape soda to celebrate her culture (I also get Hazel wanting to find something about her culture because she had no culture—girl, I feel you there).
And I wasn't a big fan of the weirdness of Hazel flirting with Toño (her doing the math of 32-17=15 with an "oh, same age gap as my parents!" and flirting through music was...ehhhhhhhhh). I get it. I was a sheltered upper middle class white kid like Hazel (although I did go to public school), and I can see the appeal of flirting with and having an attraction for an older dude. Toño's discomfort with Hazel is all over the page, showing that current day Hazel sees the cringeworthiness and inappropriateness of her flirting, but he still offers to take her home on rides and lets her borrow his ipod. I dunno. It just felt weird.
Anywho, much of this story hit home with me (for reasons discussed in the above paragraph), particularly when you're a pretty sheltered kid with lots of privilege that you aren't really aware of. Having your privilege smacked in your face and feeling out of place can be hard. But you gotta learn to deal with it, and confront your privilege and learn. And yeah, those kids were mean to her, but they were also trying to tell her about her privilege—even what she ate showed how privileged she was that she had the options to get better food.
Anywho, it was a decent coming-of-age graphic novel, I just wish that it had gone a little more in depth (and had kinda less of Hazel playing with Shane and Anson and less kissing? that seemed a little much? I dunno).
I received this ARC from Edelweiss for an honest review.
August 11, 2020
FORMAT READ: eBook (Adobe Digital Editions)
READ FOR: coming-of-age- themes
TW: Cursing, Under-Age Relationships
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*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
*Thank you to Lion Forge for the ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
OVERALL: 3.5
This was.. interesting… (in a good way)
This is a story I probably would not have picked up nor would I have enjoyed if it wasn’t a graphic novel. The illustrations gave the story a lot of life and it was able to translate what the author wants to show well.
The book tackled problems that Hazel, as girl who grew up homeschooled and sheltered, encounters when she meets other kids who grew up practically the opposite of her environment. I like how you can clearly see the difference in her headspace and how her actions/reactions differ from the those that in the “No Ivy League” with her.
((you also learn a bit about Ivy plants :D))
There is a lot of mature themes in this novel so consider yourself warned because I was not. I was a bit shaken at the beginning but it proved to be important in the plot. It also makes for a good coming-of-age novel. There are important lessons that I think a lot of people can benefit from.
Though, there some topics that I felt like were never closed properly and just simply ended.
I really enjoyed seeing Hazel develop as a character and I have to admit that I was rooting for her every step of the way. I loved seeing her grow and I feel like she is someone that a lot of people can relate to at one point in their lives. I think she was a great protagonist and I really enjoyed reading about her. Even though I’m still not the biggest fan of how awful most of the No Ivy League people were to her (this was one of the things that I felt wasn't closed properly).
This was also not a long read so it's easy to get through.
PLOT: ★★★☆☆
CHARACTERS: ★★★★☆
THEMES: ★★★★☆
ILLUSTRATIONS: ★★★★★
PAGE TURNER: ★★★★☆
Thank you to Lion Forge for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book is released on August 20, 2019.
READ FOR: coming-of-age- themes
TW: Cursing, Under-Age Relationships
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸
⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
*Thank you to Lion Forge for the ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
OVERALL: 3.5
This was.. interesting… (in a good way)
This is a story I probably would not have picked up nor would I have enjoyed if it wasn’t a graphic novel. The illustrations gave the story a lot of life and it was able to translate what the author wants to show well.
The book tackled problems that Hazel, as girl who grew up homeschooled and sheltered, encounters when she meets other kids who grew up practically the opposite of her environment. I like how you can clearly see the difference in her headspace and how her actions/reactions differ from the those that in the “No Ivy League” with her.
((you also learn a bit about Ivy plants :D))
There is a lot of mature themes in this novel so consider yourself warned because I was not. I was a bit shaken at the beginning but it proved to be important in the plot. It also makes for a good coming-of-age novel. There are important lessons that I think a lot of people can benefit from.
Though, there some topics that I felt like were never closed properly and just simply ended.
