This was so so adorable! a queer story about life and death with incredibly lovable characters and a found family trope!! I was first interested in this book because of the art style, the colour palette is just beautiful. Despite how short this is, it took me a while to read because I just wanted to appreciate the art!! I especially loved the authors note and seeing the process of the characters/story as that’s not something you see often! it definitely made me love the book even more than I already did.
"Life isn’t all joy and happy endings, but even in the absence of happiness, there still needs to be hope.”
The only complaint I have is just how short it was, I wish it was longer or there was more to it. I fell in love with the characters instantly but I’d love to get to know them more!!

Blue and Hamal's relationship is so soft and sweet, I was in love with them from the very first page. Equal parts queer, creepy, and charming, the story follows a young ghost and the very-much-alive gardener he falls in love with. Is Blue willing to sacrifice everything for Hamal?

I also have to put in here that the reaper was an absolute, and unexpected, joy!

Stunning art and beautiful storytelling. Taproot was an utter delight!

Really enjoyed this! The illustration style was beautiful and I really liked the relationships throughout!

This is a very sweet, tender graphic novel about a gardener who can talk to ghosts, Hamal, and a lonely ghost, Blue. Their burgeoning friendship and eventual romance is soft and wholesome and I really enjoyed seeing them grow closer. The art style is fun and whimsical with lots of greens and blues, and the plants that are an important part of the plot are so well drawn.

Among the heartfelt moments, there's also humour, often provided by Blue or the Reaper, and I very much enjoyed their interactions. My one issue with this graphic novel was with the pacing; the timeline seemed to jump here and there and it wasn't always clear what was happening or how much time had passed since the last few pages. It also felt like we missed some of the key moments, and they were glossed over when more time could have been spent on them. On the whole though, this was lovely and I'm glad I stumbled across it.

Content warnings for child/teenage death, bugs, death threats.

Sequel please sequel please!!!! I loved this so much, and it’s now one of my favorite graphic novels <3 Can’t wait to buy a copy xx

I love Taproot! Ghostly found family and accidental necromancy, as well as gorgeous art and a love for plants? Sign me up! I would love to see more of this story in the future.

A very sweet, very pretty story about a young gardener who can see ghosts and one of many ghosts that hang around the florist where Hamal works. There is a bit of danger and a bit of sadness but mostly the story is like a plaster for the heart. It's very diverse in the best way, funny when you don't expect it and so, so kind.

To be honest, I’d love it to be longer, to have more depth, the characters to be more developed so I can learn more about them, I’d love to be longer in that world. It’s fine as it is, don’t get me wrong, but I want MORE.

Still, worth every minute I spent on it. The colours! The softness! So charming.

This story was really cute! And I found it funny at times as well! The reaper definitely brought in the comedy at the end! I loved how fast paced it was but would’ve more time before Blue’s disappearance and re-appearance.
Definitely an unexpected ending with Hamal’s job but it fit in perfectly. I LOVED the art style it was the perfect kind for the novel especially with all the greens.

(Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review)

4.5⭐️

Taproot is about a ghost and a gardener falling in love despite the fact that they can’t be together. I did not actually expect to like this book as much as I did! It was charming, sometimes sad, and surprisingly funny. The character art wasn’t my favourite, but the backgrounds were gorgeous. The romance was cute, but I would have loved to see even more of it. If you enjoy short queer graphic novels, I recommend Taproot!

Stunning, wholesome, queer, and just a little bit spooky—a perfect mix!

"There's nothing evil about death, Ghostie. But it's a balance."

Taproot explores the relationship between life and death, the living and the dead, and the balance of it all.

My only complaint is that I wish there was *more.* The pacing felt very fast, and I wish there was more time spent developing the characters and their relationships. But as a debut graphic novel, I think it's an absolutely wonderful piece.

I especially loved the additional content at the end of the book. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at Keezy Young's thought process and workflow was really interesting!

I really love this story, it's such a perfect comfort read and the art is just stunning! You can really feel the love that Hamal and Blue have for each other throughout the novel. The only downside is that I wish the world was a little more fleshed out, I wish we knew more about Hamal and Blue but other than that I still love this and will always come back and reread it whenever I need a pick me up.

Enchanting graphic novel with relatable queer characters! The artwork is beautiful and I really enjoyed all the different characters.

This was very cute! I really loved the art in this one. I’m also always here for people falling for ghosts, a favorite trope of mine. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but the plot didn’t totally work for me. It felt a bit disjointed in places and the resolution to the big problem seemed really out of the blue and too easy, especially since it wasn’t really explained. I was glad for the happy ending and thought the characters were super sweet but I wish the story had been fleshed out a little more.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.
Taproot is a queer story about a gardener and a ghost, and it’s absolutely adorable. The art style is beautiful, and the characters are super cute. I really loved the relationship between the two main characters, and the side characters are super interesting too. The story is pretty straightforward, but there are some smaller twists that keep things interesting. I really recommend this to everyone, but especially people who loved Heartstopper and Mooncakes.

the art was beautiful. I loved the simple storyline. the characters were very sweet. I especially loved how the grim reaper was the good guy, I loved how he sent over the document to his phone I thought that was a funny touch.

This was so so good! I loved the illustrations and the plot of the story. The characters were so loveable too. I wish there was more to read, this was such a good book! I don't read graphic novels as much but I want to read more of them and this was such a great start to begin with. I'll definitely keep a look out for any more stuff by Keezy Young and will be buying a copy of this once it comes out!

This is a very soft story, with an art style that really works well with that story. Despite having ghosts, it's not scary or overly sad.

As a fan of horror, tragedy, and fluff (an oxymoron, I know), this book spoke to me on a spiritual level– pun intended. I also so very loved the body inclusivity, which is so rare in graphic novels.

Definitely a book I will be reading again and again, for the gorgeous art and for the beautiful mlm love story.

I'm reminded of the quote:
“You said it was a ghost story. It's not.”
“Isn't it?”
“It's a love story.”
“Same thing, really.”

Taproot is a delightful, wholesome, queer story about a gardener and a ghost. The artwork is beautiful. Beginning to end felt a warm hug on a drizzly spring day. Hamal and Blue are incredibly sympathetic characters, and each and every character is likeable. I will absolutely be reading again.

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wholesomeness at it's finest: a graphic novel about a ghost and gardener falling in love. An unbearably sweet story that had me in tears by the ending.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

Taproot follows Hamal, a gardener with an ability to see ghosts.
Blue is dead, and more than a little surprised to discover that Hamal can still see him. The two become best friends, and Blue eventually starts falling for him. Conflict arises when a reaper comes to town, threatening to end the their seemingly unbreakable bond.

~★~

Keezy Young’s colour palette and drawing style is just gorgeous. The visuals alone were enough for me to grant this a fairly high rating; I simply couldn’t look away!

Hamal and Blue were both incredibly sweet. I had the best time following their adventures, even when the plot grew worrying. I became so attached to their relationship within such little time, it’s no wonder I cried near the end. This was a beautiful graphic novel, for sure.