I really liked this graphic novel. It is important to understand acceptance and this story showed it in such a nice way. The illustrations were wonderful, clear and great colors. The story is beautiful and wonderfully written. I will suggest it to others I work with and some students that may be interested in this book.

I loved everything about this book. From the characters to the plot to the story within a story to the art, the color palette... everything about it is absolutely delightful. I like that it felt light-hearted but also emotional when it needed to be and those moments were allowed to breathe. I loved the grief explored, the "falling in love via DMs" of it all, and the fact that it's set at the local theater. I can't wait to share this book with more people.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Big feelings make being a teenager hard, add in the effects of burnout, you create a perfect storm that sometimes only doing something familiar helps.

Read this for:
- finding long lost friends
- costumes
- theater
- grief
- queer characters
- it takes a village

My thoughts: this is a sweet and soft story that tackles some really big feelings with grace and heart. The core of this is about how grief may manifest but it’s also a story about love and how intricately these get tied up. Angelica has always been the go-getter then she hits a wall, and the only thing that really pulls her out is the Bear Prince - or more precisely the social media account of the Bear Prince. The story touches on relationships of all sorts. The artwork is gorgeous and I love how the coloration comes together with the story.

Highly recommend this graphic novel!

We teach Nguyen's first graphic novel The Magic Fish in our 9th grade English curriculum and I really love teaching this book. So I was so excited to see that Nguyen had another book coming out. I had to sit with this one for a while after reading before I could come to a decision about how I felt about it. I think I was comparing it too much to The Magic Fish and not taking it on its own. Here are my thoughts as an educator:

Pros - I love the inclusion in the story. As always, the inclusion just is without being a huge issue - it is accepted and in abundance like it is in real life. I appreciate that --especially the inclusion of LGBTQ characters -- in both of Nguyen's book. This one also features some different ethnicities, a "plus-size" character, and different family structures. I also was excited at first that this one features high school students instead of middle school students which I thought (think?) would appeal to our high school aged students better. (The Magic Fish is a middle school student) The main storyline was hopeful and uplifting despite having some sad themes. It was also a fairly quick read (I read it in one sitting).

Cons - This one is much more mature than The Magic Fish. There is some cussing (including the F word) and talk of "pubes." There is also a cheating side story with two of the high school characters. Just be aware if you are handing this to a younger student who enjoyed The Magic Fish. It caught me by surprise and may keep this book out of our curriculum. I also didn't see the fusion of the fairy tale and the main story as clearly as I did with The Magic Fish. It felt strained and disjointed. Yes, the student theater troupe was putting on the play of the fairy tale, but unlike Magic Fish, the fairy tale parts revealed less themes or lessons or parallels. It didn't feel as seamless as The Magic Fish. The art is amazing as always with Nguyen (if you aren't following his social media, what are you even doing!?), but again, with the more older teen themes and language felt a little bit childish and incongruous.

I think if I had known going in that this was going to be a bit more mature, I could have set my expectations better. So, compared to Magic Fish (and as an educator), I didn't like this one as much. It didn't feel as meaty or well-thought out. On its own, if I had read this one first, I think I would have liked it more. I will definitely put it into the right students' hands and it will have a place on my bookshelf at school.

This was super cute and perfect for fans of The Magic Fish I think. I loved the illustration and the coming of age story.

4.5. This is a really sweet read featuring relatable topics--I know teen me could have used an accessible book about dealing with burnout and building community--with a gorgeous art style. I wish the romance between Gable and Jelly had been highlighted more, but I love the way they both strengthen each other individually.

A truly delightful little story that tackles the tough issues of grief, burnout, and finding yourself with the help of your community with a lot of heart and gentle love. The artwork is genuinely so cute, with great use of paneling for its pacing and wonderful illustrations of funny reaction images, as well as heartful moments of connection. The only nitpick I'd have is that I wish Gable had had a bit more time to spend with Angelica, as their romance is sweet but definitely not the focus and suffers a bit as a result.

who needs therapy when this book exists??

i loved how this book dealt with grief and also the way it portrayed the thinkers (angelica with her need to solve problems/ do something about an issue) and feelers (her friend who just wanted to be heard and comforted). one of my fav parts was when gable pointed out how jelly is ideating/ putting logic to her emotions to distance herself from them (i felt attacked lmao)

overall loved it, need everyone to read it asap!

Trung Le Nguyen has knocked it out of the park yet again. "Angelica and the Bear Prince" is a sweet, emotional story about the different ways we deal with big feelings. The layered storytelling is supported by beautiful art that has me excited for winter (my least favorite season). This will be a go-to for reader's advisory at my library!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I was so excited when I saw this author had a new book out, and when I got approved! Their art style is just so beautiful and delicate, and The Bear Prince was a treat. I loved the wide range of characters, and the representation of a character experiencing burnout. It's so refreshing to see someone not be told "keep pushing", and that rest is just as important as growth. It was unique, well paced, and thoughtful, and I'm so glad to see more from this author.

