Tag: graphic novel

Book Review

Moon Reads: Garlic & the Witch

Posted on

Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulsen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I really enjoyed the first book, Garlic & the Vampire which was very cute, full of chaos and enjoyable. It was inevitable therefore that when seeing there was a second book, I would pre-order it.

I have no regrets.

Garlic is enjoying life with her vegetable friends, Carrot included, the Count (from the previous book) and the Witch Agnes. However, they are struggling to make a good substitute for the Count (he doesn’t want blood, but a vegetarian alternative).

Turns out to find the ingredients she has to go on a journey to the Magic Market for those ingredients to help Witch Agnes finally nail the substitute. But the other big thing looming for Garlic is that she is turning a little bit human and this feels a little too much and a big change even if it is gradual, what if Garlic doesn’t want to?

The story tackles many things and includes our cast in a more “mature” way having learnt and grown from the previous story. One of the big things is anxiety and how that can sometimes mix with fear of change and maybe hinder you a little.

It made me think a lot about how different and change aren’t bad words. It is important to work on that openness and that understanding that it will be different, it will change but that does not inherently mean it is good or bad, it could just be, or it could be good. And well, Garlic really has to work on this and on her anxiety, and trying to understand herself a little more, a bit more bravery and courage as she goes on a journey and as she looks inside herself and tries to define her own answers to who she is.

A very lovely sequel to the first book and left a warm fuzzy feeling, perfect as an autumn or winter read with a lovely cup of warm tea or hot chocolate.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Night Marchers

Posted on

The Night Marchers

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Another collection of stories, but this time in graphic novel form. This is a rich collection of “Cautionary Fables and Fairytales” from Oceania and around the area, so you get a lot of different stories than the usual fairytales we all know.

Forget Snow White or yet another greek mythology retelling, here you will get tales with a wide range of ideas, some from superstition (like consider what happens to the spirits and invisible beings, or they may be out to get you), to wider and more elaborate stories ranging Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii, and beyond.

Some reminded me a little of the stories from Spirits Abroad but now in graphic novel form, and some felt new and interesting, and it was also an introduction to artists that may not be as well known or that you see less of their work on the Western side of the world, and boy the artwork was also stunning considering it was in black and white, there were many styles and stories.

I haven’t read the rest of the series of Cautionary Fables and Fairytales so I cannot compare it to the rest, but it was a decent number of stories and even though as usual some were not my style either in art, or story or both (I think only one didn’t hit both things for me) the overall feel of the book was good and interesting leaving me wanting to get some more books to read on fairy tales and fables from the regions.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Meesh the Bad Demon

Posted on

Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

What makes a bad demon? Apparently Meesh is one, as she is better at seeing the good in everyone than the bad and doesn’t act like other demons. Therefore the other demons bully her because she dreams of being more like a fairy princess than the expectations of a demon.

But, as a big disaster strikes, Meesh ends up journeying to other worlds to try to find help. And why not start where she thinks she could get help, the fairy realm?

The artwork and the story were very cute and perfect for a middle grade graphic novel, the colour palette was also beautifully used to show the different worlds and the elements of what was happening so you could get an idea before you fully understood what was going in, which was done in a subtle interesting way and I liked that.

The story focuses on being brave, on being true to yourself and in some ways, challenging the expectations set on you from society and others and that what sometimes we are told is the way we ought to be, doesn’t make who we are less, and sometimes we have to do things for the better.

It is a very cute lovely story and I am looking forward to reading the second book.

And yes, I am trying to keep a relatively spooky/scary vibe or as close as can be for the posts of the month. Let’s see how well we can do.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Over My Dead Body

Posted on

Over my dead body by Sweeney Boo

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I saw this book in a bookshop and it caught my eye. I normally try to browse the graphic novel section, as sometimes it contains gems, and honestly Over my dead body did not disappoint.

At Younwity’s Institute of Magic, they don’t talk much about a girl that went missing many years go, but when Abby notices that Noreen just seems to have vanished, she starts to wonder and investigate. The problem is that there is a forbidden forest a plenty where Noreen could have disappeared to and also preparations for Samhain festival which are also distracting.

And so the adventure starts of Abby trying to find what happened to Noreen and slowly finding out the potential things that make it much too similar to what happened before her time in this school.

The art is glorious and the use of colour was epic, alongside giving it a magical appearance to things and setting the moods of each character and their ways clearly. It is a fun and mysterious read, with a lot to go for it and I enjoyed it a lot.