I really enjoyed seeing Hazel develop as a character and I have to admit that I was rooting for her every step of the way. I loved seeing her grow and I feel like she is someone that a lot of people can relate to at one point in their lives. I think she was a great protagonist and I really enjoyed reading about her. Even though I’m still not the biggest fan of how awful most of the No Ivy League people were to her (this was one of the things that I felt wasn't closed properly).
This was also not a long read so it's easy to get through.
PLOT: ★★★☆☆
CHARACTERS: ★★★★☆
THEMES: ★★★★☆
ILLUSTRATIONS: ★★★★★
PAGE TURNER: ★★★★☆
Thank you to Lion Forge for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book is released on August 20, 2019.
June 10, 2019
Hazel grew up white, middle-class, vegan, and home-schooled in Portland, OR. Lacking a social circle outside other home-schooled teens, Hazel had no idea how sheltered she was until she started a summer job pulling invasive English ivy out of parks in youth nature summer program. For the first time, Hazel worked along side teens from different schools, races, backgrounds and with different goals. It's a rude awakening, but ultimately an enlightening one. Newlevant (the author now uses they/them pronouns) hasn't cut themself any slack, and their honesty leads to a story which is at turns humorous and uncomfortable, but always compelling. I picked up an advanced reader copy at BookExpo 2019, which is printed in black and white. The final volume will be printed with ivy-green washes, highlighting the nuanced watercolors. This is an important, timely, and engaging story and I can't wait for its official release! Full disclosure, the author and I share a publisher and we are friends :)
August 31, 2021
this graphic memoir is short and sweet and very well-intentioned. hazel is homeschooled, hippie-style, but a summer job with a diverse group of peers makes her see that she's grown up in more of a white privilege bubble than she realized.
the b&w watercolor art is nice, and i really like the plant theme! hazel's summer job is to remove invasive english ivy from portland parks and forests, which is a nice lil colonization metaphor.
newlevant's earnest author's note mentions that they hope the book will help others to have compassion when they have similar awakenings to their own privilege, which i think is valuable. i appreciate that the story is educational without becoming overly didactic. it could have delved deeper into white privilege, segregation, and oregon's racist history. but because 17-year-old hazel is so naive and just beginning to learn, i understand why the book doesn't go too deep. i guess i just expected more, since these are such huge, complex, important issues.
the b&w watercolor art is nice, and i really like the plant theme! hazel's summer job is to remove invasive english ivy from portland parks and forests, which is a nice lil colonization metaphor.
newlevant's earnest author's note mentions that they hope the book will help others to have compassion when they have similar awakenings to their own privilege, which i think is valuable. i appreciate that the story is educational without becoming overly didactic. it could have delved deeper into white privilege, segregation, and oregon's racist history. but because 17-year-old hazel is so naive and just beginning to learn, i understand why the book doesn't go too deep. i guess i just expected more, since these are such huge, complex, important issues.
June 26, 2020
This graphic novel is about Hazel who takes on a summer job. In this summer job she meets all types of kids from different backgrounds. Hazel has been homeschooled all her life because her mother dealt with public school issues she didnt want her daughter to go through. This graphic novel deals with family, relationships, bullying, and working issues.
I felt like there was so much missing from this graphic novel. I feel like there wasnt a finish thought with any of the issues and so I was confused when it suddenly ended. I did like the pictures.
I felt like there was so much missing from this graphic novel. I feel like there wasnt a finish thought with any of the issues and so I was confused when it suddenly ended. I did like the pictures.
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March 14, 2021I picked this graphic novel up in the hopes of having a nice, light read, but it turned out to be . . . not what I was expecting. I found so many things to be left alone with no closure at the end, and a number of things were just generally very questionable.
[I do want to mention: my dumb ass may have not realized this was autobiographical. The fact dawned upon me halfway into the book, so just a side note to anybody who maybe is thinking the same.]
So. The protagonist Hazel, who, if my memory serves right, is seventeen years old. They have a crush on their boss — who is in his thirties — of the summer job they're working at, and there are just? some suggestible scenes between them . . .?? To name a few, there's a dream scene where Hazel is making out with him in the woods, and another (this time real) where Hazel flirts with him, and after discovering he is engaged — though why make any advances otherwise — they say something along the lines of "but polyamory is totally in these days," and . . . yikes. It's not really challenged / discussed, and only shrugged off in the sense of "haha this is so inappropriate I'm so embarrassed 🤪🤪".
