This was such an adorable graphic novel!

I would love to read more about Hamal (the gardener) and Blue (the ghost) and how their relationship develops. It’s really short and at times difficult to follow the world-building and plot implications. Basically, Hamal has always been able to see ghosts and can help them move on. But out of nowhere, the ghosts are being transported to some creepy forest and Blue and Hamal have to figure out what’s going on and how to fix it. This a beautiful story about friendship and sacrifice and love.

Also the art is absolutely beautiful, warm greens, browns, and blues.

Definitely would recommend for anyone looking for a diverse, short, fantasy/paranormal, mlm graphic novel!

This was a cute and gay little ghost story. The idea of a ghost being in love with a living person is both sweet and also sad, but luckily Hamal and Blue's romance is more on the happier side and all the other ghost interaction is very cute as well, because they're all kind of gathering around Hamal in the flower shop where he works at since he's the only one who can see them (which leads to everyone else thinking he's a bit of a weirdo). The story could have been a bit more... more, because I read Taproot in like half an hour and it felt like things happened really fast. One moment there's a whole thing going on with creepy forests and disappearing ghosts and a reaper and then turn the page and it's basically all good, problem solved. I still liked it though. I kinda understand keeping the story scope a little smaller though, because I've made comics myself and that stuff is hard work and you can cover a lot less stuff in a 120 page comic than you could in 120 pages of writing. I absolutely loved the art! I'm really picky when it comes to that stuff in comics and have a bad habit of skipping even interesting stories simply because I don't like the art, so it was nice to find a comic that I actually like to look at. I liked the use of colors, there were obviously many different shades of green since Hamal works in a flower shop and everything and even the ghosts were green/blue. All the forest scenes also looked really cool and one of my favorite things in the whole comic was the design the reaper character. Instead of just the usual black robe and a scythe the reaper was actually missing the bottom half of their body completely and had four arms and also wings... That's some cool character design there okay. I feel like I'm not making much sense here but basically everyone should totally read this because cute story and amazing art! I might get a physical copy one day simply because it's so much more fun to appreciate comics in printed form.

This was such a beautiful sweet book. The story follows Hamal, the very sweet gardener and his best friend Blue, who happens to be a ghost. The two of them also happen to be in love with each other, despite the whole ghost thing. I wasn't sure how that was going to work out, but the story has a happy end.

I've been a fan of Keezy's art for years now. The book has a dreamy atmosphere, underscored by the beautiful art and the earthly colours. The character designs are wonderful and it's so nice to see both people of color and fat as the protagonists. Their relationship was sweet and touching and at some points made me sniffle.

There were some issues with the pacing of the story and the fact that the ending left a lot of questions unanswered, but all in all, I really enjoyed the book.

This is a nice little story. Hamal is a gardener who happens to have the ability to see ghosts. Among those is Blue and the two become fast friends.

I like the paranormal elements of the book. The relationship between the two boys is developed really well. Even though there is a gap between their worlds, they have the ability to breech it and overcome one of the biggest obstacles facing them. Their relationship is really the defining part of the book, rather than the supernatural parts or the character sexuality.

I enjoyed the art style, particularly the use of colors throughout the book. It made the story stand out.

To keep things short and sweet, this graphic novel was really cute and gay.

The art style is what appealed to me on NetGalley as I really love art that centers on flowers and plants so I couldn’t stop myself from downloading it (yes its available to download on NG if you’re interested).

I’m so glad I picked this up.

Hamal works in a flower shop and loves his flowers. Blue hangs around as Hamal is the only person he knows who can see him, and other ghosts. The relationship between the two is adorable from the get go. As is how Hamal interacts with the other ghosts whilst trying to maintain a normal life.

But things aren’t going right in the ghost world. The ghosts keep disappearing. A dark spooky forest keeps stealing them away. And a reaper wants Blue to lead him to the necromancer causing this mess or maybe Blue will be lost forever.

But can Blue do this to the one he loves?

I can’t really talk more about the story progression as it would be spoiler-ific but whilst I liked this and was really pleased with its ending I did feel like it was a little underdeveloped in a few areas.

but with it being a graphic novel its also a lot easier to forgive for this as so much more was able to be portrayed with the adorable illustrations.

Basically I just think I wanted more.

Another element I did like though, is during the second part, is how Hamal embraces his skills and powers to help others as a part time job. Its really sweet and a little spooky.

I’d be 100% down to read more stories of these characters. Please Keezy, please grant my wish.

Please note, it took me 3 minutes after finishing the book to add a pre-order to my shopping cart, another 3 minutes passed and my enjoyment of the book had been sprouted to my book club and another member had purchased a copy too.

