Martian Ghost Centaur

This graphic novel was so adorable. The story was awesome and the art was amazing! I like that it didn't focus so much on the importance of what your job is and instead focused on the importance of what makes you happy. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive and that was nice to see in a narrative.

Follow Lulu as she tries to save her town, her Sasquatch dreams, and figure out what she wants to do with her life. Sometimes dreams don't have to be about making it big to be successful. Sometimes its about what is important to you and what makes you happy that drives a successful and fulfilling life!

Pick up a copy as soon as you can! 10/10 Will probably read again.

Oh my god this was funny, catchy and definitely awesome 💕

Friendship, love, trust, are always an big three in life to lean on.

This story shows what happens if a lie comes to light,
or what happens when all things take a turn for the worse.

But when you want something and you put effort to it, the sky is the limit 💕

Loved reading it

This was such a ride. I absolutely loved it. All the characters are awesome and the story is funny and cute. The drawings are also great.

Fun, fresh, and adorable.
Colourful, friendly art. Diverse characters. LGBTQ rep (Louie has two Dads and they are too cute, even when they're sad. And they adore her.)
A tale of family, friendships, and community, and how these things endure even when a fundamental part of your life turns out to be a lie. All wrapped up in the drama of being a teen. And a sneaky one at that (the Airbnb, hysterical).

This was an utterly fabulous graphic novel--whimsical, sweet without being saccharine, very fun, and philosophically deep at that. The overall messages about community, passion, and how jobs (or school) don't have to define someone are wonderful for a tween/teen/young adult audience, and they're a great reminder for older readers too. The art style is really cute as well. I'll be buying a copy of this once it comes out! (Review based on an ARC from NetGalley.)

That's the cutest thing I've read recently. Super quick read and I loved the art style. It reminds me a bit of the "luberjanes" graphic novels. It talks about friendship, love, trust and to find your passion and what makes you happy. It's definitely a favourite

I am weirded out by how much I adored this story.
Gentrification was such a weirdly fascinating topic to explore in a graphic novel but it was such a fun ride?
Basically, this follows a small town that is slowly being bought up by an arrogant business-type Gen-Z dude who wants to create a start-up right in the middle of this town that has been known forever as the town where you can catch a glance of a Sasquatch. Basically, we follow the daughter of one of the business owners who does everything she can to make sure her parents don't have to sell their place.
It was so fun and engaging and followed the idea of the American Dream (you can be anything) and had some really poignant commentary on such issues as passion vs. dream job and how to be happy in life without (much) money.
Definitely an errie read and visually pleasing, with some hilarious references to places and tv shows (also memes like "road work ahead? Yeah I sure hope it does") that had me giggling!

Graphic novels are a kind of a hard thing to crack for me. There are some times when I can read 10 a week and there are months when I don't pick up a single graphic storytelling medium. That's why I started reading Martian Ghost Centaur as soon as I got my hands on it. And I freaking loved it. I'm kind of a cryptid freak and I always get disappointed when someone is trying to prove it's a fluke. Deep down I know they're most likely not real but you know... (insert a sparkly I WANNA BELIEVE sign here). That's why Martian Ghost Centaur hit so close to home.
This graphic novel has a charming small-town feel, a cute but simple art-style, characters full of personality, and wholesome community dynamics. Not to mention a great message about job vs passion and how you don't need to make a living out of your hobbys and stuff you love. The fact that it's just a one-shot was a big plus as well because at least to me, often the first volume NetGalley offers is hard to judge in context of the whole story. This story is full from the beginning to end and I absolutely recommend. it.

I LOVED THIS!!
This was such a fun story about a teen girl living in a town famous for its Sasquatch sightings. Over the years, tourism has died down and the town is in need of funds. A tech company struts in with plans to bulldoze the town for its headquarters and our main character must figure out how to save her town, while also dealing with normal teen problems like figuring out who she is and what she wants to do for the rest of her life.

This book takes many important topics, from friendships, the unknown of our futures, the struggles of our neighbors, what makes a person happy... the list goes on. Each topic transitions seamlessly to the next. Complete with hilarious dialogue and beautiful + fun art. Highly recommend.

Wow! I absolutely LOVED this. I read another book by the author, Unplugged and Unpopular", and thought it was cute. So, I figured give "Martian Ghost Centaur" a try. Oh boy am I glad I did! This might be my favorite book that I've read in 2020. I enjoyed the themes of gentrification and how jobs don't have to define you. I'm really happy to see a YA book focus on a character not attending college. It's not a path for everyone, and for many folks it's not an easy possibility.

There are so many funny parts of the book some of my favorites being the closet Airbnb and Trent Reznor having a tent rental shop in the town, I had two actual laugh out loud moments. The art is so adorable and expressive. I love the clothing Louie and her friends wear. I really liked the colors too.

