July 6th 2021 by Aladdin
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Moth and Charlie have had such a good winter break that they don't want to go back to school, but Moth's mother won't let her stay home even though she's just found out about her magic powers and traveled to her grandmother's realm, Hecate. Pike, who is descended from the founders of their town, is an enormous jerk who blows everything out of proportion and is relentless in his bullying of Moth. The other kids play along, although Moth hears a few girls who seem sympathetic to her. When she travels to Hecate for a celebration, she is glad to see Peter, and finds an amulet called a nyklum. It is supposed to absorb the traits that Moth admires from other people and transfer those things to Moth. She uses it when she goes back to school, and is able to stand up to Pike. Her mother is dating her English teacher, Mr. Gorski-Garcia, and the other students have given her a hard time about this, but wearing the nyklum gives Moth the self confidence she needs to stop hiding. She is nominated for Founderella, a time honored position at a local festival, and wants to keep using the amulet until after the winner is announced, but there is a catch. Will Moth be able to withstand the forces of evil with her limited magic, and find a way to get through middle school? Don't want to spoil the twists in the story by giving away too much of the plot!
Strengths: Graphic novels usually are a bit light on storyline and character development, but this book had a lot of character backstory and development. The secondary characters are fun as well; Mr. Gorski-Garcia is delightfully goofy, and even the cat, Lazlo, has quite a history. There's a fair bit of social commentary as well, with the social hierarchy of the small New England town being called into question, and a significant discussion about the racial discrimination experienced by Moth's grandmother. The Founderella tradition is handled in an interesting fashion as well. On top of all of that, there is some fantastic magic at work.
Weaknesses: The noses. Why do they always bother me so much?
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and glad to see a graphic novel with a girl of color on the cover. We're seeing more of these, but graphic novels have been less diverse than middle grade books in general.
Weaknesses: The noses. Why do they always bother me so much?
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and glad to see a graphic novel with a girl of color on the cover. We're seeing more of these, but graphic novels have been less diverse than middle grade books in general.
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This was very similar to Witches of Brooklyn as well as The Okay Witch, and a little like Glitch, so I may pass. Fantasy graphic novels don't do as well in my library as realistic ones. The chaos bunnies were interesting, but if you accidentally open a portal, make sure you tell a qualified adult! I really liked this author's Oh My Gods because it was very different from other graphic novels I had read. There's a sequel to that coming out in January 2022.
From the publisher:
A witch named Abby and her three friends—a wolf-girl, a ghost, and a pumpkinhead—band together to try and save their supernatural town from an invasion of rabid (but adorable!) chaos bunnies in this enchanting middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Making Friends, The Okay Witch, and Lumberjanes.
It’s fall break in the supernatural town of North Haven, and young witch Abby’s plans include pitching in at her mom’s magical coffee shop, practicing her potion making, and playing board games with her best friends—a pumpkinhead, a wolf-girl, and a ghost. But when Abby finds her younger sister being picked on by some speed demons, she lets out a burst of magic so strong, it opens a portal to a realm of chaos bunnies. And while these bunnies may look cute, they’re about to bring the a-hop-ocalypse (and get Abby in a cauldronful of trouble) unless she figures out a way to reverse the powerful magic she unwittingly released. What’s a witch to do?
In this deliciously humorous, cozy, and bewitching graphic novel, sometimes the most of powerful magic comes from our connections to family and friends (but kicking bunny butt is great, too).
It’s fall break in the supernatural town of North Haven, and young witch Abby’s plans include pitching in at her mom’s magical coffee shop, practicing her potion making, and playing board games with her best friends—a pumpkinhead, a wolf-girl, and a ghost. But when Abby finds her younger sister being picked on by some speed demons, she lets out a burst of magic so strong, it opens a portal to a realm of chaos bunnies. And while these bunnies may look cute, they’re about to bring the a-hop-ocalypse (and get Abby in a cauldronful of trouble) unless she figures out a way to reverse the powerful magic she unwittingly released. What’s a witch to do?
In this deliciously humorous, cozy, and bewitching graphic novel, sometimes the most of powerful magic comes from our connections to family and friends (but kicking bunny butt is great, too).
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