I am no stranger to the beautiful storytelling of K O'Neill, but I have to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's for a chance to read an ARC prior to release.

The Moth Keeper is a gorgeously illustrated story of finding one's way, even in the midst of doubt and uncertainty. As I mentioned, the illustrations of this graphic novel weren't just gorgeous, but the colors and tones matched the overall story in such a way it amplified the storytelling. O'Neill is a master of graphic novels, an author I will continue to return to time and time again. If you are looking for a rich story with characters you cannot help but love alongside beautiful art work, you will not be disappointed in this story.

I had the pleasure to read "The Moth Keeper" by K O'Neill via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story was really enchanting and beautifully illustrated. It follows a new Moth Keeper named Anya. Since her village worships the Moon Spirit its inhabitants changed their daily routine to do everything at nighttime. The moths play a vital part in their ecosystem so the job as moth keeper is lonely but very important. I loved the themes of responsibility, pressure, belonging and burnout in this book. It was melancholic and whimsical.The glowing moths at night were truly magical!

O’Neill is truly showing what they can pull off with this graphic novel. This still has the hallmarks of one of their graphic novels, but with the addition of a new art style and being a little more plot driven than The Tea Dragon books.

There are a collection of characters and character types visible, from humanoids to bird-like humanoids to cat-like humanoids! Plus, their clothing is so well detailed! And character designs bring me to my next reason. From side characters using mobility aids, multiple characters with different skin tones, and a queernorm society, O’Neill is very good at having their worlds be casually inclusive.

This little book focuses on a lot of things, but one of the big ones is community. The whole book is based on Anya wanting to contribute to the village that’s given her a lot. Characters look out for Anya and vice versa. Plus, there’s a lot of discussion about how the Night Village works together versus how the Day Village does.

The target audience is middle graders, but I’d say it’s great for any age! The themes can apply to all ages and anyone can appreciate the gorgeous art!

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Random House Graphic for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars!

TL;DR: If you've read anything by K. O'Neill before you'll know that their stories are not only beautifully depicted through wonderful graphic illustrations, but their stories are full of heart and leave you feeling warm inside. The Moth Keeper is no different and despite the brevity of the story, it brought me joy, made me misty-eyed, and gave me a strong feeling of hope. This is a heartwarming story about community, found family, and belonging and I'd recommend it to everyone who loves folk tales and a good story!

I am a big fan of O'Neill's artwork and it was wonderful to dive into a new world and a new story through the illustrations they create. As the story takes place in a community that worships the moon, most of the panels had cool, night-time tones which made the contrasting tones of the day-time scenes, as well as the warm tones of the lantern Anya uses to protect the moths, stand out wonderfully. What I love best about O'Neill's illustrations is how they are able to infuse the characters and the setting with so much life! The character expressions and how everything from the dialogue to the colour palette to the way elements are illustrated always complement each other beautifully.

Although the story is very much about Anya's journey as the new moth keeper, this had a really strong sense of community that I really enjoyed. No community is perfect and this was clearly illustrated by the plot and how, despite all the positive things the community provides, sometimes duty and tradition can get in the way of building a sense of togetherness. I really appreciated the way O'Neill brought this to light through Anya's experience. She was a wonderful main character who was easy to sympathise with and root for. There's definitely an underlying sense of heaviness as we follow Anya on her journey as the new moth keeper and as she works through her overwhelming feeling of isolation and desire to belong. It was kind of heartbreaking to witness her extend herself to such extremes because she feels the only way she can contribute and bring light to the community is through this new role she takes on. Honestly, a few of the scenes towards the end really had me tearing up!

However, there were also great moments of joy in this story. I particularly loved the friendship that Anya had with Estell, who I absolutely ADORED! 😍 She was such a wonderful and caring friend who left my heart feeling so happy and full every time she appeared on the page—I literally wanted to scoop her up, stick her in my pocket and keep her forever! I loved how she never gave up on caring for Anya, even when Anya wouldn't open up about her struggles, and how much she cherished their friendship. I also liked Yeolen and Aimoss and I'd 100% read a story about them and Yeolen's journey to becoming the moth keeper before Anya (please)!

Overall, this is definitely a story I would recommend for those who love a heartwarming tale of community and belonging, folktale vibes, and fantastic illustrations to accompany an equally beautiful story.

