Graphic Novel

No Rules Tonight / Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada (Illustrator)

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No Rules Tonight
By: Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 208
Published: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Dates Read: February 15, 2025 - February 16, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

It’s 1980s South Korea, where political tensions are high and curfew is strict. Luckily it’s time for the annual winter camp at Anjeon University – a full weekend, deep in the mountains, with no supervision.

In the snowy mountains, everyone has different plans for their one night of freedom but of course, everything doesn’t always go as planned. Hyun Sook is dying to figure out how to get her banned book club back up and running, Taehee and Kiwoo are trying to build up their nerve to confess their feelings for one another, while Sujji pines after her crush, ready to risk it all and finally tell someone her biggest secret she’s been keeping secret her whole life.

How will this weekend of freedom end for these university students?

I immediately picked this graphic novel up when I saw it was from the same creators of Banned Book Club and I’m glad I did – learned even more about 1980s South Korea than before. It’s kind of crazy the desire everyone has for freedom, even in the smallest ways. I can’t imagine really having restrictions on something like when I’m allowed to be out and about from my house (even if I don’t usually leave after I get home from work), or what music I can listen to or books I’m allowed to read. Some of these freedoms weren’t given to South Koreans until as recently as just forty-five years ago.

Overall, this is a cutely drawn historical graphic novel that still brings up the timely issues around censorship, regime, and even labor rights. This is bound to bring up a look into the history of South Korea and politics and policies that are trying to be formed today.

*Thank you Penguin Workshop and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I Feel Awful, Thanks / Lara Pickle

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I Feel Awful, Thanks
By: Lara Pickle
Genre: Graphic Novel, New Adult
Number of Pages: 216
Published: March 5, 2024
Publisher: Oni Press
Dates Read: January 31, 2025 - February 1, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Trigger Warnings: Mental Health issues, anxiety, depression, toxic workplace, 

Joana is a young witch who just secured her dream job creating potions with a coven in London. But Joana will soon discover the reality of her new city life is not as she thought. Finding a flat is hard, her dream job is actually quite stressful, and she’s all alone. Little by little, she carves her place, but sadness, fatigue, and doubts create dragons that threaten to burst her hard-earned success… until she starts talking to a professional who helps her realize that in order to take care of herself, she must know herself.

I loved that this graphic novel tackled what it can feel like to have anxiety and crafted it in a way that also made it magical as well corporate. It’s okay not to be okay – a saying that everyone needs to be told every once in a while. Joana’s therapist, or Dragon Trainer, as she’s called in the book, gives really good advice on how Joana can help tackle her dragons, aka her anxieties.

Joana’s friends were also a breath of fresh air that were extremely supportive in both pushing Joana to get the extra help she needed and helping in her journey all around. Even her relationship with James and his own journey of self awareness and growth was nice to see.

Oh – before I forget, the art of this is beautiful and so very captivating, it’s one of the reasons I first picked up this book. The panels are brightly colored and there is quite a bit of text on some pages, but nothing I felt took away from the overall art.

Overall, this was a beautiful, fantastic graphic novel that dives into taking care of yourself as you battle anxiety, depression, and the everyday stressors of life – but add a magical twist.

We Are Not Strangers / Josh Tuininga

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We Are Not Strangers
By: Josh Tuininga
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 197 
Published: September 12, 2023
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Dates Read: January 29, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

Inspired by true events, We Are Not Strangers follows a Jewish immigrant, Marco Calvo, in his efforts to help his Japanese neighbors while they were incarcerated during WWII under President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066.

Well, here we are, at the beginning of 2025 and I’m here reading about yet another part of history I wasn’t aware of. I knew of the camps Japanese and Japanese-Americans were put into after the attack of Pearl Harbor – but I didn’t know about the neighbors who helped those incarcerated by helping with their mortgage or keeping their shops running. Not everyone has this help of course, but there were still some who help their friends have something to come back to.

