Member Reviews

Taproot is a short yet sweet and lighthearted take on ghosts, reapers, and necromancers with a queer romance and a dash of gardening. It's quite a wholesome book with a positive take on death, and the two main characters, Hamal and Blue, are adorable.

I'm a sucker for art styles like these, so of course I ate it up. It's bright and colorful and cute and honestly relaxing to look at. I think it's one of my favorite aspects of the graphic novel.

I mentioned that this was a short graphic novel — and I think it could benefit from being just a little bit longer. I would have loved a better exploration of the world and the characters, and I don't think the first story/chapter was explained all that well. The second chapter/story also felt a little short, although the plot for this one felt more solid.

Overall, I still think this was a highly enjoyable read and something you should pick up if you're looking for a quick break and stress-reliever.

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this is such a cute book! crappy and wholesome!
Taproot tells the story of Hamal, a wholesome gardener who can see ghosts.
a reaper appears with a deal to Blue, one of the ghosts Hamal can see.
the art for this is gorgeous, with warm colours. such a great diverse characters with the mxm romance too

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This was such a gentle, lovely read. The art was beautiful and the main characters were so lovable and relatable. I only wish we got some backstory from a few more of the side characters. Aside from that, this was truly wonderful and I'm pleased I got the opportunity to read it.

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What a cute book! The art is adorable and I am a sucker for anything queer with plants. Taproot has such a unique concept and beautiful art to go a long with it.

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Super cute, highly recommend. The art was absolutely beautiful and I genuinely loved the story. Can’t wait to get myself a physical copy and read again!!

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, exploring our relationship with the afterlife in a safe, but not without risk environment.

I did think there was a plot hole in the middle that left me confused with how we got from one point to the next, but I shrugged it off and moved on.

The illustrations and colour palette are beautifully used to create a warm atmosphere contrasted with a darker palette when we find an unknown danger to the spirits we've met.

I feel like it's the start of something really good, but would need some sequels to get some depth to the characters and their story. Fingers crossed.

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Queer paranormal romance with a diverse cast of characters and outstanding illustrations? Sign me up!

Taproot follows the adventures of Hamal, a gardener, and Blue, a ghost. However, Hamal isn't just a gardener, he can see ghosts, he can talk to them. The paths of two characters cross and they grow a bond unlike anything else. However, their lives are uprooted when the ghosts, including Blue, start seeing this mysterious forest, pulling them in with it's creepy tendrils.

At one point in the story I felt so devasted I had to check how many pages were left to make sure it's not the end. Usually it takes me a long time to get connected to the characters however here I was rooting for Hamal and Blue from page 1.

The illustrations are bright, colorful, alive and pull you into the story.

4/5 stars, wish we saw more of the cute moments in the Hamal/Blue relationship and now I need more stories about these ghosts!

I received the copy of this graphic novel from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

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“Taproot” is a graphic novel about a gardener and a ghost. LGBT paranormal romance
with a very specific art style.

Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of this story. The plot is single-line, simple, very quick and chaotic. I didn't get close to the main characters, neither had time to think about if I liked them. The story begins suddenly, without any introduction or background. Only the last few pages were really interesting - the rest didn’t captivate me.

The art style didn’t win my heart. It was pretty nice, but… I just didn’t like it.

“Taproot” isn’t a bad graphic novel, but it certainly won't hit my top list. I think I will forget about this story soon.

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Absolutely wonderful story about friendship, trust, love and so much more. Very light read, easy to pick up, and be left feeling warm and fuzzy about the world.
Story has elements of magic and ghosts, some of my favorite elements.

**Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

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Gardening queers are the best. There, I said it. Even better when they can do magic as well.

Taproot is a cute graphic novel about a ghost falling in love with a gardener who can see him. It's wholesome and full of magic, perfect for a quick read.

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Ahh this graphic novel was super cute! If you like The Tea Dragon Society and Heartstopper then this is for you. The concept works well as a graphic novel, it’s a quick and light read, wholesome, a cute queer romance to root for! I really liked the art style in this and all the florals and plants, it was so aesthetically pleasing to read! I also enjoyed the darker side to the story and the contrast there.

I rated this 3 stars because although it was enjoyable, light and fun, it didn’t have much substance other than that - however that may be the author’s intention! The plot was pretty simple and not massively developed, same with the characters, so you should expect that going in. Perhaps better for younger readers or those new to graphic novels! But it was a fun experience to read.

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5

Life and death is a balance - a message that Taproot touched on and executed beautifully.

The art is stunning, the color palettes between life and death really driving the point home. I'm a sucker for death as a character and it's no surprise the Reaper was my favorite character. It felt rushed, though, especially the end where I felt there was barely enough time for Blue and Hamal to process the events before having to say goodbye (and hello again). The epilogue/timeskip was nice though, as it explored more on Blue's duties.

There's a lot of potential for this to be made into a series, as I feel like there's a lot more that could be explored.

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This is good for the heart. I love this! The art, characters, and plot are stunning! It's a fast-paced supernatural M/M graphic novel. Blue is a ghost wandering in-between while Hamal is a gardener. When Blue came across Hamal appreciating a pot of flowers, he followed Hamal not knowing Hamal can see him. From there, a life together started with other ghosts they come across with.

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Queer paranormal stories are my jam! This felt a little bit disjointed and I was left confused more than once. I loved the characters and the art and even the story, underdeveloped plot and all. I would read more about these characters for sure!

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Taproot was a joy to read. This story follows Blue, a ghost, and Hamal, a Gardner who can see ghosts in a journey of friendship that leads to something more! Both romantic and mysterious!!!

Absolutely gorgeous illustrations, the color and scheme of every page was delightful and I could just dive right in! I’m so glad this was republished and I definitely can’t wait to add this gorgeous piece of art to my bookshelf when it gets released!

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This was a very cute and fun comic. It was a quick read, but the characters were likable and funny. It feels like a perfect read to recommend during this difficult time we are going through, for people looking for something kind and warm.

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A wonderful yet unexpected love story set in two of my favorite places: gardens and graveyards. I’m so happy I received an ARC of this book. The story will stay with me.

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I'm not usually a big fan of comics and so, started this one with a bit of anticipation. Fortunately for me, I loved it ! It's an easy and quick read, with an adorable romance between a necromancer, Hamal, and a ghost, Blue. Tye graphics were gorgeous and the color palette matched the theme perfectly. Overall, I give this comic a 4.5 stars, because I wished it was a bit longer and didn't feel so rushed.

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This was honestly a sweet, adorable graphic novel. the art was lovely as well. I think readers that enjoyed The Tea Dragon Society and similar graphic novels would like this one.

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thank you to netgalley and the author for this ARC.

the art style is so insanely beautiful and unique.

the relationship between blue and hamal is adorable, and i love the gardenerghost combo.

the humour was great, the serious moments were great, and it was just so cute.

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