Review By: Jenna Ballard
Published: 2025
Genres: YA Graphic Novel, Romance, Slice-of-Life
Audience: Grades 7–12 (Skews toward 7th & 8th)
Number of Stars: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Goodreads Link: Float (Vol. 1)
Content Warnings: Underage drinking, mild language, and mild sexual references.
Publisher’s Summary
Dive into summer fun in this graphic novel romance from Webtoon. It’s perfect for fans of True Beauty and Pumpkinheads! Amidst the chaos of her parents’ bitter divorce, Alaskan teenager Waverly Lyons trades in her textbooks and parka for a summer of suntans and short-shorts with her aunt in Florida. A fish out of water even back in the snow, Waverly is determined to be everything she isn’t back home: cool, fun, dare she even say part of a group? There’s just one problem. She doesn’t know how to swim.
Enter Blake — the super-tan, super-hot, super-arrogant boy next door who seems to hate her guts. When he discovers her secret, Waverly is positive that her perfect summer is perfectly over. But then Blake does the unthinkable. He offers to teach her. This slice-of-life YA romance is illustrated in an anime-inspired style that readers will love. What are you waiting for? Dive in!
Full Review
Waverly is leaving Alaska to spend the summer with her cool aunt, though Waverly herself is neither cool nor fun-loving. Coming from a highly competitive academic culture, she is totally out of her element in a Florida beach scene full of surfers and partying teens. She quickly develops a crush on the neighbor, Blake, despite witnessing his messy, public breakup. After a near-drowning incident, Blake offers to teach Waverly how to swim in private—concealing her humiliation and his complicated social ties.
The colorful and expressive, anime-style art, along with an “enemies-to-lovers” bubblegum romance, will likely make this a popular choice. Teen girls will easily relate to Waverly’s feelings of awkwardness and insecurity. While I personally found Blake’s constant broodiness and tendency to get into fist-fights quite eyeroll-worthy, I recognize it’s part of the trope and suspect students won’t mind a bit. I particularly enjoyed the visual representation of Waverly’s inner voice—a tiny, cutesy version of herself that acts out her feelings, much like Lizzie McGuire in manga form!
The story is generally suitable for middle school (specifically 7th and 8th grade). While sparks fly, nothing significant happens between the leads yet. The book ends on a cliffhanger, clearly setting the stage for future volumes.
🎒 Classroom & Library Connections
- Media Literacy: Discuss the “Enemies-to-Lovers” trope. Why is it so popular in YA fiction? Have students identify other books or movies that use this same structure.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Focus on Waverly’s “Inner Voice.” Have students draw their own “mini-me” inner voice to represent an emotion they feel but don’t always show on the outside.
- Geography & Climate: Compare the two settings—Alaska and Florida. How does our environment shape our hobbies, social groups, and even our personalities?
- Swimming Safety: Use the “near-drowning” plot point as a springboard for a real-world discussion on water safety and the importance of learning to swim, regardless of age.