The art of this graphic was beautiful and realistic, making the story page turning.

This would be a great novel to open the door for discussion about the Japanese camps on American soil during and after WWII. This was well researched and there’s a long appendix with maps, illustrations, and articles from Settle’s past.

The Deep Dark / Molly Knox Ostertag

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The Deep Dark
By: Molly Knox Ostertag
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 480
Published: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Graphix
Dates Read: December 30, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Magdalena Herrera, or Mags, already feels like an adult even though she’s just shy of graduating high school: caring for her grandmother, working a part-time job, and taking care of her secret that lives in the basement, the one that drains her of energy. The secret could really hurt someone, even kill them, if it got out.

So, Mags keeps her head down, trying to get through the day. That is, until her childhood friend, Ness, comes back to town, bringing memories and her own secret. Mags won’t get reattached, she can’t, and she’s always been good at keeping her distance anyway.

But when darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to bring her secret into the daylight.

The art of this graphic novel is fantastic and phenomenal. It goes from back and forth between black and white and full color, corresponding well with what’s happening in the story.  

The overall storyline is about accepting yourself, even the deepest, darkest bits, and allowing someone to love and care for you and all your secrets.

Overall, Molly Knox Ostertag blew it out of the park again with this story and anyone who loves bright, vivid illustrations mixed with black and white, and a storyline that will keep you turning pages, will fall in love with the characters and this story as well.

Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat / Li Chen

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Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat
By: Li Chen
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 208
Published: October 15, 2024
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: December 21, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Detective Beans is the best kitten detective in town, dedicated to doing whatever it takes to solve the case. One morning, Detective Beans wakes to find his detective hat missing! Now, Beans must do what every good detective does – hit the streets of Cat Town and follow the clues. With every twist and turn, Detective Beans is one step closer to finding his hat – and solving a much bigger case than he could have ever imagined.

So I hadn’t heard of Detective Beans before seeing this at a librarian’s preview event. But, I love anything and everything cats so a cat detective graphic novel was a must.

This book was not only adorable, but phunny at the same time. The absolute absurdness of Detective Beans’ case made me turn the pages more and more. I may have read it in one setting, but I would die for Beans.

I cannot wait for more stories of this Detective. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go find him online.

Brownstone / Samuel Terr, Mar Julia (Contributor)

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Brownstone
By: Samuel Teer, Mar Julia (Contributor)
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA
Number of Pages: 320
Published: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Versify
Dates Read: November 8, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Almudena no longer has to wonder about the dad she never met, because with her white mom headed out on a once-in-a-lifetime touring trip for the summer, Almudena is left alone with her father for an entire summer. Xavier is happy to see her, but he expects her to live in and help fix up his old, broken-down brownstone. Along with helping, Almudena must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish – which she doesn’t speak.

As the summer moves along, Almudena gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the neighborhood has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own opinion on how a young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some don’t understand why she doesn’t know her own heritage, others think she’s “not brown enough” and an “off brand”.

Time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to connect and get to know each other. The key to their connection may ultimately lie within piecing everything together for the found family within the community.

I absolutely adored this novel about Almudena as she starts to find her footing in her culture that she didn’t even know she was a part of. It’s all presented with a good bit of humor – like her finding the food too spicy and being led to the “white people aisle” of the neighborhood bodega.

I love how complicated and complex all the characters were, they felt authentic and flushed out.

The illustrations and panels in this novel were beautiful and descriptive – I always loved Almudena’s hair in the morning when she wakes up.

Overall, this was a fun, coming of age, graphic novel about a young girl learning about her roots.

Haru: Book 1: Spring / Joe Latham

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Haru: Book 1: Spring
By: Joe Latham
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 272
Published: March 12, 2024
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: November 2, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Haru, a small bird who dreams of flying away out of the valley, and his best friend, Yama, a talking boar, are used to shadows. One day, Yama finds a strange artifact that causes sinister effects. The duo must go on an epic adventure to destroy the artifact and save the world. 