K. O’Neill’s The Moth Keeper is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about friendship, belonging, and the meaning of community.

In this coming-of-age story, Anya is desperate to prove herself worthy of the night-village. But as the newest Moth Keeper, she makes a grave error, putting the entire community at risk. The resulting crisis forces the villagers to admit their own failure. They have lost sight of their responsibility as a community - no single individual should be left on their own. And Anya learns that it’s just as important to accept support as it is to give support to others.

The Moth Keeper is marketed to middle grade readers, but it’s sure to enchant all ages. I’ve found myself repeatedly flipping through the book to revisit the gorgeous illustrations.

O’Neill’s artwork shines and truly makes this book special. Rarely is the night sky black. Instead, we see the beauty of the desert rendered in purples and oranges at dusk, dark blues at midnight, and pinks creeping in at dawn. For this community, night time is lively and vibrant.

Our family library includes a huge collection of graphic novels that are read over and over again. I am confident that The Moth Keeper will become another favorite.

Thank you to Random House Graphic and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

First off, the experience in reading this ARC is tainted because it's only available in Adobe Digital Editions which, specifically with comics, causes missing pages, ghosting, and distorted images so it's difficult to know sometimes when you miss parts of the story because that pages wasn't supposed to be blank. If it were available on Netgalley shelf that would solve that issue.

I love K O'Neill's stories where they combine the feeling of oral myths or folktales with Studio Ghibli feeling illustrations, and both the intense human emotions, as well as a wholesome feeling-which, is found in all their works.

Their stories are great for any age. The stories are cozy in their comfort and the characters still face their own hardships in them but it isn't the end of the world or a big bad villain. This one is about finding your place in your community and relying on others. It's very sweet and deals with emotional growth.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I love the Tea Dragon Society series, so I had to request this as soon as I saw it! I love the authors stories and art style.

In this graphic novel, we are following Anya who has become the newest Moth Keeper in her village. This role is very important to their community, but does require being alone more often than not. This story deals with loneliness, burnout, community, and knowing that it's okay to ask for help.

This is an important graphic novel for any age range that is extremely accessible. The art shows so many emotions, that you never have to guess how a character is feeling.

I really hope this is a set up for a second novel! It is wrapped up pretty well at the end, but I would love to see these characters again.

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

The Moth Keeper was a very sweet middle grade graphic novel that was so easy to get lost in. I loved the art style and the way you could feel the story moving even through several pages of images and no text. The characters were wholesome with beautiful designs that kept me connected to the story. This definitely made me interested to check out the rest of this author's works as well!

Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within are my own.

I was originally introduced to K. O’Neill’s work when I picked up the first graphic novel in the Tea Dragon Society series. I immediately fell in love with their art and their storytelling. They have a way of pouring so much heart into their stories and I knew I wanted to read more from them. When I saw the email asking for reviewers to participate in the tour for their newest middle grade graphic novel, I immediately jumped on board!

The Moth Keeper is a graphic novel that follows the story of a young fox girl named Anya. Anya is determined to prove that she is worth something to the people in her village, especially to those she considers friends. So, when she takes on the position of trainee Moth Keeper, she promises herself that she is going to the best she can do. But the job comes with a lot of long, lonely nights and it soon starts to take a toll on the young fox.

As I mentioned before, K. O’Neill has a way of putting a lot of heart into their stories and this was no exception! It’s a quick read but, wow, does it pack a punch. This is a story that focuses on the effects of loneliness, abandonment, and burnout but also shows the power of friendship and found family. It was a beautiful tale that had me all in my feelings. I legit teared up a few times!

Part of what makes the book so impactful is the gorgeous, evocative art. O’Neill’s art exudes feeling and even the panels with no words take you on an emotional journey. I love their art style so much and that holds true in this one! I used to live in the desert and the art in this really captures the beauty of it, especially at night. And the emotion they can put into their characters expressions! Ugh… it’s just *chef’s kiss*

Of course, beautiful art does nothing if you don’t have great characters. Thankfully, there was no shortage of that in this graphic novel! All the characters, from Anya to her best friend Estell, were wonderfully imagined and came to life on the page. They gave this story such depth and I was instantly attached to all of them, haha. I also love how diverse and inclusive the cast of characters are! This author makes creating compelling characters seem effortless.

