Gar wants it all, to be popular, buff, and befriend the prettiest girl in school. Instead, he is short scrawny and has to take special vitamins every day at his parent's request. His besties are nerdy confident kids who are by his side whenever he needs it. Tank is a sweet jock who happens to be Asian and Stella is a tech genius with awe-inspiring blue hair. To gain some popularity, Gar decides to eat the spiciest pepper known to man on video. Somehow, the pepper started to blow his socks off and then suddenly, became mild. From then on, he was known as Beast Boy but something else strange was happening this his body. Garcia's writing builds the story all the way up go the end while Picolo's impressive color palette brings it to life. The main characters are so lovable, you can't help but cheer for them.

Great interpretation for Gar in a high school setting (and yay! Living parents - the poor kid deserves a little less heartbreak).

Well paced story of a boy struggling with school - wanting to be well liked, self image issues, and trying to be a good friend. Garcia and Picolo fleshed out Gar's story but they also don't detract from his friend's issues and the difficulties they're dealing with. I think this was an even stronger story than Raven was. Both leave room for a follow up story but they're certainly well told as single stories.

Thank you NetGalley and DC Entertainment for the ARC of this Graphic Novel. I’ve always loved the Teen Titans especially Beast Boy and is hought this was an excellent origin story. I loved everything about it including the new characters the author introduced. My only criticism is the story felt a little choppy at times. But other than that I’m in love with this book! I heard about her previous novel Raven but didn’t have the chance to pick it up. I will definitely be getting it now. Loved this book! Couldn’t put it down! Finished it in one day!

I have seen many different versions of Beast Boy in comic books and tv shows. Throughout all of them, there has rarely been a version I didn’t like. He is the jokester best friend who can turn into any animal and will always be green. You know when he has a frown on his face and won’t crack a joke to break tension, that something is very wrong. This is why we all love him. Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo’s version of Beast Boy gives even more depth to his character by showing him with normal teenage problems that a normal teenage Gar would have had. They show readers, for example, that his jokes probably aren’t something we should praise him for. Instead, they are a bad habit of Gar’s- a defense mechanism- that requires him to rip into himself before others can. This is a highlight that tells readers that if they notice this about anyone, they should do something about it.

Another important highlight Garcia and Picolo make is Gar’s wish to be seen. Anyone 6th grade and up can relate to this and can probably remember being willing to give anything for five minutes at the popular table. Because this feeling is so common, it’s completely believable that this is what started Beast Boy. It’s beautiful. Going even further, Garcia and Picolo show readers how every high schooler – not just the main character, not just ‘you’ – has something they struggle with. For example, readers see one character struggle with dyslexia and another with his identity. It’s poignant and very realistic.

There is so much going on this graphic novel, I can’t even cover it all without writing an article or paper, which I might do one day. I am so glad I waited for Teen Titans: Beast Boy. He has always been my favorite Teen Titan and I was NOT disappointed. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to any DC fan or origin story lovers. I sooo hope there is more coming!

P.S. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this!

In this sequel to the Teen Titans origin stories, we get to enter the world of Beast Boy. In the midst of facing anxiety about his body, popular kids at school, and animal rights issues Garfield Logan aka Beast Boy manages to save the day with his humor, wit, and maybe just a little bit of beastly help.

I absolutely loved this addition to our Teen Titan origin stories. The artwork in this series continues to be absolutely fantastic; Picolo is truly the best artist for the job and I particularly love how he assigns a color to each Titan and focuses much of the art around that color. In addition, I started reading this graphic novel and was shocked at the difference in character between Raven and Beast Boy. I felt like I was reading an entirely different author because the two were vastly different. I even thought while reading, "This is totally a dude book," and I did not have that thought while enjoying Raven. Now of course, some of the details of the plot stayed the same which helped connect the two existing origins thus far but overall I really delighted in the diversity. I appreciated all of the issues covered in this graphic novel that focused on what teens face today in high school. It's extremely important to talk about these kinds of issues and break the stigma that they are something to be ashamed of or topics to be avoided. I especially appreciated the zeal for animal rights: not only is that an important issue today but it is also completely on brand with our beastly friend. I think both our author and our illustrator work very well together and their combined talents will help make this series stand out. I am highly anticipating the rest of this series and look forward to when all of our young heroes are brought together.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy is a fine addition to the world Kami Garcia created with Teen Titans: Raven. Beast Boy was much more interesting to me than Raven, even though I would argue I prefer Raven as a character. Fans of the first volume will want the second and will be left wanting even more after the way the book ends on a cliffhanger!

I have really liked DCs retelling of these teen characters. Beast Boy in this specific example has a main character grappling with identity that can be relatable to many teens, whether that is with racial identity or expectations.

This is the second book in the series. I am loving the story line but I wish the books would be released sooner. There is too much anticipation on who else will be written about and what happens at the HIVE.

Kami Garcia's Beast Boy provides a fresh origin story for the soon to be superhero. Not only is Garfield (Gar for short) dealing with the normal teen issues of girls, bullies, and the like; but he's also grappling with a secret his parents have been keeping from him. Along with his friends, Gar navigates through his senior year in order to figure out who he really is.

This graphic novel has some of the best representation of minority characters, interracial dating, and characters throughout with various disabilities. It's definitely a graphic novel superhero story for the new generation! My students are going to love this graphic. novel! I can't wait for more from Garcia!

