I received an advanced copy of Snapdragon from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
 
There’s no such thing witches, or so Snap believes.  But there most certainly is something going on at the mysterious house down the road.  The other kids at her school say that the woman who lives there collects roadkill, and so when Snap finds a dead possum mother surrounded by its litter, she has no choice but to take her chances with the so-called-witch, to see if anything can be done.  Soon, Snap begins to grow closer with the mysterious woman, and finds out that she has ties to Snap’s family that she never could’ve expected.  Maybe she didn’t believe in witches before, but Snap’s world is about to be full of more magic than ever before.
 
Kat Leyh is one of my favorite graphic novel authors and illustrators, and she completely met my expectations with her latest work: Snapdragon!  This book has magic, ghosts, and an uplifting message about found family and acceptance.  It’s discussion of trans-identities is particularly vital, and is something I haven’t seen before in a graphic novel.  I was enchanted by her magical world and her passionate characters. 
 
You can get your copy of Snapdragon ‪on February 4th‬ from First Second Books!
 
My Recommendation-
If you have been on the hunt for your next amazing graphic novel, Snapdragon is the book for you! The quick-paced narrative and magic would suit fans of Lumberjanes, The Prince and the Dressmaker or Mooncakes!

I can see why this is a Junior Library Guild selection! The art is great, the inclusion of a biracial lesbian romance is excellent, one of the main characters is a witch who re-articulates animal corpses. Basically, this book is going to fly off the shelves.

Snapdragon has never fit in with other kids her age. This is the story of how a strange cast of characters makes everything fall into place for her.

I thought this was adorable in terms of story line and illustrations. The characters were very well developed and the story flowed smoothly. I felt like I was cheering Snap on the whole way.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Magical realism infuses this story about a girl who befriends the town witch. Snapdragon's heard the rumors about the "roadkill witch", but when Jacks - a loner constructs skeletons from roadkill to sell to veterinary schools - rescues Snap's dog, she finds herself cultivating a friendship with the loner, who takes her on as an apprentice. But Jacks also has rituals she goes through, to put those roadkill spirits to rest, and Snap is pretty sure that Jacks has a little bit of witchcraft after all. 

Snapdragon is a story with depth. Lumberjanes writer Kat Leyh creates a magical, yet real cast of characters: Snapdragon, the daughter of a single working mother, is bullied at school and by her mother's cruel ex-boyfriend. Her friend, Louis, who prefers to go by Lulu and wear skirts and nail polish, is tormented by his brothers. The two bond over their mutual love of a a horror movie series and Lulu finds comfort and safety in Snapdragon's home. Jacks and Snap discover a connection between them in a subplot with Snap's grandmother. 

Snapdragon has a starred review from Kirkus.

This middle grade graphic novel completely enchanted me.

Snapdragon is an outcast, bullied by her peers. She tries to put on a brave face, but with her mom working multiple jobs and taking classes, she's alone often and lonely. A hunt for her missing dog (an adorable three-legged pit bull named Good Boy) leads her to the door of Jacks, the town witch, and their meeting changes Snap's life.

Through Jacks, Snap begins to take an interest in animal anatomy. Her classmates think her passion for bones make her weirder than ever, but I loved that the adults in her life supported and encouraged her desire to learn more. She also finds a friend at school, Lu, who is nothing like Snap and yet their shared love of horror movies bonds them together.

Snap starts the book as a bold and clever protagonist, and throughout the story she steps up and really owns the things that make her unique. While she's given room to throw herself into her studies of magic, she also learns that it's sometimes important to have patience. I particularly love that we see adults admitting that they don't have all the answers, and that they need extra help sometimes too–such as when we see Jacks studying teaching books to help her better teach Snap magic.

The cast includes a young transgender character, two women loving women, and multiple characters who defy gender norms. It's an inclusive story that celebrates being true to yourself and surrounding yourself with people who love and accept you.

From the animated style of the art to the depth of the characters, this was an all around winner for me and one I'd definitely recommend to readers who enjoy books like Molly Knox Ostertag's Witch Boy, which also feature magic being used in a contemporary setting by an inclusive cast of characters. I cannot wait to read more from Kat Leyh.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Ok first, Snapdragon is a phenomenal name! This is the first time I’ve seen an Albino Girl as a protagonist in a graphic novel, and she’s friggin amazing! Hersh describes her as precocious and that couldn’t be more accurate! The story itself was one of self discovery, lost love, magic, acceptance, honestly Snap, is who we should all be. Willing to take the risk and willing to admit that she may have been wrong. It’s a love story, kind of a “how to” guide on being a good human... Also, I just love her relationship with Lulu!!!! Ok enough, this goes against everything I believe in as fas reviewing a book is concern lol.

Back to the basics! I really enjoyed this story, it offers coverage of numerous important issues and beautiful ways to respond. The development of the characters was fantastic, Leyh clearly doesn’t believe in a flat character, thank the gods! You connect even with the most minor characters. The artwork is light hearted, despite the actual mood of the scene, loved that! It’s actually quite perfect when addressing “controversial” topics. This one is just perfect all around for me, I could write my own book about how much I love it and why lol...

What a wonderful deep-dive into the lives of Snapdragon and the Roadkill Witch! Rich themes of friendship, understanding, the past, and potential are magically threaded together in this vibrant graphic novel. Fans of The Witch Boy, The Prince and the Dressmaker, and Anya’s Ghost will love Snapdragon!

I don't like magical realism one bit. But this, this book is wonderful.
It is a hard task to develop a story that is both whimsical and weighty. Coming of age, LGBTQ, bullying, single parenting, science, and so much more. I need more time in the world of the Road Kill Witch please!

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It had magic, friendship, family, lgbtq+ characters and issues. It was well-written with great art. Snapdragon and Lu are great characters. It was nice to see supportive families. There were serious moments but there were also funny ones. I would hand this to middle schoolers who enjoyed Witch Boy.