Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Oni Press | Tagged: graphic novel, How Could You, Ren Strapp

Ren Strapp's Debut Graphic Novel, How Could You, From Oni Press

Ren Strapp’s debut graphic novel How Could You is coming from Oni Press on the 17th of December, recommended for fans of Heartstopper.

Published Fri, 01 Mar 2024 05:57:08 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Discover Ren Strapp's debut graphic novel "How Could You," launching December 17th from Oni Press.
A heartfelt journey of friendship and self-discovery awaits fans of "Heartstopper" and "Laura Dean."
Fall into the chaos of college love triangles, messy breakups, and the quest for identity.
Meet Ren Strapp, comic artist and zinester, bringing unique humor and emotion to the page.

Ren Strapp's debut graphic novel How Could You is coming from Oni Press on the 17th of December, recommended for fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me and Heartstopper.

Falling in love? Scary. Falling for your best friend? Terrifying. Naming all the ways your heart hurts? Impossible. College upperclassman Molly Song is set on getting over her ex this semester, but it's hard when she dumps you via email and posts all over social media about cozying up with her study-abroad roommate. Molly convinces her friend, Lou Kingston, that they should go to parties and find rebound girlfriends, but with only so many eligible lesbians in their college circle, the two best friends end up vying for the same girl's attention. Soon, Molly learns to be careful what she wishes for when she starts to develop real feelings for someone she's not sure feels the same way

Meanwhile, Molly and Lou's exes, Yona and Olene, have left their pasts behind as they study abroad in France. Together they see springtime in Marseille, find new friendships, and uncover new personal truths. Will their whirlwind trip bloom into a whirlwind romance, or will their journeys to self-discovery put them on different paths entirely? College is a time to find yourself, but what could you stand to lose along the way?

"Every year of college is a discovery into some new form of heartbreak," says Ren Strapp. "It's your junior year, your girlfriend left you and your best friend is graduating at the end of the year. You're caught between moving on and praying things will stay the same. It's your junior year, and you left your girlfriend in America to go to France with a girl who gives you butterflies, but she won't look you in the eye. It's your sophomore year and changing your mind feels like shame. It's your senior year, and you still don't fit in anywhere. You look to graduation for salvation.

"HOW COULD YOU is for anyone who made mistakes, who spoke unkindly, who were selfish, who lost friends, who lost themselves. It's for people stumbling into adulthood, carrying guilt over faux pas, betrayal, and not making amends when you could. I hope this book finds you and tells you you're not alone."

HOW COULD YOU masterfully weaves readers into the lives of its characters–complete with messy breakups, messy rebounds, and even messier college dorm rooms." says Senior Editor Grace Scheipeter. "Ren has a uniquely clever way of telling a story that is full of humor, heart, and heartbreaks. But through it all, HOW COULD YOU tells a story about finding yourself and staying true to who you are, no matter what college throws your way."

A comic artist, designer, and gender-nonconforming lesbian werewolf, Ren Strapp grew up in Susquehannock territory and now lives on unceded land at the confluence of the Wimahl and Willamette Rivers. Ren started her comics career in zines and web comics and will be a zinester until she dies. Her work is inspired by risograph printing and American traditional tattooing.