My Love Mix-Up!, Volume 1

October 15, 2021
Grades 7-12 Everyone gets the wrong idea about who is crushing on whom in this tale of first loves. Hashimoto, the girl Aoki has a crush on, lets him borrow an eraser with "Ida [HEART SYMBOL]" written on it. Ida sits in front of Aoki, and when the eraser is dropped, the problems begin for Aoki. Ida thinks Aoki has a crush on him, Aoki thinks Hashimoto has a crush on Ida, and everyone might be wrong! The cliff-hanger will surely have readers reaching for that second volume. Ida and Aoki explore separately whether they could have feelings for each other, and rather than struggling with the possibility of being gay, they focus on the qualities of the other that would make that person appealing. The illustrations are adorable and often very soft; some of the surprised faces from Aoki are outlandish and very different than other shojo manga. This wholesome story is ideal for readers who like complicated but lighthearted love stories or stories with LGBTQ+ story lines. Hand to fans of KAITO's Blue Flag or Io Sakisaka's Love Me, Love Me Not.

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