A wonderful middle grade novel exploring identity and grief through letters to Mothman. At the beginning, you'll just want to wrap Noah up in a hug. Through most of the story, honestly. He's struggling because the only friend he told he was trans, Lewis, has died suddenly in a car accident and Noah isn't sure how to share that information with anyone else. 

Noah is also struggling with Lewis's death because it seems that Noah was the only one who knew Lews was trans. So many feelings for 6th grade, and Gow shows it all with grace. Gow's transition to middle grade is an absolute triumph and I can't wait to see what comes next.

This is a bit of a catch-up sort of volume, getting those that maybe missed the previous run caught up on all things Peter and Mary Jane. And clarifying what really happened when Peter asked Strange to erase everyone's memory. I honestly loved the art in this, flipping between the classic Spider-Man art and more current art. It works really well for the story.

Re-visited this because I got approved for the second book on NetGalley! And I wanted the story to be fresh in my head before I picked up the second book. I actually recommend this a lot at work because it's such a great read-a-like for those that like The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson. If you have kids or teens that love those series, definitely give them this book! 

The world-building in this book is fantastic, with a cast of characters you will definitely be rooting for by the end. Thomas also keeps you guessing with plot twists that will make you want to read the next book ASAP!

If you like mythology based, competition style fantasy, definitely check out this duology!

Kraven the Hunter honestly has never been my favorite Spider-Man villain, so this was just okay for me. It gets a bit dark there towards the middle, without that usual Peter Parker/Spider-Man charm and wit. Usually he can add a bit of lightheartedness to a grim situation, but apparently not this time. 

The art in this one also just felt okay, nothing really stood out to me. An all right Spider-Man comic, in the scheme of things.

Indu is a boy from the moon who has never really felt like he belonged. His adoptive mother moved them from their spaceship to New Earth, and it’s been hard to find a place to fit in. His new classmates think he’s weird, his new family doesn’t seem to know what to do with him, and his new penpal suddenly ghosted him.

In a moment of loneliness, he calls out to the moon for help. The moon answers and promises to bring Indu back home to the moon on the first day of the New Year. But as the date draws near, Indu makes new friendships that might make him change his mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advanced copy of Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo to review! This title caught my eye when I was scrolling NetGalley, and I am absolutely not disappointed. I loved this middle grade graphic novel from beginning to end.

Let’s start with the artwork. Every single panel throughout this book was gorgeous. The character design, the world building, the color palettes, I loved everything about it. It all works together so well to craft this emotional, fantastical story.

And the characters! Indu is such a sweet main character, trying to figure out how he fits in. Not only is he from the moon, but he’s also transgender. Part of his story is finding the queer community that accepts him for who he is. He finds people who understand, and makes connections that make him realize that his new home isn’t as bad as he thought it was. 

The side cast of characters were just as fleshed out as Indu. From his new stepfamily to his new friends that he makes, he eventually finds connections that make him want to stay. Indu’s story is one that a lot of middle grade readers will relate to, in a variety of different ways.

All in all, if you love queer middle grade graphic novels, definitely check this one out in May!

Young Hag grew up hearing stories about dragons and wizards and magical quests. She has always wanted to be a part of the adventure. However, ever since the door to the Otherworld had been closed, magic has ceased to exist in Britain. But when tragedy strikes Young Hag and her grandmother, maybe she doesn't want anything to do with magic after all.

When a Changeling crosses their path, Young Hag has no choice but to accept that magic exists. And that maybe, it might be up to her to eventually bring it back to Britain.

Thanks to ABRAMS Kids and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Young Hag and the Witches' Quest by Isabel Greenberg to review! This is a King Arthur-based graphic novel, filled with magic, quests, and lots of storytelling. If King Arthur is your jam, this book might just be your thing!

We get a feminist spin on the classic King Arthur story in this, with Greenberg adding her own elements to the story. It feels both familiar and unique, which means it easily grabs your attention. The overall pacing of the story it also really quick, meaning that this is an easy book to pick up in an afternoon. Especially if you like magic and adventure.

I wasn't necessarily a huge fan of the art style. I do think it fits the overall tone of the story, it just wastn' my favorite thing. It's not super detailed, though it feels like it fits the time period that this is set in.

All in all, if you like fast-paced fantasy graphic novels, this might just be for you!

I loved that the titles of the chapters were song titles and that there were just so many playlists throughout this book. Honestly, I kind of want to see if someone has made a playlist of all the songs in this book because there were a lot!

Anyway, this is a sweet, music themed romance with the found family trope that was just lovely. Third Eye is such a lovely group of people, and I loved how they accepted Liana into their fold. You could tell that they all cared deeply for each other, and the characters were just so well done.

However, there was one thing that really took me out of the story: Skye saying that he got a tattoo every couple of weeks after turning 18. I'm sorry, what?? Who has that kind of time and money at 18??? He also has a piercing at some point, and I just don't believe all this happened in 6 months. I don't know why it bothered me so much, but it did lol.

Anway, if you like music and found family, definitely check this one out!

Thanks to Graphix for sending an ARC to the library! This was easily one of my most anticipated graphic novels of the year, if not my most anticipated. I have loved everything I've read from Molly Knox Ostertag, and quite honestly, I think this might be her best yet. There are so many layers to the story in this book, and each person who reads it will get something different out of it. 

Reading the ARC means that the images were mostly in black and white, so I absolutely cannot wait to see this in full color. Definitely going to be pre-ordering it for that reason. Because even just the small glimpse in color was magnificent.

The characters, the emotion, the art and design just all work together to create this story that I guarantee you'll still be thinking about when you're done with this book. Our main characters, Mags and Nessa, are both dealing with their own baggage, but learn that maybe there are people who can help with that. Mags especially learns that despite her secrets and her past, she deserves to be happy.

I know it's so early to be talking about this book, but definitely have it on all your lists when it comes out this summer. It will absolutely be worth it.

This book starts out pretty slow, introducing us to our main cast of characters and following the characters as they plan their heist. There is quite a bit of planning in the first half that I think partly functions as world-building, but it does make the plot drag a bit. But once they get into the heist, things just snowball from there.

In general, this did remind me a lot of Six of Crows, though it doesn't quite have the pacing that Six of Crows has. Pretty similar vibes, though, with vampires instead of magic users essentially. There are some good twists towards the end that will definitely keep you reading, as I couldn't put the book down for the last third. And of course, there's a hook at the end for the next book, which I will absolutely be reading.

Faizal does have some great lines in this book (none of which I wrote down, so I can't include them here). This was overall a wild ride, and I'd definitely recommend it if you like fantasy heist novels!

First of all, I didn't realize this was about dragons until I looked closer at the cover, and I'm not mad about it! Always here for a good fantasy featuring dragons. And this is a pretty solid debut! The strongest aspect of this book is definitely the relationship between Faron and Elara and their dedication to each other. Though they are apart for a lot of the book, we can still feel that strong bond between them.

The world building was also pretty well done! The magic system felt unique, and I am definitely interested in seeing where it goes next. Especially with that ending! 

However, some of the writing didn't quite feel as smooth as it should be, though the book definitely hit its stride in the last third of the story. Cole is a promising debut author, and I can't wait to see her grow from here!