I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me access.

Two things: I love One Press and I love Lumberjanes. So when I saw that this is from Lilah Sturges, I knew I had to read it.

I loved the Narnia-esque feel to it. Talking animals, a trip to a different land, 4 kids on an adventure. It was a wonderful story about a young boy finding out who he is. Heart warming and all the good feels, except for one depressing part.

A good LGBTQ read for all!

This is a fun, sweet read which a lot of readers will enjoy. It's so important to have stories in all genres which feature LGBTQIA+ characters, as well as for all age ranges and in different formats, such as this graphic novel. Trans kids who love reading fantasy and graphic novels may find that they rarely see their experiences reflected in their favorite genre. This book provides that for them, as well as a well-rounded cast of characters and an exciting story. Girl Haven hints at more adventures to come, and I hope that's the case!

The artwork wasn't my favorite, but very well done and visually easy to read and look at. 4.5*, rounded up.

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Asher is a lonely boy who befriends 3 girls who are also the gay chapter of their school, he invites them to his home were he is now living with his dad after his mother left. While showing the girl's his mother's creations they are transported to the fantasy land his mother has envisioned, Koretris. As soon as they arrive they are capture by rabbits and taken to the Reed Warren. To go back home they must first discover why magic brought them there and to complete their quest, defeat the scourge of the land and free Queen Cassandra.

To talk about the way the book tackles gender issues I will have to reveal a few spoilers. The story uses the portal fantasy setting to discuss male/female demarcations and relations. Koretris is a land that forbids entry to male visitors, and Asher comes to rethink gender and how come the magic let him travel there in the first place. At first it seemed like there is a division the gender along the lines of boys are bad or girls have cooties. It turns out that the scourge is actually a group of boys who come from Guysville and who consider girls an enemy. But they are actually driven by The Beast which takes control of them and uses them. This beast seems to be inside them and has the ability to take control of their minds. The presence of the boys confuses Ash, but in order to work magic, Ash must figure out what's in his/her heart and how they will identify themselves in the future.

I can't speak for the LGBTQIA+ representation from personal experience, but it did seem like a good introduction to the subject with a warm loving message about embracing and accepting your innermost feelings. Overall a very cute story that seems to be aimed to the middle grades.

#GirlHaven #NetGalley

This was so cute and heartwarming!!!
I read through this so quickly-in about half an hour-and enjoyed every minute of it. I really want more, and the ending definitely left open that possibility so I hope we will be getting more installments in this story!
The main character and all of the main human side characters were all queer, which made me so happy. The fact that this story has a trans girl main character is so important, and I am so glad that kids will be able to read this! It was a fun blend of contemporary and fantasy which was really enjoyable.
The fantasy world was so cute! I love all the creatures and characters and I want to know even more about them (please can we get a sequel??!!).
Stories like this are so important, and I love the fact that not only was the main character trans, but there were sapphic characters and a character who started using they/them pronouns! There was also hints at the beginnings of an adorable sapphic romance that I hope we can see get developed in a sequel.

I really enjoyed reading this fantasy graphic novel. It is filled with LGBTQ+ and I loved the idea of Koretris and a whole new world. The story was really sweet and I had a lot of fun reading it!

Trans portal fantasy in which a boy called Ash finds himself in the fantasy world his missing mother created. The catch being, the whole idea of that world is that it was everyone there, the talking animals included, was female – so maybe Ash is too? At first I was a little taken aback by how externally imposed that seems – is it qualitatively different to have a spell and a talking rabbit tell you your gender, rather than society or biology? But soon enough it's revealed that this isn't the first inkling Ash has had, and as the story continued it all made much more sense. On top of which, Sturges' intro is at pains to point out that this is just one story about gender, and there are lots of other ones to be told. Plus, y'know, I'm not exactly the target market anyway. Still, there was plenty I enjoyed, from the storybook landscapes, to Ash's friend who is given to talking to animals anyway and only a little surprised to find them suddenly replying (this is 100% what would happen to me in that situation).

