Disclosure: I was sent a review copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
(Also available in Kindle format)
I will not lie -- when I first received this book in the mail, I flipped quickly through it to see what is was about, and then found myself sitting down to actually start reading it, as I was captivated by the vibrant full-color illustrations that fill the pages of this graphic novel style middle grade chapter book. I was not expecting this type of book, let alone the amazing illustrations when I saw the cover. But, I am so glad I sat down to read the book, as it was truly an amazing story, full of magic, friendship, humor, and romance, to name a few.
When I was done reading the book, I passed it along to my two girls to read, and like me, they quickly flipped through the book, and then wanted to find a quiet place to read it, and within a half hour or so, they were both done, and coming to talk to me about their favorite parts. One standout that both girls picked up on and loved was that Beetle was homeschooled, just like my two girls are. It isn't often you find a book that talked about homeschooling or makes reference to a character who is homeschooled, so it was a nice surprise to see this in this particular graphic novel. My both, like me, really enjoyed the bright and colorful illustrations, which as you flipped through the pages of each chapter, made it feel like the story was coming to life and jumping off the page. My youngest commented how even reluctant readers would sit and read this book, as many of the pages didn't have a lot of words on them, and once you get going with the book, you are draw into the story and want to keep reading to see how the story ends.
This book follows Beetle, who has to rescue her best ghost friend, encourage another friend, all while standing up and finding the courage herself to confront magic she has been avoiding in her own life. There are so many elements to this story, and as you read through the pages, it is like you are peeling away at the layers, as you find yourself connecting with Beetle and rooting for her at the same time. I hope there is another book or that this becomes a series, as it really is a well written book, and one that could have additional stories shared about Beetle. If your child loves graphic novels and books about magic, sorceresses and more, then you will definitely want to pick this book up to share with them. It really is a page turner that they will not want to put down.
More about this book:
"An enchanting, riotous, and playfully illustrated debut graphic novel following a young goblin trying to save her best friend from the haunted mall—perfect for fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time.
In the eerie town of ‘Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity.Then there’s twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who’s caught in between. She’d rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle’s old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle’s quickly being left in the dust.
But Kat’s mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn’t escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she’s been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing."
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Disclosure: I was sent a review copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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