5 stars

This is utterly magical. If "Bear Prince" is giving "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" vibes, you are on the right track, but this is so much more than just a fantastic adaptation of that memorable gem.

Angelica, aka Jelly, is a junior in high school and she is hitting a wall. She's a high - okay OVER - achiever, but she's feeling burned out. Like her mom, she isn't good at expressing her emotions, but that characteristic is catching up to both of them. While Angelica is still doing a lot, including recently landing a coveted internship at the local theater, she's just not quite herself. As the work progresses, it's clear that some of this is related to the loss of her grandmother a decade ago. Experiencing grief 10 years later? Yes. I'm here for it. I love how unsanitized this aspect is.

In an effort to process some of her challenges and find a sense of clarity, Angelica begins corresponding with Per the Bear. Of course, there's a human inside of that costume, and this person's identity, not to mention their care for Angelica and ability to be there for her and for her big feelings, make this whole reveal absolutely dreamy.

There is so much to love about this graphic novel. The illustrations add so much. The friendships - whether they are with peers or multigenerational neighbors - are layered and complicated and fulfilling. The feelings are very big and very messy and very real. The hope? It springs eternal even in the darkest times. The representation? Now that is a highlight among highlights.

I enjoyed this so much and cannot wait to recommend it to students and teach it in the near future. What an absolute gem.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

First off, the artwork is captivating. It is gorgeous to behold! The framing of panels was also great to see. It showed the heart of the matter, like how overwhelmed Angelica could be with emails when they flooded the scene and spread into other frames. It showcased the build-up, snowball effect that led into her burnout. The emotion is displayed fantastically.

Also, this graphic novel's Bear Prince is the same prince from one of my favorite fairy tales: East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It's rare for me to find it connected to a novel, but try finding it as a graphic novel! I was charmed by how well this fairy tale was woven into the plot.

This was so Cute!
A very easy read with adorable artwork.
I would definitely be interested in reading more of this authors work if the opportunity should arise

This reminds me of a delightful teen romantic movie from the 90s and I don't really know why other than that the love interest is a boy with floppy hair that gets in his eyes.

I digress, Nguyen does it again. The Magic Fish was an iconic queer graphic novel on many levels but it's necessary to say that Nguyen is not a drop in the bucket because his sophomore graphic novel is as enchanting and magical as the first. A girl, Angelica, grieving the loss of her grandmother and having these feelings and she uses a DM with the local theater's Peri the Bear to emote her feelings only to discover who the real person is behind Peri the Bear. The reveal is perfect both for the romance and the humor of it all. And then the wraparound, from the snowy setting, to the parents and parental figures, to the friendships surrounding Angelica, makes it the five star read that it is because everyone feels fully-developed and authentic.

The kind of graphic novel to be read and loved.

I hadn’t read anything by this author before, but I ended up loving this little gem. The art in this graphic novel is so colorful and full of charm. The story is super cute and whimsical, but also has some deeper moments that touch on grief in a really thoughtful way. The characters felt real, and the dialogue actually sounded like how teens talk (which is rare!). Overall, it's such a cozy, feel-good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book

This is a really cute story about childhood friends reconnecting in a unique and meaningful way—through something they both loved as kids and continue to enjoy as teenagers. The story touches on a variety of important topics like biting off more than you can chew, dealing with burnout, and navigating relationship challenges. It's a great read for teens who may be putting too much pressure on themselves and need the reminder that it’s okay to step back and take time for yourself. A heartfelt and relatable story with a strong message.

I came into this graphic novel without having read the authors other works and I was pleasantly surprised by this incredibly darling story. The characters felt real and the dialogue felt like something teenagers would actually say. The art was very cute and I loved the diversity in bodies that the author drew. All around a really sweet holiday read that I'm sure will delight anyone who happens to pick it up!

Sweet, but not packing the punch that I expected. I really liked the art style, but I didn't connect with the story or find it incredibly impactful.

Another amazing story from a very talented author. This story was both heartwarming and heart breaking. It offered a detailed look into the process of grieving and also reconnected with a lost friend. The artwork is detailed and the panels were well planned out.

It was cute, it had LGBTQIA+ representation, it had a nice romance subplot....

