Graphic Novel Reviews: Pumpkinheads and Mooncakes

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
Goodreads Amazon

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

Release Day Review: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Royals
(Royals #1)
Rachel Hawkins
Release: May 1, 2018
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via First to Read

Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond. 

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.

Review:

Royals probably isn’t the princess romance you’re expecting. The beautiful blonde American has already met her prince. As the Royal Wedding approaches, her seventeen year old sister finds herself in the tabloids. She’s whisked off to Scotland for damage control but winds up causing even more Royal drama. The handsome prince has a trouble magnet younger brother who keeps dragging Daisy in to the spotlight with him.

I enjoyed the slow burn romance and Daisy’s fish out of water moments gave me some major Pretty Woman vibes. The polo match, the giant hats, even the BFF who comes to visit. She has plenty of other classic rom com moments that make Royals lots of fun (Hello tropey goodness!) but I still think she's just like Vivian. Well, minus the whole hooker thing. If Julia Roberts is your perfect fairy tale princess, you'll love Royals.

    

4  stars

This May is all about princes and princeses. Royal Baby, Royal Wedding. . .
So watch for more Royal Romance reviews coming soon.

Really Short Reviews: Speak Easy, Speak Love and Release

I know September is a huge month for YA release but does it seem like there has there been even more than normal this year? Or maybe it seems like that to just me because I'm interested in way more YA books this year than in past ones. I have read a ton of ARCs for this month and while I enjoyed these books a lot I just don't have a lot to say about them. So it's time for another episode of Really Short Reviews!

Speak Easy, Speak Love
McKelle George
Release: September 19, 2017
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Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

After she gets kicked out of boarding school, seventeen-year-old Beatrice goes to her uncle’s estate on Long Island. But Hey Nonny Nonny is more than just a rundown old mansion. Beatrice’s cousin, Hero, runs a struggling speakeasy out of the basement—one that might not survive the summer. Along with Prince, a poor young man determined to prove his worth; his brother John, a dark and dangerous agent of the local mob; Benedick, a handsome trust-fund kid trying to become a writer; and Maggie, a beautiful and talented singer; Beatrice and Hero throw all their efforts into planning a massive party to save the speakeasy. Despite all their worries, the summer is beautiful, love is in the air, and Beatrice and Benedick are caught up in a romantic battle of wits that their friends might be quietly orchestrating in the background.

Hilariously clever and utterly charming, McKelle George’s debut novel is full of intrigue and 1920s charm. For fans of Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, and Anna Godbersen.

Review:
This book was everything I wanted it to be! I will admit that while I'm familiar with the plot of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, I've never read it all the way through. And I don't think that took anything away from my enjoyment of this book. It's a fast-paced romp that's full of delightfully witty banter and amazing characters.

What I loved most was the different relationships and the found family aspect in this book. The relationships are complex and wonderfully endearing! I loved that the focus wasn't on just the romantic relationships but on the platonic friendships as well. The way these characters interact and care for each other is heartwarming on so many levels. I honestly can't pick a favorite out of them because I love them all!

I also loved the 1920s prohibition era setting! It's what really made the book awesome! You can tell George did her research and every small detail made me wish speakeasies were still a thing. This is one of my favorite books that I've read this year and certainly one of my favorite YA historical reads of all time. I cannot wait to see what this debut author has in store for us next.

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

    1/2

  4.5 / 5 Stars

Release
Patrick Ness
Release: September 19, 2017
Goodreads Amazon

Adam Thorn doesn’t know it yet, but today will change his life.

Between his religious family, a deeply unpleasant ultimatum from his boss, and his own unrequited love for his sort-of ex, Enzo, it seems as though Adam’s life is falling apart.  At least he has two people to keep him sane: his new boyfriend (he does love Linus, doesn’t he?) and his best friend, Angela.

But all day long, old memories and new heartaches come crashing together, throwing Adam’s life into chaos. The bindings of his world are coming untied one by one; yet in spite of everything he has to let go, he may also find freedom in the release.

Review:
I'm still torn about what to rate this book. I liked it and the ending was fantastic! But the lead up to that ending was weird. This book is really two stories in one. At first, it seemed to me like the stories weren't really connected at all and the change from one story to the other was jarring. And that disconnect between the two continued almost to the end. I will say that in the ending the two stories were merged in a wonderful way and I really appreciate how it ended. 

I really wish the two stories would have been more interconnected throughout the book but then again I'm not sure the ending would have been so perfect if they were. The thing I adored the most in this book though was the openness that Adam and Angela had in their friendship. There was no holding back at all even on the topics people don't like to talk about. Sometimes YA books hold back when it comes to talking about sex but this book was like a breath of fresh air. Their friendship was awesome!

Overall, I'd recommend this book to people with the disclaimer that it's a little weird.

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

  

  3 / 5 Stars

Review + Giveaway: A World Without You by Beth Revis

A World Without You
Beth Revis
Release: July 19, 2016
Goodreads Amazon
Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his worried parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have “superpowers.”

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofía, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Soíia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofía, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age.

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she’s not actually dead. He believes that she’s stuck somewhere in time—that he somehow left her in the past, and that now it’s his job to save her. And as Bo becomes more and more determined to save Sofía, he must decide whether to face his demons head-on or succumb to a psychosis that will let him be with the girl he loves.

Review: 

There are some books that you start with the intention of reading a chapter or two and then going on to whatever else you have to do for that day. And then there are books like A World Without You by Beth Revis, which you open up and never put back down again until you're finished.

This book falls into a genre I don't read a lot of, young adult contemporary, but also manages to bridge between contemporary and fantasy through the main character's delusions of super abilities. I absolutely adored this book and can comfortably say its one of my favorite reads of 2016 so far. I was so excited about how much I loved it, that I decided to give away a copy from The Book Depository!

Check out my thoughts (spoiler-free) on A World Without You by Beth Revis and then enter to win your own copy on the Rafflecopter form below!

A World Without You by Beth Revis

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  5 / 5 stars

In a combination of being excited to share my love for this book AND trying to grow the number of viewers at the new youtube book review channel, I thought I'd give away a copy of A World Without You by Beth Revis! 

You must be 13 or older and live somewhere The Book Depository ships to be eligible. 

(Also, this will be a regular copy of the book, not the annotated copy.)

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