Overall, this is a graphic novel that is beautiful inside and out. The art, the characters, the story all have so much emotion and heart that you’ll find yourself drawn in within the first few pages. I adored everything about this story and I especially love that a graphic novel that looks at some pretty serious topics (burnout, abandonment) is geared towards a younger audience that are often ignored when it comes to the effects of said topics. I hope this gets in the hands of so many kids who had to deal with burnout during the pandemic because I think this could be a great comfort for them. A sign that there is hope even if they are still struggling.

The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill is a graphic novel currently scheduled for release on March 7 2023. Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? From the author of the beloved Tea Dragon Society comes a must-read for fans of the rich fantasies of Hayao Miyazaki and the magical adventures of Witch Hat Atelier. Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn’t exactly what Anya thought it would be? Night after night, it is lonely in the desert, with only one lantern for light. Still, Anya is eager to prove her worth, to show her thanks to her friends and her village. But is it worth the cost? And yet something isn’t right. When Anya glimpses the one thing that could destroy what she’s meant to protect, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.

The Moth Keeper is a coming of age graphic novel for middle grade and older readers. First off, I loved the artwork and thought it did a wonderful job of capturing the emotion and details of the story. I thought the book shared a wonderful story of self exploration, community, and friendship as well as how we sometimes put more expectations and duty on ourselves than others would. I liked the world building and that we got to see pieces from a variety of lives in the story- although I would have liked more of everything since I enjoyed it all so much. I will admit that there were a couple pages that I had to look at more than once to get exactly what was happening from, and I did still have some questions about Anya's past and the other characters when I finished the book. I will honestly be thinking about these characters and the book for awhile now that I have finished it, which is unusual for me. I think many other readers will experience the same. I think the story will speak to a wide range of readers.

The Moth Keeper is an engaging graphic novel that I think will become a favorite for many.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of this!

I am obsessed with K. O’Neill, especially The Tea Dragon trilogy, and this was no exception. It was lovely and sweet, perfect for any age reader. All the characters were fantastic and I love them.

This was such a sweet, comforting read. I love how O'Neill gives the art space to breathe, often leaving several pages text-free so the reader is learning completely through the images on the page. This works beautifully with how much this specific story focuses on small, slice-of-life moments shared between people.

Although the main character takes on a rather serious personal journey, this overall ends up being an incredibly warm story about community and the value of supporting one another.

Absolutely beautiful.

Special thanks to Random House for an ARC in exchange for review.

The sun and moon villages are two places inhabited . In the night village, the Night Moths keep the Night Flowers in bloom, which in turn allows the village to thrive. The antagonist, Anya, decides to become the new moth keeper because she wants to be a light to the people around her. But, her desire to feel needed by the people surrounding her causes her to take on more responsibilities than she can handle as a rookie moth keeper. Additionally, she finds that keeping the moths at night is extremely lonely and what’s worse old fears of the dark creep up on her to the point where she yearns for the light. This ultimately leads to Anya losing the moths and the source of the village’s ability to thrive. Anya has to find the moths before it’s too late and she receives help from, not only her community but, two unlikely helpers.

What a beautiful story, I feel that it’s a story of deep meaning that people of all ages can enjoy.
It has one of those stories with universal appeal as it tackles topics like purpose, friendship, belonging, and the importance of community with aching gentleness. It’s also a timely story because after everything the world has been through we need reminders that there’s good in the world. Anya is a loveable character whose sense of duty is connected to longing to be ‘useful’ and takes on the responsibilities of being the moth keeper full on and eventually has to learn how to ask for help. Finally, I enjoyed the folktale quality woven throughout the story and the visuals and color palette are gorgeous.

The author of The Tea Dragon Society does it again with a deeply meaningful, beautifully illustrated story that will make readers tear up with emotion. Anya is an apprentice moth-keeper, who roams the land at night to care for the lunar moths on whom her village depends. As she gains more responsibility, Anya is proud of the work she does to care for her people and the moths, but nights alone with only one light for company begin to wear on her. Her loneliness grows until she makes a terrible mistake, which endangers everyone. Anya's story is a metaphor for depression that cuts right to the heart, as well as a tale of hope and wonder. The art style is gorgeous and familiar to readers of O'Neill's prior work, complete with the mixing of human and animal traits. The quiet desert stretches across the page in a way both inviting and intimidating, making it easy for the reader to feel what Anya is feeling. Perfect for fans of the Tea Dragon series and The Girl From The Sea.