I also feel as if this novel did poorly in handling the topic of white privilege. The narrative comes off in a sense the protagonist is a victim because of it and halfway through the book, Hazel realizes and then they decide to research the topic, though that's the only way it's touched upon. Like it's literally not mentioned at all other than that, and the book ends with Hazel going to the library to learn more about integration? Like what even is that supposed to mean??
Anyway, this just a graphic novel that left me feeling really yikes.
representation: various black side characters
content warnings: racism, dream scene in which there is a kiss between a minor and an adult
I received an e-ARC of this book from Roar, a Lion Forge imprint, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
[I do want to mention: my dumb ass may have not realized this was autobiographical. The fact dawned upon me halfway into the book, so just a side note to anybody who maybe is thinking the same.]
So. The protagonist Hazel, who, if my memory serves right, is seventeen years old. They have a crush on their boss — who is in his thirties — of the summer job they're working at, and there are just? some suggestible scenes between them . . .?? To name a few, there's a dream scene where Hazel is making out with him in the woods, and another (this time real) where Hazel flirts with him, and after discovering he is engaged — though why make any advances otherwise — they say something along the lines of "but polyamory is totally in these days," and . . . yikes. It's not really challenged / discussed, and only shrugged off in the sense of "haha this is so inappropriate I'm so embarrassed 🤪🤪".
I also feel as if this novel did poorly in handling the topic of white privilege. The narrative comes off in a sense the protagonist is a victim because of it and halfway through the book, Hazel realizes and then they decide to research the topic, though that's the only way it's touched upon. Like it's literally not mentioned at all other than that, and the book ends with Hazel going to the library to learn more about integration? Like what even is that supposed to mean??
Anyway, this just a graphic novel that left me feeling really yikes.
representation: various black side characters
content warnings: racism, dream scene in which there is a kiss between a minor and an adult
I received an e-ARC of this book from Roar, a Lion Forge imprint, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2019
The ARC of this graphic novel was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I think this book only touches the surface of a major problem which is white privilege. Hazel doesn’t realize how sheltered her life has been until she has the chance to work alongside a group of very diverse people. This story deals with her coming to realize some truths not only about the outside world and what she has never encountered because of her homeschooling but also about her family life and her parents. I would have liked the graphic novel to delve more into these themes, instead of lightly touching upon them.
I think this book only touches the surface of a major problem which is white privilege. Hazel doesn’t realize how sheltered her life has been until she has the chance to work alongside a group of very diverse people. This story deals with her coming to realize some truths not only about the outside world and what she has never encountered because of her homeschooling but also about her family life and her parents. I would have liked the graphic novel to delve more into these themes, instead of lightly touching upon them.
September 18, 2019
This was such a fast and fun and even cute read at the time! It's not my favorite graphic novel but it's still good!(:
October 18, 2019
A large part of this graphic memoir is about homeschooling, and I must be up front and admit that I have a knee-jerk negative reaction whenever I'm confronted with that subject. I hear homeschooling, and my first thought is of parents who are religious fundamentalists like in the recent book Educated or weirdos like in Glass Castle. This book adds a couple new wrinkles that do not help improve my opinion.
Frankly, the first half of the book is pretty dull as Newlevant slowly establishes her homogenous homeschool friends and the many diverse coworkers at her summer job weeding invasive ivy out of a large Portland, Oregon, municipal park. There's pretty standard coming-of-age stuff like crushes and social anxiety, but in the second half there is some sexual harassment that topples dominoes leading to Newlevant having to confront her white privilege and one of the reasons behind her parents' decision to homeschool. This turn elevated the book from ho-hum to worthwhile for me.
Frankly, the first half of the book is pretty dull as Newlevant slowly establishes her homogenous homeschool friends and the many diverse coworkers at her summer job weeding invasive ivy out of a large Portland, Oregon, municipal park. There's pretty standard coming-of-age stuff like crushes and social anxiety, but in the second half there is some sexual harassment that topples dominoes leading to Newlevant having to confront her white privilege and one of the reasons behind her parents' decision to homeschool. This turn elevated the book from ho-hum to worthwhile for me.
