This is the perfect spooky graphic novel for the Halloween season. Emsy is forced to move from California back to her coven in the wake of a murderous tragedy. The art in this book is phenomenal and the story was super interesting. I liked the distinct areas of magic within the coven and how the plot flowed. I really hope that this becomes a series because I want to see how things turn out for Emsy, Ben, and Ash!

*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

3.75 stars

<i>Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC of this book!</i>

While not the <i>best</i> graphic novel I’ve read, this was still tons of fun. The artwork was beyond gorgeous. It reminded me of something, but I couldn’t figure out what! It made me really want to check out other works by this illustrator.
The story itself was a little typical, a little cliche, but it was fast-paced and engaging. I was swept up pretty quickly. Towards the end it dragged, and the who-dunnit was very obvious, however it was still fun and I wasn’t left unsatisfied.
I liked Emsy and Ash a lot. Ben was a little too much, I just couldn’t connect to him. I loved Emsy and Joss at first. They were adorable together, but when it started getting strained between them their conversations just felt tedious and annoying. I feel like the scenes with her California friends after she’d left didn’t add anything to the story and they just ended up either boring or annoying me.
Also—who the hell says Cali? I’m pretty sure no one who has ever actually lived in “Cali” calls it that.
That got a little off topic. Anywayyyyy…
This was a fun, quick read. Perfect for a casual graphic novel reader and anyone looking for something witchy.

I'm just starting to get into the graphic novel game, and I'm so glad I am because otherwise I would have missed out on this incredible one! Just in time for spooky season, this had an amazing twist, fun magic, LGBT rep, and some amazing growths for our characters. I definitely never expected so many things from a shorter novel, but I loved everything about this. Be warned, it'll bring you through every emotion from happiness/swooning to betrayal, so get ready!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun and interesting read! I liked the story but I didn't ever find myself actually liking any of the characters unfortunately. I still had a fun time reading it and it was exciting but it wasn't my favourite.

Accessed this on NetGalley via the PYR Fall 2022 Educator and Librarian Preview.

Maybe 5.5/10 stars, just okay. This novel ambitiously tries to cover a lot but suffers under its own weight. The stress of moving to a new place, long distance relationships, queer relationships, family secrets, family dynamics, a sense of belonging, and identity are all major themes, set against the backdrop of witchy coven politics. Worldbuilding felt choppy, with exposition coming in large chunks or else not at all, and it felt like certain characters were limited to info dumping instead of actually being fleshed out. The drama of the mystery could have also had better pacing - readers are eventually just as frustrated as protagonist Emsy over the ungainly half-reveals and general lack of answers. It might just be that I felt this story went on for too long? A shorter volume could have led to tighter storytelling and a more seamless feeling narrative.

I also had a big problem with the character Katia, who is a CLASSIC Magical Negro. A mysterious figure with unique and taboo powers, Katia is at once sage and mentor, ally and confidante, dissenter and rebel. Are her intentions good or does she have ulterior motives? Is she going too far, or does she just Know Better Than Everyone Else because the unspeakably mystical forces within her are so potent? Why is she so emotionally volatile? (view spoiler) I absolutely hated every part of her characterization, it really was a combination of some of the worst stereotypes we see of black women. Katia is an unknowable figure, magical healer, benevolent figure, AND simultaneously a strict mammy who's only mean because she Knows What's Good For You. Abhorrent.

It's so frustrating to still see characters like this showing up in stories that are supposed to be contemporary. Including a black character for the baseline sake of diversity is lazy at best and offensive at worst - do not casually toss people into stories without being thoughtful. This is not a fruit salad. If people of color are going to be a part of a story, then you have to actually consider the ways they will fit in. It seems like the author was trying for a "race is inconsequential" thing here with a casually diverse cast of characters who all have lives of their own, but unfortunately all of the characterization is thin. Ben, Ash, Emsy, her father, and Liesel are also basically thinly built upon tropes, it's just that Katia's are more obvious and damaging.

