a very unique way of portraying overcoming (internalised) homophobia, dealing with grief and coming to terms with one's true self. some scenes were a but too graphic for me but i overall appreciated the story greatly. thank you for the free copy!

This comic had a lot of potential, but ended up being a barely-surface level story. With more character development and expansion of the story, it could be great.

A beautifully illustrated and carefully crafted exploration on grief, fear and shame. Teixeira builds a story that is told through moods and subtle vignettes. Throughout there are moments of joy and sweetness with the loving characters that come into Lamont's life and the tea recipes that are scattered within. Overall a beautiful, mindful read.

I really liked this graphic novel. The themes were tough and could have used more exploration, but they were handled well. Additionally, I wish we saw more about the relationships Lamont had with the people in his life and those who came into his life.

This was a great story set in Appalachia and the little tea recipes were a nice touch.

I would recommend!

"Heaven, West Virginia" is a short graphic novel tackling themes like internalised hate, grief, regret, but on top of that – a struggle in fight for a new beginning. Chracteristic art style adds a new layer to the story, helping it provide a voice of narration. Ravi Teixeira shifts away from words, using them only in an obligatory dialogue or tea recipies scattered around the book (which is super nice addition!). I really liked the simplicity of it, how I, as a reader, never get the details straight, instead am presented with the opportunity to dive deeper into the medium. I am a real sucker for stories set in Appalachia, and this did not disappoint.

I greatly enjoyed the artwork in this graphic novel. The story touches on grief, religion and sexuality. There are also tea recipes interspersed with the story.

A moving and evocative tale of a young man dealing with his sexuality and his grief over losing his authoritarian preacher father. He returns to West Virginia to stay with his aunt, and meets both terror and love. The illustrations are rough but powerful. The tea recipes are a nice bonus. Thanks to Top Shelf and NetGalley for making this available,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

This was a tasty little book, with delicious recipes for tea and lots of visceral art.

AND IT WAS GAY.

Extra extra bonus points for gay cowboy, also.

I think the folks reviewing this poorly for the lack of clarity in the timeline are missing the point that grief eats timelines and linear happenings with all the hunger of a ravenous imagined wolf. The static, the missing chunks, the simplicity of some emotions - that's grief, babyyyyy.

I would keep this on my bookshelf and also eat it like a potato chip. 10/10

I enjoyed the artwork, but the story felt rushed. It would have been interesting to read more about the main character's backstory, too.

Rating: 2.5-3 ⭐️s

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and Oni Press for letting me review this e-arc.

After Lamont’s father dies he moves in with his aunt where he learns how to make tea from his aunt. While living with her he deals with his traumas and grief while also finding and understanding his sexuality.

A few things I did like about the book was how the author used their art and used color to show his fear. In some parts it felt really unsettling. I also really enjoyed the tea recipes throughout the book, I thought they were a really nice touch. As for things I didn’t like was I felt that the book was rushed and was really fast paced at the expense of character development. And how the characters interacted with each other was quite hollow and felt emotionless. I also felt like we were missing out on some scenes that happened off page. The book itself was also quite confusing changing from one topic to the next without any real smooth transition.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of Heaven, West Virginia.

We are following our main character Lamont who just lost his father and is going back to his aunt’s cabin in West Virginia.

The art in this graphic novel was stunning and I enjoyed following Lamont’s journey through grief and self-acceptance. The manifestation of Lamont’s demons through the wolves was a great idea and well executed as reader the sense of uncertainty whether the wolf is real or not stayed with me the whole time.
Lamont’s relationship with Coyote was great and lets us think that Coyote will help him. I also enjoyed Latoya’s recipes in the book and would love to try the love potion!

It’s 5 stars for me and I would highly recommend it!

★★★★☆ — A beautiful visual experience, just wish there was more of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I'm glad I got to read it.

Heaven, West Virginia is a wonderful art piece. The art was my favourite part, it was simple yet striking, with such a lovely style and a strong sense of mood and place. It's a beautiful example of visual storytelling, and I really loved the tea recipes scattered throughout. They added such a warm touch, it felt homey and I will be trying some.

