This was a cute graphic novel. The artwork is gorgeous. I think my students will greatly enjoy it. I liked the main characters. I like the bond that the cousins have. The ending was a little confusing, but I'm interested to see where this storyline goes in the future.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Title: Hovergirls
Author: Geneva Bowers
Rating: 3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: Aug 6th, 2024

Well, that was odd. And not odd in a weird way like some of the things I read but odd in an odd way. If I were to try and describe this story I would say that it is on the surface magical girls but then takes a weird turn when it comes time to conclude the story. There is just a lot going on and I don’t think a lot of it is explained the best or in ways that I completely understood.

I have been reading a lot of graphic novels this year and on a technical level this is definitely one of the better ones I have picked up. The art is absolutely wonderful and the narrative does have structure, if an odd one. I also think the characters had, at the very least, strong archetypes, if a little lacking in development. The dialog was good but there were a few times I felt there was too much of it for a graphic novel.

And I just don’t know, it just feels like something was either missing or lacking in this one that I just can't put my finger on. I’m going to say that I liked it. I’m going to say that you could read it for yourself, but I am not going to say that skipping this one would be a bad idea. It's very much a take it or leave it, not that big of a deal. Honestly, I’ll probably forget a lot about it in a few weeks, it doesn't feel like it has much staying power.

Hovergirls, the Webtoon sensation, is gorgeous. There's a beautiful attention to the shading, to the softness, and the color palette. It's a work of art in and of itself and I can see the art being gorgeous in prints! I had to remind myself to keep reading sometimes after I got carried away with the art! Back to the story. Hovergirls is a story that balances crime fighting and friendship. I loved the relationship between Jalissa and Kim. You can see the differences in personality, their history, and their love for each other. While I wish we got a bit more insight into their past (we do it's just a bit too late for me), I resonated with Kim.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the Author for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love Geneva Bowers and her art, so right off the bat, you have a gorgeous book full of beautiful illustrations. I loved reading this for that main reason! The story itself, in theory, is promising and seems super cool. It just fell a bit flat for me and didn't capture my interest super well. Luckily, like I said, if you're a fan of Geneva's art, I think it's still worth getting and reading!

This is a really cute story with gorgeous artwork. I loved the setting and how that effected the magic system. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed the way the story slowly revealed more of the background between the cousins. Their different personalities also added great humor to the story as well as showing more of their depth as we learned more of their history. I do wish we had gotten a little more of their story this was a fun story but very much felt like just the intro and wish it had gone on a little longer to feel more like a complete first story. That said what was there was very well done.

Geneva Bowers' graphic novel "HoverGirls" is a vibrant and engaging read that beautifully melds the mundane with the magical. This story follows cousins Jalissa and Kim Vasquez as they move to the bustling city of Los Aguaceros, each with dreams and burdens of their own. Kim aspires to become a renowned model and fashion designer, while Jalissa is recovering from a tough year and seeking stability.

The narrative takes a thrilling turn when a mysterious incident at the beach grants the girls supernatural powers, just as monstrous creatures begin attacking their city. Kim sees this as their golden opportunity to achieve fame by becoming superheroes. However, they quickly learn that heroism is far more complex and demanding than they anticipated, and the threats to Los Aguaceros are more dire than they could have imagined.

Bowers' artwork is nothing short of stunning, with each panel bursting with color and detail that bring the characters and their world to life. The juxtaposition of everyday city life with the fantastical elements of their new powers and monstrous adversaries creates a dynamic and visually captivating story.

The character development is a highlight, particularly in the portrayal of Jalissa and Kim's relationship. Their bond is tested and strengthened as they navigate their new reality, making for a heartfelt and relatable journey. Jalissa's struggle with her past and Kim's relentless ambition add depth to their characters, making their heroics feel all the more genuine and earned.

While the plot is exciting and fast-paced, there are moments where the story feels slightly rushed, and a bit more exploration of certain plot points and character backgrounds could have added more richness to the narrative. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the graphic novel.

"HoverGirls" is a delightful blend of action, humor, and heart. It’s a refreshing take on the superhero genre, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and the complexities of fame and heroism. Geneva Bowers has crafted a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, making "HoverGirls" a must-read for fans of graphic novels and superhero tales alike.

