This was absolutely perfect! The artwork was beautiful, the story was beautiful, the romance was beautiful - everything was beautiful and I would love to read more.

I’d like to thank the publishers for sending me an arc through Netgalley!

This.graphic novel’s art style is absolutely gorgeous!! I loved the plus sized MC and the cute little ghosts throughout the story however it lacked any real plot and substance…a fun and quick read!

Taproot by Keezy Young as the cover states is a story about a Ghost and Gardener but is obviously so much more. The story centers around Hamal and his ability to see ghosts specifically a ghost named Blue. For whatever reason Blue hasn’t been able to cross over and he’s developed a friendship/crush on Hamal. Silly banter and talks ensues, but they’re seems to be other forces at work here and things may not be as happy and alright as one assumed. This was a fun, fast paced, cute graphic romance novel with stunning imagery and art. I was constantly enthralled with the pictures as much as the story. It also had me asking myself questions about recent deaths in my life and overall I have to say this was worth the short read, I only wish the author will continue producing more!

This book was the absolute cutest thing ever. The art style is so pretty and the colours were so beautiful. The story is about a ghost blue and a gardener how can see ghost. Their chemistry was so good and I really enjoyed their story. But then I also loved the glimpses you get off the side characters one in particular that I really liked. Blue is really protective over Hamal in the story so when danger is looming over them Blue hopes to keep it from him. Their interactions where so cute as nobody else can see Blue and the other ghost around so Hamal is seen as the “weird” guy that talks to himself which the other ghost make more fun by acting up and throwing things off shelves when he is at work. The book is also written by a queer author and I just love the cutest queer story’s. So if you’re looking for one this is definitely one I recommend.

"There's nothing evil about death, Ghostie."

This is such a cute, warm-hearted story!!!!

What more could you ask for with a sweet, queer, friends to lovers' story!!! Honesty, this is perfect for lovers of Heartstopper!

The illustrations were so beautiful and definitely added to the story. I was mesmerised and just itching to read more!

This paranormal, queer romance should definitely be the next graphic novel that you pick up!

This was about the coziest thing I could imagine reading about ghosts and necromancy. I absolutely love this and will definitely be picking up more from this author/artist!

Disclaimer: I work for a bookstore, all thoughts and opinions are my own and not affiliated with the store or company.
Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me with a digital version of this manga.

A heartwarming story about plants, queer love, and necromancy; what more could you want? This story will remain with me for a long time. I flew through this story and was devastated when it ended as I could read endless stories about the adventures of the main character. The middle of the book definitely had my heart in knots with the plot twist.

While queerness isn't discussed directly in the story, I think that is one of the elements that made this so beautiful. There is no trauma (aside from being dead) revolving around this relationship, which provided for a wholesome story of a queer couple. It felt normalized and the type of happy representation we had more of in the media, as opposed to focusing on pain.

I can understand why some felt that it was a little rushed at times, however, this was not an element that bothered me as it meant that we got the wholesome plot line at the end.

I would also recommend that readers read the afterword by the author. It adds some amazing insight into the creation of the story and how it was created. It also briefly goes into the queer elements of the story and how the author sees themself represented in the characters, Blue specifically. It was amazing to also see a part of the artwork process at the end with the storyboards for the characters. This solidified all of the love that I have for the novel.

Overall, I loved and adored this graphic novel filled with gothic sunshine. I would recommend this to readers of any age for a cute fast read.

Taproot was an absolute joy to read! It's so warm and cute and cozy! I love it so much! I couldn't even wait until I finished it to gush about it to my friend and try to convince her to read it herself. The art is simple and sweet. I adore the colors and composition. The backgrounds and flowers were drawn so beautifully. The panel composition is pretty simple but it reads very fluidly. The formatting kind of reminded me of a web comic with large panels.
The story is very atmospheric and cozy. I would say Taproot is more character driven than plot driven- really it's more vibes than story in the best way! Taproot was amazing and I highly recommend it! I'm definitely going to pick up a physical copy!

This book was so sweet, with the most gorgeous illustrations. The story of Hamal and Blue is touching, and I was hooked immediately into Blue's plight of being in love with Hamal. The second part of the book featuring the dead child felt a little disjointed from the rest of the plot, and the climax was kind of stilted with the reaper letting Blue live and Hamal help them. I wish the two storylines were a bit more intermingled!

4.5 stars.
I thought this was a really good graphic novel. The colours were absolutely exquisite and I kept turning the page to more and more beautiful artwork. The characters were great and, while some of them weren’t fully fleshed out, I loved them all. The reaper was really cool, and I loved how they became a good friend to Blue and Hamal.
I did find the climax a little confusing, and it felt like things weren’t said to the reader when they should have been. I don’t know how it was Hamal’s fault for the dark forest place, and I don’t know how putting a plant in Blue’s chest made it all better. But the good thing about it was, I didn’t mind. Maybe that’s the point, Maybe the point is in the not knowing, and just watching it unfold.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I honestly think it could be a good movie or animated series.

