An engaging young adult murder mystery which draws from a real mix of myths and cultures! The main character, Ellie, is Lipan Apache, and the heir to a family power to call back the dead. Her best friends are the ghost of her childhood dog, Kirby, and Jay, a human boy who is part fae. When Ellie's cousin, an elementary school teacher and new father, is killed in a mysterious car accident, Ellie's family rallies around his widow to try and figure out what really happened. The death occurred in Willowby, Texas, a strange town full of it's own secrets. Fairy mushrooms grow improbably from the dry soil, and vampires linger in unusual numbers around the mansion of a wealthy doctor. Can two teens and a ghost dog unravel this crime, and find justice for the dead? I listened as an audiobook and through it took me a while to orient myself in the beginning, by the end I really enjoyed the ride. It made me think of Gaimen's American Gods, but written from an indigenous perspective for younger readers. 

I've been looking forward to this whimsical fantasy comic for ages, and it did not disappoint! A wizerd's peaceful existence is disrupted by the arrival of a tiny, feisty warrior princess. She wants to be a hulk, and isn't willing to wait and see if she'll just grow up into one. She badgers the wizerd into going on a quest with her to get the ingredients to a Wishing Potion. The wizerd agrees, only because they think they can get everything they need from a nearby all-stop loot shop in town. On the way they pick up an errant archer, even though, as the wizerd warns, once you pick up an archer you're only one step away from dungeon-crawling with a full crew of misfits... naturally nothing goes as smoothly as they expect! The art in this book is so fun, full of silly and delightful details, perfectly matched by the humorous and genre-aware dialogue. I really hope the creative team behind this one get to continue the series. 

I really enjoyed this memoir of growing up trans and closeted in the small English town of St Helens in the early 2000s. The author inserts his adult self in as a character who banters with his teen self, and occasionally interviews his parents on their memories or reactions to his coming out story. I found this a very effective way of weaving together the insight Hancox has now with the actions his younger self took based on much more limited information about gender identity, sexuality, and transitioning. It's also quite funny! Hancox and his friends were rambunctious, crashing around a town too small to hold them. For the American reader, expect a certain amount of unfamiliar British slang, but most can be picked out from context. This comic is rated 14+ on the back and includes scenes of obsession with weight and exercise, an eating disorder, some underage drinking, and some mild nudity. All of it felt important and integral to the story, and I appreciated Hancox's candor and the ultimately gentle and humorous tone with which he land out these adolescent troubles. If you liked Gender Queer or Kisses for Jet you will probably like this one as well! 

Please note, I read an advanced reader copy of this book, which didn't have the full color finished artwork. I think seeing the finished book would definitely have given it more impact.

This is a nearly wordless story about Marisol, born in Cuba, who is sent by her parents to live in Brooklyn with foster parents after the revolution. New York seems gray and lifeless after the colorful island Marisol left behind. She is teased at school, but slowly begins to reignite her love of books and plants, which bring some joy back into her life. The arc of this story reminded me of a simpler version of The Secret Garden.

The back of the book includes historical information about the real exodus of Cuban children to the US via a program called Peter Pan, which placed kids with Catholic foster families. I kind of wish this essay had been at the front of the book instead, because the wordless text left me wondering who Marisol's foster parents were, how she ended up with them, and what their motivation was. I found these questions somewhat distracting from Marisol's journey. I did enjoy seeing Marisol begin to settle into her new home and thrive there, but kind of wish the story did have words so I'd have know more about what was going on! 

Annie is a smart, anti-social lesbian entering her senior year of high school with no extra curriculars on her college applications. An old friend, Beatriz, recently transitioned and joined the high school cheerleader team; Annie is convinced to give it a try, despite her reluctance. Annie and Beatriz rekindle their friendship and navigate the complexities of supporting each other, showing up for the team, and being true to themselves. At only 120 pages, this story is quite slight, but it packs a very sweet tight story into its low page count. I also really enjoyed the clear, uncluttered line art and loving character designs. 

Patroclus narrates the story of his childhood, the early exile that brought him to Achilles's father's house, and the developing friendship and companionship of these two unusual boys. Patroclus is awkward, unskilled in fighting, and uneasy in most company. Achilles is the son of a goddess and a mortal man, faster, stronger, more beautiful, and more confident than anyone else Patroclus has ever known. But they see something in each other that no one else sees. They are given the gift of an extended adolescence under the tutorage Chiron the centaur before they are both called, by oath and prophesy, to the Trojan War. There were pieces of this story I was familiar with from reading other Greek myths but much of it was new to me. I love Miller's writing; I had already fallen in love with her characterizations of the gods and of Odysseus in Circe. Of the two, Circe remains my favorite, but this one was an absolute pleasure to read as well. I speed through the second half of the book in just two days and I think it lives up to the hype! 

A dense, rich, satisfying sci-fi with so many elements I loved! This book opens with Mahit Dzmare, a newly appointed ambassador from the small space station of Lsel, arriving at the heart and homeworld of the Teixcalaan empire. Mahit has studied the Teixcalaan language, culture, history and poetry for years and she also carries in her head an imago-machine: the digitally recorded memories and personality of the previous ambassador to help guide her in this new, dangerous world. But she goes to her new position unsure if her predecessor is alive or dead, disgraced or thriving, and what uncomfortable legacy he might have left behind. Mahit has been tasked with diplomatically maintaining Lsel's  independence but the appetite of the empire is endless, and war threatens eternally on the horizon. This book is the first of a duology, but it also contains a complete story full of political intrigue, mystery, and queer desire. I highly recommend it and I will be diving into the sequel soon! 

Vonceil is the youngest of five siblings, but she's always related most to her oldest brother, Elber; but when he comes back from the trenches of WWI he has changed. He isn't willing to play with Vonceil the way he did before- he immediately proposes to and marries a young woman Vonceil finds deeply boring. She wanted her brother to stay in Europe, where she might eventually join him; she doesn't understand his rush to settle down. Then, a woman in white arrives in their small Oklahoma town. She and Elber were lovers in the war, and when she finds him married she puts a curse on his family. Vonceil decides it is her job to break it. This comic is magical, beautiful, whimsical, and emotional in the mold of a Ghibli film. I was knocked over by the level of comics craft. The pacing, the page layouts, the color palettes, the expressive cartooning and character designs! This one became an instant favorite and I am extremely likely to purchase it sometime in the future so I can pour over the pages. 

The first book in a series, this comic opens in a grungy boarding school on the moon where teen girls slouch through an education which includes propaganda about how the Earth is a ruin and they are very lucky to live in a moon colony instead. Stab, Yuki, and Una keep themselves entertained by dying their hair and brainstorming band and gang names. A fight with a rival clique leads to the reveal of a dangerous secret hidden in the school, and the girls pledge themselves to a massive project, not realizing their movements are being monitored more closely than they realize. An intriguing beginning; I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next volume! I love the punk space aesthetic by Silver Sprocket artist Jenn Woodall who brings this world vividly to life. 

A very sweet, short story of a pre-teen wrestling with beauty standards and family pressure to conform to lady-like behavior. Marlene loves running around, playing with her best friend, and looks up to her cool Tía Ruby. She does not love the weekly salon sessions her mom insists on every Sunday. Her Tía Ruby wears her hair natural- can Marlene figure out a way to tell her mom she wants do the same? I got to read an ARC of this comic and loved the nuanced conversations of anti-blackness in beauty standards and how well they were woven in to a very warm, loving, coming of age tale. The art is very charming, with a lot of soft pinks, golds, and browns. It gave the book the feel of a summer sunset.