Everything in Color

by | Apr 15, 2026

Stephanie wrote this autobiographical comic based on her own life, growing up in an evangelical community and trying to mash that upbringing into a secular world that had her questioning her core beliefs as a young adult. Luckily, she met James during this time. He was attending seminar and deep in research about the religion, which helped both of them navigate their growing romantic relationship.

Stephanie covers a broad range of topics and emotions that many women will find familiar and intimate, including desire, being comfortable with your own body and thoughts, motherhood, loss, and faith. And she presents them through a lens of lived experience rather than as a prescription you should follow.

As you might expect from the title, color plays an important role throughout Stephanie’s story of growing up, maturing, and coming to terms with herself. Flashbacks and childhood memories tend to be presented in grayscale with a hint of sepia. She uses the most vibrant colors for childbirth and memories with her son. I found the most interesting correlation was when her memories mixed the two to signify that she wasn’t sure of herself and her own thoughts. Especially when exploring how she imagined herself based on her upbringing versus what she was feeling in her body in the moment.

Because of these interactions, and because she doesn’t shy from exploring all of childbirth, there are many depictions of the naked female form represented throughout the book. None of these are sexualized; however, this is clearly meant to be for young/new adults into their maturity and would be best suited for an adult collection in a public or academic library. Give this to your patrons who are feeling disconnected from their childhood, their own body/thoughts, or from their faith. While there aren’t any “answers” presented in Stephanie’s narrative, her story might help others find peace within themselves.

Everything in Color A Love Story
By Stephanie Stalvey
23rd St., 2026
ISBN: 9781250347800

NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+)