I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I really liked the art and color palette. It was all pastel and dream-like. I also liked the world building and the background of them having to move to this new planet, and how inadvertently, some of them got powers in the process. The twist in the end made some of the earlier parts make sense, and I liked the premise in general. What I didn't really like was the main character. He's just so self-involved and privileged. I find it hard to feel sorry for this kid who freaked out just because he had a boyfriend for a short amount of time that dumped him- and how people are having to reassure him that it's common to take a gap year and take time to find yourself or whatever it is that rich people do. I know that this society is set up differently, and they presumably don't have the economic issues like in the real world, but they make it clear that there are a lot of people who do remember the structure of the old world and who find it hard to change that mindset, so in that sense, they still do think of it in the same way as we would. All that to say, if the story had been tweaked there just a little, and Ob would have been more likable and less whiny, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Kon was a much more sympathetic character, and I liked his part a lot.

I truly think I read this comic at the worst time. I believe stylistically it is 100% 5 stars. The illustrations and character designs are so unbelievably good, the color palette is so pleasing to look at. I absolutely adore the art.

Why I believe I read this at the wrong time:

I am going through 2 art thesis right now while worrying about graduation, jobs, and friendships which the stress Oberon is feeling feels way to real for me to be reading while going through similar things. I have a feeling I would have rated it higher if I read it while I wasn't feeling so miserable about my own life, it got hard to go through similar struggles while reading it at the same time.

The plot of the book is very interesting, it stands out from a lot of ones I've read previously. Somedays it feels like there's no original stories out there and that I'm reading the same stories over and over again but Strange Bedfellows is different is a good way. I love the idea of Oberons dreams coming to life and how ghost powers appear in different ways even within the same family.

I think sometimes I got a little confused plot wise, there was a lot going on all at once but I really liked where the ending went.

I thank the authors and netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Beautifully emotional and gorgeously drawn. A heartfelt story with deep characters and stunning worldbuilding.

Really beautifully written and illustrated! I had some trouble understanding the magic of it all, but I really enjoyed this.

The art is so funky and cool. I loved the story and the way that the text speech bubbles were designed. Very happy with my read.

A very lovely story, with such a beautiful art style. I hope to see more from this author/artist either with independent projects or learning about this world more! Thanks to HarperAlley for the arc!

Ariel constructs a queernormative sci-fi world where our earthlings inhabited a planet our Oberon Afolayan was born and raised raised. Since the inhabitation of this planet, children have discovered superpowers and are referred to as "ghosts". Oberon, always known as an ordinary person, quickly learns he can manifest his dreams and desires into reality- beginning with his high school crush, Kon. The two spend their days trying to get Oberon's powers under control, since he keeps manifesting creatures of varying degrees of danger.

I absolutely adored the world Ariel crafted, and the trans rep was lovely to see. It was heartwarming to see how casual everyone was about Oberon's relationships and transition.

The plot was well paced and easy to follow. I liked how each chapter page gave a brief preview into what was next to come - even if I didn't fully understand how it related to the upcoming chapter yet. I was shocked by the plot twist and I didnt doubt a single thing Oberon presented to the readers. It was so much fun learning about Oberon, kon, and their struggles as ghosts.

The illustrations are beautiful, and i love how Ariel plays with the shapes of each comic panel when Oberon was newly woken up or running on intense emotions. It added context or emotion to the atmosphere!

My only criticism of this book is the color choices for the text messages. Some of the text colors were so similar to the background color that I had trouble reading it. Some of the font choices looked cool, but they were difficult to read when resized to something small (they were generally used to add world building details, so it wasnt vital to the plot). It probably won't be an issue if the print edition is big, but I can see people using phones or other small reading devices struggling to read those sections too.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In a far-out future, on a distant planet, a Utopia of sorts is home to many different kinds of people. One day, Oberon, a college dropout, wakes up to having conjuring powers from his dreams. In those dreams, he manifests Kon, a crush from his university years. Yet, as those dreams become reality, so do the nightmares. What will Oberon do to save his family and friends from the darkest places of his mind?
This was a strange graphic novel, to say. The science fiction part had me a little lost, here and there. However, I did enjoy the storyline from Oberon’s perspective as he tries to overpower those waking nightmares of his. Very pastel-based on every magical page, and the whole world-building was incredible. I want to visit that Utopia: Meridian someday.

This graphic novel is such an explosion of color and concepts and fantastic elements. It was a treat to read! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC copy.

I loved seeing all of the scary but fascinating things that Oberon’s mind conjured up and the creative ways that he found to deal with them, Kon’s
chill/annoying way of just showing up and trying to help.

This was a very richly, colorfully illustrated graphic novel that takes place on a planet called Meridian, where most people are born superhuman (they’re called Ghosts). I really liked the art style and the lettering scratched a really specific itch in my brain. However, the story was a little bland and I wasn’t really sure how Oberon’s magic was working. I liked the diverse representation - especially with having a Black trans young man as the main character - but I do wish the story was more cohesive!

The best part about this was the art, that has its own sort of dreamy watercolor charm~

I think this one tried to tackle too many things all at once: their relationship, Oberon's anxiety/mental health issues, his powers, etc. I will say the author/artist handled the heavier topics with grace, but it all felt like too much to deal with in a singular graphic novel.

Honestly, though, I loved the premise of this just not the execution. I think I would love to read this as a book with it being more fleshed out or made into a series of volumes instead of just one.