January 6, 2020
I liked this, but after absolutely adoring Sugar Town, I was expecting a little bit more. I feel like the awaking-to-white-privilege story line feels like it just got started--I'd like to see where that newfound knowledge went, and how it got incorporated into her life.
August 12, 2021
After enjoying Sugar Town by this artist, I found an earlier work about when she spent a high school summer removing (invasive species) English Ivy from Portland parks. There is a strong storyline about homeschooling that also attempts to break some stereotypes but also brings Hazel in contact with some uncomfortable reasons for homeschooling.
January 6, 2023
i’m sorry to bring another review about my disappointment in a book, 2023 has not gone well for me so far. i finished this book so fast since it’s a graphic novel comic so i just flew through it. but it was disappointing to say the least. the description of the book talks about hazel tackling lots of real world problems including racism and sexism, considering her white privilege. so she works at this forest with a bunch of “troubled teens”. that’s the first issue i had, these teens are just the stereotypes of non white people that are incredibly outdated and should not keep being brought up(considering this book was written in 2019). and it just tackles those issues really poorly. hazel deals with minor sexism in the story and the issue is resolved in two pages and there’s no elaboration or depth given on the issue. and the other idea of tackling racism in a workplace was really poorly done and hazel never really learns much throughout the story. i just think what would’ve made this story better is if it never existed or if it was at least 100 pages longer so the story is more interesting to follow. i’m picking up a new book from the library tomorrow so wish me luck on my next one 🛻
November 20, 2019
Ultimately, I didn't understand the point of this book. It was mostly about kids working in the woods. One of them is a home schooled white girl who loves 90s hip hop. I guess she feels like she's treated differently because she's white? Or she feels uncomfortable with the black kids because she's not used to having them be her peers? Or she's realizing that there are other people in the world besides her? She's making some dippy short video on why homeschooling is so much better than traditional school so that she can win the grand prize and use it to go to a Guster concert, and although she realizes at some point that her video is dippy, she never seems to realize that she is wasting her $1000 dollar prize on seeing Guster, possibly the most annoying/dorky/middling band of the early aughts. Actually, that run-on sentence pretty much sums up this book.
The one great moment of this book is when Hazel's mom tells her that when she was growing up her life at school sucked because of bussing. Meaning, that all the kids from poor neighborhoods were bussed to her nice school, and screwed up her education. She even makes a point to say that her family eventually moved to a more affluent school district and her life was better for it. This is why she didn't hesitate to home school Hazel. She essentially kept her out of the public school system because she didn't want her associating with people of color. Hazel is stunned, and does some reading on the subject of white flight, and integrating school districts, but other than that she doesn't acknowledge her mother's racism. That was the part of the story I was most interested in, and it was never mentioned again. Instead Hazel feels guilty for getting a black boy fired for reporting that he sexually harassed her. There were clearly a lot of complicated things surrounding it, which were not really brought up. (The kid in question said something completely unacceptable to her, but a white boy had done something similar to a black girl earlier, and nothing happened to him, however the black girl didn't say anything. Also, Hazel hasn't been taught to understand nuance, and that as a white girl her reporting a black boy for sexual harassment will 100 percent get him fired. For that I blame home schooling, and the ignorance of her white parents who assume she will live in an isolated tower for the rest of her days never having to rest eyes on anyone who is not lily-white in appearance. But still, the boy that sexually harasses a girl should face consequences for his actions.)
This book touched very lightly on some issues, but on the whole refused to look them in the eye. I would rather have heard this story from some of the kids who Hazel worked with. I would bet they have a VERY different view of what happened the summer they all worked together.
