Taproot is a cozy, queer ghost story featuring plants, a fed-up reaper, and a pining couple split by life and death. I enjoyed the story but wish it had been more fleshed out because it felt like it was a little rushed.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

I really enjoyed this short graphic novel. It had really beautiful illustrations, but also a very compelling and interesting storyline that keeps you engaged. I really enjoyed that it began by putting you right at the center of the story. I will be on the lookout for any future works by this author/illustrator!

A sweet, warm graphic novel. I love characters that are kind of just, effortlessly queer. A love story with a ghost? What's not to love?

I read this at 4am in the midst of a restless night and it was the perfect, wholesome, strange, sweet bedtime story to read while wrapped in cozy blankets.

The artwork in this book is excellent and imaginative, which really brought the story to life (well, except for the ghosts and reaper but you know what I mean). Mmm and that wonderful queer + BIPOC rep? Love to see it.

The precious love story had me swooning, and I want Blue and Hamal to be my friends!

4/5 stars

This was a really cozy read and I finished it months ago but never got around to writing my review for some reason. I fell in love with this from the cover and then I kept being recommended to read the arc so I picked it up and it was just such a sweet and enjoyable time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this digitally via netgalley but my review is still 100% my own thoughts and feelings.

This graphic novel was an absolute delight! And the perfect way to finish off the spooky season because it had a ghost as the main character 👌🏻 And a spooky forest, and a reaper, and necromancy!

I absolutely adored the colours and illustrations in Taproot! Give me ALL the green tones and I’ll be thriving. It kind of reminded me of a Ghibli movie because Ghibli loves their green 😹

The story itself is kind of in two different parts but I equally enjoyed both of them. I really liked the main character, Blue, and Hamal as well 🥺 Their romance was incredibly soft and sweet.

I won’t speak much on the second half as it gives away too much of the first but expect a little ghostly mystery and a touching story.

All in all I really enjoyed Taproot and recommend it to anyone looking for a soft, queer, and slightly spooky graphic novel 🙌🏻

This was just *chefs kiss*. It was sweet, it was funny, it was diverse, the romance and friendships were amazing. It had amazing banter. really the only downside is that it was short, and therefore felt a bit like it was rushed, but I'm just going to reread this many many times. Please read this.

i really adore this art style and the colors, and this graphic novel gave me all the gentle and soothing vibes with humor, a cute romance, and a nice portrayal of friendship. it's just such a sweet story. i wish it were longer, since some parts felt rushed, and the characters were so lovely i wanted to spend more time with them.

I adored the art style and the general world, but the plot just became so jumbled and confusing around the mid-way point. This would benefit from either being longer or a series, to give it more breathing room. Will absolutely still keep an eye out for Keezy Young's work, but the narrative itself of Taproot just wasn't coherent enough for me.

Taproot combines great art with an interesting concept that drags you and, if I'm being honest, leaves you a little high and dry at the end. This felt somewhat incomplete, perhaps because the last bit felt so incredibly out of place. I enjoyed it immensely in spite of this, however, and would be happy to read more by this author and in this world.

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

Coziest queer graphic novel! I loved it so much!
It is so good to have great stories. The art style was amazing, so beautiful.

Such a sweet little graphic novel, Taproot. I particularly enjoyed this tale of ghosts and youthful love because there aren't enough queer paranormal tales. Blue and Hamal had fantastic chemistry, and the pals to lovers storyline was handled incredibly effectively. The magic was without a doubt my favorite aspect of the narrative. I thought this narrative did a fantastic job of illuminating the fascinating topic of necromancy. I thought the opponent was excellent and that we had seen more of them. There seems to be a lot of room for the tale to develop.

While the imagery was occasionally stunning, the story occasionally felt awkward. Without any actual resolution, it would merely abruptly switch to a different moment. This undoubtedly would have become a new favorite if it had been more developed. The longing and the romantic romance are my favorites. Without a doubt, I'd suggest it!

I really liked the art style and the premise, but i felt that it was a bit rushed; especially during the middle. It was an interesting read.

Taproot is a charming story about love, loss, and cherishing the people we hold dear.

