This middle grade graphic novel follows a girl name Sorceline, who along with other kids is training on an island to become a cryptozoologist. She’s a natural at identifying different creatures, but soon dangerous and mysterious things start happening on the island and she has to work with the others to figure out who or what is causing the problems,

This was a cute graphic novel, and I enjoyed all the different creatures, I did think the plot was a bit predictable at times, but was also a little confusing and the world/characters weren’t as set up and fleshed out as I wanted. Things happened very quickly and I felt like we didn’t really get good introductions to the characters, especially all the kids - who should really be the heart of the book. The pacing felt a bit off and scattered.

I liked the illustrations, but I was not a fan of the fact that the lettering for the thoughts of Sorceline was in cursive - it made it a little harder to read, and I don’t think would be as easy and accessible especially for kids to read,

This was an interesting set up to a series, but I’m not completely sure I will be continuing it.

rating: 3/5 stars

4.5 total
5 for artwork - Sorceline is a wonderful fully illustrated and colored graphic novel with a dark academia vibe. Sorceline, cryptozoologist-in-training joins a school on the Island of Vorn, she's a natural when it comes to identifying mythical and magical creatures. Not only does she have to deal with schools timetable and assignments, but things also take a turn for worse when bad things start to happen to her colleges. I love the sceneries, the artwork, the characters, and how they are all interesting and promising. I can see myself following this series and recommending it.
Awesome world-building and character design, some pages I just want to hang on the wall.

4 for pacing and plot - Missing comic beats for pacing and respite. The switches/cuts between short scenes or dialogue cuts are too abrupt as if they were meant to work as cliffhangs, or big revelations. The cuts happen a lot so we get used to it. It does make the pacing of the novel faster but also it doesn't give us much time to get attached or empathize with all the events.

Sorceline finds herself in a 'school' where she will learn cryptozoology and compete with her fellow students to become their teacher's assistant.
This is a fast, fun read with a cliffhanger ending that makes you yearn for the next book. The story is told through beautiful illustrations and plot-driven conversations.
Middle grade fantasy and mythology fans would most likely enjoy this book.

The illustrations for this title were gorgeous! I really liked the story too, but it is hard to go wrong with a story about fantastical creatures!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sorceline by Silvia Douye is a middle-grade fantasy graphic novel that will appeal to fans of Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts. The story revolves around Sorceline, a cryptozoologist-in-training on the enchanted island of Vorn. She's studying at Professor Archibald Balzar’s prestigious school of cryptozoology, a Hogwarts-like institution. According to the description, "when one of her rivals suddenly disappears, Sorceline must set aside her anger and join the quest to find her."

Overall, Sorceline is an impressive middle-grade fantasy graphic novel that would make the perfect gift for the young fantasy-lover in your life. One highlight of this book is the absolutely gorgeous art. The vibrant colors and anime-like visuals reminded me of W.I.T.C.H. and Winx Club, which were both anime-inspired TV shows. Another highlight of this book is the storyline. I love reading about magical academies, so I loved reading this book, too. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

I enjoyed immersing myself in this magical world and adventure! This graphic novel made me realize that you're never too old for such tales. A lot of people said it reminded them of Harry Potter and I agree. It turned be back to being a kid again, easily joyed and ignorant to the problems of the world.

Thank you to the Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this fantastic book. I absolutely adored this book and am certain that the intended audience (middle graders) would as well! Loved the story, loved the characters, loved the magic, loved the gorgeous art! There’s even a bit of a Harry Potteresque vibe to it. I cannot wait for the next volume!

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for providing a digital copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was so cute and weird! Super duper fast read with stunningly gorgeous art, great characters and a weird, twisty plotline.

This is actually only the second graphic novel I've read in my life but I was drawn in by the beautiful cover art and I'm so glad I was. We follow a group of kids at a magic school on some mysterious island absolutely teeming with magical creatures. Kids soon go missing, magical creatures start getting hurt, and nothing is really what it seems.

I think there are four other Sorceline books in French and I really hope the rest get translated because I'd love to continue reading Sorceline's story!

ARC Copy...getting a strong vibe akin to Harry potter in terms of coming of age set in a magical school only the dress code is casual and more emphasis on communing and taking care of magical creatures as the main school studies.

Sorceline follows the title character as well as a group of teenagers who have appeared on the island of Vorn in order to learn all things cryptid and supernatural creatures from Professor Balzar. The individual kids show their personalities quickly and we see a typical subsection of attitudes and some clique behavior going on. No one's home situation or past is clear and the action starts almost immediately.

I really enjoyed the world that was created in this story and the little sprinklings of lore and facts about creatures. There's a mystery that pops up pretty quickly so most of the story ties in to solving that as well as Sorceline realizing that her identity is a mystery. There some obvious teenager drama that goes on, but most of the issues are resolved rather quickly. With the way this volume ended I would definitely pick up the next one to see what happens to Sorceline and her fellow students.

4 stars!

This was so magical! I adored the luscious art style! The main character was so sweet too, they will definitely inspire younger children. Overall, Sorceline is a calming yet adventurous graphic novel perfect for all ages!