The ending is just perfect. Had me smiling big. It seems like a self-contained story, but I'd be so happy to see another book with Louie and Felix. But until, then I'll be recommending this to comedy loving YA readers.

Martian Ghost Centaur tells the story of Louie, a seventeen-year-old living in the small town of Southborough, a once popular tourist destination that has fallen on hard times. The town had a boom decades before following the sighting of the famous cryptid Sasquatch, and the subsequent tourist attention that it generates. However, with fewer and fewer sightings of the mythical creature the tourism has all but dried up, and many of those who live and work in Southborough are struggling to get by, especially when a tech billionaire comes to town and starts buying up all the properties so that they can convert the place into their new corporate headquarters.

Louie convinces herself that if she gets a popular web monster hunter, Para-Norma, to come to town and capture evidence of Sasquatch it'll bring tourists back to Southborough. Unfortunately, instead of proving to the world that the monster is real it's revealed that her parents were behind the original sighting. Now angry at her parents for lying to her, and facing the end of Southborough Louie comes up with an even riskier gambit, convincing people that a new, real, monster has arrived in town; the Martian Ghost Centaur.

You can probably tell from the title of the book alone, but Martian Ghost Centaur isn't a story that takes itself too seriously, it's full of ridiculous situations, over the top jokes, and crazy characters; and it's all the better for it. The book embraces a sense of whimsy that informs every plot point, every character, and much of the art too, with silly little references and Easter eggs hidden in the backgrounds of scenes. It's not a parody by any means, instead walking a fine line between good humour and pure silliness.

The book is pretty well paced, with quite a lot of the story actually taking place before Louie makes the decision to make her own fake monster, something that I was expecting to come up a lot earlier in the plot. Instead, the book takes its time getting to that point, focusing instead on Louie and her family, their relationships, and the people of Southborough. Because of spending this time getting to know the characters I found myself caring about them more than I was expecting, and would have enjoyed several volumes of just following these people around and seeing the weird little things they got up to on a day to day basis.

I also really enjoyed the amount of time given over to Louie's relationships with her parents, and the fact that she has two fathers in a loving relationship and it's never once made a thing of. No one even points out that two men are married to each other with a teenage daughter as being out of the ordinary in any way, and I feel this is something a lot of other books fail to do. Good representation doesn't just mean including queer characters like this, but treating it as normal too, it means not sensationalising things or going 'look at our progressive characters'. The gender of either of Louie's parents wouldn't have changed a single part of the book, any of the plot or the way a single character reacted to them, and that's great.

I had a great time with this book, I found it to be a lot of fun and it really got me invested in the characters and the world. The artwork is pretty simple, but it has a lot of details in the backgrounds of scenes, small jokes and gags that you'll miss if you're not looking out for them. The whole thing was a delight to read.

Such a fun story and a quick read! I loved the art style - it reminds me of the Lumberjanes comic book series - and the messages conveyed throughout the novel are relevant for readers of all ages, especially for pre-teens/teens. If you’re looking to get your kid something new to read, I recommend this!

This graphic novel was a blast to read! Fun, quick, cute, and funny, I was captivated from start to finish. The representation was wonderful, and I was delighted to see it in a work aimed for younger audiences. The art was super cute and I loved all the subtle visual gags laced throughout!

The story itself gives vague Gravity Falls vibes, although they're more present in the first half for reasons I'll abstain from relaying for spoiler purposes. If you're looking for a smooth, relaxing read, I definitely suggest Martian Ghost Centaur!

I LOVED THIS STORY! The title is just as chaotic as this story was. I absorbed this story in a little over an hour, as I was soo engrossed in the story, I couldn't put it down. It follows a girl named Louie whose town is known for the Southborough Sasquatch sightings. As a lover of weird sightings (UFOs, Big Foot, Loch Ness Monster, etc.) this book was really calling out to me. This was such a heartwarming story on family and finding your passion. The overall story is great and the art is fantastic! Will most definitely be reading this one again!

"People put so much importance on jobs. Maybe we'd be better off focusing on happiness?"

LOVED this graphic novel by Mat Heagerty. Martian Ghost Centaur is focused around Louie, who lives in a small town famous for their sightings of Sasquatch. The town itself is described in such loving detail, full of unique characters and interesting buildings. The "villain" is a rich guy buying up all the land for his new start up.

Louie is such a fun lead, warm and fierce, she loves her home town and would do anything to save it. Her money-making schemes are hilarious, and it all comes from her warm heart. I loved the queer rep of her dads, who are their own characters and play a big role in the overall story.

