I was given an ARC of this recently and was excited to get a new graphic novel with beautiful illustrations.

While sweet and also creepy (ewh bugs), I felt that the story was definitely rushed, especially the love story in the beginning. Quite honestly, the beginning was great, but the reaper piece fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Oni Press, and Keezy Young for the ARC.

I loved this graphic novel. The cuteness of the story was the first thing that I noticed and the first thing that made me love it! Next to that of course was the colour green. Or rather the colour palette in general. I found the darker green used in the darker scenes reminiscent of how green is often also seen as poisonous, (spoiler warning: the darker green was predominantly used in the scenes to show the forest was deteriorating) it was an interesting touch to the book. Especially in contrast with the green used in the scenes where nature predominated. Loved the gardening aspect in the story with a touch of supernatural/ magic. And absolutely adored the main characters. The perfect soft read for cuddling with a blanket and getting cozy in your reading chair!

The only thing I was missing is more of their story. So hoping for a second volume?

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love love love the whole story of this book. I think it's super cute and I highly enjoyed it, I simply thought it was so cute and that the characters were so lovable.

Blurb

Blue is having a hard time moving on. He's in love with his best friend. He's also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart's content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal's strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means... leaving him.

I think the story was very good and that it was easy to follow. Since the artstyle shows a descriptive characteristic of the dead people, it wasnøt all too hard to figure out that Blue was dead with his friends and that Hamal was the alive one. The setting was also easy since it's generally in a flower shop and the plants hat Hamal enjoys being around. They do travel settings but the main one would be there.

The only problem I had with the book is the dialogue. A reaper sparing you because he is a sucker for cheesy romance is not really the thing I wanna read when the story just got good and not that cringy.

Overal a very enjoyable read!!

Taproot is a super cute graphic novel with an amazing art style that was perfect to read on a rainy day!
The story is simple and every character has a beautiful design and color palette. Hamal looks strong but sweet, the Reeper is scary but still has something comforting and even the side character seem to have life in them.

But sadly Taproots story felt quiet flat to me, the magic system wasn’t explained or defined in any way and every decision of the characters seemed to be dragged on by the plot. I wish there was some more substance or the story would’ve focused more on one of the two storylines instead of presenting both. I would’ve loved to see Blues and Hamals story explored more within the first part or see the ghost hunting stretch on for more than three pages.

A very heartwarming and sweet story with some cool light fantasy elements. I really enjoyed the characters in this and the relationship between Hamal and Blue was very cute and endearing, I enjoyed their banter quite a bit. There was a good mix of humour and more emotional moments throughout, creating a good balance. I really enjoyed the art style as well and thought the style and colour palette really helped to build the world, atmosphere, and overall vibe of the story. Some of the story could be developed more rather than moving so quickly past it, but overall I thought this was a really fun and very sweet story.

blue is a teenage ghost who wanders through the world mainly unseen. hamal is a gardener and the only living person who can see him. blue discovers the town is in danger, and hamal may be the cause.

i loved the art style and it really fit the ghost story. i do wish the novel itself had been a bit longer, as the story felt a bit rushed at times. i did really like how most of the story is told through the art rather than the dialogue, which was so cool.

recommended for graphic novel lovers!

Cute Cute Cute Cute CUTE. This is a wonderfully cute, and queer graphic novel good for a rainy afternoon indoors or a sunny afternoon relaxing by the water. I absolutely adored Hamel and Blue's relationship and loved all the cute moments they had together. The artwork was also so well done and flowed so nicely with the story. Absolutely spectacular.

The only critique I would give and why I didn't give it a full five stars is I thought the one year later part of the story could have been the beginning to a second volume instead of the ending to this novel. While it was nice to see what Hamel and Blue's relationship was like, again, I just found it a bit unnecessary in this novel and think it would be a great addition to a second installment.

Overall I highly recommend this to anyone and will definitely be reading again.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for letting me read an eARC of this lovely graphic novel!

Taproot has been on my radar for a while now, so I was delighted that I was given the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is a sweet, queer graphic novel about a ghost boy falling for the gardener that can somehow see him and his fellow ghosts and hence has to put up with his shenanigans. This incredibly wholesome romance story is offset by horror elements that lend some gravity to the story, but without making it too heavy. The art style is beautiful and works so well for the story that's being told, effortlessly switching between calm, warm scenes and spooky environments.

The two protagonists were SO CUTE, especially Hamal, who is a cross between a cinnamon bun and a golden retriever with a..... suspiciously green thumb. I loved seeing these two come to terms with their feelings for each other, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for sweet, gay graphic novels!

While this was a very quick read and the artwork and colours were absolutely beautiful in a muted / pastel kind of look , I felt that the story was lacking a bit of depth and there were some unanswered questions or just plot points that were glossed over to push the story forward .

A cute, quick, queer read!
Taproot made me smile and had that feel good feeling.
I do wish the second part of the book was a little longer, I would definitely read a second volume of their adventures.

This was a cute short queer graphic novel about a gardener who is in love with a ghost.
I am only giving it 3 starts because I felt It had a lot of potential but felt short. I had difficulty at times following the story or figuring out who was saying what. The idea and the illustrations were great but could have done with a little more plot development or drawing more to explain some things instead of jumping around.
An overall fun reading experience

Thank you so much for Oni Press and NetGalley...

