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!

*Thanks to NetGalley and IDW publishing for advanced copy for review*

This was a sweet tale that reminded me of the opening scene of Up mixed with Dungeons & Dragons. I really like the fantasy world and how it was based on a bed time story. The art style was vibrant and really helped express the story. Highly recommend.

"The Land of Unfinished Dreams" is a middle grade graphic novel by M. D. Ventura and M. Ferraris. Translated into English (I believe from Italian?), the story follows Ned, a grandpa who tells his grandchildren stories before bed, but the stories never get finished before the kids fall asleep. Ned suddenly finds himself in the story world as the hero and must problem solve his way to the end. Illustrations are beautiful and the story is poignant and funny, but some of the dialogue felt stilted and perhaps could use another run by a translator. An additional purchase for middle grade graphic novel collections.

A very cutely illustrated graphic novel for children and older readers who enjoy stories about storytelling, dreams, and childhood.
A storyteller grandfather, who is adorable, finds himself in the stories he tells and goes on quests.
Left a lovely feeling afterwards.

Two young kids who are at their grandfather’s house for a little while during the summer is engrossed into his stories of far off lands to save the princesses. After waking up one night and finding a light in his attic, the grandfather is transported in the land his stories are from. He’s thrown directly into the magic and now needs to both find a way back home and save the princesses himself.

I loved how quickly this read and I won’t lie, I love a good older protagonist/hero. The ending tied together and was perfect.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This is another absolutely wonderful comic aimed at younger (and all aged) readers that I might never have picked up if not through NetGalley ARCs, and again I am truly grateful.

This is what you get if you combine Up with I Hate Fairyland, but make it for kids.

You have a crotchety old man who is getting old and bitter and sick, but has nothing but love, imagination, and stories for his grandchildren. One night he is transported into the magical realm from the stories where he must be the brave knight and face the darkness with the power of friendship and acceptance.

This was adorable and awesome!

The art is incredibly cute and a lot of fun. The writing is solid and the shots to the feels were very much felt and appreciated.

The inversion of the lost one on the land of magic and adventure being the grandad was a fun one and made for a charming riff on the classics.

Blooming marvellous!

Fun comic that recalls <i>UP</i> and <i>The Princess Bride</i>. Little rough around the edges, and could have benefitted from a smoother translation, but sweet.

“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.

This is a sweet story of a grandpa who finally gets to be the hero in his own story. Although the concept is cute, I did find that the quest he went on wasn't that original. I noticed a continuous pattern of coming across an enemy and then defeating said enemy, which got a little repetitive after some time. I did like the art style and I especially enjoyed the design of the enemies.

Thank you NetGalley and Top Shelf Productions for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Grandpa as the hero?! What?!
What an adorable graphic novel. We follow a curmudgeon, grandpa, trying to finish his epic bedtime story but his grandkids keep interrupting with questions and want for details. On their last night, he still doesn’t get to finish it. After going to bed, he wakes up then finds himself portaled into his own story!

This was reminiscent of the movie UP but in more of a fantasy telling. He seems to have forgotten something but he can’t quite place it. Through trials, side quests, meeting new characters…grandpa starts to discover his wall being picked at, and family to help him bring it down. What a sweet story surrounding family and melting a cold heart.