*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a children's graphic novel that comes out in October this year. I enjoyed the strong environmental message and the way that the magical aspects were used to show this aspect of the story. However, I felt that the plot was choppy and difficult to follow at points and I think if that's how I felt, I'm not sure how accessible this book would be to a child. 

The aquicorns were adorable and the illustration style was perfect for the story.

Overall I enjoyed this story and I think that the message it conveys is a really important one to teach children.

A cute little story rooted in a love of the ocean and conservation. The art is stunning as always! Katie O'Neill is an auto buy for me!

This was freaking cute. Also, same name? Automatic like. But seriously, I loved the art style of this book. I've read other works by this author so I went into this knowing I would fall in love. I had high expectations and Katie met them all. The message behind this is very relevant in today's society & I think this was executed perfectly.

The artwork was gorgeous in this book and it had a strong message for readers. I like that it slipped in some environmentalism.

Lana has recently lost her mother out at sea which prompts her grieving father to turn his back on the very thing his wife loved. Growing up without a parent presents its own challenges and Lana has to rely on herself now. After a storm hits their hometown, the both of them take a trip back to help rebuild.

While this story is nice and has a competent message, I’m still missing something. Whether it’s the absence of childhood wander or unfathomable loss, I can’t decide. The sequence of events bare little consequence as we accept how the story unfolds. It’s not satisfying to read about a problem that hardly presents a challenge only to have it resolved so easily.

THE ART

The style is flat but that’s not necessarily bad since it’s a comic. No need to haul in the hyper-realism. There aren’t many textures like wood grains and the most adventurous it gets is the spray paint brush tool. However, the backgrounds in particular is desperately begging for contrast like darker tones within the same hue to heighten the character’s surroundings.

So, I also hate to admit it but this comic is kind of untidy and I wish the artist worked on a grid to tighten up the panels. I could tell that they were organically drawn but that leads to some scenes being cropped awkwardly. Like a sliver of the car that’s almost but not quite cut off bothers me. Or two panels sitting on top of each other looking too similar in composition that it took me a bit to notice they are supposed to signify time lapsing instead of a white bar intersecting a single panel.

Also, I don’t mind the font but black is too harsh. Perhaps, a dark blue would make it less jarring so it doesn’t break my emersion. Honestly, it’s the one thing that stands out too much. I enjoy when the artist handwrites the sound effects and wonder if that aesthetic can be carried throughout the comic.

It doesn’t help that the story lacks tension. The climax hardly was one because Lana miraculously starts running and calls upon the powers that be to fix this mess. Maybe larger panels or different angles could add suspense and incorporate interest. The pacing started to become monotonous and then the final panels were essentially an info dump explaining to us the lesson of the day.

I was underwhelmed. I fundamentally understood that Lana is sad but there wasn’t much time dedicated in favor of the B-plot consuming everything. Like shout out to my lesbian underwater sea girlfriends. I just don’t think their relationship was well developed because they literally never leave the same room design despite it being a coral reef Atlantis! Aquicorn Cove is a comic written for kids when I think it would have benefitted as a story written for adults which just happens that kids can also relate to.

Thanks to the publishers for this ARC in exchange for a fair review!

This graphic novel was so adorable! I loved Katie O’Neill’s art and the story was lovely. The environmental message got across very well. Loved all the illustrations, and I can’t wait for this book to be released!

Last year I discovered a middle grade graphic novel that stole my heart titled The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. When I saw that another fantasy middle grade graphic novel was being published by the same author, I jumped on the chance to read it. Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill is a beautiful graphic novel that talks about family, loss, environmentalism, and is sure to warm your heart.

The story is set on a small island recently ravaged by a terrible storm. A young girl named Lana arrives with her father to help her aunt rebuild. Father and daughter have opposing feelings on returning to their old home and the place where Lana’s mother died. But when Lana finds a tiny seahorse that’s been wounded which isn’t a seashorse at all but an aquacorn, the secrets her aunt has kept for years finally come to light, and a whole new world opens right at Lana’s feet.