Of course there are frustrating bits, various things at stake and obstacles to overcome, including adults that don’t seem to be doing their duty (I admit this part is probably my least favourite trope of “hey the adults are just there to be an obstacle” and probably my least favourite part of this, but it works out not too badly and with a little more plot as you go along, but on first impressions it wasn’t winning much.

Overall, a good witchy and mysterious read worth grabbing and reading in one sitting.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Love Kills

Posted on

Love Kills by Danilo Beyruth

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

This one is courtesy of Titan Comic, and I admit I thought at first it was a gamble because I may like it or maybe it really wasn’t for me. Horror is something I am picky with and therefore I know going in that it may not be for me.

Love Kills surprised me.

It follows Helena as an immortal lone vampire, and the series of events that unravel to bring Marcus (just a humanTM) together. The art is steady and cryptic but also detailed, trying to portray the life and bustle of Sao Paulo and the streets there, but also the contrast of the city with Helena’s life and world, which is noticeable.

Marcus is just trying to be a good person, move in the world, do better, when he gets involved in a fight that turns out to be about hunting territory, and then something even deeper that comes haunting from the past of Helena.

One of the things I liked was seeing all the relationships and how they interacted with our main character. Being immortal here isn’t shown as this wonderful thing but rather a burden and something heavy, with some goods and bads, and with the past following heavily behind.

Still, overall, the story had me hooked and I needed to know more and more and to figure out what exactly was the reason why they were chasing Helena so much, alongside what would happen to Marcus, and what Helena’s choices would be.

If you want a one volume vampire graphic novel with a decent amount of city life, fights, mystery, suspense and chaos, this is a good choice, with added creepy vibe and a bit of gore.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Lightfall – Shadow of the bird

Posted on

Lightfall – Shadow of the bird by Tim Probert

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

In my last review, I talked a bit about the first book in this series, The Girl and the Galdurian and mentioned you’d want the second book at the ready, well, here is my review of it because I couldn’t leave you waiting.

As per the first book, the art is still wonderful, but the tone of it is slightly different, obviously, we have already met most of our main characters and gone from the nice life we used to have to a much more complicated plot and a darkness spreading across the land kinda vibe. This translates both in tones in the comic, but also in the storyline. There is growth or at least what may seem like it at first, but also a lot more conflict.

Bea has overall still her anxiety and the nerves, everything that she fears slowing her down and causing her to doubt, whereas Cad is so confident that it almost jars her and they seem to be finding points of disturbance, but in the end, this gets resolved.

What got me the most was the compassion and empathy Bea displays as the story goes and that she is willing to try to understand both sides of the story not just the one the “winners and survivors” have written, but that of those that lost. Were they genuinely evil or were they just defending their nest and home? What was the reason behind them behaving that way, and are they misunderstood or are they not?

Overall, the soothing vibe is still there but now you see a different more personal side, some more growth and empathy and compassion, things that sometimes we forget. The biases we have and the stories we are told against what the other side may be actually experiencing. It is also a way to show Cad that he may need to consider Bea has also value in her own way and he doesn’t know it all, as he sees himself as an unshakeable hero, but there is something he doesn’t know or understand and his truth may not be the full truth of how things were.

Highly recommended, and sadly the next book isn’t out yet or I would be reviewing it next, but do invest in this series as it is one I plan to re-read and enjoy!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Lightfall – The Girl and the Galdurian

Posted on

Lightfall – The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I can’t remember why I found this book so interesting, but it was on my wishlist for ages until it suddenly had a price reduction and became affordable alongside the fact that there’s now a sequel out too! So I bought it and I am so glad I did.

Let me start with the artwork which made me want to move into the woods and just live there with the characters, but it was also keeping really into the story and marvelling about everything. Then there are our main characters, Bea who is the adopted daughter of a pig wizard (adorable I tell you, and the ideas are so cute and make me smile), and Cad a Galdurian which is somehow supposed to be extinct but isn’t and this is confusing.

The whole adventure goes from “oh hey I am going to collect herbs” to epic levels quickly and to me the favourite part was that Bea has anxiety and enrves and mental health loitering and this shows beautifully int he art, you can understand how she feels, and relate to her and the situation being so overwhelming.

I think the one thing I wish I had gotten a better view of , is Cad mind, just a little bit and a bit more about the world before this, but it does go at a relatively active pace that starts slow and goes quicker untilw e get to the end of the story and now you want to read more.

