This was an adorable cozy fantasy! Each character stole my heart in their own way, but Radish was the obvious favorite. I loved seeing each of these characters face their insecurities and go on this adventure together to find Callie's dad.

— 5 ⚝

thank you to netgalley and Clarkson Potter/ten speed press for an e-arc of this graphic novel/webtoon. all thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

oh my god, what a delight!!!! so, this story follows Callie, who is not fully human and Declan, who, also, is not fully human on their adventures through this whimsical world of magic and strange creatures while they are on a quest to find Callie's dad who may be in trouble. On the way, they come across a talking radish, who is so sassy and adorable and worships callie. they also meet other creatures, both good and bad while navigating through this world.

the art style is absolutely mesmerizing. the world is so whimsical and captivating. i was growing more and more excited with every page i turned. the characters are so adorable and fun to follow. the romance is also so easy to root for. i love the taking radish. the dynamic between him, declan and lasser was hilarious. i was engrossed from page one and did not want to stop reading. the writing and dialogue was so clever and just flowed. i was taken completely by surprise and am deeply impressed with this webtoon and super excited for future volumes. such a fun adventure story. might just binge it on the app bcz i cannot wait!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this arc.

This graphic novel was a 5 ⭐️ read for me.

On her seventeenth birthday, Callie finds out her dad is in grave danger. Callie sets out to find him, joined by her best friend / romantic interest Declan. Entering a magical realm which Callie has only ever been permitted to see a part of, Callie and Declan begin a mission to find her dad, picking up loveable sidekicks along the way. As with any good adventure story, chaos ensues.

I loved this story so much. The artwork was fun and beautifully done. The characters were so much fun to follow and really had their own “voices.” The story was endearing and cozy and an easy read while being well fleshed out. Clocking in at around 400 pages this book does not leave anything unfinished, but does have an ambiguous ending to leave potential for follow up books. I’m so excited to see where Callie and Declan (and Radish!!!) take us on their next adventure!

What’s the size of a golf ball, protects you with the power worthy of a possessive shih tzu, third wheels your romantic relationship, and could make all of Germany’s dead philosophers spin in their graves with its existential rants?

It’s Radish! The ghost of a vegetable that died while serving as a party platter garnish, never receiving the fame and recognition that its clingy personality deserved.

Radish is one of the numerous ghosts of dead plants trapped in the realm of the living. You’ve seen those, right? They’re rotund, attentive, protective, and eloquent ("Did I stutter? Back off!" - Radish).

Callie, the 17-year-old protagonist of Nothing Special, has the good sense to accept the friendship of plant spirits like Radish. She is a half-human half-magical creature with some supernatural abilities, although she doesn’t know much about what they are or how she got them. Discovering what she can do, and why her father has forbidden her from venturing too far from their house, is a major thread in this story.

Besides befriending Radish, Callie is also friendly with the guy who’s had a cru-…uhhhh… seat behind her in biology class since, like, Kindergarten. He’s been failing all his classes because, for some weird reason, he can never see the board behind Callie’s ponytail (just kidding, his grades are probably good considering that he insists on studying for a physics final with her. But this series isn’t about school, so it doesn’t matter).

It’s a cozy adventure with cuteness and laughs in a fantasy world.

There is also a something about a spark between Callie and that classmate of hers, Declan.

The plant spirits and other magical creatures were my favorite part of this book. I wished to know more about Declan’s backstory, as that would also strengthen his relationship with Callie.

Nothing Special, Volume 1, covers the first story arc of the webtoon Nothing Special and will be published in a hard copy form on March 5, 2024. Some panels in the print edition are enhanced compared to the web version. For instance, the earthquake scene has been re-rendered and looks more dynamic in the book.

The experience of full-page spreads is different by nature from a webtoon, too. I’m a fan of the webtoon format because there’s never questions about panel order, and at times I find graphic novels to be visually scattered. Not so with the layout of Nothing Special -- its use of negative space guided my eye through the adventure well.

An absolute delight.

Rating: 4.5

Nothing Special was truly… something special!

We follow Callie, a girl who has lived both in the human and magical girl who goes on a quest to find her lost father. She meets Declan, a classmate who can also see the same magical creatures as Callie and together they set off into the magical world.
Along the way they meet new friends (and foes) and learn more about the new world they’ve thrown themselves into.

