Review: Mooncakes | Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu (ARC)

This review is spoiler free.

“But this feels right, doesn’t it?” 

Published: 2019 by Oni Press.
Pages: 256
Format: eBook/ARC from Netgalley
Genre: Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Comics
Contains: Anger, Violence, Abuse, Child Abuse, Death

I received a copy of this book from Oni Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

‘Mooncakes’ tells the story of young witch Nova Huang, who works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she learns more about magic than your average teen. One night, she follows reports of a white wolf in the woods, and comes across her childhood crush, Tam Lang, facing something unexpected. Out of options, the pair must join forces in this enchanting tale of witchcraft, rekindled feelings and self-discovery.

This book has been waiting in my Netgalley shelf for far too long, collecting dust and in desperate need of be read. The cover alone sparked my interest, being wholesome and adorable, then I finally decided it was time to venture into Nova’s world. I just didn’t expect to love it this much.

This comic is full of diversity, which was extremely comforting to read. Tam’s Non-Binary, whilst Nova’s a hard-of-hearing Chinese-American, with queer grandparents and a plus-sized best friend. Nova’s relationship with every character within this book was evidently strong with the language and imagery. It’s relatable, believable, and beautiful to read along with. Nova’s relationship with Tam was adorable from beginning to end. It’s soft and gentle, with a caring nature to it; you just know that both characters feel safe in their presence.

The plot-line itself was fairly simplistic, yet there was something about it that just worked. It made for the perfect afternoon read, finding something gentle, loving and fun. The illustrations from beginning to end of this graphic novel was gorgeous, filling the pages with soothing colours. 

Overall, this graphic novel was just what I needed to get me through the day. It was soft, emotive and fun and I’ll definitely need to find a physical copy for myself as soon as possible.

5/5