De manier waarop het verhaal wordt verteld is ook op een duidelijke en vlotte manier, in het begin moest ik er wel weer even inkomen, maar naar een paar bladzijden zat ik weer helemaal in het verhaal. Ook vind ik dat dit deel meer diepgang heeft dan het eerste deel omdat de liefde in dit verhaal opbloeit en er een aantal moeilijke beslissingen moeten worden genomen waardoor het verhaal me net iets meer pakte dan het bij het eerste deel het geval was. Which I never thought I could love so much? Who would’ve thought illustrations of baked goods, as well as baked goods being prepped could make you feel like you were being hugged by the author & illustrator themselves? Literally, it confounds me that I love those panels SO much, haha. But here we are.)

Als de bakkerij vervolgens wordt getroffen door een tragedie, raken de jongens van elkaar verwijderd en is het nog maar de vraag of er een weg terug is. Ganucheau's illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and they are full of emotion and life. At times I found myself re-reading portions of the book so I could spend some time concentrating on the illustrations. This is a simple story, but it had so much heart, and I found myself rooting for Ari and Hector's relationship to flourish, even when Ari screwed things up.

The storytellers choice to have Ari and Hector baking is wise as well. Baking—with its vastly procedural nature—often gives characters much to do as they swap realistic small talk. Baking is also procedural in a way that can be (and is) used to reveal traits. This is part of why shows like The Great British Bake-Off are so enthralling (but I digress). Bloom uses baking to facilitate pacing, too. There is work to be done in that bakery, and there are plenty of sequences wherein we see Ari and Hector do it, putting us right there with them as it occurs.

Ook de liefde voor bakkunsten komt in dit tweede deel weer helemaal tot uiting. Ik vind het erg leuk hoe dat in het verhaal is verwerkt en in beeld is gebracht. As much as this is a romance between Ari and Hector, the book is more of a “coming of age” story for Ari as he comes out of his angry teen years and starts to step into his adulthood. Hector helps him see the things he’s grown used to ignoring. But Hector is no “pixie dream girl” trope, he’s also facing his own issues. Bloom (First Second Books) Het contrast tussen de twee hoofdpersonen is groot. Hector is zacht en rustig, terwijl Ari veel explosiever en uitgesprokener is. Hector sluit je daardoor gemakkelijk in je hart, terwijl dat bij Ari een beetje geduld vereist. Als je niet verder kijkt, dan zou je Ari gemakkelijk als onaardig en ontevreden kunnen kwalificeren. Daarom loont het bij dit verhaal zeker om achter het gedrag te kijken en de jongens echt te zien. THE TIME JUMPS. these random leaps made the story feel incredibly disjointed and as if entire parts of the story were missing. I was honestly worried that my e-copy of Bloom was malfunctioning and it took me a while to figure out that... those gaps were intentional?? I mean you already had sold me at graphic novel gays, but uhm carbs ( carbs = both the love of my life, & the bane of my existence) ALSO did NOT HURT, i’ll tell you what. )

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I don't know exactly what led me to read Bloom, the wonderful new graphic novel by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau, especially considering that I had read exactly one graphic novel before this, and it didn't quite make an impact on me. But something about this story of friendship, love, family, and baking captured my attention, and it has definitely piqued my interest in reading more graphic novels in the future. Ari’s friends are also awful people; they talk shit about Hector, they talk shit about each other… the entire friend group seemed so toxic. Reminder! rant is in no way in regards to the book itself; my God I couldn’t love this gem of a graphic novel more!🤔 eh wait maybe I could if there were more Ari & Hector adorbz kissing scenes! 😉 anyway, its just regarding an ass of a character who was meant to be an ass of a character so no worries 😉 ) They’re happy but they miss each other so Ari decides to visit Hector at school. As Ari tries to navigate Hector’s world for the first time, he struggles to find his place.

Bloem 2 is het slot van een mooie graphic novel duologie over familie, vriendschap en liefde. Maar ook over verantwoordelijkheden, over het vinden wat je wil en over het ontdekken wie je bent. De woorden van Kevin Panetta en de illustraties van Savanna Ganucheau schetsen een fijn beeld van twee jonge mensen die elkaar vinden tijdens het bakken. Dit tweede deel van de Bloem serie krijgt 4 sterren van mij. It’s been over a year since the end of the first book and Ari is still working at his family’s bakery while Hector has moved away to finish up culinary school. Mix in lots of baking, romance, and a look at how Ari’s parents fell in love and we’ve ended up with a story that we’re really excited to share with everyone! Ari heeft altijd gedacht dat hij, zodra dat mogelijk was, zijn saaie woonplaats zo snel mogelijk zou verlaten. Hij wil het gaan maken in de grote stad, maar het werk in de bakkerij van zijn ouders houdt hem tegen.

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Veel van het verhaal speelt zich af in de bakkerij. In dit deel zie je de jongens daadwerkelijk aan het werk waardoor je al het lekkers ook voorbij ziet komen. Zelfs als niet-bak-liefhebber begint het te kriebelen om zelf koekjes te gaan bakken. De setting is vermakelijk en aanstekelijk en het geheel voelt hartverwarmend aan. Bloom’s protagonist, Ari, is a young gay wannabe musician who spends his days filled with angst over his parents’ expectations of him. Ari’s mom and dad own a bakery and they want their son to continue to live with them and help keep the business afloat, instead of running off with his friends to start a band in the big city. In a desperate attempt to break free from a future he does not want, Ari finds a young man named Hector to work for his parents in his stead. Ari is amazed how much Hector actually loves baking, and he seems to be the perfect fit if not for the complications that ensue when and Ari develop feelings for each other. Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band?if he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens. But while interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it. As they become closer over batches of bread, love is ready to bloom . . . that is, if Ari doesn?t ruin everything.Writer Kevin Panetta and artist Savanna Ganucheau concoct a delicious recipe of intricately illustrated baking scenes and blushing young love, in which the choices we make can have terrible consequences, but the people who love us can help us grow.

I would recommend this book to anyone in middle school and up, especially people who enjoy a cute summer love story. This book is mainly targetedtoa young adult audience, but I believe it can be appreciated by a wider audience. Another key target audience would be students, especially recent grads. This book highlights key issuesstudentsare going through, while remaining lighthearted, which could behelpful.Families mayalsofind this book resourceful if they are wanted to normalize queer relationships within their family unit.Including books that elevate this representation is important and can be done easily within the home.However,churches may not find this book as helpful within their curriculum as it is a fiction novel and does not have theological themes,butitmay be a good book to keep inmindas arecommendationto younger readers.Overall, this is a fantastic read that cultivates a wide array of representation in a beautiful way. Ook in dit tweede deel is het artwork werkelijk fantastisch. In de tekeningen zitten veel kleine en bijzondere details, die er voor zorgen dat je met veel plezier en aandacht van deze graphic novel geniet. De illustraties zijn gemaakt door Savanna Ganucheau die enorm goed emoties en diepgang in haar illustraties weet te brengen. Ook de variatie van inzoomen, overall tekeningen en uitdrukkingen maken het lezen van deze graphic novel echt een feest. Ditmaal zoomt het verhaal veel meer in op de struggles en emoties die Arie ervaart. Kevin Panetta heeft dit op een hele goede en mooie manier in beeld weten te brengen. Ari and Hector spend all their time together at the bakery with their friends, go for walks together…

AHHH there really was so much to this book that only made it more & more exceptional as it progressed.