Love, Misha is a cozy story that takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of a nonbinary character who just wants to be accepted for who they are. This is an amazing story that shows great representation of members of the lgbtqia+ community! I would definitely read this book again!

Gorgeous art with a story that really hits home! Different aspects of the world building brought to mind Spirited Away and Anzu and the Realm of Darkness, but geared towards a queer teen audience. Love, Misha addresses the heartbreak of a parent not seeing you for who you are, and the harm that comes from being unavailable/unreliable. The tension and hurt between Misha and their mother, Audrey, is very palpable, thrown under a spotlight by close proximity in unusual and frightening circumstances. Mysterious side characters add plenty of intrigue to the spirit world, with a purposeful tie-in to a satisfying ending.

Thank you First Second and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a story about relationships, acceptance, and family, with a touch of magic. Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland with lovely artwork, it certainly is an interesting read.

Spirited Away vibes but make it trans.
The way the author brought us, the reader, through this journey between Misha and Audrey was so captivatingly heartbreaking. The end hopeful and beautiful for a continued but new beginning.
Loved this in so many aspects but I one hundred percent wish it was longer. There were instances I felt the story was missing when it would break to the next chapter.

This was an absolutely lovely graphic novel about learning to face the past and speak your truth, even when the process is messy. The illustrations and fantastical setting bring so much depth and emotion to the story. I especially appreciated how the author shows that even when you begin to talk through old hurts, it doesn’t magically fix everything—real healing takes time and continued effort. It's a beautifully layered exploration of identity, family, and the slow work of rebuilding trust.

Honestly, this is one of the best graphic novels that I’ve had the privilege of reading recently. While this story is largely about Misha and their mother, I couldn’t help but find myself more interested in the world that they’ve entered. It felt cozy and dangerous at the same time. I wish we got more time to learn about the other characters (in a good way, not in a things feel unresolved way). I love the heart to heart that Misha has with their mother, and I love that even things have been resolved, it’s not as though their mother is completely forgiven or off the hook which is something we usually see in these types of stories. The artwork was also mesmerizing!

Non-binary rep, realistic family, and an adventure through the spirit realm. Love, Misha is a love letter to growing up queer with unreliable parents.

WOW. I loved this one. Aden's illustrations are vibrant, beautiful, and cozy. The story was consistent and hit each note without flaw. A perfect read for queer kids and adults.

What a heartwarming story. Not only do we see a story about identity and motherhood we laso get some magical settings and plot. I liked how it was mixed, but at the end, both main characters finally resolve their issues in a way they get a second chance. I loved the art, to me it was very unique and easy to comprehend with very little words.

This is my favorite read of the year so far! What an amazing journey between a child and their mother set against the backdrop of a sudden fantasy world mixed with incredible heart and emotions. I adored this!

I loved the art and the little spirits that inhabited this book. It was a fun book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I gave it 4.5/5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the book

Love, Misha was such a lovely surprise. I knew the general premise that I was getting into but it bloomed into such a beautiful story. I adored the non binary rep and the exploration of what that that self discovery means for familial relationships and how to mend those going forward. The depiction of the spirit real was so well done, so much so, that even the dark moments didn’t deter me from wanting to live there. The artwork was stunning and I would definitely read more from this author. Highly recommend!

Road trip with a mom who has been absent from most of Misha's life AND who frequently misgenders them. What could go wrong?! Well, a slight detour into the spirit realm. Good story, good action, good perspective of Misha and also their mom.

Netgalley graciously provided me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a beautiful and heartwarming story of family and sacrifice told with a fantasy twist. Misha is non binary and has not had their mother in their lives very much, so when mom wants to take a road trip, Misha is skeptical, ESPECIALLY because mom insists on buying them dresses and doing "girly" stuff, which is just not Misha.
Somehow the two fall into the realm of the spirits, and to make it out they will have to face all the hard truths they have both been dancing around their entire lives.
This lovely little fable helps us understand that while we may not always understand each other, and parent child relationships may be hard and painful, as long as both are willing to try, there is hope.

Reminiscent of a Miyazaki film, “Love, Misha” brilliantly balances a cozy fantasy and realistic family drama. The artwork is familiar and enjoyable, but where this graphic novel shines is in its use of paneling an interesting character design. The story does feel as if it menders at times, but Askel Adams sticks the landing by masterfully depicting the emotions, the confrontations, and the resolutions that come with the experience of growing in to who you we re always supposed to be.