This book is drawn and written in almost a manga or comic book style. At first, I thought it was for a very young person, but the words are probably for upper fourth grade. For kids that like the creepy crawly (instead of bright and shiny), this book is for you. Very much in the same line as The Addams Family. I did not care for the font at the beginning and end of the story.

Really interesting! A spoopy cute graphic novel about a girl that is enrolled in a special class about caring for cryptids. Not all is good, though. Something is causing creatures and people to turn into glass and Sorceline might not be who she appears to be. I think this is just perfect for middle grade readers!

<i> Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange of an honest review </i>

I honestly didnt know what I was getting myself into but im so glad I actually requested this! Sorceline revolves around a school for aspiring kids and our mc sorceline who want to study magical and incredible creatures.

The Ilustrations are beyond gorgeous and the story is so clever that I couldnt help to fall inlove and wanted to continue knowing more about the school, about the students, the comunity, the creatures... about everything! I just wanted to keep lookint at the beautiful art that was acompanied by such a whimsical and amazing story!

My only complain is that the story, altho compelling and the mistery was well thought of, the story felt choped and didnt have a nice pacing beacuse sometimes the scenes jumped around with out any notice, thus afecting the flow of the whole story.

Overall: If you are looking for a cute whimsical full of interesting creatures and magic read... look no further and give this one a try!

The storyline for this was really interesting. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the mystery plot. The only issue I had was that the panels seemed to jump around a lot from scene to scene, which often made the moment feel incomplete. The magical creatures were also intriguing.

The art was gorgeous. This is the style of art I really enjoy.

Overall a fun story, but at times a bit scattered.

I loved getting immerse myself into the graphic novel of Sorceline. It was full of magic, adventure and a beautiful story, I feel this is best for middle school aged children.

Sorceline, a young girl studying cryptozoology in professor Archibald Balzar’s prestigious school, is competing with five other pupils to become his assistant at the end of the summer. As soon as she arrives, she finds herself involved in a mystery that has to be solved quickly. No human or magical creature is safe from being petrified. As the story progresses, Sorceline starts questioning her true identity and begins discovering more about herself and the identity of her classmates as well.

Everything about this story is beautiful and enigmatic, from the world design to the creatures and their colors. A fast-paced mystery that keeps you on edge! The book was enjoyable to read, and I will be waiting for the next book as well.

Thank you, Andrews McMeel and Netgalley, for providing me with an advanced copy of the book to read and review.

The art was gorgeous and the world and story are really interesting. I would love to see what happens next! Thank you to Netgalley for the digital ARC.

(ARC from Netgalley)
The concept of a school for people to learn how to heal magical creatures is unique and enjoyable. The art was gorgeous, I especially enjoyed all the magical creatures and nature scenes. But the characters could have been more diverse and the story also felt messy. Overall, it's a 3 star read for me, but I think a younger audience wouldn't mind the issues I have with this graphic novel.

Professor Archibald Balzar. a renowned cryptozoologist on the Isle of Vorn, is offering a summer apprenticeship for his best student, and Sorceline hopes to be chosen. Only she's competing with every other student in the class for the coveted position. Learning how to heal hurt mythical creatures (including pixies, a gorgon and a dragon) is challenging enough but Sorceline soon discovers that she possesses strange abilities that cause her to question her very identity. When her classmates start disappearing, Sorceline wonders if she's responsible, since each disappearance occurs after one of her angry outbursts. Is she unknowingly cursing her classmates? Will she get kicked out of school before she has a chance to discover what's happened to the students or finds out who she really is?

I have a soft spot for boarding school books, so I thoroughly enjoyed this take on a cryptozoology academy. The kids are well-differentiated and diverse, and each one has their own story.

Sorceline's struggles with her identity are convincing without being self-absorbed, as she cares deeply about how her actions might be affecting others. This empathy - combined with her struggles - makes her relatable and likeable. Many middle graders will recognize - and identify with - Sorceline's sudden fits of bad temper.

For me, one of the most interesting characters is Tara, a student who fiercely competes with Sorceline to win the apprenticeship. Tara confides in her friend, Arlene, that she needs to win it because life is so much better for her at the school than it is at home. She takes an instant dislike to Sorceline, who always gives the right answers in class and seems to be Professor Balzar's favourite. And who can blame her? A character this prickly and empathetic cries out for further development in later books.

This is a portal fantasy but for me, the mechanics of how the students got to Vorn needed further development. None of the students have any memory of how they arrived at the school. Wouldn't they have been shocked to discover themselves in a strange place, with no idea of how they got there? Cell service is non-existent on Vorn, yet Sorceline is somehow able to communicate by phone with her mother. Wouldn't Sorceline's mother be a bit freaked out to find her daughter missing, not to mention that she's ended up at a strange school that the mother can't visit? Portal mechanics are finally explained near the end but without being more fully integrated into the plot, they feel tacked on. The disorienting experience of arriving on Vorn and Sorceline's discovery of the portal could have been used to amplify her self-doubts throughout the book, making for a stronger story.

Paola Antista's black and white art is both beautiful and eerie, conveying that all is not what it seems on the Isle of Vorn.

Reader alert: the book ends on an unexpected cliffhanger, which may or may not work for some readers.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing. This review will also be posted in the April edition of Bookcase Bizarro: Children's Book reviews (www.lindabrowne.ca).