Heartcore

This adept memoir, the solo debut in English from Czech artist Jislová (Bald), chronicles her history of dysfunctional dating with humor and heart but little resolution. From her first school crushes, Stephanie (as the English translation renders her name) falls into a pattern: obsessing over crushes, then losing interest as soon as she starts dating them. In art school, her friends pair off, and she feels pressure to settle into a serious relationship. But the closest she gets to a long-term partner is Mike, an aloof repeat hookup who doesn’t want his friends to know they’re sleeping together. (“It’s like he liked me only when no one was looking.”) Stephanie studies psychology, confronts the childhood traumas that shaped her attachment issues, and learns to set boundaries but remains unsure of what she really wants. It can be frustrating to observe repeat missteps, but Jislová’s crisp art, enlivened with pops of rosy color, gives a smart gloss to her foolish choices. The narrative’s wry moments include a tour through Stephanie’s gallery of unattainable love interests, her disastrous Tinder dates (“rude to the waitress,” “doesn’t recycle,” “Axe body spray”), and her wary first look at Mike’s bedroom: “Most true crime podcasts begin like this.” Readers may sigh over Stephanie’s mistakes, but they’re likely also to sympathize. (May)