(Netgalley ARC)

Girl Haven is very much a book about gender identity. There are a lot of other cool aspects thrown in--talking animals, spells, adventures, candy people, quests, and cooties, but the main idea is a particular coming of age story for one young teen. The story brings in elements of male/female relations from childhood to adult fears and agrees that there are healthy ways of dealing with even the most difficult relationships.
This book walks a delicate line between being overtly a story of gender and being a lighthearted fantasy story. For me, it didn't quite click, but that doesn't mean that it didn't have a strong emotional impact. Dad and Ash's relationship is scary but ultimately healing, and the unique perspectives of the characters in the fantasy world are warm and fresh like a batch of freshly baked bread you didn't even know you'd been missing out on. While I don't think I'll be including this book in any curricula for its stunning writing, I think it has a place on my "acceptance" shelf, and I hope that questioning individuals find themselves welcome in it.

I just finished reading the ARC of Girl Haven by the writers who started <em>Lumberjane</em>> I had no idea, going in, what to expect.

This was both so much fun, and so deep, it had be going both ways. The story is of a child born into a boy’s body, who always felt they were a girl, but since they didn’t know of anyone else with that issue, they stayed as a boy. They meet some other queer folks, and decides to hang out in their mother’s old workshop. The mother has been missing for three years. She was a writer and artist and had created a world of only women, and the other kids, start reading what she left behind, and find a spell that sends them into to this world.

That is the story. But through it all, Ash is beginning to understand that it is ok to be a girl, or whatever they want. It isn’t the main point of the story, but it is important to the story. Both good as a fantasy, and as a coming out story. And having representation.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Powerful, moving and thought provoking.

This fantastic LGBTQIA graphic novel is perfect for anyone aged 10 up in my opinion.

Beautifully illustrated and perfectly detailed on one person's journey through self identity. Coupled with a fantasy world setting, strong friendship and love - this was a graphic novel I struggled to put down.

If you're looking for a great introductory book/graphic novel to give someone on gender identity, as well as sexual orientation and pronouns, I feel that Girl Haven does a wonderful job.

This is a very cute comic that centers gender identity, being trans, and other LGBTQIA+ content, all wrapped up a delightful high-fantasy, Narnia-esque romp. The art is very sweet, as are many of the characters, though at times I found the plot a bit too whimsical/twee for my taste (but this comic is hardly aimed at a middle-aged English professor, so there's that). There are also harsh, real-world stakes in this book, but [mild spoilers] they do NOT have to do with homophobia or transphobia--there's very little of that in this book. There are some characters who try to insist on gender essentialism and the binary of girls=good, boys=bad early on, but that gets dealt with quickly. I would highly recommend this book for advanced elementary or any middle school readers.

I love this book! I will most certainly add this to the library's collection. We need more LGBTQIA+ friendly content in the collection.

I loved this middle grade graphic novel about a kid struggling with gender identity who gets whisked away to a fantasy world that supposedly is girls only. Ash starts to believe that being in Koretris means that she (pronoun chosen at the end of the GN, so that's what I'm going with) really is a girl, but when an enemy group of boys shows up, she questions how she's supposed to know who she truly is. Along with her new friends from her middle school's Pride Club, Ash is tasked to rescue Queen Cassandra and save Koretris from the Scourge. The fantasy elements in this book are very reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia--in the best way. Definitely recommend for kids who love fantasy worlds, playing make believe, talking animals, and are looking for queer stories with multiple queer characters. It's heartwarming to see a group of queer kids come together, as friends and as supporters.

Huge thank you for Oni Press and NetGalley for granting me this ARC.

Y’all, I loved every minute of this book. Just by looking at the indie art style I knew I would like this. One of the authors worked on Lumberjanes, which I have not read yet, but heard great things about. I also just love the title. Based on these two I expected something good and feminist and possibly LGBTQIA+ and I was not disappointed.

The inner design sports a three colored flag-like set up, but I am unsure what these colors mean. It is closest to the trans flag, but this one has dark blue next to the pink and white-ish color. If this is symbolism I guess that is kinda cool but it definetely went over my head.

