This was such a lovely story. So much charm! The anticipation this story had me with until close to the end was a wonderful surprise! If you want a nice heartwarming and cute story this is 100% for you! I will be recommending!

Such a great story about new friends, old friends and the continued learning we all go through to express our emotions correctly and learn to hear others.

The illustrations are brilliant and the story flows so perfectly together.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen is a YA graphic novel exploring grief, romance, burnout, and friendship. Angelica used to accept every single offer that came her way but when her body tells her to take a break, she suddenly doesn’t know what to do with herself. She gets an internship at the local theater and starts talking to an account posting pictures of Per the Bear, one of the theater’s classic characters.

Angelica and the Bear Prince handles a lot of difficult, mature themes in a very quiet way that feels realistic to how these situations actually do play out. There are no dramatic fallouts, there’s some frustration but it resolves fairly quickly, and it’s very clear that there are still issues that have to be resolved. With Angelica and her best friend, Christie, there’s a very obvious issue of Angelica not knowing how to emet Christie’s needs, but even when they do have their blow-up about it, you know that it’s going to be OK. I think this does something that is incredibly important: people can hurt you and miss how to meet your needs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work it out and that they aren’t trying. Given how often we push for people to cut out anyone who hurts you even a little bit and the way that is deepening the loneliness epidemic, I think this is quite poignant.

Gable is implied through dialogue and flashback to be a transman though the term is never explicitly used. I was fine with that because we need a variety of Queer representation, including ones where transpeople can just exist in the world and be in a romance while dealing with other things. Nobody questions it, Angelica doesn’t ask questions that some people might have given that she’s meeting a friend again after years apart, and it is just treated as a very natural, normal part of life. There is power in that especially given what is happening right now in the world. It’s not going to teach people about the trans experience, but not every book featuring a Queer character has to be a tool for teaching about Queerness. If this is teaching readers anything, it’s that there is life after burnout and that grief is complex.

The romance isn’t the whole book, I would even argue that it’s a subplot as the book is more centered around Angelica’s in-group as a whole, but it is present and on the sweet side. Angelica is unaware that she is talking to her childhood friend at first and Gable is implied to be very shy and unsure of how to talk to Angelica after so long apart. It is very cute and I think the both of them do some growing in other aspects of their lives (Angelica in terms of her mental health and Gable in learning more about his grandmother and her grief) that helps sell them as their own characters.

Content warning for a brief depiction of racism

I would recommend this to fans of graphic novels that deal with heavy themes in a gentle way and readers of YA who want something tackling burnout

This was a very sweet story about reconnecting with those you've lost touch with over time. I would recommend it to fans of romance, modern princess stories and cozy books.

This book was beyond adorable and touched on so many aspects of growing up and burnout. It was very heartwarming to have a child's burnout be recognized, accepted, and for them to know it's okay to take a break. Also, the casualness in which queerness, diversity, and community was presented was done so well. I love when things just are in a story and there isn't any big need to delve into it.

The petty rivalry between the two mothers was quite hilarious as well. For a book that overlooked making race and queerness a thing, I gasped when the DEI comment was made and had a nice chuckle.

I fully enjoyed this book and am a new fan of Trung Le Nguyen. The art was amazing and was what made me request the book in the first place. I will for sure checkout other works by this author.

Thanks so much to Random House Children's Books for the DRC!

What an absolute gem of a book. I read the first book that Trung Le Nguyen wrote and loved it so much. I think I love this book even more. I would recommend to anyone looking for an excellent graphic novel.. The underlaying love story is beautifully write. It is just such a lovely book.

When I saw that Trung Le Nguyen is publishing another graphic novel I raced to NetGalley to see if they had an ARC of it and they did! I really enjoyed "The Magic Fish" and was super excited to read this book as well. Boy- did it not disappoint! The story was tender and sweet, the characters and their development was well thought out, and I love the illustrations! Also, the nickname Jelly for Angelica is adorable! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

This is a GORGEOUS book, I knew as soon as I saw the author & cover that it was going to be stunning and I was RIGHT. The bear prince is adorable, the casual queer themes were excellently done, and the family dynamics were so on point it was almost painful, not to mention that the art is absolutely stunning.

I cannot wait for this to be published so I can make everyone I know read it immediately.

Trung Le Nguyen has once again created a heartfelt story with beautiful art. Following Angelica as she tries to get back on her feet after a serious case of burnout, Angelica and the Bear Prince deftly captures the nuances of grief and communication. I particularly enjoyed the dynamics between Angelica, her mother, and her best friend. It's refreshing to see characters that normalize the ups and downs of navigating tough feelings, and there were some genuinely funny moments tangled in with this as well. Sometimes you might disagree with those you love or make mistakes and not know what to say in the moment, but the love and care is still there when you are ready. This was also true of a side character that lashed out in grief, but eventually acknowledged the ways in which these heavy emotions have impacted her. The fairy tale being told in parallel with Angelica's story added an atmospheric touch, but it did make the plot feel a little jumpy to me at times. Nguyen's art style is perfect for a fairy tale inspired story, with plenty of detail, sparkle, and a cheery color palette.

