This was such a heartfelt and warming story. I loved it and emotionally became invested in Ned and his story. To anyone that has ever felt grief and the things that come along with it this will be perfect for you!

The Graphic Novel “The Land of Unfinished Dreams” by Marco Ventura follows the retired teacher Ned as he is one night thrust into his own fantasy world that seems exactly like the bedtime stories he tells his grandkids. Having his quiet life disrupted by the visit of his grandchildren Ned starts to reignite his own spark and imagination on his heroic quest.

This was phenomenal! I loved every second of it. The story is captivating for readers of every age range in my opinion.
The younger readers will love the action and whimsy of the fantasy world while older readers might connect more with the deeper themes of this novel. While this is on the surface a very lighthearted adventure it does tackle the topic of loneliness, resignation, aging and fading memories/ Alzheimer's disease. Through these topics it finds a very hopeful message and might even be a way to start a conversation with younger children about their grandparents' fading capacities.

Furthermore the story is really entertaining and exciting till the very end. The characters are very memorable and fun. My absolute favorite part of the graphic novel however is the illustration style. It brought the characters to life and has such wonderful locations and colors that I always wanted to see more!

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for everyone that would like to go on an amazing adventure!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Top Shelf Productions for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is a tricky one, and at the end of the day I think it trickles down to just not being for me. I think the harder part is that I cant quite nail down who it is written for. The tags list it as children's/middle grade fiction but the story tackles topics that are decidedly more grown up in nature ex. loss of a spouse, checking out of human interactions, mental decline (no condition given but alludes to dementia or Alzheimer's).
The art is beautifully illustrated but also in a very cartoony childish style that's bright and inviting, this matches the tone and story beats we see early on. As the story moves on and we see Ned struggle more and more it seems almost discordant or at odds with the story. Maybe this was an intentional story element but i found it very distracting.
My other critique is the dialogue which I found to be very clunky and awkward especially again, as it was billed as a children's/middle grade read. Again this may have been intentional to make the world feel "old timey" but it was so unnatural and unintuitive in flow that it also pulled me out of the story frequently. This could also possibly be due to poor translation, or the Italian author writing his own English dialogue. I couldn't find any translator credits so I am leaning more to the latter.

Again this book is gorgeously illustrated, and the story beats near the end are moving, but it was a struggle for me to finish.

This is a wonderful adventurous graphic novel with some amazing illustrations! I loved the setting and the messages that were woven into the story. However, it did feel a little disjointed at times which took me out of the story.

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A beautifully illustrated graphic novel that is geared towards younger readers, though I will say older readers can also get so much from this wonderful story.

It follows an older man named Ned who has been having problems with his memory. He is a retired literature teacher who lacks excitement in his life other than when his grandchildren come to visit. Each night he loves to tell them bedtime stories, but they always fall asleep before he can finish them. On the night of the story, he goes to sleep and wakes up in his own fantasy world. Adventures ensue.

The illustrations are stunning and bring this imaginative story to life. Ned reminded me quite a bit of Carl from Up. This is as story filled with a lot of emotions and I love how they are reflected in the fantasy world Ned has created. Really shows how an author can reflect so much of what they are feeling in their writing. I love how it shows the importance of imagination and how adults can keep the joys of it in their lives. Such a beautiful message for younger and older readers alike.

I highly recommend this book.

I received an electronic ARC from IDW Publishing through NetGalley.
Tender adventure told from a grandfather's perspective. Readers see that he closed off himself after his wife's death and raised his daughter alone. He now has his grandchildren with him for part of the summer. He shares adventures from his imagination but never finishes the knight's quest. Ventura adds all the elements of a good fantasy - hero, sidekick, supporters, villain, beast, impossible quest. I appreciate that the beast comes from within him as Ned faces health issues and aging. The artwork captures the joy and fears as the story unfolds. Though readers hope for a positive conclusion, it's not certain until Ned makes some choices to heal.

Read: May 23rd - May 28th
Format: E-book
Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a cute graphic novel while also being heartbreaking. It tackles hard topics that you wouldn't expect to see, and makes it very accessible for, say, a grandparent reading this with their grandchildren. Having an elderly protagonist really opens up for a lot of themes to tackle, and they're tackled in a way that'll make you cry and feel warm.