I love the character designs and the comic was very enjoyable. I felt that sometimes the backgrounds were a bit rushed, but I was happy with the art overall.

Content warnings
death mentioned but not shown, gender dysphoria, sexism (it is very frowned upon)

The plot
Ash is a lonely kid, who’s mom disappeared a few years ago. One day Ash sits next to the school’s tiny Pride Club at the cafeteria and ends up making friends with the members. Promptly joining them for the next club meeting. This was an adorable set up, the kids having fun and painting each other’s nails. Ash wanting to join in simply because it looks like fun. Later on, Ash invites the gang over to their house and shows them the shed where Ash’s mom left behind a treasure trove: books, art, costumes all made for an imaginary world, *looks at smudged handwriting*: T*tris. No, wait let me try again, Kore.. a, no, wait, it’s called Koretris actually.
The club is delighted by the idea of a magical land that only welcomes girls, regardless of your species. They get into a bit of roleplaying when suddenly, the magic spell written by Ash’s mom turns out to be real - and transports them all to Koretris. This is where their magical quest starts and among other things Ash has to fight the expectations everyone has of them.
I am using they/them pronouns for Ash in this review in an attempt to not sound too spoilery. As the blurbs promised this book is very much about gender and discovering who and what can decide your gender at the end of the day.

Junebug: Hey, look! I’m a flag!
Ash: I’m so jealous!

I loved the flow of the book. We start with a short introduction written by the author that offers a bit of an explanation about gender. There is a short glossary at the end of the book too. This is a great way to introduce gender discussions for people who are not very informed about the topic. I appreciated that instead of the generic LGBT acronym throughout the book the more inclusive LGBTQIA+ was used.

The main characters

Ash, like the tree
I absolutely loved our main character, Ash, and it was awesome to be a part of their journey. Honestly they were way too chill, given the stuff they had to deal with. I loved learning more about their thoughts and feelings. I was glad they could find someone to trust who helped them come to terms with their feelings.

Eleanor, like the president
She was just the nicest person in the book. She cares a lot about her friends. No wonder Ash immediately liked her. She was warm and welcoming, always trying to help Ash but never overstepping. I wish we learned a bit more about her.

Junebug, the awesome
What a super chill character. Though we don’t learn a lot about Junebug during the story, I enjoyed their spontaineity.

Chloe, the feminist killjoy
If the book had any downfall for me, it would be Chloe. From the first moment she has been hostile to Ash, for absolutely no reason. I get that informing others of sexist language they are using is important, but there is no reason to be rude about it if there is obviously no malicious intent. The joke about her being a “feminist killjoy” right after she bulldozes through the newest member of their pride club just felt super cringey.. I wish her behaviour towards Ash was reprimanded a bit.

Overall rating
I loved this book a lot. Gender was discussed in a natural way, focusing more on the feelings of the characters and not on the shiny glossary terms. There was a quest, magic and bonding time for the characters and it was just an overall uplifting read. I was surprised by the end reveal about Ash’s mom, not quite what I expected.
I felt like the whole of Koretris was a great commentary on how society views gender and how literally everyone has an opinion of what gender people should be and how they should act to fit this assigned role. As a cisgender woman (don’t worry there is a glossary that explains) I learned a lot about gender and how difficult it can be to learn your own preferences when literally everyone is shouting their own expectations at you.

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This is a really cute graphic novel! I loved the art style, the storyline (so important omg), and the creativity of it all! I really loved the way the concept of identity and gender is explored here, and we really need more representation like this just in books, graphic novels, comics, movies and tv-shows. Another thing I really appreciated was that it didn't make the boys the big bad wolves, but instead fear itself.
Would tbh read like 120 graphic novels with this lovely group of gals, so if there is ever more I WILL read.

