Aquicorn Cove was a beautifully told with equally beautiful illustrations. I will read anything by Katie O'Neill!

A short, middle-grade graphic novel that follows Lana as she returns to her mother's village.in order to help her aunt after a storm wrecked the village.
Katie O'Neill not only writes the most heartwarming stories, but the art is absolutely breathtaking. I wish I had that kind of talent.
I also loved the message this story portrayed. It definitely made me consider my actions regarding the environment.
This is the kind of book that everyone will enjoy. I desperately need to get my own copy now!

I saw this graphic novel in a vlog on YouTube, and it looked adorable. So when I spotted it on NetGalley I jumped on it. It is a charming story of a girl who goes to visit her family on an island after a storm, to help with the clean-up. However she soon learns there more to be fixed around the beaches than some broken fences and roofs. It urges people to get involved with preservation and their environment, no matter in how small a way. The art style is adorable, with bright vibrant colours making it appealing to a younger audience while older readers will get a lot more out of the message, while obviously still being able admire the pretty pictures as well.

Another great book from the author of Princess Princess Ever After and The Tea Dragon Society! This book combines the gorgeous illustrations that we have come to expect from O'Neill with a cute story about a girl discovering some magical wildlife at her aunt's seaside home. Throughout the book she learns more about the creatures that call the area home, her own family's history with the sea, and the importance of balance when it comes to human 'progress' versus nature. Overall it's just a really cute story with a great message and I would definitely recommend it for younger readers or anyone else who has enjoyed O'Neill's other books.

<b>Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel for review. </b>

I all round enjoyed this. The artwork is beautiful, the story is lovely and the themes around nature and giving, taking and sharing are great. I do wish it was much longer. I don't think we got enough time with the characters for me to feel fully immersed and invested in the story.

I will definitely be looking out for more of Katie O'Neill's work. I highly recommend this one.

I've been meaning to read one of Katie O'Neill's works because even at first sight, I sort of fell in love with her art style, and this one was promising to be a good first pick; considering my never-ending love for the sea and just water in general & stories set on or near the water, this piece of hers was a complete hit. The art really is adorable, the story gives nothing new, really, but is very light and a breeze to get through, with a very important message at the end. And the small bit of lesbian romance we were given! God, I loved that.

Now I really want my own aquicorn though...

This was a delight! Katie O'Neill has a special skill for creating the CUTEST graphic novels. Definitely recommend if you want a quick, sweet little fantasy read.

This is cute little story of a girl who lost her mother recently and trying to cope.
There are some heart-touching moments but the book is light enough to get going. Illustrations are really beautiful and story flows naturally.
There is hint of lesbian romance between Lana's aunt and sea-goddess which I think was nice touch as well...

From the author of The Tea Dragon Society comes a new and equally well drawn graphic novel with a cast of wonderful creatures that embrace an otherworldly beauty while reminding the reader that there is good in our world too.

Lana is a young girl who, with her father, returns to their hometown to help rebuild after a storm. Her aunt still lives there and, while helping to clear away, we learn through Aunt Mae what it takes to keep the fishing village afloat. It's a picturesque place, but Lana soon learns that there is danger too.

Through various meetings, including caring for a young Aquicorn, Lana learns valuable lessons about how sometimes what seems like progress can actually cause more damage than do good. Respect is needed and thinking of others in order to support the balance of the world in the long run. The lessons Lana learns in her time in her hometown are valuable not just for her, as she faces returning to the city where she lives with her father, but for everyone who reads the book. It would do the reader well to remember that the smallest action may not seem like it at first but can have far reaching results that are more dire than you thought possible.

The story, while communicating this important message, doesn't do it with a depressing tone. It does it in a way that is understandable, whatever the age of the person reading it, whether on their own or having it read to them. The art is as glorious as Katie has ever drawn, from the townspeople to the city of Aquicorns. 

I highly recommend Aquicorn Cove for new Katie O'neil fans and returning fans alike.

First off, I really enjoyed the illustrations in this graphic novel - the colors were beautiful, the expressions and Aquicorns definitely gave an anime-type vibe. I especially enjoyed seeing varying body types illustrated.

I wasn't a fan of the story, however. It felt pretty disjointed at times, and I wasn't sure what the connection was between storms and the importance of sustainable fishing. Characters seemed to disappear and reappear page by page without appropriate transitions. Might just have been a case of too many topics to juggle. Though this was an issue for me, I could see plenty of my middle grade readers enjoying themselves with this book - I just don't think it will be a massive hit unless it becomes a series and learns to take its time with character and plot development.

