The art is lovely! I think the story is fine, a bit predictable and I would have liked more world/magic building, but overall this was an easy read and I was content.

A super quick read, but a good one that kept me reading! A little mystery, a little suspense, and a large curse makes for an interesting adventure for Abby at her school of magic! I would love to see if this story continues in another graphic novel.

As a HUGE fan of Sabrina, the Witch (Netflix) and Harry Potter, I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. The artwork is crisp, creepy and crafty. The attention to detail is appreciated and enjoyed. The characters are very well developed, and I enjoyed getting to know them throughout the pages. I delighted in the mystery right to the end.


Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press, Wellfleet Press

A dark and mysterious novel, perfect for fans of witchcraft. The story will keep teens entertained. The art is fabulous.

This title suited my mood of late. Abigail, student at the Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft, has a problem Her mentee, Noreen, has disappeared just like Karla had many years ago. Abigail's friends all reassure her that the coven has everything under control. But Abigail refuses to give up and keeps digging until she uncovers what has happened to Noreen and to Karla. What comes to light upends the Institute and adds another friend to Abigail's circle. A spooky school story nicely illustrated with an interesting plot.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this tale.

The story for this was very interesting. I loved the witchy thriller vibes! That ending was so beautiful too, I kind of suspected that something sinister happened to make the “demon” a “demon” and I was right. The art style for this graphic novel was also very nice.

It’s not easy being a foundling, as Abigail Younwity knows all too well. On top of having no family of her own and being named after the Younwity Hidden Institute of Magic where she’s a student, Abigail knows that foundlings are especially vulnerable to the ghosts that haunt the untamed woods surrounding the school grounds. When Abigail’s friend Noreen disappears, Abigail knows that the forest holds the answers. On a hunt for information, she discovers a journal hidden in the hollow of a tree; it belonged to another student who vanished without a trace almost a century ago. The school administrators demand that Abigail leave the search to the Coven, but she can’t give up on finding the closest thing she has to a sister. Meanwhile, the Institute is preparing for the Samhain festival, when “the veil between the world of the dead and the living is at its thinnest,” a time when evil spirits are apt to strike. Time to find Noreen is clearly running out. Assisted by a handful of trusted friends and armed with some helpful spells, Abigail will risk expulsion, or worse, to solve this mystery. Written and illustrated by Sweeney Boo, this vibrant graphic novel is pure witchy fun from start to finish, while also incorporating some weightier issues such as possessive friendship. Fans of Sabrina (in all its incarnations) and Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Srerle will love it!

This was a fun, witchy mystery with absolutely gorgeous art (though I wish there was a little more diversity in body type). I know it's such a cliché to compare any magical school books to H*rry P*tter, but there were so many similarities and overlaps that it feels remiss not to mention it — there was a creepy groundskeeper, woods that students weren't allowed to go in, and **SPOILER** the Violet/Goldie relationship felt like Draco/Hermione fanfic. And like everybody else has said in these reviews, I loved the familiars. Oh to be a witch at a magic school with a little talking curmudgeonly cat that follows me around. It really is the dream.

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

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo is a graphic novel about a magic school and the mystery surrounding the girl who went missing years ago. Is it a story to keep kids out of the woods or is it real? If so, is history repeating itself when Abby’s mentee Noreen goes missing? Abby is told by the adults around her that they are on the case but it’s not enough and she goes looking for answers herself with the help of her friends.
This was a quick enjoyable read. The art style was something I enjoyed as well. Abby is the kid that follows the rules until the rules don’t work for her, her bff Goldie is the smart, bookish one that is big on following rules, and Enver is Noreen’s friend and ready to do what they can to find Noreen.
Magical and mysterious, I loved this story.

Let me just start by saying that the artwork on these pages is GORGEOUS. I was sold on this just from the short blurb without ever seeing any illustrations besides the cover, but oh my god. Every single page is absolutely saturated with vibrant colors, and the various palettes used definitely give me witchy vibes.

