When choosing my latest read, I went to my trusty list of webcomics. I found Always Raining Here! Always Raining Here: A Graphic Novel written and illustrated by creative duo Hazel and Bell is a standalone adaptation of the webcomic of the same time. This graphic novel is adorably awkward about two teenage boys who start out as strangers and slowly, maybe, become something more.

Always Raining Here doesn’t start off as a romance. Carter is a teenage boy looking for a hookup. The problem: there are very few options at his Vancouver high school. When Carter meets Adrian, he starts an over-the-top flirtation. What begins as Carter’s quest for a hookup slowly changes the more time they spend together. You see, Carter and Adrian run in the same circles – well at least Carter keeps showing up in Adrian’s circles, specifically theater rehearsals, parties, and the classes they share. Adrian keeps turning Carter down until he eventually starts liking him and they become reluctant friends. Will they become more? You’ll have to read this graphic novel to find out!

If you want to read a strangers to lovers romance, Always Raining Here is for you! This graphic novel deals with tough topics: anxiety, attempted sexual assault, overbearing parents, and figuring out your identity to name a few. What hooked me were the intermissions that featured pages from the original webcomic! It was nice to see how the illustrations and changes happened between the webcomic and this standalone version. This is a warm and genuine read about two teenage boys starting a new relationship as they work to figure out who they are as individuals.