This was a very cute and fun graphic novel/comic. I thought the main character was really cute and can be relatable to younger kids giving this a go. I really liked the art style, and thought it seemed like it would make a cute television series or small movie.

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley.

I have read both Princess, Princess Ever After and the Tea Dragon Society, so I was excited to see Katie O'Neill would be coming out with a new illustrated book. I was not disappointed!

Art: Let's start with the art - the soft edges, the pastel palette, the dreamy landscape reminiscent of a Ghibli film - with its glimpses of idyllic, pastoral life. The setting overwhelms with nostalgia and with a longing for the simpler pleasures of life - driving to the seaside, helping a friend, sharing a meal with loved ones, taking a walk on the beach. And the fantasy creatures - the Aquicorns - are so darn cute! I wish they were real so I could adopt one!

Characters: Art aside, it's the diversity of the characters that makes Katie's books memorable. There are characters of different skin colors, different body types, characters with disabilities and different sexual orientations. There are nods to sapphic relationships. There are older mentors who help younger characters achieve a greater understanding of the world around them. There are characters coping with loss. There are young characters developing a curiosity for the natural world. And it is all done very subtly, not with an agenda, but with an eye toward inclusion. I think many young readers will be able to see themselves in Katie's characters.

Plot: Aquicorn Cove follows the story of Lana, who travels to the seaside, along with her father, to help Lana's Aunt Mae clean up the town after a bad storm. After the loss of Lana's mother, Lana and her father moved away to the city. Returning to the seaside helps Lana feel closer to her mother, reconnect with her Aunt Mae and fall back in love with the sea. Lana helps the community cleanup, cares for a sick, young Aquicorn, reunites her Aunt Mae with a long-lost love, and challenges the town's inhabitants to take better care of their environment. All in all, there are many great lessons to be found.

Themes: Some of the predominant themes of Aquicorn Cove are helping your community, using your voice, healing from loss, taking care of vulnerable animals, caring for the environment and fostering a greater connection to the natural world.

I think a wide range of people - from kids to adults - can enjoy this story and the accompanying illustrations. Another winner for Katie O'Neill.

#AquicornCove #NetGalley

Lana and her dad return to their hometown by the sea to help Aunt Mae clean up after a severe storm. Lana is surrounded my memories of her mom, who died in a storm at sea. The last thing she expects to find is a creature similar to a seahorse in the coral reef! She takes it back to Aunt Mae's house to nurse it back to health and soon meets more of the magical creatures known as aquicorns who return treasures they find in the sea, including a necklace belonging to her aunt.
Aunt Mae tells Lana about the aquicorns and their underwater kingdom. The locals have been fishing for generations, it's their way of life and livelihood. After a disagreement with her magical friend about plastic nets harming the reef, Aunt Mae threw her necklace in the sea in anger.
Now that is has been returned to her, Mae visits the underwater kingdom once again asking for protection from the brutal storms that are destroying the fishing village.
Aquicorn Cove is a beautifully illustrated story of community, loss, and hope. It explains how a small group of people can make a large impact on the environment and how the relationship between man and nature is harmonious when we protect it from harm and it in turn protects us.
A great message for people of all ages but aimed at young/middle grade readers.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

I may be crying a little because of how soft and pure this book is. My heart grew warm reading it, I love everything about it, the unique characters, the magical world withing us. The art is really beautiful it makes me want to climb into the story and live with it. I have such an immense love for this book wow. I have just one thing to say: READ THIS BOOK.

This is such a gorgeously done story that you can forget, for a moment, that it is a sad story, as well. A story of how we have over fished our seas. A story of how the coral is dying. A story of storms that get worse every year because of how we have messed up the environment.

And while it starts out as a typical middle-grade story, of a girl who has lost her mother, and who has come with her father to help rebuild a village that was hit by a huge story, as we get into the story, we realize there is something odd about the thing that the aunt calls a seahorse. It is like no seahorse we have every seen.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-678" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-28-at-12.07.17-AM.png" alt="Aquicorn Cove" />

And, then, we see the Aquicorn's full size, and realize there is more to this story about cleaning up after a story, then meets the eyes.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-679" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-27-at-11.58.05-PM.png" alt="aquicorn cove" />

A charming environmental story done by the author of Tea Dragon Society. And yes it has strong women, and yes it has LGBTQ thrown in as well.

#AquicornCove #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.