Such a beautiful and fantastical book with great LGBT+ representation! I really liked the story and the fantasy elements - it broaches the witchcraft story line differently than I've seen before. The illustrations are also beautifully done. This will definitely be on my recommendation list!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Mooncakes made me smile. I loved the story, the illustrations and the overall concept of this book. I can't wait for Mooncakes to be released in October and to see all the illustrations in colour.

The representation of LGBTQ+ was amazing, and I loved that using the correct pronounce was a big topic in the story (especially since nobody made it awkward and after the mention by the POC, everyone used it correctly).

I LOVED Mooncakes! A cute, cozy romance with awesome illustrations! Will definitely read again! One of the best books/graphic novels I have read this year!

2.5 stars.

this was really cute and had some good representation and BEAUTIFUL illustrations, but that was all it really had going for it. i wasn't a huge fan of the insta-love or very predictable story arc. read more like a middle grade story than young adult.

but it's a good spooky read for when it is released in october.

What an absolutely adorable graphic novel! I am a sucker for anything witchy and I absolutely loved this. The representation was amazing. 1 female/female romance and 1 female/non=binary romance. One of the main characters wears hearing aids. Another character promotes fat rep. The artwork was great! Loved the coloring. I just loved this and it was everything I wanted it to be!

So this was a super sweet little graphic novel that I genuinely enjoyed reading! The whole thing was very wholesome and vanilla, with a cozy, witchy aesthetic that makes me wish it were spooky season. The plot was satisfying, although there seemed to be a few holes (that could have been a result of me not reading closely enough, though). For a graphic novel, I think the little world was very well-developed, and I liked the witch-culture that it established. I wish there had been a bit more structure to the magic, but that’s a personal preference.

The love-story aspect wasn’t too overwhelming, just really sweet and heartwarming. I love the diversity of the characters, too—from hearing-impaired and Chinese to non-binary and queer, there was no lack of individualism in the protagonists. I liked it because although these characters have these diverse elements as a part of their identity, it doesn’t completely define them. They are just people who happen to have a hearing impairment or be gay. It doesn’t overwhelm the rest of their personality and become their single identifying trait.

And of course, the art! It was drawn in such a lovely and unique style. The colors were beautiful and engaging, and the panels were well-planned and easy to read and follow. My only complaint is that I received an advance copy, so the coloring wasn’t quite finished towards the end of the book. I guess that just means I’ll be buying a hard copy when it’s released :)

Bonus: there are cute cats and lots of puns!

This is now one of my favorite graphic novels!! The story and the art was so cute and I loved the relationships in it!. There's only one time that Tam is misgendered and it's immediately corrected with ease. I also really loved the ending, it was perfect in many many ways. I highly recommend this and I'm definitely gonna buy it when it comes out!!

The diverse rep in Mooncakes:
• Tam and Nova are both Chinese Americans
• Tam and Nova are both queer
• Tam is non-binary
• Nova is hard of hearing

I was provided this graphic novel (as an advanced reader copy) by NetGalley. All views expressed in this review are my own.

This was very cute. I was expecting that, ever since I first heard about this graphic novel's release a few months ago. I never followed this in its webcomic days, but I think it works really well in this new published form. The ARC is partially finished artwork and partially sketches and line art, which I know will be different in its finished form.

The first thing I want to comment on is the fact that when I first heard about this, people were saying it was a sapphic romance. While there is a sapphic romance between the protagonist Nova's grandmothers, Nova herself ends up in a relationship with a character who uses they/them pronouns. I don't believe their gender is specified, so I don't want to say what Tam identifies as, but while this is still a queer romance it is NOT sapphic.

This is a story about a young witch named Nova who lives with her grandmothers, who run a book shop/magic emporium of sorts. Nora's parents are dead and only visit in their ghost forms for holidays, but she has a very good relationships with both of her nanas. She stumbles across a horse demon living in the woods of her town, and while there she reconnects with her childhood best friend Tam (who just so happens to be a werewolf). They realize their feelings for each other and fall in love across days of trying to find and banish the demon from their town. The truth behind the demon threatens Tam's life and welfare, and Nova and her nanas realize that there is something sinister about other witches in town.

I know that this short summary makes this story sound dark but I promise it isn't. There are some darker elements and moments of familial discord, but overall it has a happy ending. I am planning to purchase this once it is published!

Beautiful artwork and representation, this will be a hit with reluctant and avid readers alike. Wish there had been a bit more plotting and development to the storytelling as well as a better understanding of the significance of Mooncakes. Still - these are minor critiques to an overall enjoyable story.

LOOOOOVED. Everything I wanted and needed. The representation was so full and diverse in every single aspect. This was the first book I've ever actually read with a non-binary character so it was great to see from a perspective I never have before. This had all the witchy and fall vibes I could ever ask for in a graphic novel. I can't wait until it comes out in October so I can get my hands on a finished copy and see all the lovely illustrations in full color. I can't wait!!!

I definitely recommend getting your hands on this when it comes out!

In this graphic novel Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu was an amazing read! We have a lot of diversity and a lot of ppl of color and I loved that! 5/5 stars!(:

This was so freaking cute. I loved the diversity, the vibes, the colors, the art style, the plot -- I loved the entire concept. It was just really lovely. I'm eager to see what else comes from these authors. I'd love a sequel.

I absolutely LOVED 'Mooncakes'! I love the diverse characters and the relationships between them, and the fact that the book depicts realistic body types and there were also strong female characters getting things done and supporting one another! Nova's aunt's were honestly so charming and sweet! And I can't forget that there is hard of hearing, queer, poc and non-binary representation in this book which I thought was beautiful done!
The only complaint I have was, I wish Tam and Nova's relationship wasn't so rushed. I know they were childhood friends but it would've been nice to see a bit more buildup since we only saw a glimpse of their friendship when they were kids.
The other minor setback was the artwork. I really liked the artwork but, at times it got a bit difficult to tell what exactly was being depicted in the drawings.
But other than that, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone whos into magical and young adult fiction!

