Cover Image: Missing You

Missing You

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Two young children who have lost their mother adopt an orphaned fawn. He becomes a source of joy for the children, but also a source of conflict between the kids and their grandmother, who knows that the wild animal will grow up one day and leave.

This is such a beautiful bitter sweet story about grief, separation, family and acceptance. The drawings are so intricate and nuanced. A stunning book I will reread and recommend to everyone.

Was this review helpful?

This is certainly a special book & the subject matter will appeal to many young readers. I appreciated the illustrations & the flow of the reading experience. I look forward to seeing this on shelves.

Was this review helpful?

This is a very beautiful graphic novel. The tone of the narration, as well as the soothing colours throughout the panels, draws the reader in. The dialogues are minimal but emotional.
There is a young family who comes across a hurt deer and decides to take care of it and get it back on its feet. They have recently lost their mother and are struggling to appear normal.
They pour all their love into this wild animal, an action that their grandmother (who happens to drop by) does not approve of. There are villains in the fringes who have some impact on the plot, but most of the focus is on tackling grief and moving on.
It is not a long story, but a very deep one. Even the deer has its own story, which is equally sad, even if it cannot speak of its own emotions.
It is not a book that one can assign to any particular age group. Each reader will take away something personal from it.
I highly recommend it for people who like emotional graphic novels.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Was this review helpful?

This is an odd little book. It’s also a sad little book. Two children find a hurt deer alongside, the road and take them home. They name this deer lion in lion becomes a member of the family. The kids needed a distraction and a new friend. They are still suffering from the loss of their mother. we see the family, including the grandmother and how they interact with lying and lying all yearning to be part of the forest beyond. There is a side story about another deer who is injured and taken in by a little grandmother figure deep in the woods, and how one day grandma doesn’t come back, and that deer has the house to themselves, and eventually lien finds this house towards the end of the book it’s that part that makes this book odd. Overall, the story is lovely but sad. A modern age Bambi if you well. I liked it and the artwork is lovely, but it is not something I wish to read again.

Was this review helpful?

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I would definitely read it to kids to help them understand grief, but personally I felt like it was missing something. I have no concrete criticism, i just wanted a little more. The artwork is gorgeous!

Was this review helpful?

The picture in this book are beautiful and whimsical, but we are not fans of graphic novels. We prefer longer read aloud, or one with more descriptive language. I love the concept of the book, and how it detailed different feelings of loss and grief for children, but this kind of book is not one that we enjoy reading, literature wise.

Was this review helpful?

"Missing you" by Phellip Willian has gorgeous and outstanding illustrations - which unfortunately cannot develop their effect in digital form. So I would definitely recommend the printed book! The story is about love, loss and grief and is very sensitively told. However, there is suddenly a time jump and you read the story from the point of view of the deer - this is very difficult for younger children to understand, even I as an adult was completely confused at first.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Missing You is a beautiful, emotional graphic novel about two children who have recently lost their mother and found an injured deer in the woods. They take it home and care for it and name it Lion. When their grandmother comes to stay, she insists Lion sleeps in the barn and not the house, and they continue to care for him. Lion helps the children through the midst of their grief and comforts them as they do to him in return. The children learn to let go of Lion and allow him to be free back in the wild, which helps them to understand how sometimes you may not want someone to go, but it is sometimes the best thing for them and if you love them you can't keep them tethered to you you have to set them free. This book was a tear jerker for me from the story and the illustrations combined, and I shed a few tears reading this. I definitely want to get a physical copy of this book to cherish.

Was this review helpful?

Missing you was beautifully illustrated story on love, loss and and processing grief. I found the story absolutely comforting, especially seeing the grief processed through multiple characters pov. My only fear is that for younger children it does become very hard to follow and is a bit lengthy for a children’s book. The illustrations are gorgeous and reading it in digital form doesn’t do it justice.

Thank you Oni Press, Net Galley, and authors for allowing me to read and review this writing.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a children’s story but it’s touching and meaningful, no matter your age. The storyline is precious, and very heartwarming. I definitely shed a tear or two while reading this. The illustrations are beautiful, I would just love to display this book forever in my room because it’s so pretty to look at.

The only thing I would say is that the text is very small - though I understand it may be easier to see in print form.

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful children's graphic novel that deals with the loss of a parent in a really nature-forward way. This is a somber story with a lot of space to really feel some feelings with a bittersweet ending where just accepting death and the ever-changing nature of ... well... nature! lol.

The illustrations are gorgeous, with this blurry style that gives the whole thing an aura of dreamlike wonder. There are many panels without words and the illustrations do not disappoint in delivering all the emotion you need to carry the story forward.

I guess the only drawback is the format. I fear that this is too young of a graphic novel for kids who want to sit and read way more than 32 pages of illustrated story. Maybe this could have been a series of picture books instead. I just want the right audience to find this gem.

Was this review helpful?

This a Wonderful, Artistic Book & Perfectly Ideal for Any Child Experiencing Loss for the 1st Time.
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).

Was this review helpful?

This was a lovely, moving text about grief, sorrow, friendship and family. Graphic novel style layout meant it was an easy read with beautiful illustrations that helped to tell the story.

A good book to use as a starting point to discuss big topics.

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

Was this review helpful?

OMG, i cried read this book yesterday. Sooo heartwarming, talk about grieving, and loveable illustrations.

Was this review helpful?

I felt like this book was too long and disjointed. It was hard to follow. The illustrations are beautiful and the story meaningful, but it’s overall it was lacking.

Was this review helpful?

A very beautiful book full of emotion. Like a movie, this book is covered with warmth. It tells the story of a family grieving the loss of someone they love the most. Then they met and adopted a little injured deer. However, they must be prepared to face the fact that the deer cannot stay with them for long.

This book will help children to understand the grief and loss of loved ones. The illustrations are in the form of comics drawn with watercolor, the colors are warm, the stories are moving, the depictions are very realistic, making me immerse myself in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful graphic novel in both story and illustration. Both compliment each other perfectly. Missing You is a story about a young family struggling to accept losing a loved one. It sees the battle of grief experienced through multi-generations of the same family - children, parent and grandparent. When a deer named Lion comes into their lives, they experience new love and friendship and learn the lessons of how life moves on and of letting go.
Missing You is a moving story about relationships and acceptance.
Thank you, NetGalley and Oni Press, for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Nice illustrations, explains loss and sadness well. Really enjoyed every part of it. Despite the sad aspects of loss, which they did justice to.

Was this review helpful?

Lovely, cute, emotional and so much more. Perfect little picture book that would please the young one as well as their parents!

Was this review helpful?

A family that is grieving the loss of the (mother,wife,daughter). When they find a young injured deer. Lion as they name him gives them comfort while simultaneously bringing them closer together.
This will probably be helpful for kids to understand grief and losing someone. The illustrations were great and the story w was heartwarming. My only complaint is that the ending was a bit confusing as the deer suddenly aged significantly and sometimes the pacing was off. Other than that I would recommend reading it.

Was this review helpful?