Random Graphic Novels

 I figured since my reviews of these graphic novels are shorter, I would publish a few of them together. I have borrowed all of the following from my library's service, Hoopla. If you use a local library, you should check it out and see if they offer this service. I love it! 

Unfamiliar 

by Haley Newsome

Published: December 6, 2022 

Read: April 26, 2023

My review: 4 out of 5 stars 

Based on the wildly popular webcomic from Tapas, Unfamiliar is an endearing and whimsical story full of magical mayhem, offbeat outsiders, and the power of friendships and found family.

Young kitchen witch Planchette gets an incredible deal on a new house in a magical town. Turns out, there's a reason: it's haunted! After unsuccessfully attempting to get these unwanted ghosts to leave, she realizes the only thing to do is to help them with their problems. Along the way, she befriends a shy siren who hates being popular, a girl battling a curse, and a magically-challenged witch from a powerful coven.

Collects Chapters 1-6 with bonus content!

Loved this adorable graphic novel. What does a which do when her house is haunted? This book will show you just what young "kitchen witch" Planchette does with her house ghosts. Cannot wait for the next.

Skyward

(volume 1 includes issues 1-5) 

Written by Joe Henderson

Illustrated by Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabela 

Published: September 25, 2018 

Read on: May 15, 2023

My review 4 out of 5 stars 

One day, gravity on Earth suddenly became a fraction of what it is now. Twenty years later, humanity has adapted to its new low-gravity reality. And to Willa Fowler, a woman born just after G-day, it's...well, it's pretty awesome, actually. You can fly through the air I mean, sure, you can also die if you jump too high. So you just don't jump too high. And maybe don't get mixed up in your Dad's secret plan to bring gravity back that could get you killed...

I found this book while browsing Hoopla (a digital service my local library offers) when I saw this cover. After I read the description, I knew I would probably like it so I read it all in one night. Good thing the next couple are also available on Hoopla because I need to know what happens to Willa and her friends! 

The Girl and the Glim

By India Swift (author and illustrator)
Illustrated by: Michael Doig
Published June 7, 2022
My review: 4 out of 5 stars

An original graphic novel about being the new kid in a different school, getting picked on by the class bullies, and what happens when a magical presence takes notice.

Starting out at a new school is tough, and Bridgette isn't having much luck, seeing as, well, she's not great at making a first impression. Or, maybe, any impression. For now the best she can manage is... awkward.

That’s when they appear. Creatures dark and scary… Creatures only she can see. But if she can’t even face down the school bullies, how is she supposed to overcome literal monsters? Well, Bridgette is going to have to figure it out fast, because she might just be her town’s only hope.

The Girl and The Glim is about accepting the fact that fear is okay, and that while letting other people see your vulnerabilities can be scary, it can also lead to closer friendships in the end.

This was a graphic novel about a girl. She and her family just moved and now she's the new girl in town, in school. When she sees something weird and figures out, she's the only one who saw it, she knows she will have to take care of it. I really loved the illustrations in this book, they made the story, literally, come to life for me. I look forward to more books in this series so I can see what happens to "the girl." I love this quote in the description: The Girl and The Glim is about accepting the fact that fear is okay, and that while letting other people see your vulnerabilities can be scary, it can also lead to closer friendships in the end.

Junkwraith

by Ellinor Richey

Published January 18, 2022

My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

What she once possessed... now threatens to possess her. This vibrant Swedish debut graphic novel is an epic quest for the things left behind, with icy-cool artwork and astonishing sci-fi settings.

What happens when our most precious belongings... no longer belong? When something we loved suddenly becomes junk, a powerful energy is unleashed. One night, ice-skating prodigy Florence Sato is overwhelmed by pressure and throws away her skates. This fateful moment accidentally summons a "junkwraith," a terrifying ghost which seeks revenge for its abandonment by attacking the memories of its former owner. Before she forgets who she is, and to find out who she really wants to be, Florence must set off (with her trusty digital assistant Frank) on a long journey into the Wastelands to put to rest the monster she created.