Then there's the story. Some graphic novels tend to fall short trying to give both amazing illustrations and a full storyline, but "Over My Dead Body" doesn't disappoint. Every page felt like I was right there walking the halls Younwity desperately searching for clues, going to classes, and experiencing the new magic systems. I loved seeing the different familiars and how they were incorporated into the story, and the emotions felt so real to me.

This is by far the best graphic novel I've read to date, and I hope there are many more books in Sweeney Boo's future.

“Over My Dead Body” is the perfect Autumn graphic novel. It has that witchy feel and is perfect for those of us who perhaps are looking for a more inclusive magical boarding school. The graphics are distinctive and adorable (familiars!) and the storyline is compelling and like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, but somehow Sweeney Boo still makes a familiar storyline her own and leaves the reader hoping she’s not done with Youwinty Academy.

I’ve always liked Sweeney Boo’s art so I was excited to see this novel coming! I really liked the story. I liked the major focus on friendship. But it was a bit all over the place too. Might’ve worked better in a longer book? I liked the familiars the most though. They were so fun!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

This was a very lovely short graphic novel with a story that was as much mystery and intrigue as a story of love and friendship. While none of the romances are the highlight of the story, they still manage to stand out among it. It is fast-paced and does not slow down in telling the story, while also setting up the world fantastically in the first few pages. It easily balances serious slightly horror-filled themes along with comedic moments to lighten things up between big scenes.

I found myself really enjoying the artwork as much as I did the story, spending time on each page looking at all the little details that the artist put into many of the pictures. Things that gave you little clues about the bigger picture from the very beginning.

A great witchy read for anyone wanting to have a spooky night. I loved how diverse and interesting this world became even with how short it was.

Over My Dead Body was a great addition to the witchy canon. Pulling from its predecessors it's a familiar tale for a modern audience. While the story was slightly predictable if you've read the first Harry Potter book, it can be forgiven because of the stunning art style. Also it was refreshing to see a bit of Wiccan and traditional witchcraft elements incorporated into the fantasy.

The artwork was crazy good! I loved the style.

The story was cute and very refreshing 😌

My favorite thing about this graphic novel is the characters and their friendships. I had a fun time reading this!

Another favorite witchy graphic novel! The art is stunning and I love the diversity amongst the characters. The color story felt very much witch-orphanage- boarding-school-in-the-fall and was everything I didn’t know I needed. The spooky mystery developed by thoughtful, layered characters accompanied by an array of cute familiars make this a fun, fast-past read. I wish things didn't end so…idk, cleanly? But there is plenty of room for a sequel, which I would LOVE to see happen!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sweeney Boo, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and Harper Alley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honesty review!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was nice and spooky, perfect for autumn, with a great mystery at the center of it. I loved that the main character stayed fast in her belief that something was wrong and kept pushing forward despite the gaslighting that happened to her. The art is lovely and easy to follow. I love Sweeney Boo's style for single issue comics that I have read, so I liked that this was similar.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Over My Dead Body was a great, quick read. The book kept you in suspense as to why the faculty of the school did not seem super concerned about a student’s disappearance. It definitely made you question if they were involved. It was great to see “enemies” become friends with Abby and Violet. As a parent of an LGBTQ teenager I also was pleased to see a relationship that would be relatable to my child. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mystery and themes of witchcraft.

Witches will always hold a special place in my heart. They always get a bum rap but they are beautiful and powerful beings that will one day take over the world. Just you watch. So I'll give all the witchy books a read.

The story was a simple one where the dark secrets of the forest lead to mysterious disappearances of local Witches that attend the academy. A few Witches make it their business to find the missing witch and uncover the secret that has been haunting the academy for years. Let's not forget the trouble they'll get in for breaking the rules.

This was an okay story. It was pretty predictable as far as mysteries go. The characters were flawless though. They stood out on their own and weren't like one another. The different personalities shined through and it made this a little more unique. The art was spectacular and made you enjoy the story a bit more. The colors were bright, even in the darkest of locations.

Over My Dead Body has the best title for a graphic novel. The mystery on the other hand wasn't as thrilling as I had hoped. It did keep me interested enough to complete it but not enough to feel excited. I also felt that this was too long, that could be because I wasn't fully invested.