Snotgirl Volume 4: Make It Make Sense!

Snotgirl

by Bryan Lee O'Malley, Leslie Hung (illustrator)

“One of comics’ best psychological thrill rides.” —IGN

Everyone's favorite queer, messy girl with terrible allergies is back in the fourth volume!

The hit Image Comics series returns! Fashion disaster Lottie Person is finally dating the girl of her dreams, but is she ignoring red flags? Romance, mystery and comedy collide in this thrilling continuation of cult hit SNOTGIRL!

Collects Snotgirl #16-20.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Queer, Graphic Novels Comics, Mystery, LGBT

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2025

About the author

Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. His first original graphic novel was Lost at Sea (2003), and he is best-known for the six-volume Scott Pilgrim series (2004 to 2010). All of his Scott Pilgrim graphic novels were published by Portland, Oregon-based Oni Press. In July 2014 his graphic novel Seconds was released by Ballantine Books. He is also a songwriter and musician (as Kupek and formerly in several short-lived Toronto bands).
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ *]

WE ARE SO BACK!!!!

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WAY I HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATING THIS FOR 5 YEARS AND IT DID NOT LET ME DOWN

absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this volume was absolutely worth the wait. lottie and caroline's relationship was so much more concrete in this one than in previous volumes, and we're starting to get to the heart of the trippy elements of the previous books and unraveling the psychological thriller. the friend group split offs in this and the partnerships that form were so fun and unexpected. LOVED the inclusion of lottie's family in this and learning about their past, and i feel like a goober for not realizing this cast of characters is heavily east asian.

the way this started to fold in current lingo and tiktok references and the general influencer slop and vapidness was soooooooo funny and satisfying. i laughed out loud multiple times during this read but also, it was SO balanced with some moments of growth and maturity. it feels like the characters are really coming into themselves and this was a shift in the tone of the series for sure, but i loved every page of it.

if you have never picked up the snotgirl series, i hiiiiiighly recommend. time to commence staring out my window like a wife waiting for her husband to come home from war until volume 5 is announced

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk man........... i would like ONE answer or something before opening up like five new questions..

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 212/300

in this fourth volume of snotgirl, lottie is finally dating the girl of her dreams…but is she ignoring the red flags? we also learn more about virgil and how and why he operates the way he does. i absolutely loved his side plot; he is such an interesting character to me, and i can’t wait to continue learning about his and caroline’s backstory. as for the main plot, we see lottie’s sister again…yay…but also meet her mom and aunt. this was a nice treat because i wasn’t expecting to get to know them or their stories. i also enjoyed seeing how lottie and caroline’s relationship developed throughout this volume. i’m so excited to see where the next one picks up!

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

20 issues in and not a single question answered is kind of wild

[Britain Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a few years since I read the others (kind of upset about the big hiatus) so I had to ask ChatGPT to give me a recap of what happened before I started this cause I had forgotten everything. That being said, I think I would’ve liked this better if I had reread the first 3 before this one.
And even more disheartening is that this one set it up for another volume… I enjoy the series, I just hope it doesn’t take as long as this one to release.

[Rhys · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. What do you mean it's been 5 years since the last volume??
2. What do you mean I've been reading this series for 8 and a half years???
3. This was my favorite volume yet, great mix of absurdity, humor, drama, etc., probably going to go back and reread the series now since it has been a while but I kept up just fine without doing that so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Em theglitterybookworm_]

A FOURTH VOLUME??? EVERYTHING

[beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

WORTH the five year hiatus

[a · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took 48 years but a new volume finally came out.

I will forever say that the art is what makes this comic because if I didn't love the art, I probably wouldn't be as invested in these characters or the story.

[Esmé · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are so back!! Can’t believe it’s been like 8 years and I only now realize that Snotgirl is about a half-Japanese bisexual…iconic

[noem · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series has gotten better and better with every volume. I cannot wait for the next one now!!!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been so funny, so compelling, and SO AMAZINGLY WELL DRAWN. Damn Leslie Hung can draw some women.

CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WTF IS GOING ON THOUGH??? If you're wanting a comedic mystery series to dig into with answers, do not expect to get any here lol

[gabrielle]

they tragically got their heads chopped off on the roller coaster at six flags

[Hanna Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auntie Aya is the goat

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this fourth volume for 5 years and it finally published this summer. By that time, I had forgotten all the characters and their various motivations. It felt like a brand new series and it was a total reset. I still love the character designs, wardrobe, and cheeky jokes. Apart from that, I wasn't that impressed. Lottie is a bit of a dumb bunny and her green hair is her crowning glory. I love O'Malley comics but this was messy. My favorite character was Lottie's ex, Sunny Day, who exudes himbo energy. I will continue this series but hopefully it's not 5 years in between publications like before.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5*

[Megs · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5*⭐️

[Sierra L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a book for closeted bisexual wasian girls 🫶✨🤝

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to revisit vol 1-3 and see if I actually enjoy them more now


I love you snotgirl!! Finally this is back and I just got my hands on this TP!

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5. It's been so long since I've read this that I've forgotten everything that's happened in the previous volumes. And all the hype I had towards the story is sort of...gone. It was nice to see the cast back in action again, but I guess I was expecting more than what I actually got. Maybe the next volume will be better if I decide to read it.

[Jaime Dear · Rating 4 out of 5]

people are just saying shit in this. I love it.

