Cover Image: Mooncakes

Mooncakes

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This was incredibly cute and fun and I loved the diversity (existing F/F relationship, non-binary character, hard of hearing characters, Chinese-American characters).

I did find the artwork a little confusing at times and the story felt like one I'd read before, but I would definitely recommend picking this one up if you are looking for a quick, easy, cute and fun read with some great diversity.

Was this review helpful?

An absolute delight to read..
This is a F/NB relationship and i loved it. Its absolutely adorable to read. the art suits the story perfectly. I think people would love this because its soft, it queer and its incredible cute.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

3.5 rounded up.

This was a very cute graphic novel and I'm really sad it didn't hook me in as thoroughly as I was expecting.

Structurally, I found the beginning and scene transitions throughout to be a little abrupt and confusing, and the overall art style wasn't my favorite. I actually read the first 30-40 pages a few months ago and just...set it aside.

But once I pushed through a little further, it started to gel a little better for me and I could really root for Tam and Nova to be the adorable couple I knew they would be.

Was this review helpful?

This was a very cute and charming graphic novel that has a fresh perspective on a diverse cast. This contained so much diversity, a hard of hearing character, to a non-binary character, and f/f relationships, I can't comment on how accurate they are portrayed, but I liked the ease with which they were talked about.
Though the art was beautiful I can't say it was my favorite, and it didn't get the chance to grow on me because only half of it was completed.
Though I enjoyed the story but I felt that it was a little cookie cutter and a bit basic. I felt that even though it was a graphic novel, the story would have benifited from having a more complex storyline.
There didn't end up being much depth to the characters as I wish there could bave been, and in some instances the consequences didn't seem as realistic as they could have been. Overall this was a still a great read, and I might pick it up again in the future.

Was this review helpful?

This graphic novel was a fun read for the Halloween season. It had interesting characters and adventure; however, I wish there was a bit more too it. The conflict didn't seem to have too much to resolve, and much was presented without further explanation (i.e. why does her cousin have a pigeon head??) Not too memorable or unique, but a fun quick read.

Was this review helpful?

This was so heartwarming! In this story we follow Nova (a witch), and Tam (a werewolf), who have been best friends since childhood until certain circumstances drove them apart. Now new circumstnaces have brought them back together, along with a magical threat to their hometown.

What I loved the most about it were the relationships; not only Nova and Tam's, but also the one between Nova's family. We also get LGBTQ+, and non-binary representation.

I feel the ending was a bit faster compared to the rest of the story where the plot takes its time and feels more developed than the climax.

<i> Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review! </i>

Was this review helpful?

Super cute supernatural/romance graphic novel. The characters are well built and unique. I hope there are more in the series.

Was this review helpful?

I was seeing lots of buzz for this graphic novel a few months ago. I started it, but kind of lost interest. I wanted to finish by the end of the year, so I plowed ahead and got through it. While it's not the worst graphic novel I've ever read, it's definitely not one of my favourites.

I didn't actually realize that this is based on a webcomic until I read the synopsis (after I'd already read most of the book). I think that was part of my problem: I'd never seen the webcomic, and so parts of the story felt forced, contrived, or very sudden. I'd seen readers squealing over the relationship between Nova and Tam, but when I finally read the book, I didn't see what they were seeing. Coming to the book without any sort of knowledge of their previous relationship, I thought it all seemed very insta-lovey to me. Tam shows back up in town after a prolonged absence, and within a few hours they and Nova are making out.

And let's talk about that for a moment. It was too much. At one point, when the villain tells Nova to run back to her little friend, Nova says: "I will! And I'm going to make out with them while I'm at it!" Now, I know teenagers can be wrapped up in their hormones, but when you're trying to save your friend from demonic possession, why are you thinking about making out?

Much seems to have been made about the fact that Tam is a non-binary character. I don't really care about that (well, except for the fact that every time I read "them" my brain immediately tried to figure out what group of people was being talked about; English really needs some standard, singular, gender-neutral pronouns). What I do care about is whether the character is a good character. I'm not going to give extra points just because the book is trying to be diverse. Tam has a potentially interesting backstory, but with the way this book starts, we're kind of dropped in way too late... which makes the reader reliant on flashbacks and overt telling to figure out what Tam's life was like before their reconnection with Nova. The rest of the characters are okay, too, with an interesting family dynamic: grandmothers, ghost parents, a cousin with a strange magical affliction... But, like I said, we're dropped into this story too late for it to make much sense to someone who hasn't read the webcomic.

I guess I might recommend this to fans of the webcomic, but I can't really recommend it to readers who aren't already familiar with Nova and Tam. The story isn't strong enough to stand on its own (which is unfortunate, given all the potential that's there) and the climax comes across as a little hackneyed and cliched.

Was this review helpful?

I love the magic and all the representations. It is really well done.
I did not expect this to be as deep as it was.
The artwork is adorable and the story is well thought up.
I do wish the resolution wasn't as rushed as it was. I could've used a bit more of the angst and the *oh-my-god-how-will-they-get-out-of-this-mess*, but since it's a graphic novel, all is forgiven.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute story but I felt like the relationship seemed rushed and the overall story took a backseat to their relationship. It was weird how quickly they seemed to reconnect but then Tam refused to open up to Nova, despite how "close" they were and that Nova could easily have helped. It felt a little dragged out because of focusing so much on their relationship and would have felt more balanced and quicker paced if the story focused more on why the werewolf was needed by the occult.

