Rebis caught my eye with the cover illustration, and I quickly became invested in the characters and story. Based on the book description I was looking forward to a cast of witchy women, but I hadn’t initially expected a story with themes of gender expression and queerness. I was so pleasantly surprised by the nuance and sensitivity used to explore these topics and Rebis’s experiences. The story is at times both sad and hopeful, aided by the expressiveness of beautiful full color illustrations with atmospheric lighting and detailed backgrounds. The relationships between Rebis, the witches, and Rebis’s sisters are so sweet, in stark contrast to the abuse doled out by other children and adults in the village. I do wish that there had been more expansion on the ending of the story, as it felt a little sudden and too open-ended for my liking.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

The art in this one is beyond gorgeous.

BEYOND.

GORGEOUS.

The moment I saw the cover I really hoped the publisher would bequeath me a copy... and they did!!! Thank you!!!! The art is just as gorgeous inside the book as it is on the cover.

Okay now that that is clear...

The narrative is very sweet and simple with some VERY dark themes woven in <spoiler>(death by burning at the stake; terrible parents; attempted suicide; etc.)</spoiler>. Rebis's journey of self-discovery is assisted by Viviana and her other new friends/found family, includes queer themes, and the grub subplot is just adorable. ADORABLE. It's a quick read and very satisfying, I was so worried there would be some terrible drama near the end and <spoiler>was pleasantly surprised it was handled so smoothly instead!!!</spoiler>

Absolutely gonna snag this for my collection once it's out in print and read it again.

This story is in turns extremely dark and very sweet. I do wish some pieces were developed further, but that's often the case with graphic novels that are trying to tell big stories with limited space. The art is gorgeous, but I do think some of the scenes that involve partial nudity may prevent this from being used in book clubs/other youth programs, especially at schools - it's pretty mild and not at all sexual in nature but given the current climate, I wouldn't be surprised by complaints from admin or parents.

Such a sweet and heartwarming read. Made me tear up a bit but the ending was worth it :) Thank you netgalley for the early copy of this graphic novel!

A sweet and beautiful story about the friendship between an outcast runaway child and the mysterious witch who lives in the woods. Martino was born an albino and seen as a curse by the village, not only being bullied and shunned but being blamed for everything that went wrong in the village. Martino finds solace in the woods where Viviana, the witch lives. Martino befriends Viviana and soon a sweet friendship grows. As Martino begins to grow and find a new family, the story shows the delicate and sweet progress of it all. It's a really charming story about found family, change, and acceptance. So beautifully drawn and charming, it's a great coming of age story and a really sweet one that deals with being an outcast and coming into yourself and embracing who you are.

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and First Second Books | First Second for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*