[goblin_ghoulz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m left kinda underwhelmed… maybe I was a too hyped for this volume and I know it was only 4 issues collected but dang, nothing really was answered. Don’t get me wrong, i’m here first for the stunning art and character design, and I love the relationship building but there’s so hard hitting truths I needed more then just hints about! Virgil is a little freak which is hilarious to me, and absolutely ended on another cliffhanger so I guess i’ll hurry up and wait for the next ones 😭

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The plot is confusing but I’m so obsessed with the art style that I love every page. So many faces and poses that I want to practise drawing.

[Quishy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still have no idea where this is going, but the team came back better than ever with this newest volume! The characters are feeling so much more realized, there’s great interactions with unlikely character combos, and it’s great to see the charm of how terrible everyone is has only gotten better

[C Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s kind of insane to read all 4 volumes in a row because they feel like they’re from completely different periods of time. It’s nice that the mysteries are built up a little more in this volume. But tbh how much longer till we get any clues what’s going on? This series has been going on for a ridiculously long time, tie some loose ends already. Jeeeez. Like I enjoy it, but it’s been so many years - get to the point already! The character writing and drama is great, but I really hope the next volume answers more questions.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe it’s been 4 years, good to be back!

Issue #16: Read 12/23/24 4 stars
Issue #17: Read 03/26/25 4.5 stars
Issue #18: Read 03/26/25 4 stars
Issue #19: Read 03/26/25 5 stars
Issue #20: Read 08/02/25 4 stars

And can’t believe this will be my last time logging the single issues!

[Cpt Hawk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ohhhh Snotgirl you are as incomprehensible as ever. I don't know why I do this to myself.

Plots thrown together at the last second and in ways that felt like the authors were just guessing the entire time, progressions that are shaky as hell even if they vaguely stick the landing in the end, etc., etc. I'm still convinced the team for this story is banking on the notion that if they draw enough hot girls and heaving tits, the haphazard nature of the story itself can be ignored. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGH! OH TO BE BLIND! The things this bizarre series could accomplish if they'd just ever heard of an outline and also had a crop of editors to make anything in this series work! It keeps me up at night! Maybe I'm so annoying about Snotgirl because I also vaguely feel like I'm going insane every time I read a Snotgirl volume. Maybe I am. It's just the bizarre way both plot and character arc ("character arc") gets ... I can't say built up. Slapped down? Forced together? It feels like all this must come out of someone who pants their narratives, possibly also relying on "vibes" and "intuition" to finish a chapter. So you spend most of every segment waiting for anything to have a point, and then it kinda does at the end, but then it begs the question why everything before those last couple pages had to be so disjointed and wandering and frankly confused. Snotgirl sneezes on the concepts inherent to Chekhov's Gun, that's it. Is what you're reading supposed to be important? Will this have a point? Was all the time spent on this one character's sex dungeon or that surprise cult or this or that character interaction important? You'll never know! Because neither does Snotgirl.

Remember kids, if you've ever felt bad about your stories, just remember you're not Snotgirl. And yet Snotgirl somehow still gets published, so you're DEFINITELY in the clear!

EDIT: I'm trying to understand what people like about Snotgirl that makes them still read it based on other reviews, and it seems I was right about the art being a major pull (which I can't disagree with in any way and I'm not even inclined to, the art style is so gorgeous it's the only thing that keeps me reading when everything else makes me want to throw the book out the window.) But then people are also praising relationship progressions and characters??? Folks. Folks the bar is on the floor. If you were wowed by this I am downright gleeful to inform you that I'm looking at my shelf right now of graphic novels & comics and every single book on it does a far better job. And I only have a small fraction of books. The world of comics and graphic novels is so wide, the amount of better options available to you are downright endless in comparison.

[Anisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this, especially since it's been 5 whole years since volume 3! I luckily JUST got into this series last year.

The first thing I noticed was that the colors felt noticeably faded and dull compared to the earlier volumes, which were so much more vibrant and exciting to look at. I really miss the way new chapters used to open with a full-page Lottie & friends glam outfit shot. The focus on fashion feels like it's taken a backseat, and I just didn't feel as visually pleased as I did before. Leslie Hung's illustrations are still my favorite part of the book -- the story just didn't give them enough room to shine. *ahem* Fashun.

This volume also dove right into the sex. From the jump. I get it, Heated Rivalry is big now, yay nudity!! But I miss the build-up and mystery that made everything feel so much more exciting.
I also felt confused throughout. The story keeps opening new questions, introducing new characters, and piling on more complications instead of actually going somewhere. Take some time with the characters we already have! Answer something! Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of funny moments -- but I'm getting tired of the repeated beats. Caroline's attitude. Sunny's naivety. Virgil... oh man. No questions answered here.

[Alex Sarll]

Honestly, a series I assumed had passed into the limbo of never to be completed Image books, such that I was thrown when, unheralded, it started popping up in my standing order again. The answers to various long-standing mysteries would probably have made more sense without that four-year gap, but not necessarily much more: as a comic about those influencers they have nowadays, you know the ones, I always found it at least moderately baffling, because I am old. Except now the hiatus has complicated matters further; O'Malley is taking a leaf out of Marvel's book and being pointedly vague about the timeline, but certainly some time has elapsed, and now his Instagram-famous leads are feeling a little confused themselves by the new generation of TikTok-famous kids coming up from behind. Perhaps it's for the best, then, that much of this volume takes the cast away from all those fashionable brunches and pop-ups to a much more relatable backdrop of graveyards, creepy hotels and sex dungeons. Hung's art, needless to say, remains gorgeous throughout, and all the easier to sigh over now the titular allergy is in remission.