Such a beautiful and colourful read, I loved the diversity and story arcs of the main characters, and the art style is beautiful. I particularly loved the use/lack of colour at different points. The swirling colours behind Nova and Tam when their minds were connected, the solid pink panels when Nova was saying bye to her parents, and the stripped back look of the final chapters (intentional or not) was perfect!

I really enjoyed how the darker aspects of the art paralleled the storyline, it was super creepy and immersive at some points.

Would love to see more by the artist/writer, and will definitely look out for more stories about these characters 👍🏼

Than you to netgalley for letting me review this graphic novel.

I really enjoyed this I loved the art style and the plot was brilliant magic, witches and same sex relationships .

I couldn't put this down.

Although I liked the front cover of this graphic novel the illustrations inside weren't exactly to my taste. At their best they were competent but for the most part they seemed very amateurish. The story seemed packed of wokeness and trends. I guess that way it will appeal to a bigger audience however it felt that this 'wokeness' took over the story and its characters.

Mooncakes was such a fun read! It was fairly short and I devoured it in one sitting. The world-building was a little underdeveloped for me. But, for how quick this read was, I give it a pass. The cast of characters was so effortlessly diverse! Each of their individual differences were so intricately written into the story. I really loved how the characters’ Chinese American culture was such a prominent part of the story. With the length of the story being so short, I think the story progressed a little fast in some places and it was missing some things in others.he story also reads like a middle grade. The romance in this story was so pure and heartwarming! It was genuinely my favorite part of this story (and also Nova’s badass Grandmas)! Overall, I give this story a 4/5. It was fun and so very cute! I really hope there are sequels!

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, LGBTQIA+
Lion Forge, 2019. $12.
Language: PG (6 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When Nova, a witch, goes to investing a tip of something strange going on in the forest, she doesn’t expect to find her old, werewolf friend, Tam. Tam is determined to defeat the demon causing mischief in the forest, and Nova won’t let them do it alone. But now they’re starting to wonder if they have taken on more than they can handle as they find out the demon isn’t acting alone.
While magic and supernatural troubles make things difficult for Nova and Tam, they also have to deal with problems we all encounter in our non-magical lives, like finding acceptance from others and ourselves. The encouraging uplifting story coupled with enchanting illustrations made this graphic novel a fun read.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I recieved an advanced review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book's planned release date is October 15, 2019 and my review does not contain any spoilers.

***

<i>Mooncakes</i> is an adorable yet impactful graphic novel which manages to take matters of identity, disability, and family trouble and weave them into the characters in a way which feels completely natural and not like an attempt to tick off inclusivity checboxes. Unlike so many works where the elements of characters' identities are used in place of personalities as if being queer, having a certain body type, or being differently-abled is some sort of caricature, <i>Mooncakes</i> makes these things elements of the characters who also have fully-formed personalities.

I was especially happy to see how well Tam's identity as nonbinary was handled and how Nova's hearing aid was more than just a prop (she takes it out to sleep and use the phone; clearly, care and attention were put into portraying this properly). Having Tatyana, who's a heavier set girl, never become a spectacle and instead just be perfectly accepted for who she is also brought such happiness to me as someone who is terribly sick of fat jokes and body shaming in media.

The art style is beautiful even if not always anatomically correct (most notable on Tam's wolf form, which occasionally has a short neck or a small head yet never truly looks off-putting) and has this cozy vibe which perfectly suits the autumn release date and witchy theme. I especially liked a moment in the beginning where, when a character muttered, her words were portrayed as the thing she said but twisted and warped so it's almost impossible to comprehend - a perfect way to show that she said actual words but wasn't understandable. I eagerly await the full publication of this book so I can see how all of the art looks when completed! This is definitely something I want to own in its full glory and experience in the final form.

As for the plot, I feel it's a little simplistic and formulaic while also maintaining intrigue. (Think: an episode of an anthology style television show.) A complete story is told within a couple hundred pages of graphic novel and that means the plot has to be rushed in places, but I love how the authors chose to give Tam and Nova a history with a mutual crush so the annoying insta-love trope could be avoided. It <i>makes sense</i> when they share affection because it was part of their lives previously and we're told in the most natural-feeling way possible; exposition feels like it <i>fits</i> and like it actually has a place in the conversation.

The story is... 'cute' doesn't feel quite right considering some of the darker elements, but in places it fits. Tam has finally returned to the one place which felt like home after living on the run from a creepy cult which wants to utilize their werewolf magic for evil purposes. They reunite with mutual crush Nova, who has spent a long time trying to find them, and the friendship rekindles into affection. Meanwhile, Nova's friend Tatyana provides a strong support as a scientifically-geared mind who's still learning to accept magic after having it proven to be real. And Nova's adorable grandmothers provide a strong backbone of heart, amusement, love, and support. Other characters with fascinating traits also appear, though to mention them in detail would be to ruin the fun of discovering them while reading... but do look out for the <i>absolutely adorable</i> cats, as they appear almost everywhere with cute and sometimes very plot-important antics.

There's an air of hope and whimsy throughout despite the tensions and fears and looming dangers. <i>Mooncakes</i> is overall very uplifting and heart warming and seems like it'd be a great companion for a cup of pumpkin spice tea and a snuggly blanket on a chilly October night.

This was an beautiful tale of witches, werewolves, queer love and the magic of friendship. The art is gorgeous, the plot is exciting and the characters are relatable. I'd been looking forward to reading it for a long time and I wasn't disappointed!