This was short but super powerful. You really feel the depth of emotion and the power behind what is causing all these ghosts to hang around. There is a lot going on for such a short story, but I feel like it didn’t get too overwhelmed or bogged down. It was still clear and explained everything in a way that made sense. Keep in mind it is a graphic novel so there is more art to express what is happening than words and that’s how it is supposed to be.

It was somehow exactly what I needed a ghost boyfriend book to be. I want to read an entire novel of their entire relationship. It’s so good, how dare you make this so short!!!!!! However, that would negate the need for all of the absolutely beautiful artwork. The colors fit the story so well with all of the greens and blues of Hamal’s world, but also the grays and blacks of the mysterious force that comes into play. The linework was also well done and I appreciated that they went with softer lines.

Usually, I’m not big on romance in my graphic novels but this was really interesting and well done. I liked that everyone just thought Hamal was a weirdo who talked to himself but in reality, he had a bunch of ghosts he kept company. That was super charming. Hamal's sexuality was never clearly defined so he could be bisexual or pansexual depending on how you want to read him. I put bisexual as his label because he said he liked boys and girls but if you're interested in pansexual or non-binary characters this book would interest you.

My only complaint is that I wish we could have gotten more of Blue’s backstory. He’s really sweet and I like him but I want to know more about how he died and who he is. We get to know Hamal really well but Blue is still a mystery.

I had originally received a copy that didn’t have the epilogue but was sent the full story by the author. The epilogue really adds to the story and makes the ending feel less abrupt so I’m glad they sent it to me.

Plant boyfriends for the win!

This was a decent little read. It had an interesting story, a cute, but odd little romance (supernatural) but my one issue is that it was not fleshed out a lot, whilst for the most part not being very fast paced (until about half way through) so it had an odd feel to it. I'm also confused as to what happened to the rest of the characters.

I liked the artsyle-It's not my favourite but it is lovely, especially with the bright colours.

Overall, a decent read that feels complete.

Blue likes Hamal. Blue is also dead, good thing Hamal can see and interact with the dead.
Taproot is a sweet story with a lot of heart and a twist of the supernatural. The art is beautiful and has an otherworldly feel to it which is perfect with the supernatural bits of the story. Blue and Hamal's relationship is also very sweet and had me cheering for them. Wonderful story.

This graphic novel about a gardener who can see ghosts is a stroll on a breezy summer day in book form. So much love and tranquility just oozes out of the pages, though the story as its melancholic and funny moments, too. The only thing I could criticise is that to me the epilogue to the story seems not like a little glimpse into the future of our protagonists but a - if a bit short - story on its own. I was so absorbed in the book that it surprised me when it ended. On the other hand, I think there's a lot of potential for more episodes like the epiologue. Either way, Keezy Young is an artist and author I admire and I can't wait to see more of their work.

I received Taproot from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Taproot is a graphic novel about Hamal who can see ghosts. You follow Hamal's adventures with Blue and their budding relationship.

Things I liked:

- I really liked the art style and the colours that were used. The ghosts are blue/greyish, including their speech bubbles!

- I really enjoyed Hamal's and Blue's relationship! I love the diversity in this book.

I loved the humour in this book, especially the grim reaper got some great lines!

Things I didn't like:

I enjoyed Taproot, although I wish it had been longer. Once I got fully invested in the story, I had already reached the end.

I would have liked a little more worldbuilding and character development, but maybe that's just the genre (which I'm not that familiar with).

In addition, there were a lot of characters (especially the others ghosts) of which the reader knows almost nothing about all. I feel this is a bit of missed opportunity. Either you include them and introduce them properly to the reader or you leave them out entirely.

I felt we only got to know the characters superficially and I wish they had a bit more depth. This could perhaps have been solved if the graphic novel had been longer.

All in all, I thought this was a fantastic introduction to Keezy Young's work. I really like her art style and I could definitely be persuaded to read more of her work in the future. I gave Taproot 3 stars! I do believe younger readers might enjoy this more even more than I did.

I don't read a lot of paranormal stories, but when I first saw the art style of this book, I wanted to read it. This was a stunning graphic novel that I enjoyed. It has a quirky story of a ghost that has fallen in love with his best friend who is alive. Blue has had a hard time moving on into the afterlife and Hamal can see ghosts so Blue haunts him. Something is going wrong in the town and Blue is trying to protect Hamal no matter what he has to do.

The style of this graphic novel is different from what I have seen before and was beautiful. I really liked the story and the characters. The romance was cute, also it was a healthy relationship that was built from a great friendship.

This overall was a great read that I would recommend.

*I received a copy of this graphic novel from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Thank you!

A cute story about a ghost being in love with his best friend, who happens to be able to see and talk to ghosts. It was a quick read with a fast paced storyline, and easy to follow. The art style isn't really for me but the story kept me interested enough to make it to the end.