This is another fantastic graphic novel by a writer who is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The world the story is set in is very much like our own, except, of course, for the aquicorns who live along the coastline. The world is a very enclosed one – a small island with a small population. Everyone knows everyone else, and surviving here takes the whole village working together. Lana and her father have returned from a nearby city to help rebuild, those ties of community still present and strong even in the face of grief that time won’t heal which only grows stronger when being on the island.

The aquicorns are a very unique type of mythical creature, and one which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen depicted before. It is a very clever play on the unicorn, and one which I enjoyed very much. The tiny, adorable aquicorn Lana rescues is but one of many kinds of aquicorn. We get to see more, larger aquicorns as the story goes on, as well as a fantastical underwater world.

A lot was said on environmentalism in a rather straightforward way. The aquicorns are important to the island, and a certain symbiosis must be kept. Something that stood out to me was the way in which Lana spoke about her grief after her mother’s death and the ensuing depression. It was so raw, and put words to feelings in blunt, blatant way that remained heartfelt.

The art is beautiful. It is full of pastels and has a distinct lack of thick, black border lines. The way the character’s hair blows in the sea breeze is incredibly natural. The sky is a mass of changing colors and swirls clouds, showing both the passage of time and the beauty of the seascape.

I really enjoyed Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill. This is a story about environmentalism, loss, family, learning to work together, and LGBT+ themes. It is a beautiful story that is sure to please readers of all ages.

This was super cute with a really good and important message, perfect for kids and adults. The art style is really beautiful and perfect for this story. The story itself made me sad, but overwhelmingly it left me feeling hopeful. I highly recommend this one.

Aquicorn Cove by Katie O'Neill is my first true graphic novel. It made me have flash backs to my childhood. The color scheme of blues and pinks combined with the topic of the water was very powerful. The illustrations convey the intense story of a small coastal town affected by climate change, pollution, and changes in the world; not to mention the family's personal tragic stories. The strong female characters of Lana and Mae are inspiring. The tale of loss and destruction overcome by hope is thoroughly enjoyable. I hope one day I look in a tidal pool and find an aquicorn.

This story was so cute. I was pleasantly surprised by the focus put on the environmental aspect, it was quite well done and it got the message across. The style of the author is really lovely and I enjoyed all the illustrations, especially the ones regarding the sea colony.
I'm really happy to have discovered this new author and I can't wait to read more of her books.

Another very sweet story from Katie O'Neill, with a great message about grief and protecting the environment. And as usual, I loved the gorgeous illustrations!

Another beautiful book from Katie O'Neill with a focus on friendship, family and respect for nature. The art and colours are lovely and the story is simple but charming. O'Neill portrays deep and complex emotions with ease through her art and story telling. I would recommend this to people of all ages, and then go check out The Tea Dragon Society and Princess Princess Ever After!

This was so cute ! The art style is beautiful and the story itself a very important one. Highly recommend everyone to check out Katie Oneill‘s work.

Review to be posted on all sites mentioned in my profile when the release date is closer by.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

When I spotted this book I was just instantly in love, then I saw that it was a new book by Katie O'Neill, and that was it for me, I just had to have this one.

This is an absolutely stunning book featuring magic, magic creatures, love, mourning and loss, warming up of the earth and how overfishing damages more than you may think, choices, and more. At times, yes, it did feel a bit too much, and I have to be honest that I was kind of rolling my eyes when we came to the damaged reef. Don't get me wrong, I am really worried about nature, and it is terrible what we, as humans, do, but it just seemed weird to add it to a book so filled with magic. It kind of threw me out of the story. Especially as at times it seems a bit preachy.
But I guess, now that I read the entire book that eventually it all meshes together and it all becomes one thing that clicks together as a puzzle. But when it first came up, I just wasn't that happy about it.

When we first meet Lana she is on her way to help out her aunt after a storm hit her aunt's village. She wants to help rebuild, and of course memories of her mom pop up. It is going to be a tough couple of days/weeks. Fixing not only her heart, but also the town she loves.

