I really enjoyed this one. The art was fun, the characters and concepts were done, and the story was well plotted.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Kennedy Tarrell for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's a story of deep pain, being alone, hurt and lashing out. Yet it is also about healing, and becoming who you really are inside. It's also about family, rebuilding, and everything in between.

The artwork was stunning, and so expressive too! I enjoyed every minute, and it's a great read.

A graphic novel about a Nonbinary character who wants to join the brigade to sew seeds of evil throughout the country. When they realize that the other members have actual evil agendas they'll have to decide how evil they want to be and how far they want to go to create that boundary. I loved the art and it was a fun read. I gave it 🥕🥕🥕🥕

A young nonbinary kid wants to be evil and idolizes the Brigade of Shade, an evil group that lives in a castle in this fantasy town. But when they get what they want, will they really be the kind of evil that it takes to be in the Brigade of Shade or did they just think it would look cool?

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one. I thought it was cute. A person that thinks they’re evil but isn’t actually evil. A pretty girl who actually is kind of evil. A town of washed-up villains who don’t know what to do with themselves. And a mom that just wants to do what’s best for her kids.

Hawthorne really wants to be evil and thinks they are until Maple comes along and really starts making a disaster of things. Then they realize how much the town and the people in it mean to them. I really enjoyed their character arc and watching them figure out what’s really important in life. I also thought they were a natural born leader and enjoyed how they basically pulled pranks instead of doing evil things.

Overall, I really liked the art and thought the colors were beautiful. I liked the storyline and thought it was a quick, fun read. And I loved that her mom was caring enough to learn what title would best fit Hawthorne.

The graphic novel is pretty sweet. There are some great pictures of the town of Idelwood that really capture its atmosphere. The mood of the graphic novel is easy to get. The protagonists are pretty cute, too. The plot isn't too complicated either. I personally find it a bit too simple. I would have liked more suspense, more plot lines, and more development of the story. It's a pretty good graphic novel, though, and you could probably read the whole thing in one sitting.

I loved the artwork and thought the story was great as well! I'll look to add this title to my middle school library once it's published. My students are interested in reading about LGBTQ+ characters AND want more graphic novels, so this hits both of their favorite points.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved, loved, loved this!!! The art is beautiful, and I loved the story. It think this will be very relatable to teens. Sometimes the thing you thought you wanted the most turns out to actually be the opposite and that might just be the case with Hawthorne. Hawthorne has a big goal and that is to join the Brigade of Shade and leave their boring life behind. They finally gets an opportunity to be the villain they have always dreamed of when they offer tryouts until Maple, her bubbly, flower loving customer from the shop is also there. By accident, Hawthorne is now the leader of the Brigade.

Evil-ish spins the classic tropes of good and evil on their heads in a hilarious and tender story about a teenager who feels bigger than their job, their town, and their circumstances...and finds out that what they thought they wanted might not be what they actually need.

Hawthorne Vandercast is an teenager who's planning on joining the Brigade of Shade - embracing the evil and extraordinary and leaving behind their average life. Acting as their foil is Maple, a bubbly girl who looks like she's the very last person who could possible be evil.
Hawthorne will resonate for every person who has ever felt like they don't belong where they grew up. Just like many of us growing up they focused on how nothing feels just right and is desperate to find a life where they truly belong.
This graphic novel has themes of found family and is a really cute coming of age story.
Evil-ish was a very cute and well written book. This book is great for your tweens and adults alike. The illustrations were engaging and had fantastic details throughout the graphic novel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me and ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Evil-ish” is a short and fun story about Hawthorne, a potion barista who’s bored of their everyday life. They dream of becoming a villain and joining the Brigade of Shade. But things don’t go as planned and Hawthorne ends up leading the brigade. They quickly find out that being a villain isn’t as great as they imagined.

The story moves quickly and is easy to get into, with lots of fun moments and surprises. Hawthorne’s character growth is really well done, making them easy to root for. The art style is also beautiful and fits the story perfectly.

Overall, Evil-ish is a really entertaining read.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

The story was fine. I think it could have been a bit better if it didn't feel so rushed. We don't really get to know the characters that well, and the things that happen after the inciting event felt more like a montage when it would have been more impactful if it had lingered there longer. This just also made the reveal too sudden. It was an obvious reveal, so it should have at least had more emotion and weight tied to it. But it was a quick read, and had some fun parts.

This was a really fun graphic novel with likable, relatable characters that I think young readers will enjoy. The illustrations are vibrant and captivating and the story will prompt discussions regarding good and evil. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy of this book.

I used this copy to screen the book for inclusion in my school library media center collection. My rating of five stars indicates that it meets our collection development criteria and that we will likely purchase this book in the fall.