We follow Blue, a ghost, and Hamal, a gardener who can see ghosts, as they navigate friendship, love, spooky forests, and the vast chasm of incorporeality. Conceptually, I loved everything about this; I only wish the story and characters had more room to breathe and develop.

Artistically, Taproot is a canvas of gentle vibrancy that complements the underlying themes of the story beautifully. However, narratively, it felt a little too rushed for me to fully sink my teeth into. There are some truly delightful concepts here that I wish were explored deeper, but the story only scratched the surface of where I wanted it to go.

Overall, if you're looking for a sweet story with spooky paranormal elements that you can binge in an afternoon, this might be the comic for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for sending me a digital ARC of Taproot in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short but hauntingly beautiful read. I requested it based solely on the cover, and the art throughout is just as gorgeous and the story itself is very touching.

Thanks so much for the review copy!

Taproot is the story of a ghost and a gardener whose experiences inadvertently teach them more about life and death than either of them could ever have imagined.

I really enjoyed Taproot; it made me feel things while keeping me entertained and invested and the characters were very easy to care about and sympathize with. I do wish that we’d gotten some more backstory though, because by the early parts of the climax I felt like I’d missed out on one of the crucial causes of the central problem.

Taproot is a great standalone (that’s all it is, as far as I am aware), but I think it definitely has series potential and the events of this book are set up perfectly for more installments. I know I say this about most of the graphic novels I read and I mean it every single time: Taproot would make an excellent cartoon. It’s excellent for readers of nearly any age and I would definitely recommend it to fans of Over the Garden Wall and Craig of the Creek.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Taproot is now available at your local libraries and for sale at major book retailers.

Taproot is a lovely and "simple" graphic novel to read. Tells about Hamal and Blue - a human gardner that has the ability to perceive ghosts and an actual ghost - and their relationship (friends to lovers). But their daily life is upended when the Reaper came in search of a necromancer.

Sometimes I had the feeling that something wasn't "in the right place". and be "disconnected".

I really liked the colors used in this GN and the art style is really cute.

A must read if you're in the mood for cute queer romance. I've read this on two occasions, once as a gifted eARC and again on Comixology by Kindle because its such a light, breezy read with such a gorgeous palate of colors that brins the illustration to life which is both creepy and vibrant.

The plot and storyline is unique with unique characters (a necromancer! Hello?!) which makes it so interesting to divulge in. Because of how brief it is, you wont get much in terms of the world building. If it were just a little bit more developed in terms fof its world, I think it would be perfect.

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this book is a delight. a little simple and brief (it feels startlingly short) but still so absolutely lovely to read. the art is literally stunning. I could not get over the style and the soft palette, I just adored it. turning a page was rewarding every time.

I am particularly enamored with the reaper character. I thought she was such a clever inclusion and lowkey wish there was a second volume that focused on her story.

nonetheless, the protagonist and his love interest were both very cute! their romance already felt established by the time the reader joins the story, even tho at the beginning neither has admitted to their feelings for one another, so I felt like their queer romance took a backseat to the ghost plot. this was fine, but definitely not what I was anticipating from what I had heard about the book.

I gave this book a four star rating only because I was hoping for more substance. (I totally could've turned that into a dumb ghost pun, you're welcome for sparing you.) I wanted to know more about the protag and his backstory and how the love interest died and where his family was, or how long he'd been dead for, or whatever else. the characters felt a little one-dimensional. (that could've been a second dumb ghost pun.)

that being said, I am always satisfied by a happy ending, and this book did not disappoint. I will definitely rec it to people looking for lighter graphic novels, but that still touch on heavier subjects.

Thanks very much to the publisher for this one. I was very intrigued by the cover and art style, it reminded me of a few other graphic novels that I've loved.

I didn't realise that this was a sequel when I requested it which did impact my experience. I'd be interested to go back and read book one to see how my opinion changed.

I really did like the art style but the story fell a little flat for me.

I'd read more from this author though

Thanks again

Beautiful art and story but the time jump was a bit disjointed. I think it would’ve worked better we had a montage instead of a time jump, but it was lovely nevertheless.