3.5. Cute and beautiful and funny. I loved the art style. The exploration of lingering grief and creeping loneliness was unexpected but well done. I wish the story had delved a little deeper and followed our characters' growth more, rather than hinting at growth to come. In fact, a lot of the story felt unfinished, so much so that thought I had accidentally skipped a section. The ending was abrupt and the fairytale portion stopped on a cliffhanger, then suddenly resolved. I wanted more it, of everything this book had to offer, and so was left a little disappointed.

As an Asian American lover of comics and graphic novels, I was so excited to get an arc of this book. The artwork was so sweet, and the story even sweeter. While I wish it was a bit longer so that we could have seen a bit more character building, I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more from this author.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel! There are such sweet and heartwarming lessons of identity and growing into yourself when in the company of people who love and care for you. The fairy tale elements sprinkled throughout the plot and their ties to contemporary issues that we as people face today was also lovely! Of course, I'm a sucker for a sweet romance and this story definitely delivered on that front too. I highly recommend this read for anyone in the mood of a quick, thought-provoking, and light-hearted read.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Angelica has always been on the move; manager of her school's hockey team, running in cross country, member of the school newspaper and choir, as well as various volunteer opportunities. And she was flourishing under the pressure of her commitments... until she wasn't. Still recovering from a severe episode of burnout, Angelica has decided to pour her focus into a new internship at the Log House, a beloved local playhouse; where maybe pushing herself into being busy again will help clear the fog that seems to still linger around her.

However, what she didn't expect was to spark an unexpected and deep relationship with the Log House's infamous mascot the Bear Prince. After sending him a message on social media, the two begin talking with increasing regularity. As the season marches forward, Angelica has some tough questions to answer and lessons to learn about herself and her community; but the important thing is, she'll never be doing it alone.

This gorgeous sophomore graphic novel by acclaimed artist Trung Le Nguyen did not disappoint! More subdued than his debut, Le Nguyen still tackles heavy topics with his signature voice and art style. Intimate and sweet, ANGELICA AND THE BEAR PRINCE explores the different ways we grieve and a variety of relationships in all stages of life; while maintaining the magic (for lack of a better term) Le Nguyen managed to capture his The Magic Fish.

A comforting graphic novel, featuring themes of grief and not fitting in.

I enjoyed the fairy tale elements of the Bear Prince, and how they created a sense of magic throughout the story. Additionally, I found the relationships between characters to be cute and sweet - which helped the whole story feel fantastical.

3.5 stars, but I round up. Thank you to netgalley for this e-ARC. This book, which ends up being both a fairy tale retelling and a look at the many forms grief can take (and the length grief can last) was incredibly sweet. The pictures are stunning through out and its manga-esque depiction of emotions was darling.

I wanted to read Angelica and the Bear Prince because the art looked absolutely magical—and wow, it is—but I stayed for the writing. The whole thing is just so beautiful. It feels like reading a fairytale, in the best way. I want to give it a million stars. Definitely running to read The Magic Fish next.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher!

I absolutely loved the Magic Fish, so when I saw that Trung Le Nguyen had another graphic novel coming out I was very excited. And I loved it too!

I thought the author's note, where he explained that he wanted to write a light fluffy book with absolutely no emotional stuff.... and then ended up tackling the many forms grief takes, was really thoughtful and interesting.

The story itself is really sweet and I really liked the way each character, even the minor characters, had a moment to shine. The Queernormative world is also very nice and appreciated. I loved that the love interest is nonbinary! It's a very small part of the overall story, but as I, myself, am nonbinary, the representation is much appreciated.

I also really appreciated the careful way Angelica's previous burnout and depression are treated within the story. High school burnout because you're trying to do everything is real, and important to talk about.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. Each character is distinct and carefully crafted, and all of the emotions and moods come through very clear.

Absolutely stunning and a joy to read. Highly recommend, especially if you, too, loved the Magic Fish.

*Thanks to Random House Graphic for providing an early copy for review.

Turngles hits again!

This not-quite fairytale was so beautiful to look at and read. Ultimately, I think there are so many elements to the story where anyone can feel seen and connect with: from burnout, grief in different stages, parent/child dynamics, coming of age friend groups. It was perfectly tender in every way.

I also particularly loved what the author's note contributes to my understanding of the story.

Trung Le Nguyen has penned another winner with Angelica and the Bear Prince. Part Phantom of the Opera, part You've Got Mail, and all heart. The characters are delightful, the world is charming, the illustrations are obviously amazing. I loved the main story as well as the "show within a show" unveiling of the Bear Prince story.