HoverGirls is such a fun, familiar story. And by that I mean, it reads so easily, is so beautiful and is entirely captivating, as familiar as finding your way back home. With magical girls and fish spirit alien monsters and possession and figuring out powers whilst having such wonderful unique main characters who both have such distinctive personalities. This story was vibrant and fun and a great time and I humbly request many more like it!

4.5 stars

HoverGirls are here to save the day! Kim and Jalissa get magical powers and have to fend off weird water creatures every time it rains.

First off, absolutely gorgeous artwork! I really enjoyed the relationship between the cousins. Kim is so cheerful and sweet (and possibly ADHD?), while Jalissa is stoic and grumpy. The story kept flashing back which was interesting but also kind of jarring. I'm also concerned about why Jalissa threw a grenade?? Overall it's a fun, quick read about magical girls saving the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Summary:

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are just two ordinary cousins trying to make a living on their own. Well...they're mostly ordinary. They may or may not have a superhero gig on the side. That all depends on how you define being a superhero. Is it fighting monsters and protecting the public? Or is it having a good social media presence?

When they're not fighting monsters in the dark, these two cousins work at a famous coffee chain. It's not the most glamorous job, but it does pay the bills (mostly).

Review:

From the moment I first saw the cover of Hovergirls, I knew I had to read it. The artwork looked so fun and captivating; it gave me a lot of hope for the characters and story within.

Overall, I would say that Hovergirls is a decent read. It's solid and has a lot of potential—it just needs some fine-tuning. Jalissa and Kim are great characters, but we need more time to get to know them and appreciate their situation.

If you enjoy a chaos-fueled adventure with bright artwork, Hovergirls is a great book to dive into. You can also read the webcomic! I love it when webcomics make their way to publication, but it's always nice going back to the source, too.

Highlights:
Originally a Webcomic
Graphic Novel
Fantasy
Magical Girls

I didn’t like this one at all. I think the main problem was that the concept sounded really good, but the execution was done poorly. I say this because the story seemed to be a bit all over the place which made it super hard to follow. I will say that I thought the artwork for this story was really cute but the story fell flat.

Welcome Back!

It’s May and summer is upon us! I am already thinking ahead to my two favorite seasons (fall and winter) and I am excited to hit those directly after summer. With summer upon us, I decided to pick up some more graphic novel reads. I was browsing my Netgalley account and saw that Hovergirls had an E-ARC copy available. I decided I would submit a request and I was accepted (so massive thank you to the publisher for granting my request in exchange for my honest opinions).

SPOILERS AHEAD

Jalissa and her cousin Kim have recently moved to a new city and are living together in a one-bedroom apartment. Jalissa is living on the couch and Kim has the bedroom. Kim has big dreams of making it in the fashion world and becoming well-known (however, she also has a kind of stage fright). The girls both work at a local coffee shop and are kind of settling into their new lives. That is until one day it starts to rain and then they see fish in the rain? Upon seeing these fish they discover they kind of have a weird magical power, and they are able to fight off the fish. But how and when did they get the powers and will they be helpful at all?

I loved seeing the stories of both Jalissa and Kim unfold together and separately. By the end of the graphic novel, I felt like both of the girls had come a long way in their lives. I loved the illustrations, the colors popped off every page and I thought the clothes that Kim created were so cute! I do believe there will be more of this graphic novel in the future and I will definitely try to check it out. In the meantime this hits shelves on August 6th, 2024, be sure to check it out!

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

Geneva Bowers’ HoverGirls is a sweet, magical girl story. It follows our two main characters, Jalissa and Kim—Cousins who move to a new city together. An incident happens on the beach, and they end up with powers while monsters start attacking. I wish I could say I enjoyed it but, I honestly didn’t. The characters felt incredibly flat, and added no real substance to the plot. The story alone was very rushed, and made little sense. The plot points weren’t explained well. Which made it, at times, difficult to follow. Though, if you want something fast paced, this does it well.

3 ⭐️

The idea of magical girls fighting magical, sky creatures (I think that’s what they are) was so appealing to me but the execution was… fine?

Let’s talk about what I did like. I thought the art style was super cute, am kind of obsessed with the idea of water manipulation magic, and adored Jalissa’s character. She’s very much dark, stabby, character that inadvertently had me laughing out loud. I also thought the grumpy sunshine friendship vibes were fun.