I instantly liked Lana, I loved how strong she was, and how she instantly took care of that little hurt aquicorn. How she kept talking to him, feeding him, giving him all the love. And he was also someone she could talk with about how she felt. About her mom, about her aunt, about her dad (he is doing his best, but she just wants to stay in the village), and later on also about the storms and the reef that is damaged. She shows how strong she is nearer to the end, she really stands up for what she believes in, and that takes courage.

Then there is the story about Lana's mom. What happened to her, how it broke not only Lana and her father, but also Lana's mom sister. I am not sure how long ago it all happened (at times it seems months or even years, but sometimes it feels like it just happened). I loved how the author also showed us bits and pieces of Lana mom's past. What happened to her.

And we also have Mae (Lana's mom sister) who has fallen in love with the queen (I would at least call her that) of the sea (and the queen with Mae). Though of course they can't be easily together, it would mean that either one of them would have to give up something (and I am not even sure if our queen can live on the land if she would have to choose).

Given the blurb I had expected a lot more magic, a lot more aquicorns, but Lana just discovers one of them, wounded, and then, because they are looking for that little one, another aquicorn. And later on she met another 2 or 3 (during one of the ending scenes). But yeah, given the blurb, I had expected a totally different story. I am still happy with the story I got, but I wonder who wrote that blurb. There are elements of truth in it, I guess. Here and there. :P

The art is of course totally fabulous, as expected from Katie O'Neill. Her style is just a fantastic mix of magical, adorable, beautiful.

All in all, even with some elements I didn't like, this one is highly recommended. It is a beautiful book, at times very sad, filled with magic and bravery.

Loved the artwork.
Pretty short and preachy story about living with the sea. I mean I agree with the message but that's pretty much what this story was; with some magic creatures thrown in.

Katie O'Neill can do no wrong in my opinion. This was a beautifully drawn story about loss and caring for our environment. I absolutely loved it, obviously.

A gorgeous and enlightening tale about acceptance, tolerance, and the power of family. Eerily simple yet powerfully complicated.

First of all, I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-arc of this comic in exchange for an honest review.

Aquicorn Cove is a fun comic about a little girl and magical sea horse-like creatures. I mainly picked this up because of the art and the ecological plot points.

I absolutely love the artwork and the colours, it's very cute and vibrant, and just for this reason alone I recommend this comic.

I did have a couple of issues with the plot of Aquicorn Cove. Although there are certain ecological elements explored, I was hoping that the comic would discuss more. For example, a point is made about the villagers and the damage of using plastic nets to fish and I thought the author could have expanded more on this as plastic in the ocean is a big problem. I really missed that here.

All in all, I really enjoyed Aquicorn Cove. It's a lot of fun and tries to address real ecological problems in a fantasy story. The art is stunning and cute but the plot itself is quite basic. I could have used a more developed story but this is probably difficult in this format. 4 stars!

This book is adorable and also made me cry. It's a juvenile fiction book written in a comic book format, but unlike many comic books/graphic novels I see it's illustrated in full color. The illustrations are gorgeous, and so is the story. It's intriguing while also having a very important message about the impact we have on our environment.

Following The Tea Dragon Society, Katie O'Neill gives us another adorable graphic novel full of charming characters, found family, and a touch of queer love. If you liked her first, you'll adore this one, too.
Lana and her father return to the island where her mother grew up (and died), to assist in post-storm cleanup. Lana finds a sick baby aquicorn and takes it in to nurse it back to health. As time passes on the island, she learns from her Aunt Mae about the island's history, the aquicorns, and some other stuff that I think is a spoiler. The book ends on a hopeful note, urging us to protect our environment so that it can protect us. O'Neill also touches upon grief and depression and how sometimes, the way to heal yourself is to heal others. It's a very sweet book with several layers of nurturing, and it feels very similar to The Tea Dragon Society in that way, but different enough that you won't feel you're reading the same book.