I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I feel like I would have read this novel regardless. What first attracted to me was the cover. It was beautiful and simple at the same time. And I also love anything to do with supernatural. Witches being one of my favorites. It would be a really great graphic novel to read during the Halloween/Fall season. The illustrations were really beautiful and whimsical, and I fell in love with the little animals from the forest.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, even though it can be a little slow I found myself not being able to put the book down. The story follows Nova who is a young witch and her friend Tam who is a werewolf, as they try to stop a demon from destroying their town. The LGBT representation was beautifully done, I loved Nova and Tams relationship and how supportive they were of each other. I also enjoyed that the novel included a non-binary character and as well as had disability representation.

Captivating story about a werewolf and a witch, who just happen to be nonbinary and queer respectively.
The illustrations are adorable and create this dazzling haze around the story - it makes me thing of fall and cozy things.
There was so much diversity in this, with Nova being hard-of-hearing and both of them being Chinese-American.
I always spending time in someone else's shoes and this was phenomenal.

This is a short but sweet comic following a queer witch living with her two grandmothers and reconnecting with her non-binary werewolf childhood friend, all while battling a monster in the forest. The art-style is cute, the atmosphere very autumnal, and of course has some excellent representation. It was a quick and fun read, though I could have done with more gradual development of the relationships, as it all felt very rushed. There was nothing in the plot that I didn’t see coming but I felt I knew what I was getting into before starting so this wasn’t disappointing in the least.

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Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery

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This was a very cute, sweet and heartwarming read.

Most important aspect for me: the amazing representation in this graphic novel is a great factor that I enjoyed enormously!
The main characters: Nova is a Chinese-American, queer girl. She has two loving grandmothers which are in a relationship (and the sweetest thing ever!). Tam is a werewolf, also Chinese-American, who is non-binary - and all those aspects are intertwined with the rest of the novel in a great way.

Nowadays, every author seems to want to be part of it and some of them try really hard and push those aspects into the story, without them adding anything to the plot at all or having a real big contribution to the story. Here, I really think that the aspects were added in a very believable way, they totally made sense for the story and while somehow always being in focus, they didn't seem pushy, but... just.. kind of a normal part of the world, which is exactly how it is and is always supposed to be, in the end.

Further, the elements of acceptance and self-discovery are great to see. They give you this heart-warming feeling that you really need during the stormy autumn nights. The romance and magical aspects are there for you to lift your spirits, bring some sparkle into your everyday and make everything look good again, if you're not having one of your best days.

The plot itself was a bit weak. I didn't experience any surprises. From the moment of reading the description, I already could predict what would happen. As I'm not the biggest fan of romance usually, I found some elements to be quite cringy, but then also you are of course totally aware of what kind of story this will be as soon as you open the book.

While I loved the style of the artist Wendy Xu and the color palette, which again makes everything seem warm, cozy and full of love, some drawings looked a tiny bit too... unprofessional? selfmade? Not sure how to describe it, but maybe a better way to say is that the quality of the drawings varied throughout the graphic novel.

All in all, I was entertained, I had fun, I felt good while reading the story and fairly enjoyed myself. While it didn't show me anything new in terms of plot or graphics, I will hold the characters dear to my heart due to the cute and great diversity.

Well done graphic novel. A bit slow moving, but I enjoyed the art and storytelling. I think it ended well and do not seek anything further from this world or set of characters. A cute and witchy book.

Guys! If you want a cute, paranormal romance read that is a great mix between the friends-to-lovers and second chance tropes, this is the graphic novel for you! I got some serious fall vibes from it plus it was adorable, romantic, and chock full of diverse characters.

And when I say it's diverse, I mean it's way diverse. Both of the main characters are Chinese-American which was so cool! The main witch character, Nova, has a hard time hearing and wears hearing aids. The main werewolf lead, Tam, identifies as non-binary and it was accepted as perfectly normal. I loved that! There was one discussion where they corrected the pronouns used to describe them and that was all that was needed to have everyone using the correct ones. And we can't forget Nova's Nanas! I loved that Nova lives with her married grandmas. The Nanas were amazing! I'd totally read a prequel book about their adventures.

My favorite part of this graphic novel besides the characters was the romance. I loved that it was a second chance, friends-to-lovers F/NB romance! I hardly see those two tropes mixed with that pairing and I am here for it. Also, it gave a new spin to a romance between a witch and werewolf.

The illustrations in this graphic novel were amazing! I loved the style from the first page. The story itself was good and wasn't overly complicated. I was able to guess the big bad but that was about it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story.

If you're looking for a cute and diverse paranormal graphic novel, you need to pick up Mooncakes.

Such a cute story. This story follows our main character, Nova, who lives with her grandmothers, and works in their magic shop. Along with her friends, Tatyana and Tam, they have to stop a monster that comes to their town. At first it was a little slow in plot, but that lasted only a few pages. I really loved the dynamic between the characters. I loved the fact that there was diversity with the hard of hearing and non-binary rep, as well as lgbtqia+ rep. I would absolutely pick this up, and I hope there are more book

I literally cannot wait for this book to come out so that I can recommend it to all of my coworkers! I am the graphic novel queen at bam in montgomery!

70+Heather Currie
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2 minutes ago
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
Mooncakes
by Suzanne Walker (Goodreads Author)
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I thought this was a cute book with a cute story. I loved that there was disability rep (deafness) showing just how capable they can be. I also loved the LGBTQ+ rep. The fact that the characters were so open to everyones identification was truly lovely and nice to see.

