The coloring of this story is so good. I really enjoyed all the pastel based tones. I really appreciated how normalized the girls relationship was portrayed. The story wasn't the most compelling, but overall it was was cute and fun.

This a really cute graphic novel. I really liked Nova and her Gramma's, they're SOOOO nice! I loved the Autumn-vibe of the comics and the colors were AMAZING! The story itself, even though is very simple, it's really pretty and inspiring.

I love the inclusivity of the story both with Tam's pronouns and Nova's hearing aid it was so fluid and natural, it's amazing and just how it should be! And I loved how the Gramma's were like "oh sorry, my mistake" and just changed the way of addressing Tam's so naturally. No drama, no fuss. Loved it!

The magic was also amazing and the spirits were SO cute, oh gods. I loved loved them!

It's a really wholesome novel and I totally recommend reading it in the Autumn, when it comes out!

This is one of the most precious stories I have ever read!

We follow a young witch and a young werewolf, childhood friends reunited after a few years apart. They must come together in order to solve a supernatural problem that could lead to disaster.

There's an adorable romance, great friendships and strong family bonds. Everything you could need for a feel-good story.

The art in this comic is cute without being "too cute" and I honestly think everyone would enjoy reading it.

I really liked the diversity in the characters of this graphic novel, but there was something missing to make me care about them... It was nice but ended up being just an okay read for me.

This book had so many great aspects, I loved it! There was a lot of rep included which always makes me happy ♥ two Chinese-American young people, one genderqueer and one hard-of-hearing. I love that the story not only focused on the relationship between the characters as well as the main plot, but included a positive insight into family relationships as well as personal growth.

4 stars ⭐


This book is about:

A teen witch named Nova who works at her grandmother's bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigative any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods and comes across her childhood best friend, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon.

Together they have to find a way to defeat it while also dealing with their newly-surfaced romantic feelings for each other.


Pros:

I loved seeing all the different amazing representation in this graphic novel: both characters are Chinese-American and Nova is queer and wears a hearing-aid while Tam is non-binary.

Their relationship is super adorable and it was great seeing them together and coming to terms with their feelings.

I also really liked Nova's grandmas: they are so caring and kind and overall wonderful people.

In addition, the art work is beautiful: I love how colourful it is and I think the colours chosen give it a very "witchy vibe".


Cons:

I wish we had could have seen more scenes of Nova and Tam when they were little because the ones shown are just so cute.

Also, I feel that the plot is a bit predictable from the moment you know who's responsible for all the trouble caused.


Final thoughts:

All in all, Mooncakes is a cute and fun graphic novel which I would definitely recommend anyone to pick up when it comes out in October of this year!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital Arc in exchange for an honest Review!

Diverse, wholesome and pure!

I loved Nova’s character. She undergoes quite the arc over the course of the storyline in a pretty short amount of time. She starts off very self assured and happy with herself, then thinking she might not be good enough, to accepting that maybe things do need to change in order to grow as a person. I love all of her witchy confidence and the fact that she isn’t afraid to ask her grandmother’s for help if she needs. She hasn’t gotten to that overconfident stage where she doesn’t need/want any assistance from others.

I thought Tam was a perfect contrast to Nova. Still a little unsure and unconfident in their werewolf abilities and even I would say a little ashamed. Not that they aren’t proud of being a werewolf but the fact that they haven’t mastered their powers quite to the same extent that Nova has. Though I love the fact that they don’t give up and actively tries to better themselves not for their own sake but because they want to keep those they love safe.

I thought the artwork was absolutely beautiful and at times really made an impact. In particular the way Nova’s parents were portrayed. Their addition alone into the plot was a twist that I did not see coming and I was delighted with how they were incorporated almost naturally with their artwork. All of the illustrations were really unique and different and I felt they captured the essence all of the characters perfectly!

The story as a whole I thought was highly entertaining. You definitely have the action packed, super magically charged side to the story, but there was also a calming, inclusive, family filled subplot that I feel will definitely appeal to a wide range of readers.

I would say though I just wish it was a tad longer, 50-100 or so more pages to really prolong the story and add just a little more depth and suspense and simply because I want more!

I really enjoyed reading Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker. It was a fast read and for a graphic novel, it was really easy to follow. Great plot line and I can't wait to read more from this author. I really hope there is another book to follow this one. The graphics were just perfection as well. I really enjoyed the art!

4.5 stars!
This graphic novel was so fun! I felt like it had so much plot and depth which I don’t get often in graphic novels. I immediately felt like I knew all the characters and I liked them all. The family aspect was so prominent and important to the book and I thought that was awesome.
The storyline was so fun and exciting. I loved the idea of wolf magic and how it can be used. All the different types of magic beings was great.
The only thing that bugged me was that the end wasn’t in color. I know this is not how the finished book will be, but it took a little bit away from the ending not being able to pair the beautiful art style with the amazing colors of the previous part of the book.
This read like a standalone but I hope there is more to come from this world!

So sweet and beautiful! The storyline and the illustrations were lovely and the relationship between Nova and Tam was adorable.

A genuinely feel good story. Real characters and real issues are reflected here. Though not what I would normally pick up, it certainly felt like it was illustrated with love and the story told from an honest and courageous place. Altogether an enjoyable read.

This is not what I was expecting at all, and that is a good thing. I was expecting a cute, queer, witchy story. I got that and much more.

This was my first story that involved a Non-Binary character so it took sometime for me to get used to the them/they pronouns during dialogue. That being said, I loved Tam. I felt a connection to them, and just wanted to hold them and never let go. Nova is a cupcake, and her grandmothers are just the best. I would love more of these characters and can not wait until this is released this fall!