This graphic novel is the story about how the things you throw away come back to haunt you. It was a little strange for me, but the overall story was good. I think I was distracted by the small pictures on my phone screen, so perhaps read either the paper copy or a bigger screen. I would read another book by this author. It was a solid story with a good message.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry

The Tea Dragon Tapestry (the Tea Dragon Series book 3) 
Written and illustrated by: K. O'Neill

137 pages

Release date: June 2, 2021

My review: 4 out of 5 stars 

Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon series!

Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng's care, Greta still can't chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.

Told with the same care and charm as the previous installments of the Tea Dragon series, The Tea Dragon Tapestry welcomes old friends and new into a heartfelt story of purpose, love, and growth.

In this continuation of the Tea Dragon graphic novel series, Greta is still trying to coax Ginseng out of her grief. At the same time, she is working on a blacksmithing project worthy of being asked to be an apprentice blacksmith. This really did hit me in the feels and the beautiful artwork just brings the story to life. I love this quote by Greta's mom "When someone is grieving, the best thing you can do is let them heal on their own and show them that you'll be there for them." It is just such a true sentiment. <3

Gender Queer: A Memoir

Gender Queer: A Memoir

Written and illustrated by: Maia Kobabe

Print length: 240 pages

Publication date: May 28, 2019

My review: not rated 

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.
Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

"It’s also a great resource for those who identify as nonbinary or asexual as well as for those who know someone who identifies that way and wish to better understand." — SLJ (starred review)


I don't feel comfortable giving someone's memoir about their journey a star rating, so I will just leave it at my personal review. Content warnings taken from common sense media: "Explicit but not erotic illustrations of sexual activity include masturbation, oral sex, sex toys, kissing in an implied sex position, erections, and a fantasy image of a man holding another's penis. There are no violent acts, but there are a few bloody, nightmarish pictures showing fear and trauma surrounding menstruation and getting a Pap smear. Strong language includes "d—k," "c—k," "f—k," and "s—t."

I found this to be a very informative book about one person's journey to find themselves. Kobabe was candid about both eir gender and sexuality. I can see why some parents would want this book banned in schools, but that is the exact reason this book should be available to anyone. 

Can you imagine if this book had been available when Kobabe was young, how it could have helped them to understand a little bit more about their gender and sexual identity. 

The drawings and way that Kobabe illustrated eir thought process in this book was just perfect. I wish there was a way to capture and share them with my family. It would be an easier way to share about gender identity that I wouldn't have thought of before. 

Parents need to be aware of what is in the book and know what is appropriate for their child to read. My 13-year-old has read this book and we were able to have candid discussions about sex and gender as well as sexual identity after reading. I feel more educated after reading this book and feel it is something that should never be removed from a school library.

The Secret Garden - Part 1

 The Secret Garden - Part 1

Written and illustrated by: Maud Begon

Publication date: October 20, 2021

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

When Mary's parents die, she moves to England, where she is sent to a strange mansion in the middle of the Yorkshire moors, belonging to her uncle. It is here that she discovers the comfort of friendship... and a wonderful secret that she soon shares with her new companions: a garden forgotten by everyone, whose key, as if by magic, also opens the doors to broken hearts. This is a two-part graphic adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1912 classic of children's literature.

This was a graphic novel adaptation of one of my favorite books as a child. It appears to only be part one as it leaves of midway through. Compared to the other version I read earlier this month, it does have a lot more details such as the details of Mary's origin, including the deaths of her parents. I found this to be helpful to the reader to understand how Mary came to be the girl to be the way she was. This book leaves off right in the middle of the story, so I hope the second half is published soon, even though I know how it ends. I only gave this book 3.5 stars because of the abrupt ending, I wish they would have just taken the time to finish the book and put it all in one edition. It is very frustrating to have an incomplete story. At least I know how it ends, I can't imagine being new to the book and being left wondering what happened to Mary, her friends and the secret garden. Maybe check out another edition to find out.

Graphic Novels

My local library has this great program called Hoopla where you can borrow digital entertainment. You can learn more about it here. Have I mentioned how much I love my local library?? Anyway, I started borrowing graphic novels with this service a few months ago. These are just a few of the titles I have borrowed recently. 