I liked Beast Boy's origin story better than Raven's, which is so funny because Kami Garcia said that she loved Raven so much but she was nervous going into Beast Boy's tale! The artwork is still really good, and what was interesting is that in Beast Boy's tale, where he's so much more social and with such a big personality, there was a lot more color in the story, versus in Raven's tale the only time there was color was to highlight an important person or conversation. Beast Boy is a fun person overall and that made the story a lot of fun. I think these origin stories are really cool and I can't wait for everyone's to be out and find out what Slade's roll is going to be. From what we know based off of previous DC comics, this is going to be very interesting...

This was a great origin story. I will admit that I have not watched much Teen Titans so I am certainly not an expert on the characters. However, this was a fantastic graphic novel. The art was incredible. The story moved quickly and kept my interest and the characters were fantastic. I hope Kami Garcia continues this series because this was fantastic.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the Raven book, but I enjoyed this one slightly more. Although my memory of the previous book isn’t the best (it was pretty forgettable), I think I just found Gar more charming in this one. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is still super stilted and cliche in this, but it had a few fun moments. I’ll probably keep reading these because they’re quick reads and I’m a sucker for Teen Titans, but they seem to be continuing the trend of being mediocre. 3/5 stars.

While I liked Raven a little more, I did enjoy Beast Boy. I just wanted a bit more from this origin story. I felt it just skimmed the surface of his character and I wanted to go deeper. I suppose that could be construed as a compliment since I am wanting more from the Teen Titans and am excited to continue this series by Garcia. I can see she is invested in these characters. I was equally drawn into the artwork.

Thank goodness HBO Max has the Teen Titans cartoon for me to binge, after reading this I knew I needed more of the adorkable green shapeshifter. Kami Garcia aged up Beast Boy while keeping all the best and funniest parts, it was a solid kick in the nostalgia feels.

After really enjoying Raven, I've been looking forward to Kami Garcia's next installment and it didn't disappoint! It was a fast and engaging read with sympathetic and interesting characters. Gar's character stood out as especially well rounded, with his jokester attitude and his struggles with his body. I enjoyed the way he looked up to RJ as a social media influence and Gar's willingness to accept dares (like eating the pepper or taking the selfie with the snake) were believable and within his character.
Stella and Tank felt a little one dimensional, especially Tank's off-page struggles with dyslexia. I would have liked that to be a little more explored. I also wanted more information on the history of the trio's friendship and what brings them together since they often seemed at odds throughout the story.
But overall, the art was fantastic, the story was fast-paced and engaging, and it will definitely be a great recommendation to teens at my library.

Kami Garcia did an amazing job telling the story of how Gar became Beast Boy. This was a fun, engaging story. The was little development with Slade Wilson, when combined with the ending of the story, which left room for a continuation. Hopefully this one will get a sequel.

Beast Boy has always been my favorite of the Teen Tintans, so when I finished Kami Garcia’s awesome Raven adaptation, and saw that he was getting the next book, I was THRILLED. Kami and Gabriel did not disappoint. They captured Gar’s adolescent awkwardness, quirky sense of humor, and confusion over his change perfectly. His friends, Stella and Tank, provide a strong support system while also having their own, individual story lines and concerns. I also liked Picolo’s use of a green, blue and gray color scheme. Slade provides a creepy bad guy, and I am dying to know what comes next for our shapeshifting teen hero!

I can’t wait to add this book to my classroom library as soon as it releases. It would make a great addition to any middle school or high school classroom library. My students are going to love it!

Beast Boy is my favorite Teen Titan. His backstory is almost as dark as his teammates', but he's still a cinnamon roll in all of his incarnations. So I was excited that I approved to read an ARC from netgalley.

<spoiler>I hate the "parents hiding big secrets from their kids" trope. I didn't like Gar's parents. Yes he's a teenager, but you can't tell me you didn't notice his lack of confidence, his self-deprecating humor, his physical underdevelopment? Always be honest with your kids, especially if it involves their life. Keeping life-altering secrets is how you never see your kids again once they turn 18.</spoiler>

I loved the diverse characters, especially Gar's friends. I liked that, despite Gar being a jerk and doing stupid stuff to hang with the popular crowd, Tank and Stella never abandoned him or stopped being there for him. And Gar was there for his best friends when they really needed him, though sometimes his plans weren't thought out thoroughly.

Looking forward to reading about the other titans. But I really can't wait for more Beast Boy adventures. This book will definitely attract new teen titans fans without alienating the old ones. Teens will relate to Gar's transformation and the need to find his own answers to the person he's becoming.

And was I the only one who heard Greg Cipes voice the whole time?

Thank you NetGalley and DC Comics for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one! Like her previous book,"Teen TItans: Raven", Garcia focuses on themes that will be relatable and enticing to the teen reader. Not just a teenage boy coming into his powers, but a young man who is facing body image issues and learning how to be comfortable in his own skin. I hope Kami Garcia writes one big story connecting all the Teen TItans together. I think she would do really great things with it!

I've been anticipating this since I read Raven! I love Garcia's take on Beast Boy, and as usual Picolo's art is GORGEOUS and perfect for this series and these characters. I really love how he uses a theme/signature color for each book. Garcia manages to pack a ton of character development into the story, and honor the character's origins while still creating a fresh perspective on them. I can't wait for the rest of the series!