I also loved the message of this graphic novel- the importance of following your passion, while also tackling not fitting in, how life changes as you get older, secrets kept and finally revealed, and love being the most important thing. And the ART is stunning, I love everything and was immediately swept into this world, the town and the characters. I did wish for a little more depth from the rich kid, but his comeuppance was entertaining.

This graphic novel was so good! I'll definitely look forward to more stories from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for this ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

The artwork is really fun and bright which sets the tone of the book well. I loved the character designs and the characters themselves are a wonderfully diverse group of creative weirdoes. I love the quirky town, it’s a great setting and really brings together. I enjoyed the story line; it was interesting how the book showed the influence of cell phones and social media on the cryptid myths. I also thought the story had a great overall message about finding your passion and following your dreams. All around it is a really fun and well done book.

I loved this book! I found this to adorable but with a solid message. The whole story was so much fun I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what was going to happen now. The book had some great serious undertones as well which is what really sold this book for me. I would 100% recommend this book and I can't wait to get myself a physical copy when it comes out!

I really loved this graphic novel! I definitely gave me Gravity Fall vibes with the small town and weird creatures. It was cute and gave that inspirational message at the end that was quite wholesome. I would definitely read more about this town and characters if there was ever more to it.

This is a great book with an imaginative, determined main character named Louie who will do whatever it takes to save the town from being overrun by techies. I loved the art style in this book and the inclusivity in the book. At heart, this book is about community. All of this with the addition of cryptids makes this book a must read.

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone is doing well! I took the end of last week away to celebrate the holiday with my husband and our cats but I am back now with the last of my book reviews for this year and some end of the year/ December wrap up posts (so be on the look out for those). A week or so ago, I was super in the mood to read a new graphic novel, and when I logged into my Netgalley account I had this one waiting for me on my shelf so I decided to give it a go and I honestly loved it so much I ended up pre-ordering myself a copy before I finished the book!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Southborough has had a lot of tourism for years but now things are slowing down and it is severely affecting the town’s businesses. On top of that there is a man who has come to town and is trying to buy all of the land up to create some tech start up company. Now that tourism has died out many people have no other choice but to sell and take the money to start someplace new. The reason tourism was so high in Southborough was because years ago there was a filmed Sasquatch sighting and ever since people have been coming to try and see the Sasquatch for themselves however the Sasquatch has not been spotted by any one in years. The person who first spotted the Sasquatch and filmed the video was Louie’s dad. Now a teenager Louie still believes in the Sasquatch but she also believes in the town and wants to do whatever she can to keep the town together. Louie contacts a famous myth buster to come to town and try to prove that the Sasquatch is real to help tourism come back however, when that plan backfires Louie must come up with a new idea to help keep her town alive!

I loved this graphic novel so much. The town was interesting and although we did not meet a ton a townspeople each person that we met or business that we learned about was interesting or unique in its own way. Additionally, Louie and her entire family are precious and I loved seeing the interactions between them and how things changed as the story unfolded. I also enjoyed seeing Louie’s friendships change as the story went on, and seeing her personal growth and I love where her story ended! One additional note, the illustrations in this graphic novel are amazing, the colors, the styles, and the designs were beautiful. I can not wait for my copy to arrive in the mail when this graphic novel comes out!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

**Thank you so so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This graphic novel was so cute! I loved our main character and her entire small town was so fun to learn about. This is graphic novel sets place in a small town that is known for being the home of Sasquatch and tourism has been dying down (since cellphones came into play). Then a really irritating Silicon Valley Bro comes in buying out all the businesses to build his company headquarters. We follow the adventures of Louise and friends while they try to save their town. This was adorable. and so funny. I really loved the underlying theme of figuring out your passions in life beyond a job/school.

I recommend this to everyone. You'll fly through it!

Utterly delightful and heartwarming, this graphic novel of a girl’s attempt to save her cryptid-famous small town from gentrification by an odious techie is sure to inspire readers of all ages. I loved the focus on finding your niche based on what brings you joy and personal satisfaction, rather than what job you can do, and the other inclusive, positive messages throughout help make this such a smile-inducing read. I also enjoyed the adorable, dynamic illustrations throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

This is exactly what i needed.
A nice, funny, feel-good story about a girl trying to save her town and find herself in the process with mythical creatures and a lot of burgers.
So nice and well illustrated.
I cried actual tears, i'm not joking!

What a fun story. With a name such as Martian Ghost Centaur you’d assume this to be a fantasy story, well, it is a little bit more than that. This is a story about resilience, about the importance of family and community, a tale of how a cryptic and the culture that this creates can affect a community in the best way possible, and the ramifications of this in the long run. The art and colour schemes are beautiful, the characters are so diverse! I love the amount of body types, races, sexualities that we get to see in this novel. An amazing work that I’ll definitely recommend!