The one great moment of this book is when Hazel's mom tells her that when she was growing up her life at school sucked because of bussing. Meaning, that all the kids from poor neighborhoods were bussed to her nice school, and screwed up her education. She even makes a point to say that her family eventually moved to a more affluent school district and her life was better for it. This is why she didn't hesitate to home school Hazel. She essentially kept her out of the public school system because she didn't want her associating with people of color. Hazel is stunned, and does some reading on the subject of white flight, and integrating school districts, but other than that she doesn't acknowledge her mother's racism. That was the part of the story I was most interested in, and it was never mentioned again. Instead Hazel feels guilty for getting a black boy fired for reporting that he sexually harassed her. There were clearly a lot of complicated things surrounding it, which were not really brought up. (The kid in question said something completely unacceptable to her, but a white boy had done something similar to a black girl earlier, and nothing happened to him, however the black girl didn't say anything. Also, Hazel hasn't been taught to understand nuance, and that as a white girl her reporting a black boy for sexual harassment will 100 percent get him fired. For that I blame home schooling, and the ignorance of her white parents who assume she will live in an isolated tower for the rest of her days never having to rest eyes on anyone who is not lily-white in appearance. But still, the boy that sexually harasses a girl should face consequences for his actions.)
This book touched very lightly on some issues, but on the whole refused to look them in the eye. I would rather have heard this story from some of the kids who Hazel worked with. I would bet they have a VERY different view of what happened the summer they all worked together.
September 30, 2020
There is a LOT I can relate to here.
Portland is one of the places in the world where I feel at home. I grew up in a smaller town roughly halfway between Seattle and Portland, and since my parents had history there, we spent more time in PDX. Then, my grad school program was based in Portland, so I spent many weekends there in my twenties. I can feel myself relax when I'm in Portland.
Like Newlevant, I am white. I have massive amounts of privilege because of the color of my skin.
I was also homeschooled. Every homeschooling family does school differently (that's kind of the point), but Newlevant does a good job of portraying the some of the tricky parts of moving out of a homeschooling bubble. Getting to know peers who didn't have that educational experience. Learning about one's own many layers of privilege. Getting their mind blown by things that are daily realities for many people their age. Struggling with knowing when they should stand up and advocate for themselves vs. when they should check their privilege and think about how their (well-intended) actions will affect someone else's story.
There's a lot here.
As far as the form goes, it's very well done. Accessible illustration (all in a muted ivy green), well-balanced panels... it goes down easy.
I appreciated the depiction of dating a person who is younger than yourself here. Yay representation of that lived experience.
As someone who's spent years choosing to weight my reading list with ownvoices stories by people with different skin-tones than my own, I spent a large portion of this book feeling uncomfortable. I mean, I related to it (see above), but this book, as a (fictionalized) autobio work, inherently centers a perspective of privilege. I know that's kind of the point, but as a reader, I didn't know where it was going. And when it got there (), I was glad for the effort, but it didn't have the emotional impact I wanted it to have. It felt a little out of the blue, and not like THE POINT of the story.
So I feel a bit conflicted about this piece. I don't trust my ability to judge it, since I have many biased lenses which cloud my vision.
Giving it 4 bc I found it engrossing.
Portland is one of the places in the world where I feel at home. I grew up in a smaller town roughly halfway between Seattle and Portland, and since my parents had history there, we spent more time in PDX. Then, my grad school program was based in Portland, so I spent many weekends there in my twenties. I can feel myself relax when I'm in Portland.
Like Newlevant, I am white. I have massive amounts of privilege because of the color of my skin.
I was also homeschooled. Every homeschooling family does school differently (that's kind of the point), but Newlevant does a good job of portraying the some of the tricky parts of moving out of a homeschooling bubble. Getting to know peers who didn't have that educational experience. Learning about one's own many layers of privilege. Getting their mind blown by things that are daily realities for many people their age. Struggling with knowing when they should stand up and advocate for themselves vs. when they should check their privilege and think about how their (well-intended) actions will affect someone else's story.
There's a lot here.
As far as the form goes, it's very well done. Accessible illustration (all in a muted ivy green), well-balanced panels... it goes down easy.
I appreciated the depiction of dating a person who is younger than yourself here. Yay representation of that lived experience.
