Goldilox and the Three Weres: September 2019

I have been on a graphic novel and manga reading kick lately and I've read some awesome things! I have two graphic novel reviews for you today that I'd highly recommend if you're looking for some cute, fallsy reads.

Pumpkinheads
Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
Release: August 31, 2019
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Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends.

Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.

But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.

Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .

What if their last shift was an adventure?

Review:
Pumpkinheads was absolutely delightful! It was just so cute! And oh! so perfect for fall! I've read it twice in the last week and I can see this graphic novel becoming a go to if I need a quick mood booster read.

Josiah and Deja are seasonal best friends when they're working at the pumpkin patch. This graphic novel covers their last shift together and Deja has plans that see them escaping their normal post and eating as much delicious food as possible. Except, like any well-intended plans, things don't go as expected. They contend with all kinds of shenanigans as they say good-bye to their beloved pumpkin patch and they both have some realizations along the way.

This was so much fun and so full of heart! Pumpkinheads had so many of Rainbow Rowell's trademarks in it including a story that is very emotional and heartwarming. I read the book in one sitting and was so sad when I finished it that I immediately started it over. I'm slowly becoming a fan of Rainbow Rowell's books and this graphic novel made me want to read the ones I haven't gotten to yet.

I'm not very familiar with Faith Erin Hicks' work but this graphic novel makes me want to check out more of her stuff. Her art style is gorgeous and I loved the color palette. Plus, all of the illustrations really added to the whole fall vibe of the pumpkin patch.

Pumpkinheads is the perfect graphic novel if you want to get into the fall spirit and love stories about friendship. You probably shouldn't read it on an empty stomach! It'll make you crave all the food!

5 / 5 Stars

Mooncakes

Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

Release: October 15, 2019

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A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Review:

Guys! If you want a cute, paranormal romance read that is a great mix between the friends-to-lovers and second chance tropes, this is the graphic novel for you! I got some serious fall vibes from it plus it was adorable, romantic, and chock full of diverse characters.

And when I say it's diverse, I mean it's way diverse. Both of the main characters are Chinese-American which was so cool! The main witch character, Nova, has a hard time hearing and wears hearing aids. The main werewolf lead, Tam, identifies as non-binary and it was accepted as perfectly normal. I loved that! There was one discussion where they corrected the pronouns used to describe them and that was all that was needed to have everyone using the correct ones. And we can't forget Nova's Nanas! I loved that Nova lives with her married grandmas. The Nanas were amazing! I'd totally read a prequel book about their adventures.

My favorite part of this graphic novel besides the characters was the romance. I loved that it was a second chance, friends-to-lovers F/NB romance! I hardly see those two tropes mixed with that pairing and I am here for it. Also, it gave a new spin to a romance between a witch and werewolf.

The illustrations in this graphic novel were amazing! I loved the style from the first page. The story itself was good and wasn't overly complicated. I was able to guess the big bad but that was about it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story.

If you're looking for a cute and diverse paranormal graphic novel, you need to pick up Mooncakes.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

4 / 5 Stars