This was enthralling. I can't say I personally relate to any of these characters―my life took a very different path―but I still felt all of them. The writing was perfectly paced, and the overall sedate tone gave room for the hard hitting topics to feel real without getting overbearing.
The art was gorgeous in its simplicity and vagueness. I need to stop using the word "feel", but it really did let me feel these scenes rather than just see them. The use of monochrome only enhanced that.
The ending was sweet, if a little unexpected. But hey, you can't explain a cat.