Bloom

This is a soft, beachy read. It's a little bit Steven Universe (beachside setting), a little bit Scott Pilgrim (group of friends in a band), a little bit [b:Check, Please! 37534577 Check, Please! #Hockey, Vol. 1 Ngozi Ukazu https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524057162s/37534577.jpg 59136002] (gay + baking). The blue color scheme is both muted and striking, especially given the ethnically diverse set of characters. I especially enjoyed the montage-type page spreads. The tone is consistent, and it's beautiful.My gripe is: the art and tone are so much stronger than the story. Often the dialogue felt choppy. Motivations and relationship dynamics were hazy. I got the gist, but I wanted to better understand why characters felt certain ways and made certain choices. Beyond that, I wanted to see characters and relationships develop more.I didn't need this to be more than a cute coming-of-age story. I just think a quieter plot needs dimensional characters. It's gentle and summery, and the artwork is wonderful. It just didn't get me like [b:The Prince and the Dressmaker 34506912 The Prince and the Dressmaker Jen Wang https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494400495s/34506912.jpg 46116413] or [b:The One Hundred Nights of Hero 28433627 The One Hundred Nights of Hero Isabel Greenberg https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506013534s/28433627.jpg 48547479].