As someone who's spent years choosing to weight my reading list with ownvoices stories by people with different skin-tones than my own, I spent a large portion of this book feeling uncomfortable. I mean, I related to it (see above), but this book, as a (fictionalized) autobio work, inherently centers a perspective of privilege. I know that's kind of the point, but as a reader, I didn't know where it was going. And when it got there (), I was glad for the effort, but it didn't have the emotional impact I wanted it to have. It felt a little out of the blue, and not like THE POINT of the story.
So I feel a bit conflicted about this piece. I don't trust my ability to judge it, since I have many biased lenses which cloud my vision.
Giving it 4 bc I found it engrossing.
September 4, 2019
This is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year and probably will always be one of my favorites. My teenage self had much in common with teenage Hazel so that relation made my reading of the story very enjoyable. Also, my first interactions with other teens from different high schools at my first summer job as a rec counselor totally felt similar to Hazel's peer interactions.
My biggest takeaway from this book or why I LOVED it so much was the kindness and overall character of Hazel. Like I mentioned before, my teenage self was very similar to teenage Hazel. A #METOO sort of moment happens in this story and I really admired how Hazel handled the situation. There were many times in my youth I was bullied, teased, or threatened because I was different and my parents/authority figures NEVER supported me like Hazel's did. As a teacher now, I'm happy to own a book like this to reference this scenario and share with my students.
Currently I'm a 4th grade teacher so unfortunately there is language used that would deem it inappropriate to have in a classroom library. However, I did bring the book in today to "gush" about it to my students and explained how I hope they seek it out themselves once they start middle school. Personally, I think this book is SO perfect for that middle school age group.
Thank you Hazel for creating this and I totally look forward to whatever project you'll be releasing next!
My biggest takeaway from this book or why I LOVED it so much was the kindness and overall character of Hazel. Like I mentioned before, my teenage self was very similar to teenage Hazel. A #METOO sort of moment happens in this story and I really admired how Hazel handled the situation. There were many times in my youth I was bullied, teased, or threatened because I was different and my parents/authority figures NEVER supported me like Hazel's did. As a teacher now, I'm happy to own a book like this to reference this scenario and share with my students.
Currently I'm a 4th grade teacher so unfortunately there is language used that would deem it inappropriate to have in a classroom library. However, I did bring the book in today to "gush" about it to my students and explained how I hope they seek it out themselves once they start middle school. Personally, I think this book is SO perfect for that middle school age group.
Thank you Hazel for creating this and I totally look forward to whatever project you'll be releasing next!
October 14, 2019
When I first looked at this book, I'd assumed it was about Ivy League schools but as it turned out, was the memoir of Hazel Newlevant, told through a graphic novel depicting the summer she joined No Ivy League, a program for at-risk teens to clear invasive species in state parks.
Hazel Newlevant, a vegan, home-schooled, and extremely sheltered girl finds a summer job working alongside other teens from different backgrounds leading to realize just how naive and ignorant she's been. A coming of the age story as Hazel forms new perceptions on the world around her regarding privilege and inequality in society.
While No Ivy League does an excellent job depicting Hazel's emotions and reactions, I wish there was some more depth in exploring some of the overarching themes though I did like the portrayal of trying to find a sense of belonging.
Highly recommended for older fans of Smile and Rollergirl
*Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing a free ARC
Hazel Newlevant, a vegan, home-schooled, and extremely sheltered girl finds a summer job working alongside other teens from different backgrounds leading to realize just how naive and ignorant she's been. A coming of the age story as Hazel forms new perceptions on the world around her regarding privilege and inequality in society.
While No Ivy League does an excellent job depicting Hazel's emotions and reactions, I wish there was some more depth in exploring some of the overarching themes though I did like the portrayal of trying to find a sense of belonging.
Highly recommended for older fans of Smile and Rollergirl
*Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing a free ARC
June 26, 2019
This is the story of Hazel, a home schooled teen who has never had to mingle with people who might be from a different economical background, with different life experiences. The author writes this memoire from a distance of bout 10 years.
There are other things going on, beside the homeschooling, as Hazel is also dating someone much younger than her. This is brought up by some of the boys, she is working with, and she is teased about it in a gross way, so she reports him. He gets fired.
Interesting take on this world that she find her self in.