Authors: be better about characterization. Visibility in books is only exciting for people of color (or any kind of identity that has been marginalized) if the representation is positive. Stories can feel even more hurtful, uncomfortable, or upsetting when they aim to be inclusive but have poor execution. I honestly didn't even realize how deeply all of this bothered me until I started writing this review...! Subtle undercurrents like the ones in this story are the little things that pile up over time and end up shaping one's thoughts, which is why microaggressions are so insidious and painful. This book is not something I will be ordering or booktalking going forward, since my aim is to connect teens with material that feels exciting and positive.

3.5 rounded up

This was a pretty good graphic novel. The story was a little rushed in the second half so the pacing suffered a little there. But the artwork was really well done and the story was good enough that it held my interest.

I loved the artwork in this graphic novel, but the pacing of the story was a little off. It’s a lot of teen angst and then we get into the main plot for the middle third and then it’s wrapped up very suddenly at the end. I think even if I was a teen reading this I would feel a little unsatisfied by the ending. It was still entertaining though.

This was cute and I really enjoyed it! Lots of twists and turns and I loved the LGBT rep. Gave me a nice witchy vibe the entire time, which is what I signed up for picking this book up lol Also the art is this book was awesome! Loved it!!

Also, I hope this was fixed already, but there were a few typos in the dialogue towards the halfway point. Because I’m sure it’s too late to fix that now….

A fun, magical, queer romp with a mystery element and just enough unfinished business to warrant a potential sequel or expand on the world.

Coven was a fairly straightforward witchy story, though the found family aspect was by far my favorite part. The worldbuilding could have been expanded on, but what we're given of the small New York town and its' close-knit coven of witches is heartfelt and fun.

The art style was particularly enjoyable, from the facial expressions to the use of magic. Graphic novels aren't always my cup of tea because I'm much more of a detail-oriented reader, but the subtext and tiny things included in each page's illustrations that fill in the detail that the main dialogue lacks definitely made this read more like a traditional novel, which I greatly appreciated.

I was very excited to see that Jennifer Dugan wrote another book! I love Some Girls Do and did enjoy Melt With You. I did not realize until opening it that it is a graphic novel. I do not read a lot of graphic novels but was still excited because it is about a sapphic witch. In this story a girl is forced to move away from her girlfriend and best friend to join a coven. The main character Emsy learns about her powers and finds a new family of friends. She does all of this while dealing with being long distance with her girlfriend and the fact that there is a murderer that killed witches. The story is shown through beautiful artwork! It truly helped shape the story and made it wonderful to look at. The one thing I would change about this book is to make the sapphic relationship a bit more positive and more resolved at the end. I loved Esmy's girlfriend Joss and I wanted her to be more present and less excluded. That however is me being critical of a book that does show a good relationship too with Esmy's friends. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a witch book with representation

Can we hear some commotion for the cover?! The art in this GN is some of my absolute favorite! Coven was a easy, diverse, fun read perfect for the upcoming Fall season.

The book follows Emsy as she and her parents have to abruptly uproot her life in California because their coven in New York is in serious trouble, members have been mysteriously murdered. Emsy struggles with the move and has a hard time leaving her best friends and girlfriend. With some time Emsy starts to make friends within her coven, Ash and Ben. The three of them want to find the culprit of the murders AND try a spell that shouldn't be cast.

I really liked the magical system in this book I thought it was really interesting and made me want meet more characters and their magic. I think I would have rated this book a higher score if I liked the MC Emsy but I did not care for her much. She seemed a lot whinier than most teens and I didn't fully understand all the decisions she made especially at the end. To be honest I don't understand all her parents decisions either...specifically Dad who randomly decided that it was safe for Emsy to go back to Cali right after something major happened to their family and any person on Earth would just want to be where their family is?? The ending could have been more exciting!

Overall I really appreciated and loved the diverse characters, the magic system and the art in this graphic novel and I would be interested in seeing more from this world.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for this eARC for an honest review!

Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me an advanced e copy of this graphic novel.