This just unfortunately ended up being not my cup of tea, however, I do understand why a lot of people liked this one. Sidenote: I'm not a vibe reader. I try to be—I really do—but I struggle to get through things if I can’t figure them out or if the writing, grammar, etc., is full of errors (the writing in this one was overall fine besides being a bit confusing). I mention this because in fact, I would still highly recommend this if you want to read something kinda tripy, with lots of queer representation, gorgeous artwork, and a mc who deals with anxiety.

This is just beautiful in every possible way.

The artwork is lovely, especially when it comes to the dream magic. Strange Bedfellows reminded me why I love queer graphic novels so much, because the illustrations in this really bring the story to life. I love these characters so much, I just wanted to hug them and help them along their journey.

I don't want to say too much more, but I highly recommend this one.

In an extraterrestrial civilization where people could be superhuman, Oberon suddenly has the ability to conjure something from his dream in reality. That’s when his high school crush started to appear.

The said high school crush, Kon, has not been seen in years and no one knows what happened to him. First Oberon believed that he’s just a fragment of his dreams just like other objects that he could conjure out of thin air, but apparently, its much more than that

The illustrations are so dreamy and I love the concept of not-so near future post-earth apocalypse with high tech being integrated with human lives. Oberon and Kon’s dynamics were also fun to witness, but sometimes i couldn't comprehend what actually happened in the scenes. The jumps between panels were too wide IMO, and i need more details on the magic system because most of those things were just mentioned in passing. Overall still enjoyed this, though.

Strange Bedfellows makes for a beautiful and emotional science fiction / fantasy graphic novel that will engage a wide array of readers. Growing up on a space station in a family of "ghosts," or siblings with unusual powers, Oberon's always felt that he has to fight to be the smartest and best at everything to make up for his lack of powers. Then a very public breakdown leads him to drop out of university, drifting and unsure what to do next—until his dreams start leaking into his life.

We first meet Oberon in a dream, where he's rescued by a handsome knight in a tower, falling through the sky, and into a high school hallway spilling papers in front of his crush, Kon. Action flows between broken panels lending a dreaminess to the vibrant illustrations, propelling the reader forward to find Oberon awake in bed, tangled in sheets with his alarm blaring. He makes his way to a doctor's appointment where he discovers that the headaches and disorientation he's experiencing aren't able to be explained away by any of the tests they've run on him, leaving him confused. When dangerous creatures from his dreams start showing up in real life — and Kon, the beautiful guy he had a crush on in high school keeps popping up in his subconscious and not leaving him alone — he starts to wonder if he may have developed some unusual powers after all. (And maybe still has a crush on Kon).

It's a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that I'm excited to see in person, too, and will recommend to graphic novel fans of queer romance, science fiction, and fantasy alike.

A well crafted story that will tug your heartstrings in all the right places. It's hard to get enough of Kon and Oberon's relationship, and a second reread made me enjoy it even more. I appreciate how the dynamic of growing up with an immigrant family is handled in a setting about exoplanet habituation.

What a concept and execution! Reading the synopsis, I was dubious that such an intense concept could be brought to justice, but I shouldn't have doubted Ries! The artwork is bright, colorful, and provocative. The characters were easy to relate to and understand. And the general story captivated me from the beginning and kept my attention with twists and turns.
Oberon's family specifically made my heart melt- not only a lovely found family but a supportive group of blood relations for our queer protagonist felt heartwarming and refreshing. And the way that the story follows Oberon's healing journey from loneliness- my heart!!
This GN would make a wonderful addition to a YA or adult graphic novel collection. Planning to recommend this to my local library!

This is such a great graphic novel! The story line is so interesting. I feel the illustrations perfectly match the vibe. They are beautiful, dream-like, and vibrant. As for the themes, identity, interpersonal relationships, and personal boundaries are explored. I also love the comedic relief throughout the story. I’m looking forward to re reading it as a physical copy.

I really loved the illustrations and the color scheme—they truly brought the story to life for me. However, I found the plot unengaging and lacking intrigue. Additionally, the font was difficult to read, as it felt too cramped and smushed together. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t an enjoyable read for me.

This story is beautiful because it goes through life lessons. Also how people deal with emotions. Oberon is a late ghost that discovers his powers after dreaming wonderful and beautiful things. What I like about Oberon he’s growing a lot and he’s learned to let people in. Also, he has amazing powers that are able to save people and create happiness. The connection that Oberon and Kon have is magnificent because right away you get to tell how much they mean to each other. From the way, they are caring, helpful, and just want to bring each other happiness. What I like about Kon even though he is in Oberon dreams, mind. He likes Oberon and wants to help him with his powers. He just doesn’t wanna leave him alone. And I like the fact that they’re with each other every step of the way on this journey. There was a plot twist that I did not see coming. Then it started to all make sense. I enjoyed reading about these two very much. The art style is so beautiful and colorful. And the characters and representation in this book was well done.

A fantastic story with stunning art and gorgeous characters! I loved that this story was absolutely unpredictable - I kept being surprised and delighted by the characters, plot, and concepts. The world building is really cool and gradually revealed. Set in the future, in a world with super powers and world changing technology, the roots of the story come from every day human problems. The main characters grapple with family expectations, isolation, anxiety, self-doubt, and flounder in the age old question "what do I do with my life?" The cast of characters is very diverse and queer, and I love all the different designs! Highly recommend!