I wasn't familiar with the YouTuber Aphmau before reading this - I picked it up because the cover was super cute and the story sounded fun. The art is cute, but I found the story kind of chaotic and random, and some of the humor didn't quite land with me. If you like Aphmau's humor on YouTube, though, you'll probably love it!

This was a great graphic novel for those fans of Aphmau! The illustrations were eye catching, the story was intriguing and easy to follow, including all the Aphmau characters and cats was really amazing too!

While the art for the cover is what initially drew me in I'm sad to say that I didn't like this book and did not finish it. The pacing was very fast, the writing was just alright and I didn't find myself particularly invested at all. While I can see how this book is geared towards middle school I think I would feel the same at that age. The pacing was just a little too quick and it all felt a little thrown together with game references kind of shallowly. It reads a little younger than middle grade in my opinion. Maybe I just aged quite a bit out but I've read other younger geared stories that I adored.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harperpop for the ARC.

Aphmau: Searching for Home covers Aphmau's trials at her new school. Aphmau faces bullying from a group of girls that eventually leads to the whole town being placed under an evil spell in order to harm Aphmau. Eventually, Aphmau and her friends free the town through making wishes and Stacy, the bully, understands what she did was wrong. She is forgiven and the day resets. However, when the day resets, Aphmau remembers what had happened. Despite this, she still trips Stacy and is rude to her even though she understands the nuance around Stacy's life and motivations. It was an interesting way to end the story and somewhat destroys the character development that happened throughout the graphic novel.

My favorite part of this story was the fun twists and turns one experiences through all trials and errors the characters experience through the story. These parts of the book brought some good laughs. When reading the beginning of the story I felt the friendships were being built in a very rushed way BUT the conclusion of the story completely made that feeling go away. I look forward to seeing what other adventures this bunch goes into.
I may recommend changing the age group of this book to something closer to 10 and up instead of the 8 and up I am seeing on Amazon. The reason behind this is the romantic tensions throughout the storyline.
The illustrations within the novel were exactly what is expected from anything connected to Aphmau, colorful, cute, and modern.
Thank you to all who were part of connecting me and this art piece.

Aphmau is throwing herself a birthday party and as the new girl, is nervous and worried if anyone will even show up, Things quickly get out of control when the resident mean girl uses a little magic she swiped from her dad to sprinkle on top of the cake, Aphmau's birthday wishes soon become reality! From Aphmau becoming a wolf to the world suddenly transforming into a very Minecraft-like one, Aphmau and her new friends have to find a way to turn the world back to normal all before her parents get home. This was fun read, with bright and fun illustrations. As a parent of a Minecraft and Aphmau fan, I can see this graphic novel becoming a favorite to a lot of middle grade and YA readers!

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperPoP and Aphmau for this e-ARC to review!

I requested this ARC not for myself but for my 8 year old who is a huge aphmau fan. We read it together and it was actually amusing but the real reviewer was the child who absolutely loved it and i'm sure that's the target audience.

The main character just moved to a new place and is getting ready for her birthday party. She invites her whole class, and people actually show up—but then one of the mean girls uses magic that belongs to her father to make the main character's wish come true. This wish turns her into a wolf and transforms the entire world into a video game! The art in this story is super cute and really brings the magical, wish-made world to life. It’s a fun and wild adventure with a great visual style!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperPop for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Aphmau:Searching for Home is a graphic novel following a young gamer girl who has just moved to a new city. She’s in a new school, looking for new friends, and it’s her birthday to boot! Things start off bad and get worse and she is bullied at school and then picked on at her party. When blowing out her birthday candles, Aphmau wishes she could be like the characters in her favorite video games. Be careful what you wish for! Some wishes aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.

This was a cute little graphic novel. It was easy to read and beautifully designed. The art really popped off the page. I felt the story was a bit all over and hopped from scene to scene a little clunky but as it’s geared towards children, I don’t expect young ones to notice it so much. Overall I feel a strong 4/5 stars is where I am settling.

This graphic novel follows Aphmau, a newcomer to town who faces a challenging first day at school, particularly due to the antagonism of a classmate named Stacy. Uncertain about the turnout for her upcoming birthday party, Aphmau is pleasantly surprised when Aaron, a mysterious and charming peer, ensures the celebration is a success. However, the festivities take an unexpected turn when Stacy uses magic on the birthday cake, causing Aphmau's wishes to materialize and transform the world into a landscape reminiscent of her favorite video games. This twist propels Aphmau and her friends into a quest to restore normalcy before Stacy's malevolent plans prevail.

Given Aphmau's substantial online following—boasting over 22 million subscribers and more than 23 billion views—this graphic novel is poised to resonate with her audience, offering a fresh medium to explore her creative storytelling.

In summary, "Aphmau: Searching for Home" is an anticipated graphic novel that promises to deliver an imaginative and thrilling narrative, blending elements of magic and gaming culture, which should captivate its intended young audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun graphic novel. This will be a great read for kids and will be very entertaining to them.

Wow wow wow! I requested this book because my 5 & 7 year olds love Aphmau and are really getting into the comic book style reads.

I haven't personally been super into the show when they watch it, tuning out a bit and just making sure nothing inappropriate is said 😅 and because of that, I didn't know the characters much going into this read.

I know it might sound silly, but reading this book with my kids made my heart so happy. As soon as I started reading the character introductions my daughter was so happy and excited, and not just about the story, but because I was connecting to something they love through a media I love (books). We will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy when it's released.

The art is beautiful, the story is fun, and we NEED MORE APHMAU NOW! 😘

I thought that Aphmau: Searching for Home was a quick, fun read! I enjoyed the art style, it was cheerful and vibrant. I could also relate to Aphmau's struggles trying to fit in and find a place for herself at a new school.

The only complaint I have is that I felt like the conflict/villain plot was wrapped up a little too quickly, to the point where it didn't feel like anything was at stake. But overall, I think it's a charming little graphic novel and I would definitely recommend it!