Oh and the Pig Wizard grandfather figure kinda disappears, thre’s a bunch of cut interesting creatures and a lot fo epic journeys and saving the world and yet also a lot of “humanity” and kindness.

Cute story to be read together with a child, or just on your own when you need a little bit of hope and your brain is doing circles in a wheel that ti shouldn’t be running over and over, but still keeps doing. Soothing overall, and you will want the next book at the ready.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Hungry Ghost

Posted on

Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I cant remember what made me pre-order this book, since I have been limiting my preorders a lot, trying to only buy a few preorders and read through my backlog, which is honestly terrifying. But I am glad I did.

Hungry Ghost takes is through the story of Valerie, who since she was young has felt the pressure to be perfect. And perfect is not just good grades, and being a good daughter, but being thin. And being thin comes at a cost which turns into purging and binging.

The story explains a little on why there is this pressure, and family dynamics, but you also learn a lot about Val in the way she interacts with her best friend Jordan.

I have to say that I enjoyed the art a lot and it lend itself to the story beautifully, each bouncing off the other and making it into a gorgeous graphic novel. The details are lovely, there’s a lot of keeping to a few nice palettes and themes, and there is joy in this work despite the topics included.

This leads to the fact that this is a book with a few content warnings, some of which be spoilers but still, my advise is to come at it knowing there is grief, toxic projections from a parent and of course eating disorders which then touch on fatphobia and similar issues. Still, it was nice to see Val journey through confronting her own “demons” and what her mind has created out of what everyone else has said to her, and the shape it has taken.

It also makes you question where you get your value and if chasing things like thinness or perfection truly brings you the happiness needed or if is it a failed attempt before you even start? Honestly, I breezed through this one and just felt enthralled by it.

One last thing is that it shines in showing that relationships in many ways, shapes and forms can be complex, and sometimes love is shown in a huge variety of ways, and sometimes someone only knows how to love in a certain way and all we can do is do our best to bridge the gap and show them how to love us in a way that suits us better. It is easier when you stop seeing everyone as the enemy and start understanding that we all have our own things that have shaped us to show love in a certain way. It doesn’t justify things, but it means you understand better and you try to love others better but also love yourself and know your boundaries, and be kinder to others.

I recommend it is a wonderful story with good depth and fascinating art.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Catboy

Posted on

Catboy by Benji Nate

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I bought this as it looked interesting and a catboy sounded like an interesting premise. Basically we follow Olive who is lonely and wishes her cat Henry would become her best friend. This turns Henry into a “human” catboy which is hilarious and oddly weird.

For the most part, Henry is very much a cat and this is hilarious, even if it is weird or frustrating for Olive, like he doesn’t care if he’s wearing girl clothes despite being a boy cat (gender norms? what are those?) but at times the interactions were a tiny bit creepy and I did not enjoy reading the, they felt like they had been written to be funny but read more cringey and a little bit too much, so I am taking some foxes away for that. I think the concept would have bene better without those as the overall story is about being more confident, what friendship and being yourself means and similar things, so slightly creepy things weren’t necessary and did not add to a light humour touch.

The art is ridiculously cute and works well with the story, so on that part it is a big win.

Overall a cute story that lost a little bit due to odd parts of it with very cute and fitting art.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Life of Melody

Posted on

Life Of Melody by Mari Costa

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

When two very opposite magical beings, a fairy godfather and a beast both find a little girl in the woods and neither wants to back down, they decide to become the parents and share custody. Razzmatazz (the fairy godfather) is convinced that if he raises the baby human it will be easier to work with her when she turns into a fairy tale protagonist, and Bon (the beast) isn’t sure Razz can take care of her and thinks it is dangerous to leave her with him (and he has a point).

The main story is about them slowly learning to live together but not only that but adapting to a “human” life, where they have a job (which is a lot harder for Razz). Razz becomes a helper in a library and Bon starts helping with kids in a school. But it is not only about that but about them being parents and about slowly falling in love with each other gently and totally denying it initially until they slowly admit it and it is a very cute story.

The artwork fits the narrative and the little details of the story and the town they settle in, alongside some of the backstory of our characters. Melody (the little girl) is also a good part fo the story and helps move it along, but the main focus is this setup of almost “fake dating” but not fully that since they only do it for appearances and because they decided to co-parent her.

It made me laugh and feel all cute and lovely inside, and it is a good cosy book to read and enjoy.