Taproot has always been in my TBR list since the first time I saw it on my Instagram's feed.
At first, I thought this one would be my "crying-ugly" book, since the blurb told me about the relationship between the ghost and the living one. But, it turned out to be heartwarming story with wonderful art. Keezy Young's art style definitely suited the story of this book, its gave me warm atmosphere while reading it.

The minus point was April character. I didn't really understand her, appeared out of nowhere, crushed things, and then, just sat there with Blue and the kid. I thought she was one of the main ghosts in the story. That would be more appealing if we got more background of April.

The best thing of this book was the "Taproot Process Artwork" part. As a comic artist, I really loved that. My favorite artwork was Blue's Banner. That was really beautiful

I really love

Studio Ghibli meets Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas.
I had the best time reading this listening to the Spirited Away soundtrack, I don't know why I never read graphic novels before this year?!
This was an incredibly wholesome, queer, funny and innately human graphic novel following the love story between a ghost and the gardener who can unusually see him.
(I'm in love with the reaper who is just as supportive of the ship as the reader, an icon).
If you want an easy, fast-paced read to fill that heartstopper ache, read Taproot!

I read this graphic novel on #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has already published but is being re-released with a brand new (and very cute) cover.

Briefly, the plot centers around a gardener, Hamal, and his best friend Blue. Unfortunately, no-one else can see Blue because he's a ghost. Unfortunately, Hamal is the only one who can see all the neighbourhood ghosts, which leads to awkward, and even dangerous situations! The story is about love, and about the balance between life and death.

Honestly, the best way I can describe the vibe of this book is "Dark & Delightful". It has a spooky forest, necromancy, and some great banter between the characters! The humour in this book was completely up my alley, I enjoyed so many of the quirky details in the story and the art. My absolute favorite thing about this book was the character of the Reaper. Imagine a creepy looking Reaper but she's sassy and strangely tech savvy and that's exactly what you get! In my opinion she absolutely steals every scene that she's in!

Some of the topics it deals with are grief, death, love, and friendship and I think it deals with these heavy topics in a charming way but the concepts could have been explored deeper. Additionally, there were a lot of unanswered questions in the end which left me a bit frustrated. Lastly, although the art style was cute and colourful, sometimes it was a bit hard to see or distinguish.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a wholesome story with a unique storyline.

This book was absolutely adorable! The art style was so beautiful and the character's were all so charming - especially loved the Reaper!! My one complaint is that it felt a little rushed around the resolution with the forest. I feel like it could have benefitted from having another couple pages of explanation. Regardless, I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a sweet, queer romance for the summer.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this graphic novel!

This is a really cute graphic novel about Hamal, a boy who works as a gardener and Blue, his ghost friend! Hamal can see and communicate with ghosts, so they become fast friends and then, so much more than that!

I thought it was really cute! I loved the romance, and the art was amazing as well. I would love to read more about their adventures!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This is a really cute and creepy graphic novel. It follows the love story between Hamal, a gardener and Blue, a ghost, which as one may imagine, is not the easiest. Queer paranormal romance is not a genre i had read before, but it was just heart warming. Their awkward day to day life is broken by the introduction of a reaper searching for a necromancer. The reaper has to be my favourite character - terrifying and sassy - what more could you want! This is a great short read.

The art style is also really great, i think i actually liked the nature pages the most.

The one slightly negative of this graphic novel is that because it is so short, i lost track of the story a little at points which took me out of the experience. But, overall, a very enjoyable read.

The story in this is the cutest! I love the illustrations and characters. I love the new cover design and addition of extra material in the back!

Taproot is a short but joyous tale of a friendship turned budding romance between Hamal and Blue. However, the course of love never runs smooth; in this case things are a little complicated owing to the fact that Blue is a ghost, who can be seen by Hamal, a necromancer-come-gardener, they are unable to make physical contact. When Blue learns Hamal may be in imminent danger, he realises he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the man he secretly loves and restore the balance between life and death.

Keezy Young has complimented and enhanced the raw emotion of the story with stunning graphics - the primarily blue- and green-hued pallete perfectly reflects the blending of Hamal's world (green representing nature and life) with Blue's (blue, representing the supernatural and death). There are many panels and full page illustrations that would look beautiful framed and displayed as stand alone art work.

In addition to the strong queer representation, it is worth noting the wide ethnic diversity of the characters; aside from Hamal, who appears to be of Arabic decent, and Blue, who is darker skinned, the supporting and background characters have a range of skin tones, and some are depicted wearing hair coverings or hijabs. Though this should be the norm, it still unfortunately is not, so I felt it was worth noting and celebrating - everyone deserves to see a part of themselves within popular culture!

Overall, this is a lovely, cosy read, and one I will no doubt come back to time and again when I need a little something to warm my heart.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Keezy Young and Oni Press for allowing me to read and enjoy this eARC.

This is such a lovely, melancholy story about life, love and death. The illustrations are simple, but really lively and I especially love the colour scheme the author worked with.
My only quibble is that the conflict gets resolved very quickly and the story is over too fast.