This was such a visually rich and emotionally layered story. Misha and their mom have a tough, messy relationship, and the way their struggles play out in the spirit world makes for a great blend of adventure and introspection. The art is gorgeous, and while the ending felt a little abrupt, it fit the story’s themes of imperfect reconciliation.

It was hard to get into this novel. I enjoyed parts of it and other parts I still felt lost. Overall it was a good read.

Summary: Misha could not be less excited to be dragged off on a mother-child bonding road trip with a mother who hardly knows them. After their mother was absent throughout most of their childhood and still treats them as her daughter even after they came out as non-binary, Misha hardly thinks a few days crammed in a car together, visiting tourist traps will fix their relationship. But they barely get through one tense day before a wrong turn in a strange forest spits them out into the fantastical and perilous Realm of Spirits. Helped along by a friendly, but cagey, wolf spirit, the two of them must come together to find a way back home and escape the beings that would trap or consume them.

Reflections: I love the layers to Misha’s mother and Misha’s relationship with her. She is such a flawed character, sympathetic when we get to see her as a person in her own right with her mental health struggles not just a bad mother, but still hard to like or want forgiveness for a lot of the time. She wants to try, but her nature is to run from what’s difficult, so it hardly feels like trying to Misha.
The moments when Misha fell into comfortable banter with her just briefly cut through the bitterness and the coldness of their usual relationship poignantly. It captured the dissonance of still caring for someone who has and still is hurting them.
They can’t settle entirely into rejecting her or loving her.
It’s a simple, quick story, but there’s a lot packed into their relationship.
The art is appealing too, especially in the Spirit World sections which play around with vibrant colors, interesting lighting, and imaginative settings.

Visually pleasing, with a solid plot and thoughtful, flawed, characters. The ending is a bit abrupt, but still satisfying. Misha and their Mom are going on a regular road trip that quickly gets sidetracked into an alternate realm, and alongside the fantasy setting there are real life interactions and situations, such as Mom misgendering Misha multiple times and struggling to understand what Misha is trying to communicate. I can see myself adding this to ,my classroom library.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of Love, Misha!
5 / 5 ⭐

Love, Misha tells the story of a nonbinary teen trying (and mostly failing) to connect with their mom on a 3 week road trip. Early in the trip, they make a wrong turn and end up in the Realm of Spirits and have to put aside their differences - and learn to accept them - to find a way out. Love, Misha features enjoyable art and characters, and I’m grateful for the chance to read queer and trans stories of self exploration and expression in our current national climate.

Love, Misha is a magical graphic adventure novel about learning to use your voice, accepting others for who they are, and forgiving someone who has caused you pain.

✨ LGBTQIAP+ mc
✨ adventure
✨ close-calls with dealth
✨ parent and child relationship in turmoil
✨ abandonment trauma
✨ misgendering
✨ bottling up anger
✨ betrayal

The novel opens with Misha and their mother, Audrey, going on a trip together. Audrey misgenders Misha constantly and runs away from anything that is uncomfortable. Misha, struggles to speak their truth and show any sort of emotion towards their mother besides contentment. Since coming out as nonbinary, Misha has felt like they ruined their mother's life. To no fault of their own, Audrey just couldn't be who Misha needed--that's part of the forgiveness.

While Misha's story is more about forgiving their mother for who she isn't, Audrey's story is about accepting Misha for who they are. I honestly didn't like the mother until the very end--and I think that was intentional on the author's part. This is just as much a story about forgiveness as it is acceptance, and both Misha and Audrey have a lot of forgiveness and acceptance to work through together.

Askel Aden's graphic novel has easy to read pages and unique illustrations that are vibrant and detailed. Sometimes, I'll stop reading graphic novel if I'm not vibing with the artwork. I was immediately drawn into Misha's story and the illustrations kept me so engaged. I loved the foreshadowing details that the reader could notice from the illustrations and background, but neither Misha or Audrey couldn't.

Overall, this is a story that everyone should read. I highly recommend!


Thank you to First Second Books and Askel Adan for giving me an e-arc to read. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.