This one is slightly above the level of my school, but definitely one I'd recommend for Middle School and up. This book is like a warm bear hug in all the best ways.

Strong 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy! I have not read a graphic novel in a bit, and I’m happy this became available. This is a story about 17 year old, Angelica, handling grief and burnout. This story was very relatable, and I was able to easily connect to her. My one qualm was the lack of exploration of Gabe’s character. I think it would’ve helped the depth of the story to be in his head.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

INFINITE STARS ♾️⭐️ — is it possible to love the sophomore book more than the debut?!

i mean the art and details showcased in angelica and the bear prince were even better than the art in the magic fish, which is saying so much because i was blown away by every artistic aspect of that graphic novel.

i really appreciated the author’s note about grief in different forms and stages of life because while this graphic novel was heavy, it was also uplifting and freeing.

overall, i loved everything about this genius graphic novel and will be hungrily awaiting the next one.

4.25/5 Stars

Did this graphic novel make me tear up? Yes? Was it worth it? 100% I loved this, from the beautiful storytelling to gorgeous illustrations to the emotional impact and back again.

Angelica is burnt out after taking on so many activities, and after some time she is open to trying to be part of the world again and applies for a scholarship at her local Playhouse. While there she tackles the beliefs she's had about herself, the grief that comes and goes, and learns how to continue moving through life after burnout. For me Angelica's story resonates, trying to be and do all the things but still not feeling enough. I thought the author did a great job exploring that and I loved the side characters and how we saw different forms of grief and joy throughout this story.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good graphic novel and leaves you feeling restored and hopeful. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eArc of this graphic novel.

Angelica (Jelly) is an overachieving teen, dealing with burnout and grief, trying to change her coping methods. She is trying to slow down and take on one job instead of many and starts working in the town theater alongside her friend Christine.
In an effort to deal with her feelings she reaches out to an online account of Per the Bear (the bear prince in her play) and starts a sweet anonymous relationship. What she doesn't realize is she may know the person behind the account.
I really enjoyed this story, loved the art style and the coloring was so nice and vibrant. It showed how everyone deals with grief and their own feelings differently and we may not all be as lonely in it as we feel. I only wish we had gotten a little more time with some of the side characters.

I really loved this graphic novel! I adored the style of the art and felt it went well with the story - it was really cute and beautiful. I thought the story was also relatable in many ways to many people. There's the mother/daughter relationship issues, anxiety, romantic relationship issues, grief, and more. 5 stars for me.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

God bless this graphic novel - it is so beautiful and so sweet. I loved the authors note about trying to make this a silly little novel and realizing the themes of grief and mourning in different capacities. I love the discussion of burn out and feeling the need to be busy to keep distracted from tough feelings. I related so much to Angelica and I loved that with all the serious topics, it really was a light lovely story at heart. I loved magic fish so I knew this would be brilliant. I was right :)

Absolutely buying for my library.

This was an absolutely adorable and delightful book to read! The story was beautiful, the art gorgeous and the character diverse and inclusive. The story within the story was fun and I enjoyed how it corresponded with the story itself. The main character was easy to connect to and understand. Im going to leave it there for fear of spoilers, but I highly recommend this book!

I loved this so so very much. Such an unexpectedly emotional and powerful story about grief, burnout, and love. I absolutely adored the strong sense of community and vibrant characters. I wish the ending had felt a bit more cohesive, and to be honest, I was sad to be saying goodbye to the cast! I would love to see another graphic novel set within this little community!

e-arc provided by Netgalley

Ahhh, I loved this. I didn't realize this was partially an east of the sun west of the moon retelling and my favorite books of all time (East by Edith Pattou) is the same kind of retelling. This was really sweet and delved into a few deep topics. The art style was absolutely beautiful and the story was just what I needed

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for the ARC of this.

The artwork was beautiful. I loved the topics this covered as well. From mental health, relationships both platonic, familial and romantic, and grief.
That being said, I feel like there wasn’t enough depth to some of these plots or characters.
And Chrissy’s mom with her casual racism was just unnecessary to the story since it wasn’t addressed at all and no one learned or grew from it.
The whole subplot of Jelly’s mom wanting to do better with her shop than Chrissy’s mom’s was just a bit needless as it added nothing to the story.
I gave it a 3 because I think it is a great idea to normalize mental health in teens, but I wish it had been executed just a little better.