Sometimes I felt like big events just sorta zoomed by/were rushed, but it is a middle grade comic, and the focus was more on Ned's growth than the fantasy elements.

Overall, a very good MG graphic novel 😁

This was a really sweet story of a grandpa loosing his memory who just wants to tell his grandkids the end of his story. Then he wakes up in the world of his story and has to save the princess.

I loved the art and the storytelling was a great touch.

This is a magical tale with a very unusual hero: granddad. When his grandchildren come to visit, he tells them fantastic stories about a knight on his quest saving the princess. But before he reaches the happy end, the grandchildren have already fallen asleep. So when granddad himself goes to bed, he suddenly finds himself in his own fairy tale, armored and on his way to the princess tower. But this is different from his storytelling, he meets unknown creatures and struggles to remember something - or someone. It is heartbreaking to see how he desperately tries to recover old memories, tearing down his grumpy shield and finding happiness in being with his loved ones. While some scenes seemed disjointed and sudden, it also perfectly reflected the confusion of the old man. And I so loved the detailed full color illustrations!

The Land of Unfinished Dreams is a moving and gorgeously illustrated graphic novel that speaks to the timeless power of storytelling and second chances.

As a reader, I was completely swept up by Ned’s journey, a retired literature teacher whose quiet life takes an unexpected turn into a magical world born from the stories he once told his grandkids. The narrative is both whimsical and profound, beautifully exploring themes of aging, imagination, grief, and rediscovering purpose.

Ned reminded me of Carl from Up, gruff on the outside but full of heart, and his emotional arc was deeply affecting. What I loved most is how the book gives adults permission to believe again: to dream, to heal, and to begin anew, even later in life.

The illustrations are stunning, the tone is heartfelt with just the right touch of bittersweet, and the message will resonate with readers of all ages.

Thank you to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. I’m still thinking about it, and I’ll definitely be recommending it to others.

An emotional read. One of those books meant for kids that makes you tear up. Overall hopeful message about overcoming fear and grief to get back to the person you were before.

I wasn’t expecting to like a middle-grade graphic novel. However, I’ve enjoyed my share of kids’ films that contain within them some of the most profound human emotions and truths. Plus, the artwork reminded me so much of Gravity Falls, one of the best things Disney has ever made, in my opinion. That was one of the main reasons why I decided to give this one a shot.

The story is expectedly simple and straightforward. We start with Ned, an old man who loves to tell his grandkids bedtime stories. However, he’s never able to finish his stories. As we learn more about him, we are made aware of his health conditions. He’s living alone in his house, a situation very much reminiscent of Pixar’s Up.

Except, he’s not really a loner like Carl. At least, he wasn’t before. Age has made him so, among other things, that are slowly revealed as we make progress. His life is turned upside down when, one unassuming night, Ned is awoken by a portal that transports him to a fantasy land. Despite his age, he must complete his quest so he can return to his normal life.


What I liked:
I genuinely liked Ned as a protagonist. He might be part-curmudgeon, but he’s also part-loving grandpa. He hates change, but pushes himself to accommodate his grandkids. The layers of his personality unfold with the story, putting into perspective why his life has become the way it is.

I won’t spoil anything, but the reveals and twists are fairly easy to guess. However, the characters that drive this story forward—real and imaginary both—have distinct voices and designs that make them stand out. Apart from Ned, I particularly liked his daughter, Linda, who felt like a real person just looking out for her father’s well-being. In addition to that, the reflection of real life within Ned’s imagination was particularly creative. The way things from his real life get used to push the imaginary story forward was beautifully done.

The climax really moved me more than I expected. Finding out the truth behind why Ned isn’t able to finish his stories, his suppressed emotions and pain, not to mention the fantastical resolution to said problem… all of it beautifully tied up all the loose threads of the story. Again, it’s not really surprising, but knowing the twist didn’t take away from the emotional journey of the climax. In fact, the simplicity of the novel makes this twist and resolution feel a lot more complex and rewarding.

My favorite part of the graphic novel was definitely the artwork. It was so stunning and immersed me completely in the story. Every milestone of the journey was an imaginative set-piece that evoked a sense of grandeur and creativity. If I had read this as a kid, I would have absolutely loved it. Even as an adult, I enjoyed it enough to read it in a single day.

