I’m still very new to graphic novels, but that being said, I couldn’t stop hearing hype for this one! When I was able to get my hands on it I knew I would devour it.

If you aren’t aware, Mooncakes follows a queer witch and her non-binary werewolf friend on a quest to eliminate a demon trapped in the forest. And of course, there is a romantic relationship that sparks between the pair.

Obviously I am all for a good witch story, especially one that is coming of age. Nova is experienced in magic, but still has a lot to learn and there was great give and take between those two sides while Nova decides where she wants her magic to go.

It was also incredibly refreshing to see such a supportive family, not just when it comes to magic, but also when the topics of sexuality and gender identity are brought up. Hands down my favorite scene in the graphic novel is when Tam tells the grandmas they are non-binary. You see their initial confused reactions, but then they instantly switch into acceptance.

It makes me so incredibly happy to see such accepting people written into stories on top of such diverse characters. From that moment on there was never a question as to who Tam was. Everyone was immediately on board and never messed up a pronoun.

Diversity aside, it really was a wonderful graphic novel. Albeit a little predictable, it was still a fun journey to be apart of and watch unfold.

Sparkling with magic, brimming with diversity, and wildly imaginative, this delightful love story is a must read for YA comic fans. In the same vein as Brave Chef Brianna and In Real Life, this comic brings together fun illustrations with a depth of emotion and full character development. The diversity in gender identity, abilities, and sexual orientation feels so genuine. It's part of the story, but there's so much more to the characters than those details. There are no "token" characters in this book, which I really appreciate.

The creativity of the demon and woodland creatures are part of what made me love it so much. For example, the evil horse monster that stands upright, has 6 legs, breaths fire, and a GIANT EYEBALL ON IT'S TORSO. It's terrible and incredible.

I also adore Nova's fashion choices. Several times throughout the book I looked at a skirt or shoes she was wearing and realized that I have the same ones, and would definitely wear her outfit. Especially the orange skirt / teal sweater / tights / boots combo near the beginning. And her bright pink fluffy morning robe.

All in all, I truly enjoyed this read, and highly recommend it.

I loved this! Not only did it have everything I love (witches. Werewolves.) but it had queer reps AND gave me serious Sabrina and Kiki vibes. The only thing I needed was more back story on some things. Other than that it’s a must read!

Arc kindly provided by Netgalley

This graphic novel was amazing! It's very diverse, the story is engaging, the artwork is stunning - what more could you want in a graphic novel!

This is the story of a young witch and a young werewolf who find each other again after Tam (werewolf) moved away. But there's a demon running amok and a cult to deal with.

I really loved this graphic novel and it even made me cry! I loved all the characters and how accepting everyone was about disability, culture and how they identify.

Would definitely recommend picking it up when it's released in October!

Unique and cute as can be, Mooncakes is unlike any other graphic novel that I have read so far. The story is different and the illustrations are fun and colorful. This graphic novel definitely kept me entertained throughout with its simple story line and fantastical creatures.

In Mooncakes we follow Nova, a young and budding witch, and Tam a werewolf with undiscovered magical talent. Nova and Tam embark on an adventure to banish the demon in the woods behind Nova’s house, while also discovering their feelings for each other. This story is filled with quirky characters like Nova’s pigeon headed uncle and her sassy but wonderful grandmas. This graphic novel is sure to make you smile and feel fuzzy inside.

My favorite character is Tatyana, Nova’s best friend and science nerd. She brings a lot of humor to the story and I enjoyed viewing her paralleled views of science versus magic. Her constant desire to understand and her unending frustration with the “physics” of magic made me fond of her. As a character she felt well rounded and interesting.

Weirdly enough I did not feel the same connection to Nova or Tam even though they were the main characters. To me it felt like they took a back seat to the quirkier secondary characters. The grandma’s were also well crafted, and in my opinion were more interesting than Nova and Tam. Nova and Tam just felt like a regular teen romance with angst and a small side of secrecy. It just did not feel as original as I wanted it to. With Tam being non-binary and Nova being bisexual ( I believe this is the proper interpretation though I may be incorrect) I felt like the dynamic would feel more unique and impactful, it didn’t. It seems their relationship was composed entirely of the same typical young adult romance tropes as any other YA novel. To me the characters just felt a little hollow.

While entertaining and composed of some unique character aspects this story didn’t diverge much from the usual YA plot system. I felt like it was a novel I had read before but with a different skin. I definitely did not hate it because I love YA, but it wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. It felt like it wanted to be like SAGA mixed with Steven Universe but didn’t quite meet the expectations of either.