Mooncakes is a beautiful little queer graphic novel that follows a young witch, Nova, and her relationship with her childhood crush, Tam, a werewolf. The two deal with their feelings for each other and what it means for their friendship, whilst also battling demons and understanding the magic and witchcraft that they possess.

It was incredibly cute and I loved getting to meet these characters whilst having a glimpse into their lives. They deeply care about one another and have a strong sense of duty to one another as well as family. Family takes an important role in the comic which was an aspect I especially loved as I feel stories, particularly fantasy ones, often separate themselves from family and don't address the important role that a family plays in someone's life.

The story itself was lovely and intriguing and everything you would want, but another strong aspect that cannot be ignored is the beautiful illustrations and art that runs throughout the graphic novel. The style is really soft and detailed and it matches the story perfectly. Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu's work compliment each other and match very well.

Overall, this was a lovely graphic novel to read and I'm glad that netgalley gave me the opportunity to see it in it's working stages with the arc. I love the storyline, the art, the representation, the characters, and so much more. I definitely recommend picking it up.

I loved this graphic novel. It reminded me very much of Moonstruck in tone and had awesome queer and disabled representation. I reviewed it in full on my youtube channel: https://youtu.be/yACgRWxzkkI

Okay this was super cute. I especially loved the artwork and the character design, and the way the cute little animals looked!! Ahhh!! The last chapters weren’t in color yet and there were a few scenes I can’t wait to see in the final edition. Like I want some of the animals tattooed on my body. The Love is real.

This is literally one of the cutest graphic novels I have ever read!!! I am so glad I picked this up thanks to Netgalley and I look forward to getting a finished copy when it comes out.

The story and the artwork were both adorable and intriguing. I was quickly sucked in and captured by what was going on. The characters represented many diversities, and that is something I have come to appreciate more and more.

I would love to know if there will be more in the future. I am unsure if this will be a part of a series or not; however, if it is a series, I would love to read more from their stories! I haven't enjoyed a graphic novel this much in a long time!!!

It's one of my favorite graphic novel I read !!!

It was so cute and sweet and heartwarming. I really enjoyed the characters.

It was so magical and diversify. It has a hard-of-hearing witch ans a nonbinary werewolf. I love the evolution of the relationship between the two main characters.

I also adored the nanas, badass witches so kind and accepting.

The atmosphere was perfect, i loved the backroom with all the books, the cats, the creatures in the wood, everything was so magical and perfect.

The artwork was amazing too

I fall in love with basically every aspect of this book. The plot was enchanting and the adventure was super fun to follow. The characters are lovable and it's hard to resist to not root for them, especially our two main characters, Nova and Tam. Oh! And how could I forget about the lovely grandmas?! And the magical pokemon-look-alike wood animals?! (and even the demon looks adorable?!) So many representations included in this cute comic and I couldn't scream more about it. Lastly, the art™!!! I'm so in love with the drawing style and color schemes. I mean, how could I not when the first page looks like this?!

Thank you Lion Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Final Rating — 4/5

Okay, I'll admit that I looked for, downloaded, and read this at midnight one night when I couldn't sleep. I had heard a lot about it and already had a lot on my shelf, but I knew I had to read it. So I downloaded it and I literally thought, wow. This graphic novel was truly spellbinding and amazing! I loved Nova and Tam so much. They were wonderful main characters and the story was immediately intriguing to me. The LGBTQIAP+ inclusion was wonderful; Nova has lesbian grandmothers and Tam is non-binary, identifying with they/them pronouns. I thought this was a wonderful thing to include in a YA-geared story, as this helps normalize these identities. Nova was inquisitive and smart and cared so much about her friend--well, crush. I could feel it radiating off the pages and I really enjoyed reading about their story and journey together. I always love witchy things, so the magical spells, books and creatures were right up my alley! This was a fairly short read for me and I have found that I love that about graphic novels. It's a wonderful way to break up narrative novel reading and this was no different. I can't say enough good things about this book because I really, really loved it. I will definitely be picking up a finished copy when it is released!

As evidenced by my rating below, I didn't dislike any part of this book, other than it seems to be a standalone and not a series. It was a really fantastically done--both writing wise and art wise--graphic novel that everyone should pick up.

I would recommend this to fans of YA graphic novels and anyone who enjoys LGBTQIAP+ inclusion!

I didn't really know what to expect hen I started reading this, I just wanted to read about witches and a queer pairing, and I'm glad I picked this one bec the magic and queer rep was perfect for my taste!

Nova is a young witch helping out on her grandmas' bookshop and has a pretty content life living as she always did. One day, while investigating what she suspected as a supernatural occurrence in their neighborhood, she discovers an archdemon in the woods, as well as a huge white wolf that was trying to subdue it. She helps the wolf and is surprised to find out later that it is a werewolf, and that it is in fact her childhood best friend Tam. They've been separated for a while so they found themselves both changed, but the connection is still there. Through the mystery plot with the demon, Nova and Tam goes through a journey that helps them find love, self-acceptance, and courage to push the boundaries they've set around themselves.

This was a really nice graphic novel, and although the copy I got was only half-finished, my love for it is whole and overflowing. I've had issues with the ages of the main characters, bec they felt younger to me somehow(?) and the romance happened quite fast,but maybe that's also bec the themes, of magic as well as societal issues, lean more towards a younger audience. The artwork is nicely done, mixing cutesy woodland creatures with intense demonic and cult-y parts; and the story is written steadily, though a little predictable to me.

This ends happily, I'm glad to report, and I'm looking forward to other graphic novels Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu comes up with next.

*The eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!