Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

The art and illustrations were absolutely stunning. I loved the use of colour or absence of to show how Lamont was feeling. The premise immediately drew me in.

Lamont has to deal with a lot of trauma when his father dies. His father pressured him to take over the family business, be aloof, and preached religious hatred in regards to men who lie with other men. Lamont deeply struggles to reconcile his lived experience of his dad with how the majority of people say he was a good man. He goes to live witn his aunt and meets a cute cowboy called Coyote.

Lamont then goes through a series of cathartic experiences, admitting out loud that he's gay. This was really heartwarming to see and I liked how it was shown a lot. There is a small intimate scene of Lamont and Coyote, but only skin is shown, and it isn't graphic.

With the nature of graphic novels, a lot of things happen 'off-screen' which are then hinted at in the text. This was the same, except sometimes it took me a while to catch on, and to realise that there had been a time skip/something significant had happened. It wasn't a major issue by any means, I just worry that I may have missed important details.

The design of the monster was exceptionally cool. I was kinda sad to realise that it was a metaphorical monster rather than an actual one, but it was cool none the less.

I really look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for approving my request to read an arc of this book.

This graphic novel centre’s around grief and new beginnings. I really liked the unique art style, and while it is fast paced, it told the story well.
I also enjoyed looking at the recipes that were included.

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!

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 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.

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 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.

I have a few things to say about this book! The main one being how much I loved the included recipes?! The mint and blueberry one sounds insanely good.

The art style is incredible as well, I loved the use of colours to show the emotions/feelings. There is religious trauma in the book, particularly surrounding sexuality and coming to terms with being queer after growing up in a homophobic society.

There was one scene that I found really cute, I won't say because it's a spoiler but it made me smile. There was also one graphic scene, although nothing intimate was shown - just a warning for anyone who may not like that!

I really loved Coyote and Lamont. The ending was perfect, seeing Lamont overcome/heal from the trauma.

This was a beautiful graphic novel and I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to read it early. Thank you!

This reminded me a lot of work of E.M. Carrol, who I read whenever I don't know what's even happening with my life and I want to feel something. Similarly to works of E.M. Carrol, this book puts you into the mind of the main character, who is clearly going through something and is suffering due to it. The limited palette draws your senses sharper and the irregular paneling makes you understand the skill of the author. At least for me, this was mainly about the feeling that was conveyed through the book rather than the story. Don't get me wrong, it's thought and is great, but it functions more as the vessel for the feeling rather than the other way around.
I loved it, gonna be buying a physical copy when it comes out.

At the moment I am having a knack for obscure comics and books! An artstyle so interesting paired with a story of queer love and mental illness so deep got me down to my bones.
I just loved the story and the scenery!

This graphic novel follows Lamont and explores the complexities of grieving a family member, who was seen positively by the wider community, but was a source of pain for him. I think that the story captures the feelings of coming to terms with your sexuality, navigating religious trauma, and healing in the arms of a comforting partner. As such, I know a lot of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals will relate to the story.

I absolutely loved the art as well, and even though the pacing was quick and it felt like some of the story was being told off of the pages, I didn't have any issues following along and absolutely devoured this book so quickly. The depth of exploration it had regarding grief and shame was impressive, as this is a quick read, and it felt very true to how an individual like Lamont would feel navigating the world while holding so much hurt.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC.

This book was strange and beautiful all at once.

It excels at showing without telling, so I had to reread it cover to cover the second I finished it. Some of my questions were never explained (were all the deaths from natural causes?) but I suppose that wasn't the point. No, this is Lamont's story, It's an extended metaphor about escaping and one's abuser. All the while, little recipies for homemade teas are sprinkled between the pages, adding a little gentleness and sweetness.

Lamont's coming out had me snot with laughter. It felt so raw and authentic. Him and Coyote make a cute pair.

All in all, a slightly experimental graphic novel, beautiful and strange.

The drawing style is spiky and pointed, rather than rounded and bubbly, and it fits with the story. Use of vivid color is effective. The teas were a joy. I really enjoyed this. The topic, the format, the big feels were all relatable.

Heaven, West Virginia is a beautifully simple yet powerful graphic novel. Stunning art, sparse words, and themes of grief, regret, and new beginnings make it a story you can truly dive into. As an Appalachia fan, I loved every page!

Another graphic novel from Oni Press so I thought it would be worth a shot.

A fascinating journey through a young person’s journey after the death of his father who wasn’t the good man that everyone said he was, in this I can really sympathise.

Lamont goes to live with his Aunt in Heaven, West Virginia, a person who is the opposite of her brother, caring, supportive, but still brooks no rubbish.

Whilst exploring the forests and meadows surrounding their house Lamont is followed by a darkness in the shape of a wolf, never quite able to face it, always overwhelmed by it.

A book of revelations, acceptance, change, and grief.

The illustrations support Lamont’s raw realisations about who he is and what is father subjected him to, and the growth that a calm space with supportive people can start off.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful, heart-warming (literally, if you make the teas from the recipes scattered throughout the book), kind and gentle story about a gay man whose bigoted father dies. In the aftermath of his father's death, Lamont goes to his Aunt Latoya, who lives in the woods and makes tisanes and teas and oils and all sorts of things. There, Lamont is able to explore the woods, the deadliness of which he obsesses over, feels as though he is being followed by a red-eyed beast, and meets a local goat farmer with whom he has an undeniable spark. This is a story about working through trauma caused by parents, forced closeting, and other issues, and it's told in a lovely way with beautiful art.

this is such a beautiful graphic novel in every way. the artwork is stunning and so visually engaging and it's such a heartfelt depiction of the complications of grief and trauma and how sometimes grief can set you free.

there is also real tea recipes from appalachian forgeable as breaks between scenes which is extremely cool and also sweet in the way it connects to the story.

also, i really think we should start normalising telling the truth about people after they die. sometimes a family member dies and you NEED to be able to say 'they were a bad person'.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️

The art of this graphic novel is absolutely beautiful. I appreciated the themes of processing trauma and reclaiming identity, though I'm not sure I would categorize this book as horror. To me, it was much more of a character study, as the plot is somewhat minimal, and the horror elements aren't overly prominent. I still enjoyed the art and found myself rooting for the protagonist to break free of the past and its destructive patterns.

An honestly gorgeous glance into trauma and grief, and the journey one must go through to process it. The spiky and 'harsh' art style and the recipes thrown in were honestly some of my favorite things about this book, and I loved seeing parts of my identity as a queer Appalachian represented through such a wonderful piece.

4.5 I loved this one! Beautiful illustrations and a great story I'd definitely read this again, I may have to buy a physical copy