That said, I do wish this was longer. A lot of the story happens off-page or is only implied, and there's not quite enough time to sit with Latoya and his struggles. It doesn't really sink in to you the way it has the potential to. If I were rating the story execution alone, it would be lower, but the art really picks up the slack and makes the whole experience worth it. I really enjoyed the premise, I just would’ve loved to spend more time with it. Thank you again, I wouldn't have thought to pick it up had I not seen it on Netgalley.

While the art style was not my favorite, I can appreciate the story that was being told! It did a great job of illustrating what going through grief looks like and coming to terms with it! I also really enjoyed the snippets with the tea recipes, they did a good job of cutting through the seriousness of the story!
4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a beautiful and touching graphic novel about grief and moving past trauma. While the artwork was unique, I still enjoyed it. I also appreciate a story that can dive into our emotions and humanity. Thank you Oni Press as always!

the art style wasn't the greatest but it fit the tone well and I looooved the use of the static to signal Lamont's creeping guilt and all the urges he wants to ignore because he was told all his life they were wrong. There's a lot happening off the page here, but I liked how it was a quick little story diving into such deep topics at a breakneck pace

⭐⭐⭐.5
back with another short comic but Deep then I expected, first of all ;
A special thanks to the author for allowing me the chance to read this work before its official release.
This comic came as a light break after a heavy read, but it surprised me with the depth of its themes despite its seemingly simple presentation.

The story follows a man who grew up under the shadow of his father, a priest, and lived his childhood under constant psychological pressure—something he only fully recognized after his father’s death. From my interpretation, the main character had his own sexual orientation, but his father, bound by strict religious beliefs, labeled it as a sin. As a result, the child grew up in fear, one so profound that even after his father’s death, he continued to perceive him as a terrifying presence—symbolized by massive, haunting wolves that followed him everywhere.

Later, he meets a mysterious man and a relationship begins to form between them. It’s not portrayed explicitly, but rather gently revealed as the protagonist admits to being more drawn to men. This moment becomes part of his gradual emotional release from the grip of his father’s long-standing judgment.

The comic is short, simple, and sweet.
What I didn’t fully enjoy was how quickly the protagonist seemed to move past the trauma of his father’s influence. I would’ve liked a deeper emotional resolution—perhaps a symbolic confrontation, like a dream where he speaks to or faces his father, something that shows him conquering the fear rather than simply suppressing it.
As for the art, it was minimal and clear. It wasn’t a major element for me since I was more invested in the story itself.
➥ I’m grateful you took a moment to read my review—thank you.

I'm honestly so confused. It looks like it would be a really lovely story, if the author took the time to really flesh out the story. So many scenes happen in the background, which is super confusing.
Like I don't even understand how the romance between the two MCs came to be.
That said, I love the tea recipes though. And I can't wait to try them.

<i>Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC in exchange of my honest review.</i>

This was okay. I loved the queerness, the religious trauma, and the tea recipes! But I felt like I was left outside the story quite a bit instead of immersed. The dialogue was a bit hollow and emotionless, and we didn't get any internal thoughts or feelings to help us get to know the characters.

I feel like much of this story was told in between the pages, and that the pages that were there moved too quickly for me to really get a feel for … what was going on. Lamont’s father is dead, so he’s moving in with his aunt who also dies. There’s no sense of how long he lived with his aunt, no sense of … anything. The grief and shame and guilt — the wolves, the shadows and shapes — are present, but overcome in a single page. He falls in love with a goat rancher and then falls into bed with them with no sense of the relationship between the two of them being anything more than physical appreciation and convenience as there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the book.

The art is fine, but what I really liked was the use of static instead of black, as if Lamont was missing the truth of what was in those spaces. The imagery is fine, if a little expected, and I never knew why there were two wolves. Was one Lamont and one his father? Was one society? Was one guilt and the other shame? While the wolves were all in his head, the horse wasn’t, so why did the horse also get the demon treatment?

I’m sorry, but this didn’t work for me either as a story, or as a graphic novel. I’m left too confused and feeling unsatisfied by the rushed pace. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

I liked what this comic had to say, but I wasn’t a big fan of the artwork. As for the wolf, it was symbolic of Lamont’s need to stop hiding who he really was and embrace it completely. It was either that, or be eaten by what his dad wanted of him.

One thing this book really brought into focus is how often people will claim someone was “good” after they die, even if they weren’t good at all. Coyote was the only person willing to tell the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.