This graphic novel straddles a fine line between being scary and being cute.
I loved the colorful illustrations and how each character was so distinct.
I love how Blob Ghost is not given a gender and how invested Beetle is in saving her friend.
I love how any queer reader can read a lot into the interactions between Beetle and Kat.
I appreciated how the author created tension in several parts of the graphic novel; my heart was pounding and at one point I had to sit up from my hammock.
In spite of all of that, there was something about this one that did not quite work for me. I thought about giving it three stars, but decided on four after reading homophobic reviews.

Oh my goodness I loved this book! The characters were great and the story was so cute! The art was also fantastic. The pacing felt a little bit off toward the end, but I find that often happens in graphic novels and I will still be buying this to add to my personal collection and recommending it to teens and tweens at my library!

Beetle & the Hollowbones is a fun graphic novel to hand to students for Halloween! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories, similar to The Okay Witch and Snapdragon.

I really enjoyed this title-- particularly the blog ghost and the use of neutral pronouns for them. After all, who knows if a blob is male or female? At times it took me a few tries to understand what was happening in the illustrations, but that didn't hinder my enjoying the book. Beetle's grandmother was another favorite. Love a tough old lady swooping in to save the day.

Beetle & the Hollowbones is just perfect. This ARC was mostly black and white, so I'm extremely excited to see the full-color finished work. Even with the unfinished art, the story is just everything I could have wanted from a semi-spooky middle grade graphic novel. I hope this isn't the last we see of Beetle, Kat, and Penny!

The art in this book was fantastic. The character designs were well done, the motion was super fluid and energetic. I also liked how there was this whole systemic divide between sorcery and goblin magic. Awesome worldbuilding.

I'm always up for reading new approaches to worlds with magic, especially when we're talking about non-human creatures. Here we have a goblin and un-dead skeleton with different skill levels and dealing with different pressures and the question of whether those differences might be too big to overcome. Add in a bigger conflict and a mystery of sorts, and there's plenty to keep your interest. I did feel like there wasn't quite enough exploration of the way this world works, not quite enough build up.

I loved this so much!! From just the first few pages, it was full of so much personality and had me invested immediately. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. The art was so good and really enhanced the story and I *really* liked how speech bubbles had different effects to convey different things. I would recommend this for people of all ages looking for a fun and magical - but not completely lighthearted - story.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Enough spooky and enough fun to appeal to middle grade readers. Beetle is a typical 12-year old who struggles with friendship, school and what she wants to be. She just happens to be a goblin. Her adventures to save her ghost friend and reconnect with an old friend, and possibly more, take readers through battles of good versus evil to save both her friends.
Sometimes when reading an ARC, it's hard to tell what the final art will look like. That's the case with this book but the characters appear relatable.
Perfect read for the fall season.

What. charming and cute book! The story is very adorable and focuses on the adventure of a witch named Beetle and her friends Blob Ghost and Kat. The main journey of this book is about how Beetle is a homeschooled witch who hasn't gotten her powers yet and finds out that her best friend Kat is coming back to start her witch training all the while the mall in which Beetle's best friend, Blob Ghost, is going to be torn down and if they don't find a way to save them then they'll die. The artwork was so adorable and I fell in love with Beetle. She was a very strong and great protagonist! Also, the ROMANCE!!! How absolutely sweet. This book was seriously adorable and filled with magic, friendship, and romance! It has everything!!
* Thanks netgalley for sending me a arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a sweet story of two unusualy friends. I like the juxtoposition of magical creatures and the real world (the mall), which makes for an interesting setting. The illustrations were very engaging and descriptive and told much of the story visually. A fun read.

A tale of girl power set against the backdrop of witches, goblins and skeletons. All set within a mall set to be closed down for good. Beautiful art makes this graphic novel fly!

This was a joy to read! I'm slowly getting into graphic novels this year as I think they are a great way of storytelling and a really useful tool for getting people into reading. Beetle and The Hollowbones is the debut graphic novel from Aliza Layne, who is the creator of the Webcomic, Demon Street.

Going in to this book you can expect the following (which is all right up my street):

Witchcraft - Broomsticks and spellbooks
Magic - Crystals and potions
Spooky - Black cats, pumpkins, and bones

The graphic novel is bursting with colour, but it has some gorgeous, dusky, Halloween hues like oranges, purples, and blues that I think give it a nice vibe.

So what's it about? In a nutshell, it follows a goblin named Beetle who lives with her Grandma. She spends a lot of her time with her companion, which is a blob-shaped ghost who haunts the local mall and cannot leave. Beetle's old friend Kat comes back to town, along with her aunt Marla Hollowbone who is supposed to be teaching her magic. Marla has plans for the town and for the mall, which puts the lovable Blob Ghost's existence under threat! Can Blob Ghost be saved? What is going on with Kat and her Aunt? Will Beetle be able to learn magic? You'll have to read to find out.

So a bit more about the characters:

- Beetle: Beetle seems really lovable, caring, and determined. There is definitely a fiesty streak in her from Grandma.

- Blob Ghost: Just the cutest! They do not speak to communicate but that doesn't make them any less sweet on the page. The illustrations manage to capture every expression on their little face.

- Grandma: Grandma is a force to be reckoned with, and she stands up for herself. I love that she's cheeky, confident, and aware of her own power.