On the other hand, the illustrations of this graphic novel are excellent. Wendy Xu made this novel absolutely stunning. The woodland spirits and the grandmas’ three cats were so cute. The world created is absolutely beautiful, it’s colorful while not feeling like an acid trip, and it creates a definite autumn weather feel. I am interested to see what else Wendy Xu has illustrated.

In all, I did not love this graphic novel. But, I also do not hate it. I think that if this story is to continue and really focus on Nova and Tam’s character development, my mind could change. There is a lot of potential here and I do not want to judge it too firmly because it was not a bad story, I just think that it could use some expansion. I give Mooncakes 3/5 stars with the strong hope that I get to see more in the future.

Such an adorable graphic novel. I love the style and the story. Witches, werewolves, magical animals, everything you wish there was in a fantays story, there is! It's so fun as well; it has humor and you can totally feel the love of the artists in every page.

Mooncakes is the story of Tam and Nova, of witches and werewolves, of good and bad, and of love and home. I thoroughly enjoyed the story; it had bits of everything - humour, romance, action, mystery. I loved the art work. I hope this turns into a series cause it's pretty darn cute and fun.

This was a cute, quick read. I enjoyed the representation in the book through each of the characters, namely Tam and Nova. I wasn't wowed by this, but I did still enjoy the story. I felt like there could have been more depth to it, but I liked it for what it was. I did love the magic involvement a lot!

This was adorable and witchy and queer and I loved it. I adored the relationship between nova and tam. They were so accepting of one another and novas family was the sweetest. I loved that the things that made them different weren’t the focus of the story, just a part of who they were. I loved the magic, though it wasn’t always clear what was happening. I messaged of standing up and believing in yourself was so wholesome and sweet.

**Thank you to Lion Forge and Net Galley for this free review copy in exchange for an honest review!**

This was an adorable graphic novel!

Quick synopsis: Nova and Tam reunite after years apart and are faced with the task of vanquishing a demon from their town. Friendship, love, and hijinks ensue!

Characters:
Nova is a witch who works in her nanas' bookshop. She is spunky and hopeful. She is also queer and hard of hearing.
Tam is a nonbinary werewolf who is struggling with their destiny. They are also queer.
Tatyana is the BEST best friend. She is so supportive of Nova and of Tam!
The cats are so great. They have the cutest little facial expressions!
The Nanas remind me of the aunts from Sabrina the Teenage Witch mixed with the aunts from Practical Magic.

Things I loved:
-The art style is absolutely adorable! The characters are drawn in such a cute way and the panels are really detailed!
-The representation was nice to see. I cannot say that it is accurate and not harmful, but I am happy that there was some non-mainstream representation in the story.
-The characters were all very distinct from one another.
-The plot of the story was really intriguing and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Things I didn't overly like:
-The story moved super quickly (which is both good and not good). I feel like there were some panels missing? There were times that the story jumps suddenly.
-The relationship was super rushed. I understand that the two characters knew each other before, but they get together relatively quickly after being reunited.
-They didn't make any mooncakes?? The graphic novel's namesake is mentioned a couple of times, but we never see them make any or eat any mooncakes.

Overall Thoughts:
-This graphic novel was so cute and a quick read! I would definitely recommend reading it!

Unique, likable, and wonderful images. I would recommend this clever story for readers young and old.

Adorable, colorful art? Check.

Way-too-cute romance? Check.

Everything is gay? CHECK.

Yep, this is officially everything I've ever wanted in a book. Everybody can go home now.

In all seriousness, this book is absolutely spectacular and I cannot stress enough that you must give it a read! The plot is fairly standard for fantasy, but what sets this apart is the characters. We have Nova, a teenage witch who was recently reunited with her childhood crush. This childhood crush is Tam, a nonbinary werewolf (which might be the coolest combination of words I've written in years), who is having some problems with their magic. Nova and Tam are officially the most adorable couple in any book, ever, and it's giving me all the LGBTQ+ feels.

The supporting cast is equally fantastic! Nova has two grandmas, who are also a really sweet couple, who are witches and run a witchy bookstore. Nova's best friend (whose name I've blanked on because I'm the worst with names) is a great supporting character and it was fun to read about her trying to reconcile science and magic. The villain wasn't particularly shocking, but it didn't have to be.

Basically, this book does diversity in the best way. Oh, I forgot to mention that Nova wears hearing aids! Which was awesome to see in illustrated form. The art is really lovely and cute and I can't wait to see the finished edition. My ARC had the last few chapters just in black-and-white, which was pretty neat to see, but I'd like to read it in full color.