This was cute and the art was gorgeous. I liked the exploration of grief in multiple perspectives. I liked the idea of DMing and talking to a mystery person online but I wish it was fleshed out at the end a little more and their connection was explored a bit more. Overall cute just left me wanting more.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest

As a huge fan of Trung Le Nguyen's debut graphic novel, The Magic Fish, I was super excited for the chance to read and review Angelica and the Bear Prince. A lot of the magic of the first book remains in this sophomore entry. While the story isn't as strong, it is still very gorgeously illustrated and a beautiful and thoughtful exploration of griefs, family and love.

It is a definite must read for anyone who enjoys lovable characters, beautiful art, and cozy heartfelt stories.

This was such a beautiful graphic novel about connecting with the ones you love, whether it be a long lost friend, a family member who's passed away, or a best friend whose navigating a rough relationship. There wasn't anything I didn't like about the book, and I cannot wait until it's fully released so I can share it with my high school students.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Random House Children's books for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Stories of grief

This was a cute read, but it was just generally underwhelming. It felt too long. It kept losing me.

The Magic Fish is one of my favorite graphic novels of all time so I was so excited to pick up Angelica and the Bear Prince!

The story follows Angelica (Jelly), a high school junior recovering from burn out. Jelly decides to limit her focus and time on an internship at her local theatre. She has also been DMing the theatre's mascot, Peri the Bear. This relationship is a solid outlet for Jelly as Peri becomes someone she can confide in. Jelly’s internship gives her the chance to figure out who Peri is under his mascot costume.

This graphic novel is so sweet. It has a fantastic wintery setting that was really cozy and easy to fall into. I loved that this novel explored burn out and grief, but in a balanced way. Alongside harder moments, Jelly is surrounded by her loving and supportive friends, family, and community.

I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in an adorable YA romance with a fairy tale twist and a cozy wintery setting.

Though this has a unique premise, I felt underwhelmed overall. Exploring grief, relationships with family and peers, and growing up are all big for me, so I did appreciate those aspects. The thing that really got me was the way the kids talk. Their voices felt inauthentic to me. I also think the whole DMing a stranger (who is not really a stranger, but could have been!!!) bit is not necessarily cute. It made me feel uneasy even though it is made up because it does happen in real life. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This books is so incredibly sweet! It's heartwarming, full of holiday charm, and about navigating grief and figuring it out that it's always easier together.

Angelica is a teenager with all the determination and angst of a junior in high school, who hits some deep burnout after taking on too much. After a break she ends up accepting an internship at the local Log House Theatre and focuses all her time on stage managing a holiday production starring the locally famous costumed prince, Per the Bear, who she's been anonymously messaging for the past year. We see her do something exciting and new but also struggle with being unable to automatically fix the problems of everyone around her. Ultimately this is a story about showing up and working on your relationships with friends, family, neighbors, and yes, the magical bear prince. Per the Bear will always have our hearts!

Read if you loved The Magic Fish (same author!), gorgeous illustrations, and the magic of theatre and fairy tales.

young adult | graphic novel | Asian mc | transmasc love interest | letter writing & treasure hunt dates

Thank you Random House Children's Books for the E-ARC!

The art style is amazing.
The storyline is heartfelt and full of learning lessons about how to deal with burnout, grief, anger and how it’s not always one thing. There’s a beautiful friendship and learning how to listen and be there for how your friends need, not how you want.
Non-binary rep, and of course the good ol’ fashioned “I never got your letters” trope.

I loved this little story, a modern take on East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The art is fantastic and the characters are well thought out and developed, including the adult characters supporting the story. The characters have flaws in nuanced ways. Even though it is a book about grief, it was a bright moment during a crappy week, and I couldn't help but smile as I read it. I love how the story focuses on emotional intimacy between the characters, the Asian rep, size rep, non-binary rep, etc. I strongly recommend this book for fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker and cozy romance.

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially interested in this book because I love "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" and I am always eager to read any retelling. This book exceeded my expectations, using the framework of the fairytale to tell a story that is completely it's own. I absolutely loved this book. It was a joy to read in a deeply cathartic way. In the author's note, Nguyen says he intended for this to be a lighthearted book, but it ended up being a lot more about grief than he originally anticipated. But a book about grief can still be joyful, which Angelica and the Bear Prince proves. This story manages to explore the nuanced emotions of almost every character it its main cast, while keeping the story concise and not feeling bloated. The world of this book feels alive. It feels magical, but also so real and grounded that you can see the people you know reflected in its characters. And of course, the art is the same gorgeous style Nguyen became known for with his debut. I cannot recommend this book enough.