- Kat Hollowbone: Pretty and powerful, in a skeletal goth kind of way, if that's a thing? I really like how the relationship is developed between Kat and Beetle.

As well as being fun and enjoyable, I think it's worthwhile that books (particularly ones likely to be read by children or teenagers) include a positive message. I feel like Beetle and the Hollowbones shows the importance of an apology and recognising the effect of our words on others. It also centres around the value of friends and family, and how we should try to do our best by them and to look out for one another, especially if someone needs help and they are not in the position to help themselves.

I'd love to see more books featuring these characters, and I think this would make a great read particularly in spooky season (or Halloween) so make sure to add it to your reading list!

In a world where magic is the norm, Beetle the goblin is just enjoying her life. While apprenticing under her grandmother to learn potions, she frequently visits the local mall where her bestfriend, Blob Ghost, lives. While BG is bound to the mall, it becomes pertinent to free her friend when she learns that a vindictive witch, Marla Hallowbone, has bought the mall with plans to destroy it to reclaim what was once Hollowbone property.
Aliza Layne’s Beetle and the Hallowbones is a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel with a well fleshed out plot, and a pallet perfect for setting a spooky and fun mood. Within the limited use of space speech bubbles provide, Layne has completely developed the character Beetle into an awkward and humorous being, who values friendship above everything else. Diversity is displayed in a variety of ways friendly to those who might identify as LGBTQ, and while the relationship between Beetle and her bestfriend Kat may be a little too defined for the character’s ages and it’s target audience, the inclusivity is appreciated. One of the most appealing aspects to this graphic novel is Beetle’s whole devotion to friendship and how she handles the different facets of relationships she has with characters: making sure no one feels left out and apologizing with needed, she displays characteristics of a fantastic friend. Aliza Layne’s graphic novel is one readers would want to gobble up in the fall, and will leave them satisfied at the end.

I absolutely fell in love with this book! The art style is lush and gorgeous, the colors are beautiful and dreamy. Even just the line work was animated and evocative. I could stare at these pages forever.

And that's not even getting into the story! Beetle is learning goblin magic from her Gran, but she really wants to be a witch. When she's not vaguely studying, she's watching magical girl anime and hanging out with her friend, Blob Ghost who haunts the local mall. Beetle gets reunited with her childhood friend Kat who has been away studying to be a witch like her aunt. But when Beetle finds out Kat's aunt is going to tear down the mall--and Blob Ghost's home--things get a little fraught between the friends as they try to help BG leave the mall.

This is an excellent title for middle grade fantasy fans with a sweet queer love story mixed in. It also deals with less-than-stellar mentor figures and finding your place in the world, even if you have to carve it out of existing options.

Magical is the best way to describe this amazing graphic novel, with a mix of beautifully colorful illustrations and a heartfelt story with a wide mix of characters. We follow the story of Beetle the goblin witch and her friend Blob Ghost, who happens to be trapped in a mall. When an old friend comes back to town, the now sorceress apprentice Kat Hollowbones, they must work together to save Blob Ghost in this thrilling tale of friendship and acceptance, while finding one’s self. It has become my new favorite graphic novel; you will not want to miss this one!

Not only are the illustrations gorgeous, but the magical world that Aliza Layne has created is so unique and complex, I truly hope we get more books in this world. Following the different forms of magic, we learn that though everyone is different, we are all magical in our own way, and with a little help and encouragement we can reach our full protentional. This will become your new absolute favorite; I do not doubt it! More Blob Ghost!!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Beetle is a homeschooled goblin-witch, who is trying with her limited magical knowhow to figure out why her friend Blob Ghost is forced to haunt the local mall. Then Beetle's old best friend/rival/?, Kat shows up with her malicious aunt and some drama and schemes that catch them all in the crossfire.

This was SO CUTE.
When they said read-alike for Steven Universe or Adventure Time, I definitely got that vibe going through it. It's lighthearted, quirky, and full of feelings, and the characters are SO CUTE AND LIKEABLE. I want to hug BlobGhost forever, and Beetle's grandma is cool as a little old cucumber. I only put this book down because I was dragged away for dinner, and then quickly popped back and finished it - the characters really pull you into the story. I'll definitely be suggesting this title for purchase, and I can't wait to reread it in full color.

Beetle & the Hollowbones is a great graphic novel! The illustrations are bright, and dynamic to look at. The story itself is told in chapters. Beetle is a goblin struggling to learn goblin magic. She lives with her Gran who is the Town Witch. Her best friend is Blob Ghost who is trapped in the mall. When an old friend returns to town things begin to change for Beetle. She is recognizing things about herself and her relationships with other people. She is learning about her abilities, and her place in the world. A wonderful story about learning to be yourself, and following your own footsteps.

Absolutely delightful graphic novel about magic, love, friendship, and learning who you're meant to be. The ARC was only partially colored, so I can't wait to see what this looks like in full and glorious color! Also, who knew a circular blob could melt your heart?!

Beetle & the Hollowbones is easily one of my new favourite graphic novels! From the very first page I was completely hooked. The charmingly spoopy art style and gorgeous colors combined with the world Layne has created—one populated by middle school goblins, skeleton cats, and ghosts who hang out at the mall when they're not training to become sorcerers— are enchanting. I immediately fell in love with all of the characters (seriously, Blob Ghost is the cutest ever) and their story is full of heart and humour. I cannot wait to get my hands on a finished copy!