Perfect for fans of Nimona by Noelle Stevenson and Princess Princess by Katie O'Neill.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

“Mooncakes” was such a sweet, enchanting story full of diversity! Seriously, I couldn’t stop smiling as I read it, charmed by its magic and characters. I thought, as I went from page to page, of the first Harry Potter book, of worlds’ where magic is wondrous and so intrinsic to the characters’ every day.

The story follows Nova and Tam, two Chinese-American childhood friends, as they reconnect in the dawn of adulthood. Nova, a witch, is hard-of-hearing and queer; Tam, a werewolf, is non-binary. After stumbling upon a demon in the woods, the two friends must work together to solve its mysteries. While they do, their feelings for each other —unexplored when younger— flare again. Like everything else, the romance is sweet and soft.

Though the relationship between the protagonists is at the heart of the story, the characters around them are just as important. Nova’s grandmothers, her best friend, her whole family… They all play an important role. The grandmothers, in particular, were such a lovely touch: funny, strong and incredibly kind. Oftentimes, fantasy recurs to teens and children being alone, ignored or disregarded by the grownups in the story. “Mooncakes” fully subverts this trope; it is a much a story about families, born into or chosen, as it is about werewolves and witches. More importantly, it’s a story about facing our demons with the help of those around us, and not alone.

The art style was delightful, too! I loved the visual variety and the characters’ designs. I’ve never been to New England, never been outside my little tropical island where every season feels and looks the same, but the novel made me yearn to visit the story’s setting during the fall. The coloring screamed autumn, and every panel felt warmth and welcoming, drawn with care and attention.

Final Rating: 3.75 Stars

Witches, werewolves, and magical creatures? Check.
Non-binary representation? Check.
LGBTQIA+ representation? Check.
Disability representation? Check.
A story about an adorable friendship that leads to romance? Check.
Kick-butt grandmas? Double check.

This was a fun and fast-paced read that I recommend to anyone who is looking for a great graphic novel to devour.

What a great book! It reminded me of Practical Magic but in graphic novel and YA form. Full of witchy women main characters- what else could you ask for! I loved the story line and the illustrations were great. Definitely recommend. Perfect fall read.

Cute drawing and lovely story with diverse cast that represents Asian Americans and people with hearing impairment. I enjoy reading it.

Mooncakes is going to be a comfort read, for sure! This adorable graphic novel features all of my favorite things - beautiful art, fully developed characters, magical elements, and a compelling storyline. Speaking of characters - the main protagonists are: Nova, who is Chinese-American, hard of hearing, and a witch; and Tam, a nonbinary, Chinese-American werewolf (they/them pronouns). It also features Nova's witch grandmothers and her best friend Tat, so the story filled to the brim with wonderful, supportive women side characters that are trying to solve a central mystery. During a family gathering, a sukkah and mooncakes are both featured, which is the first time that I've seen Jewish-Asian representation in a graphic novel so far. The coloring wasn't complete in the eARC I received, but all the more reason for me to buy this when it comes out and share it with friends. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this eARC, a wholesome queer story that fills the whole in my heart left by Teen Wolf and never fulfilled by the darkness of the new Sabrina.

3.5

What a quick read! This book is packed full of so much diversity and a wonderful witchy aesthetic. Now I’m wishing for Autumn and Halloween like crazy!

Read this if you appreciate feminine stories, diversity in stories, or even just really soft, fluffy stories. I really liked the resolution with “the monster” and I hope to see more books, movies, and shows take this feminine angle instead of what we’ve come to expect from media.

I didn’t see any real problems with this book, but I felt I would’ve enjoyed it more if it had been less fluffy. I understand that this is a very personal take, but I just find more enjoyment from angsty stories rather than fluffy ones. Honestly, this is actually a point in the Mooncakes favor for most readers, so it’s not really a bad thing. It’s just my way of explaining the less than perfect rating.

There's so much to love about this graphic novel! It's about witches and werewolves, first love and belonging, ghost parents, and non-binary, queer Asian characters. It's pretty much everything I ever wanted in a graphic novel, plus mooncakes! Mmm, mooncakes.

Nova and Tam are both great, well-developed protagonists. Their struggles feel compelling and real, and I love the supportive background of Nova's grandmothers, both powerful witches. I also love the scenes between Nova and her deceased parents. They're tinged with longing, love, and hope, hitting all the right notes.

All in all, I thought Mooncakes was great, and would love sequels about Nova and Tam's future adventures!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. Mooncakes will be published on October 15th.

This graphic novel was just perfect! It is a fantasy/paranormal with witches, werewolves and demons that has queer characters, a character who is nonbinary, pretty and colorful art style, fun story and an adorable romance. I loved it!
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.