Cryptid  Club

By Sarah Andersen

112 pages 

Published September 20, 2022

My review five out of five stars 

The latest from New York Times bestselling, Goodread's Choice Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated and Ringo award-winning author Sarah Andersen is a delightful peek into the secret social lives of some of the world's most fascinating, monstrous, and mysterious creatures.

Do you hate social gatherings? Dodge cameras? Enjoy staying up just a little too late at night? You might have more in common with your local cryptid than you think! Enter the world of Cryptid Club, a look inside the adventures of elusive creatures ranging from Mothman to the Loch Ness Monster. This humorous new series celebrates the unique qualities that make cryptids so desperately sought after by mankind (to no avail). After all, it's what makes us different that also makes us beautiful.

This book had me laughing out loud. Makes the Cryptids feel so relatable. Definitely will be buying this one for my coffee table.

The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel 

By Mariah Marsden (adapter)

Illustrated by Hanna Luechtefeld

192 pages

Published June 15, 2021

My review five out of five stars (LOVED it!)

Green-growing secrets and powerful magic await you at Misselthwaite Manor, now reimagined in this bewitching graphic novel adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved tale. From Mariah Marsden, author of the critically acclaimed Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel, comes the second installment in this series of retold children's classics.

Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors with a scowl and a chip on her shoulder. First, there's Martha Sowerby: the too-cheery maid with bothersome questions who seems out of place in the dreary manor. Then there's the elusive Uncle Craven, Mary's only remaining family--whom she's not permitted to see. And finally, there are the mysteries that seem to haunt the run-down place: rumors of a lost garden with a tragic past, and a midnight wail that echoes across the moors at night.

As Mary begins to explore this new world alongside her ragtag companions--a cocky robin redbreast, a sour-faced gardener, and a boy who can talk to animals--she learns that even the loneliest of hearts can grow roots in rocky soil.

Given new life as a graphic novel in illustrator Hanna Luechtefeld's whimsical style, The Secret Garden is more enchanting and relevant than ever before.

Just a beautiful little book. It is a graphic novel retelling of The Secret Garden. I loved the book as a child and love this graphic novel. The pictures are simple, colorful and stunning. Planning on purchasing this book to keep on my shelf just to flip through and look at occasionally. It makes me happy just looking at the pictures and reading the beautiful story.

Numb to This

Numb to This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting 

by Kindra Neely

Finished 1/2/23

my rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

This searing graphic memoir portrays gun violence through a fresh lens, giving it urgency, humanity, and a very personal hope

Kindra Neely never expected it to happen to her. No one does. Sure, she’d sometimes been close to gun violence, like when the house down the street from her childhood home in Texas was targeted in a drive-by shooting. But now she lived in Oregon, where she spent her time swimming in rivers with friends or attending classes at the bucolic Umpqua Community College.

And then, one day, it happend: a mass shooting shattered her college campus. Over the span of a few minutes, on October 1, 2015, eight students and a professor lost their lives. And suddenly, Kindra became a survivor. This empathetic and ultimately hopeful graphic memoir recounts Kindra’s journey forward from those few minutes that changed everything.

It wasn’t easy. Every time Kindra took a step toward peace and wholeness, a new mass shooting devastated her again. Las Vegas. Parkland. She was hopeless at times, feeling as if no one was listening. Not even at the worldwide demonstration March for Our Lives. But finally, Kindra learned that—for her—the path toward hope wound through art, helping others, and sharing her story.

This is a difficult but important read. From someone who was at the Umpqua community college shooting, you get to see how she works her way through her feelings. All the feelings. Things like school shootings are too common and we need to have the voices of the people who have experienced them to help others who end up having to go through the same things. I loved the way this book followed Kindra through not only her before, but her experience and her after. The after is sometimes what we need to hear about most. I think so many people struggle with these symptoms but don't know where to go with them. I hope this book opens some doors to conversations that need to be had.

The Prince and the Dressmaker

TW: I can't think of any, it does have cross-dressing in it. It brings up the question of gender identity. 

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon is his brilliant dressmaker, Frances―his best friend and one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect her friend?

Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

I loved this graphic novel. It is a classic story told in a beautiful new way. I borrowed this book from my local library but plan on buying a copy for my bookshelf at home. BEAUTIFUL! 

I gave this FIVE out of five stars on goodreads.