Now where it fell flat for me was the absolute lack of any depth to the characters. Even Jalissa was very one dimensional. Let’s not even talk about Kim whose only real personality trait other than being pure ray of sunshine is delusional. She’s convinced that this man who really could not give her the time of day is into her and watching him treat her like she’s nothing really ruined the vibes for me.

I’m also still very confused as to why this area has giant floating anglerfish in the sky.

I haven't read any of the previous releases from the author. That said, I would say I was a little confused at the beginning and it did get a little bit better as the book went on,, but it did feel a little all over the place as I was still trying to piece things together. I also wasn't a fan of either of the characters and never felt myself cheering for one or the other when they would get into spats. A fine book if you're looking for something to read and great for the right audience.

Thank you Bloomsbury USA for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was cute but kind of chaotic? I love the art style, but I do wish the two main characters had a little more nuance to their personalities. Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins and could not be more opposite. Kim is scatter-brained but bubbly and vivacious with stars in her eyes. She wants to be a famous designer. Jalissa is grumpy and has an anger problem, but grudgingly looks out for her cousin. They are roomies living in a new city when they develop strange powers and face down translucent fish that swim through storms.

It's very dramatic and over the top, and I do like how different the cousins are BUT I wish it was a little less all or nothing if that makes sense. But her art style is gorgeous and the story is a fun romp. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Ok so I tried I really did. Because black girls with superpowers…sign me up. But this was just not it. Besides the illustrations I just couldn’t get pass that plot was just not there. This felt like just all vibes and no plot. Also the two main characters are so insufferable. One is incredibly miserable and the other is so clueless. I will say the “love interest” for the clueless one it was funny with how much he didn’t like her but used her but after awhile it got to be insulting.

I struggled to bit with this one. I'm wondering if the webcomic has more details or more context because I feel like we're really thrown into this and there's almost no sense of world building or world description. I also didn't love really either character. I was super annoyed by the one bubbly naive one and also annoyed at the angry one. They both seem to be so dramatic in their personality types that it doesn't really leave any room for a breather. You're so bombarded with this specific individual character trait that you can't get away from it and that is kind of annoying.

I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately with graphic novels but if this is part of a series then it's fine and it can be the first book but if this is supposed to be a standalone then it's lacking

This is the physical adaptation of the popular Webtoon by the same name. Jalissa & Kim Vasquez, cousins, are finally moving in together and striking out on their own in Los Aguaceros (LA). They're just normal girls with normal girl problems until one day a freak storm gives them powers, turning them into magical girls. While Kim can't wait to see what this does for her social media & dreams of becoming a fashion icon, Jalissa is a little more concerned about making sure her cousin's feet stay firmly planted in reality. Overall, this is a story about finding your voice. The watercolor-style illustrations are beautiful, though the speech bubbles can be hard to visually follow without clear outlines.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Two cousins move to LA and accidentally end up with water powers and start protecting the city.

A great story of optimism vs pessimism and the bonds of family.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. It’s absolutely gorgeous and has a pretty cool concept, but I think it has some difficulties in book format (and in some ways I think its original Webtoon format might have worked better for the way the story is being told). Aesthetically, the development is super well-done and we have this well-explored world with cool characters, but storyline-wise, I struggled to really connect and follow the story. I’m still really interested to see where this book/story goes in the future, but it was harder to connect as a new reader who had no prior knowledge of the HoverGirls world before reading. I think if the concept interests you and you go in with the idea that it’s more formatted for Webtoon, then it could definitely be worth the read!

As I’ve already said, the art in this book is absolutely gorgeous. I feel like Bowers has made a really full world with it, with it being so well-suited to the fantasy elements as well as the more realistic ones. The colour and just every aspect made this very readable, even when the storyline didn’t connect as much.

The overall concept of the book and storyline technically work within this volume, but it’s a little bit of a mixed bag. We get some typical elements of the magical girl and a moving-to-the-big-city moment for the main characters, but it doesn’t feel like it goes all the way for the graphic novel format. The primary conflict doesn’t really happen until over halfway into the book and the use of flashbacks as exposition is way more episodic than I expected. I think if I was already familiar with the story it could be different, but it just made the final battle feel a little confusing and anticlimactic. I’m still interested in the characters and I think the journey that we did get to see (especially Jalissa’s) was really interesting, but it felt a little lackluster in comparison to some of the hype. I’m definitely interested in seeing how the story continues, and hoping with the world established that the next volume will be easier to immerse myself in!