It just felt too empty, and there wasn't enough substance to make anything about this memorable.

Angelica and the Bear Prince is a stunning graphic novel about a teenage girl’s recovery from burnout while she interns at a local theater. This novel explores the issues of grief, mental health, and relationships of all ages with beautiful artwork and dialogue. I was very impressed with how detailed the artwork was and it really brought more depth to the story. I loved the colors and the artwork felt very comforting to me. Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was how diverse the cast of characters is. This aspect felt so naturally done as well. Everything about this book flowed really well and I will definitely be rereading it in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story early.

This is a cute story about friendship and family. It will make you upset at times but comes together in the end. Because it is a graphic novel, pay close attention to the images as they provide context that is not written.

An incredibly heartwarming graphic novel about connection and dealing with grief. It handles these topics with the respect they deserve and was truly a treat to read. Each page is filled with lovely illustrations in addition to realistic dialogue and interactions overall.

Angelica and the Bear Prince is a sweet, emotionally gentle read that touches on themes of burnout, healing, friendship, and unexpected connection. Angelica was the girl who could do it all—until she couldn’t. After burnout derails her fast-paced life, she begins piecing herself back together with the help of her friends… and an unlikely source of comfort: a bear.

Peri the Bear, the local theater mascot, connects with Angelica through social media, offering her supportive messages and becoming her unexpected confidant. Curious to uncover the human behind the costume, Angelica lands a summer internship at the theater. As she navigates this new chapter, she learns that it’s okay to slow down, to ask for help, and to let life unfold gently.

I loved the themes this book explored—mental health, grief, love, and friendship. However, I found myself wanting a bit more from the narrative. Some conflicts, like the tension between Angelica and Christine, felt glossed over, and I wish the Bear Prince fairytale had been more tightly woven into the emotional aspects of the story.

That said, this is still an adorable, comforting read with a great heart and some heartwarming messages. The characters are lovable, and the art by Trung Le Nguyen is absolutely stunning, adding so much warmth and depth to the story.

Trung Le Nguyen creates a lovely retelling of the fairy tale of the Bear Prince. Themes of burnout, identity, friendships and romantic relationships. Beautiful artwork.

One of my favorite folklore tales is East of the Sun and West of the Moon, so to see it reinterpreted and used as a framing device for this absolutely gorgeous graphic novel was a treat. Trungles sets the tone and executes this story so flawlessly. I cannot wait for the release of this graphic novel so I can add it to my library's collection as well as my personal one!

From the author of the Magic Fish, comes another graphic novel story blending realistic fiction and mythology. Jelly is recovering from high school burnout when she gets an internship at the local theater. She’s been having a DM relationship with the theater bear, but doesn’t know the bear’s identity. A cute story about friendship and communication.

I absolutely loved Trung Le Nguyen’s The Magic Fish, so I was beyond excited to read another of his graphic novels.

Angelica and the Bear Prince follows Angelica, an overachieving high school student who’s recovering from a severe case of burnout. Her return to the world of extracurriculars starts with a dream internship at the local theatre for its production of East of the Sun and West of the Moon, a story very close to her heart. At the same time, Angelica has been coping with her burnout and grief by chatting online with Peri the Bear, the mascot of the local theatre, and she becomes determined to uncover Peri’s true identity.

Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. It felt very void of plot, and I wasn’t able to connect with the story or its characters. While I appreciated that Angelica found comfort through her online relationship with Peri, I thought their dynamic was somewhat one-sided. The story was cute, but it lacked the depth that would have allowed me to truly connect with it. It felt unfinished, like the characters still had more to explore and say.

That said, the illustrations were absolutely stunning!

4.5
*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for early copy for review*

This was so cute graphic novel. I loved the art style. It was so beautiful. I appreciated that the author did such a diverse cast which included bigger bodies. I truly wish that we got to explore more of the romance element, but ot was still really good.

This was a solid graphic novel with themes of grief and being burnt out. I enjoyed Angelica's story line through out this, and even the side characters were all very compelling. The art style was very nice as well, I do think I preferred the artistic choices of this authors first book more, but this one took a more straightforward approach!