I did, however, wish there was more exploration/explaination of what Spirits are and what exactly they can do (their rules in magic).

All the characters were sweet and loving and willing to learn about each other and help. The villains were superficial though. There was no real reasoning for why this person was the villain - or at least not enough reasoning for my liking. I would have liked to have understood more beside the reasoning of "more power".

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but was hoping for a little more explaination of this world and its magic. If this story continues, I will definitely be reading it.

For some reason, I’m always left feeling underwhelmed after reading graphic novels, even though I desperately want to love them!

I’m glad to say Mooncakes was the rare exception. Not only does it offer an interesting story, great art and an adorable romance, it also made for perfect fall reading with its setting and witchy vibes. ♥

Looking forward to more content from the author and illustrator! ♥

Mooncakes is the season of Fall in graphic novel form. Especially after reading a couple of intense books in a row, the quiet coziness and warmth of the full color pages and the lovable characters, the family dynamics, the inclusivity (it has deaf, bisexual and nonbinary rep as well as a Chinese American main cast!) and the magic of it was very welcome. I loved both main characters so much, but I couldn't get enough of Nova's badass grandmas and cousin Terry and wanted to know more about Nova and Tam's backstory, as well as the magic system. Overall, it was so soft and lovely.

This was reallllly fun and cute. I adored the storyline, characters, and the artwork! What more could you ask for in a graphic novel?
Great rep! There is both deaf-rep and nonbinary-rep, which I enjoyed a lot.
I can't personally speak for the accuracy of either of these representations, and would love to chat with anyone who'd like to!

If you enjoy witchy, spooky, beautifully illustrated magical graphic novels, you'll enjoy this.
Highly recommend reading it on a chilly October night!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The title, the cover, the hype... I had to pick this one up and I'm so glad I did.

This book is an absolute treat and I loved every minute. The artwork is fantastic and just my type. The characters are sweet and lovely. The supernatural parts feel like they fit into the real world so well...

This is where I start to feel horrible about my inability to write good reviews, because this book deserves so much praise, but I just don't know what to say besides: I think everyone should read this.

Look we have childhood friends reunited with a budding romance. There are LGBT+ characters and non-white characters everywhere making this a gloriously diverse read. The two friends are so fun to read about and I was curious about what was going to happen. There is even the friend who isn't magical (oh no forgot her name), but she is great and a platonic friend. It is nice having a little bit of everything in one book.

Besides the magic though, this is a story about family and about figuring out where to go in life-- finding ones roots and how to grow.

If you like cute graphic novels then you should 100% give this one a try. If you like supernatural or coming of age books, I also recommend this!

This was a delightful, soft, magical graphic novel. It is a perfect way to get into fall and had some amazingly positive vibes. I’m also a sucker for witches! I’d also like to mention that this graphic novel is very queer and I’m so happy! Highly recommend this lovely tale.

This is such a perfect fall time graphic novel. Holy Hannah. It’s atmospheric and witchy and has the best cast of characters. We have representation for disabilities, LGBTQPIA+, ethnicity and body types and I was HERE FOR IT!

The story itself follows Nova and Tam. Nova is a witch who has heard word that there is something happening in the woods so she goes to investigate. While there, she finds her childhood friend, Tam, as they are battling a demon. The story follows them reconnecting, learning about their lives since since Tam and their family moved away and, of course, spooky stuff ensues because witchy stuff has to happen, right?

The story is great, the artwork is fantastic. Honestly, this is just such a great read. If you’re wanting something to read on a chilly afternoon cozied in a sweater, sipping your PSL, this is it.

Absolutely ADORABLE!!!
Queer as all heck! Which I'm here for.

Suzanne did an amazing job telling us the story of teen witch Nova, and werewolf Tam. The lgbtq+ rep with the Nana's is awesome. I love the relationship between Nova and her Nana's! Nana's need love too! And the friendship, turned love, between Nova and Tam. So sweet. I love that Tam is presented as nonbinary. And prefers they/them pronouns. There is also disability rep, with Nova, as she wears hearing aids.

The artwork was bright, but dark, at the same time. Wendy Xu is talented. And brought the story on the pages to life!

When I seen this on NetGalley and hearing all the reviews! I had to have it! This was so cute. I loved this story so much. I highly recommend this! Very fast and fun read.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Very sweet teen fantasy romance in graphic novel format. Unconventional protagonists and the art is easy on the eyes. Indie book for the liberal. Glad I received an ARC as this might not otherwise have come to my attention.

I received this ARC for an honest review. I am normally not a graphic novel fan, but I really enjoyed this one. It read really well. This graphic novel is about Nova and Tam. Nova and Tam were childhood friends, but Tam never knew that Nova had a crush on her. Nova is a witch. While out investigating about a horse demon, Nova sees a white werewolf fighting the demon. Come to find out the werewolf is Tam! They team up to solve this mystery. What happens??? Not going to tell you. You need to read this novel. I did read it with my daughter, and she loved it also. Even though my daughter isn’t gay but her best friend is, and she was able to use this graphic novel to show her friend that it is ok to be gay and others see it as a positive also.

It was super cute. Definitely waited to read it but it was worth it. It most certainly put me in the Halloween spirit. The illustrations were adorable. I can’t wait to see a final copy of it in October.