This Sapphic graphic novel features romance, death, grief, new friends and connection. If you are a fan of The Chilling adventures of Sabrina you will like this story. While it's a tad lighter it was compelling enough to keep me reading and I loved all the small detail the artist put into the story.

I would love to see a continuation of this story and some additional backgrounds on the characters themselves. I think that with a little more backround this would have been a solid 5 for me.

DNF

The writing and characterizations weren’t for me. The main character feels very manic pixie dream girl

This one is for fans of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina:

Emsy is forced to relocate with her family back to New York after they find out members of their coven have died in an "incident" , only their son Ben making it out alive. Leaving behind her loving girlfriend and not understanding why her parents are dragging her back into the coven after years of living without them to have a “normal life”. Emsy is sucked into Coven life. Making new friends, learning about how she is an elementals witch specializing in fire and Emsy soon learns there are other types of witches too, Death witches. The death witches had perviously caused a Civil war between all the covens, getting them to fight each other so inevitably they could take over and rule all witches.

The coven is dying out, there are only so many children left to carry on their legacy. So Emsy, Ben Ash and his little brother and sister are set to train, to protect themselves from the battle to come. Neither Emsy nor Ben want to be a part of the coven, so the two of them come up with a scheme to bring back Ben’s family, which would fix both Ben’s issue and send Emsy back to California. But dealing in necromancy is far harder than a healer and an elemental fire witch are set to deal with. And that’s when things go very very wrong.

The characters are all very easy to love. I thought the plot was we developed, and loved the twist at the end too. The illustrations are beautiful and fit the story so well.

Joss is a spitfire and I love her. So sassy and I love how normal the sapphic relationship is in this 😍

I’m glad that we are getting sapphic witchy books it makes me so happy.
SAPPHIC WITCHES ARE ALWAYS A MUST READ



Rep
Sapphic
Bipoc
Gay

Cw
Blood
Death
Murder

I thought this was a great witch/ coven story. While I figured out the twist pretty early, it was still really enjoyable.

There are a few parts that could have been cut out, which I think would have given more time for the ending.

I wish that things didn’t feel so rushed at the end but I couldn’t put it down.

An engaging graphic novel about a young witch returning to her extended family, and learning more about herself and her family's history.

At the start of this story Esmy has no control over her powers, and no real idea what it means to be a witch or be part of a coven. Her parents took her away at a young age to give her a 'normal' life. Now there is danger to the coven and Esmy must return, leaving everything she knew behind.

This is very much a story about identity and being true to who you are. At the start of the story Esmy does not want to work with her powers, and does not care about her heritage. She would rather surf with her friends or hang out with her girlfriend. Learning more about her family's history and the coven she is a part of creates conflict as Esmy must reconcile who she is with what she can do.

Sincerely hope that there will be more books, as I would love to learn more about Esmy and her coven.

Graphic novels can be a hit or miss and this was definitely a HIT. I loved every moment from beginning to end. The author did an amazing job portraying grief and how you'll do anything to get back your loved ones. It was kind of a murder mystery as well since you're trying to figure out who killed the witches.

I wish we knew more about the witches and the actual coven, so I hope this series continues to flesh that out a bit more! Either than that, really enjoyed it.

4/5 A fun graphic novel, loved the paranormal/witches and the art is stunning. I wish the story had been a little stronger, it did seem super weird in regards to her parents' reasoning for leaving and then the reversal. But, again a fun graphic novel that I would definitely recommend! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mysterious and full of heart. This book was hard to put down. From the minute you meet the main character you get a sense or honesty and representation of what will follow in the pages. As characters are introduced, you're bit only bound to find ine to root for, but you're also seeing someone you know if not seeing a little of yourself in any one of the characters. The who dunnit at the core keeps you guessing to the end and the art balances out the entire story. The colors and action in the drawings bring real life to what's being said and really drive home the grief and or danger when it's being portrayed.

This was an entertaining story. I felt like it was a little flat though. I would have loved a little more depth to the characters. Sometimes that type of development is difficult in a graphic novel and I felt a bit like that was the case in this one. Though it wasn't my favorite subject matter, I'd consider reading more if the story continues.