Was this review helpful?

A fun light fantasy graphic novel for older children and teens. Some adults may enjoy. Lgbt-inclusive is a plus.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great read. It was fun and captivating. We follow characters that are diverse and unique, endearing and very likeable. The art was so pleasing to the eyes! I had a great time reading this, joining the characters on their adventure spiked with magic. It's just the best!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for an eARC of this book. I definitely had the best time reading Mooncakes. It was really enjoyable, magical reading. I have so much fun time reading the book. Writing was superb! Love it!

Was this review helpful?

Mooncakes was a sweet little graphic novel filled with awwww moments as well as magic 😍

The art was lovely and I was drawn in by the storyline.

Highly recommend for middle grade readers.

Was this review helpful?

It was cute, but it was over-hyped. I liked the artwork and the family relationships between the mc and her grandmothers were wonderful. I wasn't so much into the main story-line about the mysterious beast that's stalking the witches and I thought the romance was sweet, but it was barely existent. Overall I'd recommend it for a cute, quick read but it's very fluffy - don't expect much. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Was this review helpful?

This was so lovely and adorable! I love the art style and the characters...also the inclusion of a cult obviously made my day lol. That aside while I enjoyed this magical little graphic novel I did find it predictable, hence my less than 5 star rating. That aside though I think this is the perfect cozy fall time read and I cannot recommend it enough!

Was this review helpful?

This book have been hyped up in the booktube community quite a bit and I am glad to pick this up here on netgalley. I just cannot wait for the release date.

This is a really cute story and the graphics are amazing. I absolutely love this. Definitely reread this over again very soon.

Was this review helpful?

*I received this book as an eARC from Lion Forge/Oni Press via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had heard great things about this book so I was really looking forward to reading it. And I LOVED it! This graphic novel is magically diverse! It's queer and witchy! It's so much fun!

Nova is a witch who's hard of hearing. Tam is both is a non-binary werewolf. The queerness is handled so seamlessly, naturally addressing pronouns used early on. There are so many parallels between queer stories and magic/werewolf stories that this combination just makes sense. The sense of community and finding your own people. The coming out. It's all there.

Every character in this graphic novel is fully realized and fleshed out completely. Not only does the world feel real and lived in, but the characters seem like real people as well.

This is a great story about two childhood friends reconnecting as adults and figuring out things out. Oh, and there's also awesome magic battles. The pacing is also excellent. Honestly, I read the whole book in one sitting. I definitely give this graphic novel a 5/5. Highly recommend!!!

Was this review helpful?

Mooncakes was one of my most hyped graphic novels of the year and I'm so happy to say it held up to this hype. I was disappointed when I missed the download period on it on here. Thankfully, my work got a copy in and I was able to read it that way. It took only two sittings (would have been less if not for sleep) and loved every second of it. The story about a HoH character and nonbinary really was lovely, as someone with some hearing issues and is nonbinary. I loved how lovely the magic of this world mixed and went with the story while feeling real. I loved how it talked about trauma and abuse, how it did it beautifully. The artwork was really well done and I loved seeing different YA books throughout it. I think the best thing about it was that being gay or nonbinary wasn't an issue. In a world full of magic and werewolves, it was just accepted. Of course it did deal with Tam's coming out and the fact their family didn't understand it. But they also didn't understand them being a werewolf. The two played off each other well and held a deeper meaning for those who are nonbinary. All in all I could gush over this book forever. I hope I can buy my own copy of it soon.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably the cutest graphic novel I read and the one which warms my heart the most. The problem with reviewing books you love is that sometimes, I have no words other than: this is great! Everyone should read it! And looking at my notes for this book, that’s basically just what it boils down to. This is the kind of sweet and fluffy graphic novel that makes me just want to tell everyone I know to please pick it up. It has everything- witches, werewolves, sweet grannies, diversity, culture, a cult plot, etc. It’s so good and I immediately fell in love from the first few pages.

The writing in this book is so good and I loved the banter between the characters and their inner thoughts. All of them feel very well-developed and I enjoyed reading about their relationships with one another. Also, Nova has two grannies who are just the best. The art is also very beautiful- kind of cartoony with soft colors and I love it. It fits the story very well and the gorgeous art just helps make the story shine. Especially the spirits- they were so cute and I think must be my favorite illustration in the graphic novel.

The story is basically about Nova and Tam who were childhood best friends until Tam had to move away. Then Tam comes back and they rekindle their friendship and it grows into something more. Their relationship was so cute and I love it. I enjoy how their interactions just seem to be so easy and how perfectly they fit into each others lives. I like the kind of fluffy friends-to-lovers romance we see here and it was handled perfectly. Both of them are also Chinese-American and I enjoyed seeing how their cultured is portrayed alongside the magical stuff. The scene where Nova’s family get together is just so heart-warming and I liked seeing how they accept Tam.

As I said, this book is about magic. Nova and her family are witches while Tam is a werewolf. Tam still hasn’t really been able to control their werewolf powers so it can get a little difficult for them, especially with the horse demon that they have to fight. This is one of the darker moments in the story but it does still get resolved satisfactorily and I really enjoyed seeing Tam battle with themself and accept their werewolf side and ultimately break out of what the cult was trying to do.

Overall, this was a wonderful graphic novel which I can recommend to everybody. It’s sweet and fluffy with a wonderfully diverse cast and a story which focuses on family, love, and friendship.

Was this review helpful?