1. The art I just ADORE Kay O’Neill’s art so much. It is soft, pretty, and I love the colours and how much it can tell a story. And I love that each chapter has a pretty moth to admire!
2. The characters! We got a great cast of supporting characters who do everything to help out Anya. Like Anya’s best friend, Estell, who makes sure that she has food and medicine and talks with her about her Moth Keeper job. And she is also the one who, when Anya loses it all and starts getting lost in loneliness, finds someone to help Anya. Then there is Anya’s mentor and his lover and they were just so much like the couple from Tea Dragon Society and I was just squeeing in delight. I just loved how they were there for Anya. Never got angry at her even when it was obvious that maybe Anya should have asked for helped.
3. Anya! She was such a sweet character, though she needs to learn to ask for help when things get tough. But given her issues and her mental health I could forgive her. I mean, she hasn’t had the easiest past, and whereas the rest of the village is fine living in the dark, we see that it is tough for Anya despite having been there since young child. Then there is the fact that being a moth keeper is a lonely job. You are often hours away from friends and family making sure that the moths are happy and taken care off. Some of her struggles I could definitely relate to. That even if you have your found family around you, can you feel lonely? And there were others. I do love that she never gives up and that she keeps going on. When things go south she takes responsibility.
4. The folklore/the stories about the Moon Spirit, about Lioka, and how it all ties back together with the story we have now. I would definitely love more stories about the people living in this world. Please give us a novella or a whole new graphic novel with just Moth Keeper stories/folklore!
5 That we don’t just follow Anya. Yes, for most of the book it is Anya, but we also get glimpses of the town, of Anya’s friend being taught how to do medicine, we see Anya’s mentor with his lover. We see how the town moves and flows through the night and how everyone is happy.

This story was really heartwarming and symbolic. I loved how every character was truly caring about the others in their village. It had coming of age vibes so I think this’ll be really good for middle grade-YA readers. I’m definitely going to order a physical copy for myself. Thank you for eARC, this was such a special little graphic novel.

A gorgeous and heartwarming story about finding your place in the world. the power of community, hope, and friendship. This was a absolutely charming and heart warming story about a village that has a tradition of having a Moth Keeper, someone who is the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. These flowers help the village continue to thrive and now it is Anya’s turn to become the new Moth Keeper. Anya was excited to be given such an important and honored role in her community, but the job is not what she thought it would be like. Night after lonely night, she wanders under the dark starry skies with her single lantern, guiding the moths. The loneliness grows and Anya’s yearning to prove her worth to her community and show her thanks to her friends and village might come at the cost of her own growing loneliness and sadness. Anya yearns for more but there are consequences to keeping all your emotions locked up and not asking for help, and this could impact not only the moths but her entire village. Can she save herself and her village before it’s too late? This was truly a touching story, filled with gorgeous artwork and a whimsical and enchanting feeling that would make a perfect read for Studio Ghibli fans!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Random House Graphic for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book is a beautiful story about overcoming fear. It's a beautiful middle grade novel highlighting friendship, following your dreams, and community. With beautiful, whimsy artwork, this book will be a perfect addition to your library.

Anya has always wanted to be needed, but she's also afraid of the dark. Despite her fears, she takes on the important job of guiding the moon moths that pollinate the tree her night village needs for survival. Anya is determined to keep her village healthy, but who will keep Anya healthy, especially when the allure of sunlit life and the danger of ancient legends brought to life threaten to keep her from the moths she cannot afford to lose?

Like K. O'Neill's other graphic novels, this one is beautiful and gentle, filled with tender moments and beautiful scenes of cooperation and love in many forms. It touches on the deep scars that can form when we experience childhood trauma and introduces the power of just one person believing in you. I'm sure the advanced reader's copy doesn't quite do the artwork justice, but I'm still delighted by the fantastic landscapes and endearing characters that fill these colorful pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Moth Keeper was a beautiful middle grade graphic novel about friendship, community, and having the courage to pursue greater things--even when they go against the flow of the current. I really loved the art of this novel, and found both the layout and illustrations to be both captivating and enmeshed with the story beautifully. The characters were also great, and I really liked the story that was told.