Everything kept me hooked from the story line to the beautiful illustratEverythingions it feels like it's straight out of a studio ghibli movie.
I also love that this book includes/shows the process of making the illustrations and how much thought the author really put in this book.

Oni Press graphic novels are excellent and this one is a sweet and well told story.
The drawings are great and the well developed plot is well done.
Another story I loved and it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Taproot by Keezy Young followed Hamal, a gardener with the ability to see ghosts and Blue, a lonely spirit who was surprised that Hamal can see him. This was a story about their friendship that grew into love as well as the complications that arose when a reaper came to town and threatened their relationship.

This graphic novel was a sweet, short, romantic supernatural story with a tiny dash of horror into the mix. The art was beautiful overall. It was whimsical, a very nice loose style of drawing and such gorgeous palette that worked very well with the overall tone of the story. I love the landscapes and the use of foliage throughout the story. The character design of Hamal and Blue reminded me of Hunk and Lance from Voltron though.

The interactions between the two leads were adorable and I did like how their relationship turned out though I would've preferred if we had more time to see their relationship develop. I liked the Reaper and his sass and how in a sense he challenged the pre-conceived notions of what a reaper should be. The pacing was a bit all over the place and the connection of Hamal with the paranormal needed a bit more explanation.

Still, Taproot was a good, quick and fun read with charming, queer characters and a cute romantic story. I'd recommend this if one is looking for some paranormal/fantastical graphic novel with a hint of slice of life.

This would be 3.5 stars out of 5 stars for me.

Gardens and graveyards go together like haunting and lovestories (thats to say perfectly). A gorgeous graphic novel about a ghost who falls in love with the gardener who can see him. I love the juxtaposition of death and life in the illustrations and couldn't help but smile at every panel. Despite the impossibility of a ghost and living boy, the happy ending was such a sweet spot in this wild summer. I'm so glad I got tp enjoy this story.

I liked the story very much. The plot is exciting and unique. The drawings are beautiful. I really enjoyed looking at them. Unfortunately, the story was sometimes a bit confusing and not so fluid.

Lovely, thoughtful, and beautifully illustrated. Hamal can see ghosts, and has found it easier to be friends with them than to get close to living people. He is particularly close to Blue, a teenage ghost who has been dead for a year. There's something strange in the neighborhood, which brings a frightening forest and mean-spirited reaper into their lives, and forces Blue and Hamal to risk their growing romantic feelings for one another. A sweet story of queer love that, while steeped in death, does not involve tragedy. The art is soft, the narrative loving, and the characters are wonderfully alive (even the ones who are already dead).

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

Taproot, by Keezy Young
★★★☆☆
136 Pages


Sadly, for me, Taproot is another case of an award-winning, much-hyped book that just wasn't my cup of tea.

The art was lovely.
The story had potential.
The characters had potential.
But, overall, it lacked the growth of characterisation and any kind of exploration of their relationship to be anything but rushed. The blurb made the story sound far more interesting than it was, hinting that the ghost, Blue, was secretly in love with Hamal, who could see ghosts. That was a great premise, but to find they had been friends for a long time, and they both had unspoken feelings for each other, which were quickly resolved into a confession, meant it lacked the emotional draw I was looking for.

For me, I would have liked more hints of their feelings for each other, rather than Blue out-right admitting in his thoughts that he was madly in love with Hamal. I would have liked more time to see their relationship develop, to see Hamal learn to return his feelings, or more time spent exploring their characters. Everything felt so rushed that I barely knew who they were as characters before they were dating and the story seemed resolved.

Just when I was getting emotionally invested, saying goodbye to Blue, the story jumped ahead to something totally different, which pulled me right out of the emotion. Personally, I feel that would have made a far better, suspenseful ending if it had taken at least a few pages before the final revelation. Then everything that followed would have been much more interesting if it had happened while Blue was a ghost.

I really liked the art, and the concepts were clear. I was able to tell what was past from present, which characters were ghosts and which were human, which was great. The addition of a meddling reaper was interesting, but never really explained about why or how they functioned within the story. The reaper began to feel more like a guide/mentor to Hamal, and only a convenient tool to help move the story along. I also question why they were necessary, when Blue had already suggested to Hamal in a past-timeline panel that he should find a way to help ghosts. Yet, it seems he really didn't, other than talking to them and letting them hang around him.