I really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations within this book – it was bright, but also dark and creepy at some times too. The world was perfectly shown, with the small hint of humans having been there in the past, which intrigues me to find out if we know what happened in this world. 

I am curious to know how this will continue on – this novel is called “Spring”, with book two being called “Summer”, I didn’t feel like an entire season passed, but maybe it’ll just be the color scheme of the panels or something… either way, I’m excited to continue reading.

Adulthood is a Gift! (Sarah Scribbles #5) / Sarah Andersen

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Adulthood is a Gift! (Sarah Scribbles #5)
By: Sarah Andersen
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 144
Published: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: October 21, 2024
Format: Library Book / Paperback

The newest addition to Sarah Scribbles installment, filled with 100 comics, 15 essays, and photos and stickers over the last decade of the author’s comics and books.

I’ve loved Sarah Andersen since her days on Tumblr. So I always get so excited to read her latest collection. Even if I see a chunk of them on Instagram, they all still make me chuckle or laugh. I kept taking photos of pages and sending them to various friends and my sister.

All the being in my thirties as a millennial memes are very relatable (I’m 32).

This collection had a handful of essays by Andersen in the back that reflected on the past decade of her sharing her art. As someone who has been following her for forever, it was fun to see some of her first postings again and see the opinion she has on them now.

Overall, if you need a smile and a good chuckle, read this!

Silk / E.B. Roshan

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Silk
By: E.B. Roshan
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 104
Published: June 7, 2024
Publisher: Roshan Publishing
Dates Read: October 5, 2024
Format: eBook

Farz and his family have harvested Silki’s precious silk, as Silki-charmers for generations. But Silkis, giant, spider-like creatures, can be dangerous and the government has decided they don’t want them around. But even though Farz is ready to try a new life, it doesn’t mean he wants Silkis to disappear forever. What happens when his past and present crash together one day?

I was pulled into the plot of this graphic novel and turned pages as fast as I could. The simplicity of the art style, mixed with straightforward dialogue make it a quick and easy read.

A part of me respects the quickness of the story, but the other part of me wants to know more about this world and not only the Silki-charmers, but everyone else as well as being able to dive into the world building. E.B. Roshan has many layers that are only briefly scratched in this novel. It honestly gives an opening to possibly make this into a series.

This young middle grade graphic novel has a lot of appeal to those who like sci-fi with alien adventures that humans will understand too.

*Thanks to the author for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Pearl / Sherri L. Smith, Christine Norrie (Illustrator)

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Pearl
By: Sherri L. Smith, Christine Norrie (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 146
Published: August 20, 2024
Publisher: Graphix
Dates Read: September 9, 2024
Format: eBook

Amy is a thirteen-years-old Japanese-American living in Hawaii. In the summer of 1941, Amy travels to visit family outside of Hiroshima when word of her great-grandmother falling ill is sent. When the Japanese navy attacks Pearl Harbor in December, it becomes impossible for Amy to return to Hawaii. Conscripted into translating english radio transmissions for the Japanese army, Amy struggles with where her loyalty really lies. In Japan, she’s American, but in America, with the rumors on internment camps, she would be Japanese. Torn between two countries at war, Amy must figure out where her loyalties lie and, in the face of the unthinkable, find hope amidst the rubble.

I’ve read a lot of various World War II novels but I actually hadn’t read one from an American’s perspective while overseas. I appreciate seeing the torn loyalties that Amy feels throughout the story – what America did to those of Japanese descent was ridiculous, even now, 80+ years later, the wording used to describe these camps varies depending on what website you use…
This would be a great addition to middle grade historical fiction as Pearl showed the struggles of what people went through during the war. It’s a bit simplified, yes, but the art of this graphic novel does a lot of “the talking” as well – even with the blue, black, and white color palette.