While the end was a little too good to be true, it was also appropriate for a middle-grade graphic novel.

What I didn’t like:
I don’t think there was anything in particular I did not like. Some of the humor felt juvenile, but this is a kid’s book after all.

If I can complain, there were a few instances in the book where the dialogue felt a little clunky. I couldn’t confirm if the text was originally written in English or translated from Italian. Either way, an extra round of proofing might have improved the overall readability. There weren’t all that many instances. But the few that I noticed did break my reading flow.

Conclusion:
The Land of Unfinished Dreams is a beautifully creative middle-grade fantasy graphic novel. The artwork is stunningly adorable, the story, heartwarming. A perfectly modern bedtime story.

TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Protagonist, Artwork, Creative use of life and imagination, Ending
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Some clunky dialogues that broke my reading flow

Ned tells his grandkids stories of the brave knight Hortensius every night before bed. But they always fall asleep before he can finish the story. One night, he suddenly finds himself starring in one of his own stories.
This was a delightful, emotional read with beautiful illustrations that added depth and whimsy to the story.
I also really liked that the main character was an older man, and that the story followed his journey of learning to appreciate life again.

It's a fast-placed graphic novel which follows Ned, a grandfather and the stories he tells his grandchildren.

It's by no means a bad story, it just wasn't what I expected from it. I thought it would be more whimsical and fun. And that's on me for not remembering the blurb...

This is a surprising find to me. I was not expecting something like this. As someone in her 50s, this story resonates with me so much. It is a story about a grandpa who finds his vitality back in a metaphoric way in a story he has been telling his children. The illustration is done so beautifully too.

68%

It's a cute story, if a little disjointed; I think the art is lovely and the story is easy to follow there, but sometimes the things they say seem random or out of place. It's not published, yet, so hopefully that means there's time to fix that. I love that it focuses on an elderly person - you just don't see them as the stars of the show that often, and it was great to see. The message of allowing yourself to rely on others is a good one, if a little heavy-handed at times.

“The Land of Unfinished Dreams” is a fast-paced, fun middle grade graphic novel with a lot of heart.
I absolutely loved the vibrant and colourful art style. The grumpy grandpa was such a great main character, adding just the right touch of humor and charm.
The story moves quickly and ends on a really satisfying note.
A great read for both kids and grown-up fans of whimsical adventures.

Marco Ventura’s <i>The Land of Unfinished Dreams</i> follows the majestically playing out of a grandfather’s story for his grandchildren, the brightest lights in his life nowadays. With their visits the happiest thing in his life, telling them fantastical stories about a knight and his partner who quest to save a princess is an enjoyable nighttime activity. However, when he falls asleep he suddenly finds himself within that very story, taking on the role of the knight.

His quest takes him through this fantastical realm, but all is not as it seems. As he sustains injuries on his journey, he suddenly finds himself recalling details about his life—and his journey suddenly becomes one of healing. Gorgeous artwork pulls readers into both the real and fantasy worlds, blending them together to illustrate not only the importance of finding joy in the present but also remembering the good aspects of life in order to appreciate all experiences.

The artwork is beautiful throughout, really capturing both the real and fantasy worlds but also the absolute beauty of the characters. I definitely enjoyed this one and I think a lot of readers will have a blast with it. There’s a lot of whimsy in the grandfather’s story realm and some genuine moments of pure feeling in his memories of his wife and daughter. I also loved how much the theme and growth impacted the ending. Definitely the sort of book I’d be thrilled to recommend to a student.

This was an absolutely lovely read! if you love action-packed fantasy adventures, you will love this! I loved how fast-paced it was, I never felt bored or like anything dragged on for too long!

The characters were well fleshed out and very endearing! The art was absolutely gorgeous! The line work was very nice and sketchy which I love the look of and the colors were very warm and cozy!

Overall, this was a very sweet story of an old man finding himself again, 40 or so years after his wife died, through a magical dream-like adventure!

I love this story and the art! It's so heartwarming and it made me really happy! I understand the pain of losing someone you love and it can be hard to continue on without them, it really feels like a black hole! I'm glad he learned that he needs to live in the moment! I really enjoyed this and I was so shocked with the amazing twist at the end!