Overall, I'm sorry to say that I felt the story didn't go anywhere. It didn't have an overall arc or purpose to reach, that was clear to me. It seemed to end halfway towards another story, whereas if it had ended with Blue's tree storyline, then I could see that being a great ending, and a much more emotionally engaging storyline. However, it didn't do that, and I was missing the development of a relationship, the character development that showed growth or who they were as people, other than just as unrequited lovers. Sadly, the impact wasn't there, but I'm giving it 3* for the potential and artwork.

Precious! It’s about time I tapped into this gem. Truly a believer in the power of graphic novels to help us work through difficult themes. Wonderful and sad at the same time.

This was just an absolute delight! It felt like a warm little hug and it made me smile through the entire quick read. The artwork was gorgeous enough that I'd love to have it printed and hung on my walls.

I would love to see more in this world, potentially a sequal and behind! I know this was originally published a few years ago, but I'll be keeping my eyes out to see if Blue and Hamal's story continues.

What makes this book different from all others? And why should anyone care?
Whenever possible, put the good things about a book or author up front.
Criticize the book, not the author, if you don’t like what you’ve read. Explain why.

I'm not quite sure this graphic novel is anything special? It tells the "love story" between a ghost and a gardener but the ghost continues to disappear. When it disappears it winds up in a dark, eerie forest where an entity is calling to him. I think this story was striving to be a queer fantastical story mixed in with some darker elements and themes of death; instead, there were minor inconveniences that ran the plot. The Characters were quite flat. We never get the opportunity to learn about their circumstances up to the point of which the story begins. Because of this, I found it difficult to sympathize with the characters. The plot also lacked any sort of substance. The stakes were not high because the resolution came quickly and the characters also felt like the problem surrounding the plot was not life threatening. The illustrations also looked like they were still in the drafting stages still. I have read countless graphic novels, mangas, and comic books and I absolutely love a sort of minimalistic design, but this felt like a first draft -both for the story and art style.

A very sweet queer love story of a necromancer gardener and ghost. The artworks are especially beautiful and I enjoyed seeing a glimpse of the tremendous work and talent that goes into making a graphic novel. Also loved that the story had a moral.

A very cute graphic novel with an original storyline and magical realism used. The relationship between the two main characters was sweet and endearing, and I enjoyed the art style. A joy to read!

Taproot was such an easy and sweet read. I really enjoyed the kind of slice of life quality to it that is later joined with a bit of adventure. I love Hamal's ease with plants and love of nature. Blue is silly and I wish I got to know more about him in this story. The ending was unexpected and kind of abrupt but I enjoyed this all the same.

Adorable graphic novel about a gardener and a ghost falling in love! The style of drawing was so cute, and I especially love the color scheme used, particularly in how it helps the reader differentiate between the real world and the paranormal ghost world. The aesthetically pleasing drawings and the delightfully paranormal romance arc make it a great choice for a short, one-sitting read that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside afterwards.

I loved this story so much! Fast read, great graphics and a heartbreaking story. Prepare your tissues because you will cry.

Taproot is a delightfully illustrated graphic novel that makes for a quick, easy read. In so few pages, Keezy Young creates an engrossing and twisty story that had me hooked. The forest and the elements of Hamal's necromancy had me on the edge of my seat as I awaited the actions of the reaper (a character who turned out to be an absolute delight!). Blue and Hamal's relationship was an adorable centre point, much like the reaper I'm also a sucker for a cute romance. All in all, this was a sweet, intriguing, beautiful graphic novel about life and death with some excellent representation.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the advanced copy!

'Taproot' can be a great palette cleanser to take a break from dark and heavy stuff. I love the concept. It was a very sweet story. The love Blue, the ghost and Hamal, the necromancer shares is so tender and precious. The illustrations are cute as well. However, I didn't like what was supposed to be the 'Plot twist'. It was predictable and rushed. I may have enjoyed it more if the story was longer, the suspense thicker and provided more in-depth explanation.

This book was a very cute and quick read! The art was absolutely gorgeous as well. The part I loved most was seeing how realistic and natural the relationship between the characters was. Definitely recommend to anyone!

This was a beautiful yet slightly creepy graphic novel. I adored the art style and I found that the story flowed really nicely. I don't know why I've never read this before!

Taproot is a short and sweet read that is about ghosts, a gardener, friendship, and romance. I loved the low fantasy vibes and the characters were so endearing. The color palette of blues and greens used here was so lovely and I loved the jagged art style. I only wish the first part of the story had been longer, so the ending didn’t feel too rush. But other than that, I really enjoyed this graphic novel!