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review

Hamal works at a flower shop but the owner and customers think he's crazy because he can hear, see, and speak to ghosts. This ability is bitter sweet as the ghost, Blue is his best friend and Blue is in love with Hamal. But lately, Blue has been unexpectedly vanishing and all the ghosts are afraid of what's going on.

I am such a fan of all these calm, multi-cultural, creative, and beautiful graphic novels I'm seeing these days. The cool, soft color palette and relaxed writing make this story about an accidental necromancer an amazing and wonderful read. Even when dealing with death, reapers, and ghosts, Taproot never takes itself too seriously; remaining sweet and grounded the entire time. I was a little confused because the terms 'necromancer' and 'ghost hunter' are used interchangeably when I'd always believed them to be very different things. Perhaps if given more time to develop, we could get Hamal's powers clearly defined, learn where they came from, and get some backstory on the other ghosts around him. As it stands, this book was an overall pleasure. 4 out of 5.

Taproot (Paperback)
by Keezy Young
This is a cute graphic novel that looks into life and death and finding the key to save someone you love. Hamel is haunted by ghosts, but he learns to find a solution to death and bring his friends back to life. This is an innocent look at death and our desire as a society not to lose those we love. The drawings are more like Manga, with similar texture. I would like to see more of the story.

I was drawn to Keezy Young's Taproot by the paranormal story elements and the interesting use of muted colours on the cover. Both indicated that this graphic novel would stand apart from others I've previously read. While I'm used to graphic novels that are brightly coloured and full of action sequences, I felt like I was floating through a dream while reading Taproot.

Hamal has been able to see ghosts since childhood when he thought they were imaginary friends. Hamal works as a gardener at Mr. Takashi's Flowers and has conversations with his ghost friends while he's working, which causes his boss and customers to find him odd but he's so good at his job that it doesn't cause him any real problems.

I'm usually quite allergic to love stories but this one between Hamal, the gardener and Blue, the ghost was so sweet that my allergy didn't flare up once. Blue was lonely when he first started hanging around Hamal. Blue was shocked to learn that Hamal could see and communicate with ghosts. A friendship formed between the two before blossoming into mutual love.

Besides his friendship and love with Blue, Hamal is also friends with two ghostie girls, Joey who is a child and April, a mischievous teenager. All three are in-betweeners, ghosts that for whatever reason haven't moved on yet.

Something strange is happening in the spirit world. The ghosts are being pulled into a dark forest for short periods of time but no one knows why. One time Blue is pulled into this mysterious forest he meets a reaper who wants to make a deal. Will Blue make the ultimate sacrifice for love?

I did have a bit of trouble connecting all of the dots during my first read as there was a lot covered in a short story and it seemed to jump around a bit. I enjoyed my second run through a lot more and found it a much more cohesive and satisfying read, getting my head around connections I'd missed the first time.

I loved the use of colour throughout this graphic novel, with the contrast between a dominance of soft greens and blues in Hamal's world and the harsh black and dull greys and browns of the forest. The colours and style of Keezy Young's illustrations added to the overall mood of the graphic novel, something that would have been diminished had bright colours been used. I adored the continued use of flowers throughout the story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

Lovely graphic novel about a man who can commune with the dead. His supernatural ability becomes a calling for him. The muted color palette of the artwork creates a dreamy, ghostlike feel. An adventure story, a love story and a beautifully drawn book of artwork.

A book that starts out as interesting - a young lad working in a florist's, which is populated by several ghosts that only he can see. Unfortunately, it gets a little too weird, and you eventually see the book for what it is - an opening collection of a Manga-inflected title that doesn't seem to be able to stay within strict arcs, but only meander from one story to another. So there's a nasty forest pulling the ghosts away from the shop, then this, then that... it all gets a little woolly, and even if the book adheres to the author's stated intention, of having bright colours and gay people in genre comics, this isn't exactly the best example one could hope for. Readable, but no more.

Hamil is working in a nursery. He is a young man who can see ghosts. He sees a friend, Blue who is a ghost. Blue talks to Hamil while he is working which makes the customers and his boss think he is an oddball. Why? Hamil talks back to Blue and other ghosts that other people can't see. Blue disappears and finds that a reaper has a strange and creepy forest that he calls ghosts to.

The author has written a sweet story. The illustrations are beautiful and fit the story. It is a story that flows. It is a story that won't keep you awake at night. The ghosts are friendly. The reaper is not what I would expect . I am glad I got to read it. It was interesting to see Hamil and the different ghosts relationships.

Well, this is adorable. The art style isn't to my taste and I found the story's pace odd (too slow at first and then suddenly rushed towards the end). But the romance was so sweet that I didn't mind. I'll definitely be reading the next in the series.