The main problem I had, and it may be fixed in the final edition, was that the ending seemed rushed, as though everything was fixed by just talking a little bit about it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
There are other things going on, beside the homeschooling, as Hazel is also dating someone much younger than her. This is brought up by some of the boys, she is working with, and she is teased about it in a gross way, so she reports him. He gets fired.
Interesting take on this world that she find her self in.
The main problem I had, and it may be fixed in the final edition, was that the ending seemed rushed, as though everything was fixed by just talking a little bit about it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
August 8, 2019
I went into this story blind. Based on the notes from the author at the beginning of the story I was expecting something amazing, or something deeply personal like Gender Queer, or March. Instead this was a mash of ideas all leading up to some big conflict reveal to have it peter out worse than a bug out of gas. Hazel is homeschooled. She is working on winning a homeschool contest, and gets a summer job helping to remove ivy from parks. While there she is sexually harassed and puts a stop to it. But then feels guilty the guy lost his job. A job he needs because he is an at-risk-youth of color. Then she finds out that she is homeschooled because her mother had problems with integration bussing in her own childhood. This book skips from theme to theme but never really takes time to develop either. It is a memoir, and while it took the author 10 years to create, we don’t really get to see that creation, or the lessons behind the actions.
August 6
August 6
January 26, 2020
Hmmm … this one's difficult to summarize without spoiling anything. A young homeschooled girl from Portland, OR takes a summer job clearing ivy from a local forest to earn some extra cash. She winds up learning some lessons about class and privilege as well.
This is a lovely little autobiographical tale. Newlevant has changed names for the sake of privacy, but otherwise presents everything to the best of her recollection. The artwork is lovely, with some nice use of watercolor washes, and the story is well-told, presented simply and honestly without getting all preachy or anything.
Nice, solid work. This is one of the better graphic novels I’ve read in a while. Definitely recommended!
This is a lovely little autobiographical tale. Newlevant has changed names for the sake of privacy, but otherwise presents everything to the best of her recollection. The artwork is lovely, with some nice use of watercolor washes, and the story is well-told, presented simply and honestly without getting all preachy or anything.
Nice, solid work. This is one of the better graphic novels I’ve read in a while. Definitely recommended!
September 28, 2019
I felt like this was trying to do so many things that it fell short of the mark on most things. I had high hopes, but I've read coming-of-age graphic novels that were much more effective. It would have been best to pick one narrative thread and stick to it rather than throwing in a lot of B-plots.
Also at first glance I thought this book was about something entirely different. Which is fine but I felt like the title was misleading.
Also at first glance I thought this book was about something entirely different. Which is fine but I felt like the title was misleading.
February 3, 2022
This couldn't have been an easy book to write, so kudos to Newlevant for being able to examine and confront the cringe inducing, younger version of herself. I'm sure most can relate, and have their own versions, I sure can, but to write about it and publish too, well that is something.
I fairly enjoyed this little coming of age story and thought it was nicely written with decent enough art too, and comparing this to a recent coming of age story written by a far more established graphic artist about their job as a teenager (Guy Delisle's "Factory Summers"), I would say that this was the more enjoyable of the two.
February 26, 2020
I like autobio comics and I like Hazel's art a lot. I felt this captured certain things about being a teenager that I've mostly forgotten
June 12, 2020
I read an eARC of this novel through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.
This graphic novel starts off with an author letter, where she talks about what inspired the novel. One of the main themes is learning who you are as a person, in relation to the world around you. As always, the question here is if it's even possible to fully know yourself:
"It's incredible, believing over and over again that you've figured things out - only to stumble on new ways your place in society shields you from the truth."
It's about white privilege and the ignorance that comes with it, and how being confronted with your own ignorance can feel uncomfortable:
"It's intimidating to publish a story about my younger self doing and saying so many profoundly embarrassing and regrettable things, but I hope that it helps those who see their own shame reflected in mine resolve to move forward with compassion."