Wow, this is such a cute read!! I really enjoyed the scratchy art style, the colors, the plants, and just, the characters gave me life! If I could read cozy little things like this for the rest of my life, I would be delighted, that said, I feel like this book could have benefitted from a few extra pages focusing on worldbuilding. For example, I think more details on the Necromancy business would have made understanding the conflict easier (I'm still confused). More details on how they fixed the problem would also be very helpful (again, I didn't really understand). I also feel like the timing (passage of time) was something that could have been worked on as well, but it wasn't a huge problem. Honestly, even with these "complaints" I just want more of these two being cute and expanding the business!

This was such a cute warm story about a boy (man?) and a ghost, but it was so much more. Told with the use of graphics, this was a splendid graphical novel, with themes of love, loss and life. It tells the story of a gardener who can see ghosts. I adored the characters. Though it was a quick read, the characters will stay with me for a long time. And the art, what magnificent art. I hope it gets a sequel too. I need to explore the author's other works.
Reread value: 100/100

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

I've been quietly lusting after this book for a few years, swearing I would read it eventually, and the time is now! I'm so happy it was on "Read Now" because YES, it's every bit as magical and cottagecore-y as I had hoped! Necromancers. Flowers, Boys in love. A Ghibli vibe that is only enhanced by the queerness and plants. What's not to like?? And it's a profound enough to tug at the heart but light and cheerful enough to warm you inside. All in all a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing what else the author has to offer, too.

A cute story with beautiful art. This graphic novel is a ghost/human love story. I would love to see more stories about Hamal/Blue, their relationship seemed a little rushed. I also wanted to see more about the other ghosts, particularly in the second half.

The combination of supernatural and cute in a graphic novel reminded me of Mooncakes, but the story is very unique. Looking forward to reading more from Keezy Young.

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story behind this graphic novel is quite simple and straightforward. But the characters are so wholesome and lovable, their relationship adorable.
The art was also wonderful.

4/5

This was really cute and sweet. I liked the whole idea and I found it very original and unique. It was very beautiful and perfect for a quick read if you want to read something to warm your heart.

This book was heartwarming and delight to read! It's a quick graphic novel - only about 140 pages, and digestible in about an hour tops. The art is lovely, and I loved the way the author uses it to tell the story - it goes past the traditional comic book format of one panel after the other at parts, which really enhanced the experience for me. It's full of diverse and queer characters as well, and it does a great job of representing these identities in a casual and every day setting.

I don't know if this even counts as a criticism, but the one thing that threw me off a bit was the tone shift from the very emotional ending to the bonus comic one year later..! Since this is a rerelease with this bonus material, I don't think there's necessarily anything to be done about that, and I did quite like the bonus story as well :) Well done!

I thought this book was well written and engaging. I loved the illustrations.

I really enjoyed it.

Taproot
Summary
The story begins with our main character Hamel. Hamel works at a flower shop and can see ghosts! He has a couple of ghost friends who hang out with him regularly and his favorite among them is Blue.
Little does anyone know but things are about to change for Hamel and Blue when there is discovered to be illegal necromancy being performed by someone who can see ghosts.

My Thoughts:
First and foremost, the art in this graphic novel leaves nothing to be desired. The scratchy artwork (that is a good thing) and the atmosphere come to life in every single panel that is shown in this book. The characters all have such unique and distinct personalities (as well as some awesome outfits!).
The things that Taproot did well:
- Character development: You care so much about each and every one of these characters from the moment you see them in the first panels. You care about how they feel, what they are doing, and where the story is going for each of them.
- Atmosphere: The scenery and the atmosphere of this graphic novel are to DIE for….did you see what I did there? I wanted to be in this flower shop with Blue and Hamel so many times throughout this book that I am debating opening my own flower shop just so I can feel like this.
- Humor: The humor was so well done and felt so believable for the age group and fit in with the story really well. You felt as if these were real young adults you could probably overhear talking.

The things that Taproot could work on:
- All in all, better transitions from one “thing” to the next. There were several times throughout the graphic novel that I found myself thinking “is this really the next panel or did I miss something?”. The transitions from Blue in the real world to Blue in the next were a bit rushed and felt a bit out of place in the context of what was occurring around those times.
- Rushing: Similar but different to transitions. Taproot didn’t explain the ending of the book or why they did the things they did to us readers which made the story feel a little cohesive. The ending and the romance were rushed a bit too much for my liking.
- Timing: While I think the graphic novel excelled in its humor it lacked a bit in terms of timing and storytelling. I wanted the story to flow a bit better from one thing to the next and take a bit more time with the story.

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for giving me access to a digital copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This is quite possibly one of the most beautiful graphic novel I’ve ever read. Keezy Young’s illustrations were stunning.

Taproot is a heartwarming queer romance about life, death and magic. Hamal can see ghosts, he works as a gardener in a florists shop. Blue is a ghost who hangs out at the shop and is having a hard time moving on - he’s also in love with his best friend.

This graphic novel is perfect if you are looking for a soft supernatural romance with low stakes and cinnamon roll characters.

I loved the gorgeous illustrations and world building. I wish it had been longer, as the story felt a little rushed at times. I am keen to read more of Keezy Young’s work. I’d love to see a sequel to Taproot and read more stories about Tamal and Blue.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys books and graphic novels such as Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden or Legends And Lattes by Travis Baldree.

Please check trigger warnings for this book, there are mentions of topics such as child death and death.