The premise of this book is really fun, and I love the twist on the "evil villian" character. I also loved that the MC is non-binary, so this will find its way to may library displays! This will be a hit with my students.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this one alot because it had such a great story and i loved the artwork and i thought the 2 main characters were great but i loved maple. This graphic novel had magic elements to it and a fairytale vibes to as well and i knew going into i was going to love it just because the cover and the synopsis really caught my eye. This was also such a cozy read as well its really nice when a graphic novel has a great story in it as well as having cozy vibes!

A cute graphic novel with fun art and a story about balancing who you are, good and bad, versus who you expected to be. Elements of Nimona.

4.25 stars rounded to 4 for NetGalley. Thank you to Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the ARC copy!

Evil-ish tells the story of a young adult finding their way in the world through trying to fulfill their dream of becoming a villain. We meet our nonbinary main character in their sweet household, a juxtaposition to their angsty self who tries to distance themselves from anyone who gives a "good" vibe. If this were instead set in contemporary settings, I very much see them as a cross between a hipster and emo, wanting to stay away from the mainstream "good" people. Hawthorne has what they think is a foolproof plan of getting in with the "cool kids" of villains which, of course, immediately goes awry. 

I really enjoyed the art style of Evil-ish. The colors, the different characters, the creative ways of showing dynamic scenes. The art was a big standout for the whole story.

I love the themes of what truly defines good versus "evil," and how far are you willing to go to both separate yourself from the mainstream while also staying a part of a community who may or may not align with your true values. Another big theme is that looks can be deceiving, which I always love in a visual media like graphic novels that can exaggerate personas and your assumptions thereof to the extreme. Other themes that are somewhat spoiler-y are the importance of family, hurt people hurt people, building community, and continuing cycles of trauma.

While there are a lot of elements I loved in this story, I do think it could have gone even a little deeper, given even more time to all the different themes at play here. I would've loved a bit more time to see how everything resolved in the end, as well, but I loved the glimpse we did get to see at the end.

Overall I recommend for graphic novel lovers of the theme "Be Gay Do Crime," people who love to question morality and what truly is "evil," and fans of lovable characters finding themselves.

Evil-ish is a vibrant and whimsical young adult graphic novel that explores the complexities of identity, ambition, and the true nature of villainy. We follow Hawthorne, a nonbinary teen yearning to escape their mundane life as a potion barista by joining the infamous Brigade of Shade. However, when an unexpected accident propels Hawthorne into a leadership role within the Brigade, they begin to question what it truly means to be “evil.”

The setting is definitely interesting though sometimes feels out of place. It mixes some medieval elements with other modern quirks - like posters on a bedroom wall. At the beginning of the novel, and for most the time throughout, Hawthorne very much acts with a “moody teenager” demeanor, and I could never feel settled with the way they were acting. They say they want one thing - to be evil - but when given the chance and leading the organization, doesn’t follow through for their team. By the end we had some character growth and introspection driving changes and alignment, but for most of the book, it was hard to understand or empathize with Hawthorne.

I think that commentary is also due to some big themes coming up such as imposter syndrome, trying to figure out who you are, and the feeling of not fitting in, these topics were introduced, but really skimmed the surface. The way these were brought up and mentioned was very high-level without delving deeply into the emotional impacts on the characters. Nevertheless, the normalization of nonbinary identities and the inclusion of diverse characters contribute positively to the representation within the genre.

On the positive side, the artwork in Evil-ish includes boasting bold colors and expressive illustrations that bring the story to life. The character designs are distinctive, and the visual storytelling complements the tone, enhancing the immersion.

I think this book is a good start for someone looking for similar themes. It was quick and easy to read. Keeping in mind this would be best for young adults or teens, I think this book could be relevant and fun for those readers.

Loooooved this one; full of fun characters, a good storyline, and excellent artwork. I’m excited for the world to get to read it!

rep: enby MC, queer LI, side characters of color, queer side characters

spice: none

Tarrell paints the picture of an absolutely adorable horde of "bad" guys who really just need friendship and community. I loved both Hawthorne and Maple, and loved the way that they interacted with each other and came to know themselves. I think one of the best things about young adult and middle grade stories is their push to tell stories about self-discovery, and pushing beyond the surface level of who you think you are. Both Hawthorne and Maple are far more than people expect them to be, and their parallel arcs really do a great job at teaching valuable lessons about identity and love. And it was honestly so wonderful to see a nonbinary lead character like Hawthorne be so interesting and multi-faceted.

A magical, heartwarming story of community and identity. Tarrell's gorgeous art style feels just as fantastical as the story it tells.

4.5/5⭐
I got this book through Netgalley! I loved the art style! There were some pages where I was a little confused on how to read because of how much manga I read and the face that the page could work either way. I do like a good Enby MC. I also was expecting like a romantic sub plot, but I am glad it leaned towards friendship. Like magical worlds can have friendships too. I loved how the world combined the magical and the ordinary. I also love how it combined past lifestyle with current tech.
I do wish it was a little longer, but otherwise, a great read!