This is by no means an exaggeration: this is at times a very uncomfortable novel to read, because the main character, Hazel, is a very naïve and sheltered 17-year-old. She takes on a park maintenance summer job alongside at-risk youth. Being homeschooled, she doesn't have a lot of experience interacting with peers her own age, and her coworkers are a diverse group of people. She's quite clueless interacting with them, which is quite annoying to read at times, but also, I think, quite realistic, and important to be aware of. People don't become socially aware out of nowhere, they aren't born with an innate grasp on inequality. So it was good to see Hazel's development and increasing awareness as a sheltered white girl. I especially appreciated one of the side characters stating explicitly that he didn't want to be a part of her "journey of self-discovery".
I wasn't able to fully appreciate this novel though, because it was a bit hard to read at times since it's not yet finished. This meant that some pages were only sketches, and certain panels weren't completed yet. The ending also felt really abrupt, giving me the impression the final edition will be longer. If so, I hope it brings together both of the storylines more to make for a more well-rounded ending.
This graphic novel starts off with an author letter, where she talks about what inspired the novel. One of the main themes is learning who you are as a person, in relation to the world around you. As always, the question here is if it's even possible to fully know yourself:
"It's incredible, believing over and over again that you've figured things out - only to stumble on new ways your place in society shields you from the truth."
It's about white privilege and the ignorance that comes with it, and how being confronted with your own ignorance can feel uncomfortable:
"It's intimidating to publish a story about my younger self doing and saying so many profoundly embarrassing and regrettable things, but I hope that it helps those who see their own shame reflected in mine resolve to move forward with compassion."
This is by no means an exaggeration: this is at times a very uncomfortable novel to read, because the main character, Hazel, is a very naïve and sheltered 17-year-old. She takes on a park maintenance summer job alongside at-risk youth. Being homeschooled, she doesn't have a lot of experience interacting with peers her own age, and her coworkers are a diverse group of people. She's quite clueless interacting with them, which is quite annoying to read at times, but also, I think, quite realistic, and important to be aware of. People don't become socially aware out of nowhere, they aren't born with an innate grasp on inequality. So it was good to see Hazel's development and increasing awareness as a sheltered white girl. I especially appreciated one of the side characters stating explicitly that he didn't want to be a part of her "journey of self-discovery".
I wasn't able to fully appreciate this novel though, because it was a bit hard to read at times since it's not yet finished. This meant that some pages were only sketches, and certain panels weren't completed yet. The ending also felt really abrupt, giving me the impression the final edition will be longer. If so, I hope it brings together both of the storylines more to make for a more well-rounded ending.
September 13, 2019
Good art and good intentions can't push my recommendation higher than 3 stars, which is rounded up from 2.5. Also, the title would be more accurate as The No-Ivy League, since teen protagonist Hazel joins a summer parks program in Portland to mitigate literal ivy infestations. There is some good stuff here: how home-schooled Hazel realizes her position of privilege compared to the at-risk kids at her job, learning that her mother chose to homeschool rather than send her to a desegregated school, how a black student who harasses her at work is treated more harshly than a white student who mocks a black student. But there are other things that aren't fully explored, such as Hazel's crush on her older and not interested boss (she pursues him to the point of discomfort even harassment, and that's never addressed), and an ending that feels pat and unearned. A tighter focus, and a more complex ending, perhaps letting the work unspool a little longer, might've helped.
July 22, 2019
3.5/5
a very nice autobiographical graphic novel, in wich the author/MC confronts the reality of the world that homeschooling didn't let her see. it's not mindblowing nor game changing, but seeing how her perception of the world changes because (or thanks to) a summer job in a national park was interesting. i liked the art, the author definitly has her own style and worked hard on it, defining it. The MC is very mature, however very naive since she's lived a very privileged life. When all she knows is challenged, she has very mature and intelligent reactions.
Overall, i would recommand, it is a very nice, quick summer read.
a very nice autobiographical graphic novel, in wich the author/MC confronts the reality of the world that homeschooling didn't let her see. it's not mindblowing nor game changing, but seeing how her perception of the world changes because (or thanks to) a summer job in a national park was interesting. i liked the art, the author definitly has her own style and worked hard on it, defining it. The MC is very mature, however very naive since she's lived a very privileged life. When all she knows is challenged, she has very mature and intelligent reactions.
Overall, i would recommand, it is a very nice, quick summer read.
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