A sweet but not exactly surprising story about a high school student who is working at a local theatre. Her story loosely follows that of The Bear Prince, a real world fairy tale and the subject of the play she is working on. Subplots include dealing with burnout, family relationships, different ways to support others and process problems, grief, and crappy boyfriends. Multiple LGBTQIA2S+ characters have roles, big and small, in this inclusive story and homophobia is not a plot element. Trigger warning for one instance of racism, which is correctly called out and commented on. There are moments of great humor throughout, sometimes because of the plot but most often because of the delightful illustrations.

Oh, my heart. I absolutely adored this. I'll read any adaptation of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but this one felt extra special and unique. Nguyen did a really lovely job of exploring how everyone processes grief differently, and tying Jelly and Gable's story to the original fairytale in a way that felt modern and relevant. I'll definitely be recommending this to library teens!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS!
I think this would be wonderful for both middle and high school readers.
The story is wonderful, deep and rich with fully fleshed-out characters that made me wish I had a little more time with them. I think this tackled a lot of social-emotional topics beautifully, especially grief and the coping mechanisms we have for it. As someone who dealt with grief in the same way Angelica does for a very long time, it was so nice to it explained in a way that I think would be really helpful and impactful to younger readers who might be going through a similar situation. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who loves beautiful art and sweet storytelling. Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.

I was so excited when I saw I got an ARC from NetGalley and Random House Graphic for “Angelica and the Bear Prince” by Trung Le Nguyen! His debut book “The Magic Fish” was amazing and his beautifully illustrated tarot deck is one of my favorites. So of course my expectations were high, and happily they were met. It’s a beautiful book.

“Angelica and the Bear Prince” is the sweet story of a girl and the mysterious Bear Prince mascot who has given her comfort during a tough time in her life. It deals with difficult emotions, like burnout and grief. It also touches on maintaining healthy relationships and healthy communication. None of these aspects ever felt forced or preachy, they flowed naturally from the characters and their interactions. The cast of main and side characters were likeable and interesting, as well as the adorable town they all lived in. (All the couples het & queer were so so cute) This is a story about teens, but I’m sure adults would also find this story touching and engaging. I’ll definitely be recommending this book to my graphic novel loving library patrons when it hits shelves later this year.

I love anything with a fairy tale and graphic novels have my heart. Angelica and the Bear Prince weaves together community and love and grief and anxiety and all these complex emotions in a beautiful, vivid story. I love the relationships between Angelica and all of the people in this story, especially because they are not all perfect and she needs to learn from what people in her life need from her. Angelica is also a perfectionist that causes her to not rely on people, always look for solutions and leads to her having a panic attack which I can relate to and I loved watching her in this story.
There is also the discussion of grief and how grief makes it hard for us to communicate to the people we love the most and that grief never goes away and we have to learn to live with it. Trung Le Nguyen truly weaves so many messages in the colorful pages of this story and I am excited to see what comes next.

This was a cute story, but it was also so full of character and heart. I love the illustrations. If you enjoyed the author's first book then you'll be delighted by this one as well.

A gorgeous whimsical story about a high schooler's journey recovering from burnout, finding love, and the healing of grief. Angelica thought she could do it all until she suddenly couldn't and now she finds herself burnt out. Yet despite that there has been one constant source of comfort: her online pen pal friend who runs a fan account on Peri the bear from the local theater, Peri is a bear character that is from Angelica's favorite childhood story and when her local theater decides to put on the play... Angelica begins messaging said bear. Angelica is dealing with the grief of losing her grandmother, of growing pains, friendship drama, and trying to understand her own limits and what she can handle with the help of a friendly bear mascot. This was such a sweet and delightful story, I was truly touched by how sweet it is. As someone who lost her own grandmother when I was near Angelica's age, I found her burnout very relatable and the way she felt so authentic. The friendship and romance in this story was very sweet and the overall feeling of reading this book was just like a cozy warm hug. I absolutely adore this book and was stunned by the beautiful artwork. I will absolutely be recommending this to readers!!

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's Books | Random House Graphic for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A cute, cozy romance based very loosely on East of the Sun and West of the Moon, that also delves into mental health and typical teenage feelings of self worth. Jelly's parents and her best friend Christina are the standout characters. Not as poignant as The Magic Fish.

A YA graphic novel retelling of “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” + Beauty and the Beast.
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Angelica burned out last year after taking on much more than she could handle. Now she’s ready to get back out there, winning an internship at her town’s local theater. Ever since Jelly had her breakdown, she’s been communicating with the star of the theater, Peri the Bear, through social media. That Bear saved her at her lowest point and now she wants nothing more than to meet them face to face, but the person behind the mascot might surprise her.
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I am so glad we have another @trungles book out in the world! I loved the return to the fairytale retelling we got from Magic Fish. Make sure to read the Author’s Note about his failure (which ended up being a fantastic win, in my humble opinion). This book had great representation: fat positivity, therapy, nonbinary & AAPI rep. I can’t wait for release date: October 7!

CW: infidelity, anxiety, grief, death of a grandparent (off page), mental health struggles, toxic relationship