I was sent an e-arc of this graphic novel via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Ash, who's mom left home and never came back. Living in the house where Ash's mother grew up, her old room is full of her old clothes, books and everything she made surrounding a fantasy world called Koretris. Ash had discovered that Koretris was a haven for girls where no men or boys were allowed. When Ash's friends find a spell to get to Koretris they think it's all a game. Until they discover that Koretris is real and they're trapped there without the book of spells. But if this place is real, how did Ash get there? Ash has always been called a boy and used he/him pronouns.

This discusses gender norms from the first page - boys can paint their nails and it doesn't have to black. It also shows Ash questioning his gender identity and how he truly feels with a supportive friend helping him process what is happening. I love how the progression showed all of the characters becoming more comfortable and accepting of theirselves and how they identify. Also the preface and endnote on identity are so important in not only educating readers but also helps to create a safespace within reading this graphic novel.

While I can't speak for the LGBTQIA+ representation personally, I hope that this is something that people in the community are able to relate to and feel represented in a positive way.

With that cliffhanger I hope there is more to come and I will be interested in reading future work by this author.

Girl Haven has the potential to be a great Children's / YA series.

Things I liked: discussion of Gender and Identity was not only well done but also seamlessly explained. I appreciated how the Fantasy World was a portray of extremes and, mostly, on how toxic masculinity works and how the patriarchy can be a prison for both victims and perpetrators, especially in the final battle. All the relationships, including the one between the main characters and the talking animals, were cute and easy to read. I would have loved this comic as a child.

Things that could've been improved: As much as I liked this volume, I believe that the narration should've explored the characters a bit more. I appreciated that it took its time to discuss Ash's gender Identity and inner crisis, but at the same time I would've love to see more of the other characters as well, including some scenes with the animals. With regards to narration, the first half of the book was better than the second one, that has some parts who were rushed or could've used more explanations, eg. magic systems, how are the boys in the Girl Haven without disrupting the magic system, how did the LGTQ+ school group meet, etc.

However, I also understand that this comic wanted to deliver a discussion about gender to children and that it has a limited number of pages to deliver it. Overall, I believe that it delivered what it promised and that children will probably love it. 4/5

The illustrations of ”Girl Haven” were fine, but I didn’t love the story itself. I guess I’ll skip out on potential sequels.

<i>arc provided to me by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved this story so so much!!! I rarely read the synopsis to stories so I had no idea that this was about our main character Ash as they figured out their own identity throughout the story.

This graphic novel made me feel so many different things and I loved every second of it. I felt the loss that Ash felt losing her mother, to the joy everyone felt at their pride club and journey to this fantasy world, to how important love really is and how it can defeat any evil. I really appreciated that we got to see Ash’s struggle with figuring out that she was a girl and that that decision was hers to make, not anyone else’s. That she didn’t need anyone’s permission to be a girl, that it was up to her and her only. I think this story will be something a lot of younger kids will be able to relate to and see themselves in and maybe help them realize earlier that it is okay to be who they are in their hearts.

The way the fantasy world, Koretris was built up was also super fun and I loved hearing the stories about the world!

I just reallly enjoyed every aspect of this story and I desperately hope that we get more instalments because I would love to see more of these characters and their journey!

4/5 🌟

TW: loss of a parent, some violence

Girl Haven has potential, but I don't think it was realized in this book. For a book that speaks to gender, I find it curious that the title even decides to use the word "girl." Why couldn't it be the name of the world that they visit? the art felt a little too simplistic -- there aren't many details in any given image, and the characters are just specific personality traits rather than fully fleshed out characters. While I think it tells an important story of gender identity, the rest of the story was not compelling enough to make me feel connected at the end of the novel.

This book is one part suddenly discovering you're in a fantasy world, one part a search for mom, one part discovering who you really are. Ash has been told his entire life that he is a boy and, he was expected to do boy things and hang out with boys, but Ash is unsure. He makes friends with 3 girls who are the school's Pride Club. He invites them over to his house one day to see his mom's shed where she made art and wrote stories about her made up world of Koretris, a haven for girls. When one of the girls reads a spell that is supposed to transport them to Koretris, they discover that it isn't as made up as Ash thought and that Ash maybe isn't a boy after all.