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!

This was a sweet story. Angelica is a typical overachieving student, who burns out. Now she's trying to slow down and enjoy life more. The Bear Prince story woven into Angelica's love story was a really interesting and cute touch. I really enjoyed the Bear Prince tale and was waiting for the ending the whole time. Angelica was a good, real character. As a mother of a teen, I could 100% see this being a real girl's story. I enjoyed both the bear prince tale and Angelica's story. I really liked the side characters as well, the best friend, the grandma, and Angelica's parents. All of the characters together made it seem like you knew the family and people involved in the telling.
The illustrations were amazing too! I loved the artistry and how well it told the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Graphic for the ARC copy of this book.

Thanks to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.

Angelica and the Bear Prince finds Angelica trying to get back into the swing of things in her life after experiencing burnout. She was involved in so many activities that her body just ceased to move one day. Deciding that if she can focus on just one thing, she can give that one thing 100%, and that one thing is interning at the local theater.

This story is about loss, grief, and the general aches and pains of being a teen. It's done in a very easy manner without bogging the reader down with so much heaviness, especially since this is of young adults. The characters are all pretty fleshed out as much as they can be in 224 pages. I do wish this was a bit longer, to really show the friendship between Angelica and the Bear Prince and who is under the costume. I also would have liked to see Christine, Angelica's best friend, have a little more resolution in her storyline.

All in all, this was a very sweet story.

Angelica just feels completely overwhelmed in life. She puts too much on her plate as she wants to help everyone out. One day, she just has a meltdown and needs to take care of her mental health. She feels like no one really understands her, but she finds comfort in Per, a person in bear suit, so Angelica messages him and he actually messages her back! Angelica interns at the local theater and Per, the bear is there! One day, she musters enough courage to talk to him.

Will Angelica ever find out who Per really is under the costume?

Readers will love this if they:
* Love art
* Enjoys reading graphic novels
* Find comfort in different ways
* Are conscious of their mental health
* Love love

I'mma plagiarize myself from another review of mine I happened to re-read just before writing this one:

"I read too many books where the plot is left to sway gently in the breeze in the background while characters talk or think about their feelings ever-so-earnestly in the foreground."

Eminently likable characters emote in pretty pictures as they meander through a gentle story about coping, relationships, and grief. It's all very sweet if equally ephemeral.

A partial adaptation of the traditional Norwegian fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is woven through the story. If you are unfamiliar with it (as I was) and want to prepare beforehand -- especially since a crucial chunk of the story is omitted before its happily ever after ending -- it is in the public domain and available at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30973/30973-h/30973-h.htm">Project Gutenberg</a>.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

A sweet, light yet emotional, YA graphic novel. Angelica was someone who could do it all, until her endless responsibilities overwhelmed her, and she came crashing down. Now she just wants to find one thing to focus on and hopefully succeed at. Her new internship at the local theater could be just the thing. Plus, maybe she'll finally get to meet the person behind the mask of Per the Bear, the theater mascot she's been speaking to and opening herself up to online.

I adore this art style; it's super cute and bubbly. The story itself felt pretty lighthearted, while slso showing the depth of emotion of its characters. Angelica is the main focus of the story, but we also get glimpses of the lives of her friends and family. I quite enjoyed the read.