I adored the story - such a unique set of fantasy rules and realms! I loved the idea of plant spirits, the different magical creatures and magic systems within this world.
The characters were delightful and the story was just so fun! And hilarious; I laughed a lot while reading.

All in all - a must read for fantasy and graphic novel lovers. Perfect for fans of Wynd: Flight of the Prince, Twig and Lightfall.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, I have since lost my initial interest in the story. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

A fun magical story of dual worlds. Callie has no idea of her powers. Her whole life she has stayed in the human world struggling to find her place. When her father goes missing, she must break the number one rule to not leave. Joining forces with a Radish and other creatures, can she rescue her dad and find her magic?

This was an adorable cozy fantasy! Each character stole my heart in their own way, but Radish was the obvious favorite. I loved seeing each of these characters face their insecurities and go on this adventure together to find Callie's dad.

Gorgeous. Adorable. Sweet. Funny.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.
Two teens who, it turns out, feel like they don't fit in for good reason go with a ghost radish to find the girl's missing father. They encounter unusual things and even real dangers.
This was a wholly satisfying story and I really enjoyed this graphic novel

I loved this graphic novel. Not only was the artwork amazing but the story line was as well. Radish definitely stole the show and my heart in it though. I love how the adventure unfolded and how the chapters transitioned. I will definitely be looking for future titles so I can continue following the story.

My review has been written and will be posted the week of publishing per the publisher's request :)
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Nothing Special: Volume One, Through the Elder Woods - Katie Cook Publishes March 5th, 2024

A truly fantastic book. Great for kids and adults this graphic novel is witty and powerful as it explores a fantasy world where fairies, nymphs and demons (just to name a few) live. The book explores themes of family, relationships,coming of age and love. I am so looking forward to the sequel !

I absolutely loved this. I have read lots of webtoons including remarried empress, my gently raised beast, and true beauty. This one and my gently raised beast are definitely my favorites. Nothing special has the lowest reading level I believe making it a great read for many ages.

The art is fun and pretty. With unique character art and creatures that enhance the lighthearted feelings of the whole story.

I love the sweet plot. About cute first love and a girl trying to rescue her dad. The relationship between the dad and daughter is so heart warming. Unique characters and character art I'venever seen before. And all of it told through a comedic lens. Lots of references are made with perfect comedic timing. My favorite being the wonderous plethora of lord of the Rings references.

Over all I had lots of fun. I laughed, I stared at the pretty art, and I cheared when a villian died. I will be recommending this to lots of people I think it is a great way to get into the genre.

Absolutely adorable!!
Such a fun story, excellent characters (I want a radish spirit to snuggle!!)
I can't wait for the second one to come out!

Thank you NetGalley and Katie Cook for the ARC of Nothing Special, Volume One. Pub Date March 5,2024.

Being a librarian I try to broaden my horizons and try new types of books. I have not read may grapic novels, but I am glad that I picked up this one. I will definitely get this one for the library. I loved the artwork, it is gorgeous. Great storyline - good vs. evil. Doing what is necessary to say others.

I loved the tree spirit and the radish. The radish brought a lot of humor to the story.

This story has me invested from the start! I instantly wanted to know what was going on and the story kept getting better and better. The art work is also amazing!

Super cute! I enjoyed the art style a lot and liked the character dynamics. I am looking forward to reading the next volume when it is released.

This was really cute! I really, really, really adored all the cute creatures - ghost radishes are just adorable.
As to the story itself, I think if I was following along as it each chapter was released, I'd be more into it but found myself wanting to skim through. It was predictable but fun fantasy!

That being said overall, this was a fun read. You learn to love the main characters but the creatures take the cake. The drawing style is a little bit like Neopets old school style which is fun but I would love to see an updated style version of this. I actually really loved the first 2 sketches at the end with the behind the scenes and think this is a great addition for young readers to see the process!

Overall I give it a 3.5 star rating because it was cute and I enjoyed myself.

Thank you NetGallery, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this!

The ghost radishes are one of my favorite things ever. The art is so cute and the faces have so much expressions. I enjoyed the story, but the art was the real star. I can't wait to add this to my collection.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. This was a fun and quick read. I had a lot of fun with the characters and the story. I loved the art style and the thought the story was whimsical. I can’t wait for the next one to come out.