(this review will be publicly published on march 1st)

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for access to a digital advanced copy of Martian Ghost Centaur. Martian Ghost Centaur follows Louie, a tenacious teen who loves her small town and home of Southborough and believes in Sasquatch. When tourism declines due to waning belief in Sasquatch and a tech bro moves in and starts buying up property, Louie is determined to find a way save her family, friends, and town. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone looking to harness the passions of their youth or looking for direction.

This book was so fun to read! I’m so glad I got to read it! Southborough was such a cute little town, and the whole time reading this, I was rooting for Louis and her friends to save it. I think my only criticism is that it took a while for the actual events of the story to happen, and then when they did, it didn’t last too long before everything was alright again. Though, I loved all the characters and the overall vibe of it and I’m so glad I got to read and review it before it was released. It was really good.

A really fun, heartwarming, stand-alone graphic novel - the art is wonderful, the story was entertaining and bright and I hope to read more from Mat Heagerty ASAP. I would have liked more of a heart to heart, make up scene in regards to the friendship fall out; but I'm so glad the story didn't throw in an unnecessary romance. I think I also would have enjoyed more 'hunting for the squatch' capers, but then it would have possibly had to be 2 books, and I do like the fact it's a self contained story rather than a series.

This graphic novel is hilarious, emotional and inspiring. The main character Louie sets out to save her town, famous for a sasquatch, from the greedy grasp of an upstart tech firm.

Good bits:
- Louie feisty, fierce and passionate. Her personality is infectious and you come to really feel.for her. The other characters are well thought out and have depth to them.
- The artwork is perfect and compliments the story. It's bright and flamboyant and the expressions of the characters are captured very well.
- The plot is hilarious and heartening. It makes you think about what means a lot and how to find contentment. This is a book that affirms your dreams and encourages reaching for the stars.
- The little references to pop culture in the book made me smile.

What could have been better?:
- I need more! I read this in one sitting and then read it over again. I need more Louie and Southborough in my life!

Louie is a fierce, passionate high schooler who cares deeply for her struggling small town. Southborough is a tourist destination made famous by a sasquatch sighting decades ago. Businesses have depended upon the tourist income for survival, but traffic to Southborough has slowed in recent years. The town has become a target for a tech mogul who begins buying up businesses and properties as a future headquarters location. Louie’ dads own Squatch Burger, a local eatery, and the latest target of Start-up.com’s land grab. Louie makes it her mission to save her dads’ business, and her entire town, from disappearing forever.

Louie is high spirited and has a pretty short fuse. There are several narrative montages that are a little hard to follow, like one of Louie trying out many pranks in order to bring back tourism. There are some pretty big leaps narratively speaking. Many of the threads get woven together by the end, but while it’s happening, the storyline seems a bit fractured. that contribute to a disjointed plot line. Regardless, this fun story has some really appealing elements, including quite a few 90s pop culture references, wholesome LGBTQ+ representation, and a positive representation of the charm of a small town. This title would be good for fans of Lumberjanes or The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

The publisher rates this book for ages 12+, which seems appropriate. Younger grades may still appreciate the basic storyline, but the references and allegorical jokes may be lost on them.

Sara’s Rating: 7/10
​Suitability Level: Grades 6-8

Louie lives in a quirky little small town called Southborough. The town is suffering an economic downturn and lack of tourism. Tourist used to flock to Southborough to look for Sasquatch, but there haven't been any sightings in years. Louie sets out to save her town and her dads' restaurant, Squatch Burger, from a techie who is buying up properties for his start up. Maybe she can stage a sighting of a Martian Ghost Centaur and get her favorite crypid hunter television show star Para-Norma to come and see what's happening! She'll need to mend ways with her buddy Felix to pull off the stunt.

There is so much to love about this book! Expressive art that jumps off the page. Witty scenarios like Louie's scheme to make money by advertising her bedroom closet as an AirBnB spot. Relatable teen relationships with parents, friends, and employers. Suspenseful subplots including a storage building that the gas station owner tells Louie to "stay away from and don't ask what's in there."

Fans of Gravity Falls will totally get the humor of this snarky look at small town life and the unexplained.

This action-packed graphic novel about a girl hustling to save her town after a Sasquatch sighting is revealed as a prank is a fun ride! Louie O’Connor, our awesome protagonist, starts out trying to prove a paranormal prank is real in the age of cell phone skepticism to save her weird little town from an impending tech boom. But when the sighting is revealed as a prank, everything starts to unravel: her town is changing - everything is changing! They need a new cryptid to save the day! But will it be enough to scare the techies away for good? This when-pranks-are-for-good tale is all about conspiring with friends and the goodness of wonder. I love the diverse characters and relationships, and the art is awesome - it’s really expressive and full of great, bright colors, perfect for fans of Faith Erin Hicks or Noelle Stevenson.