I requested this comic because the few manga and comics I had read about ghosts that involved relationships had always been really interesting. This is top three of all the ghost books, comics, or manga I have read. It was that good.

The book focuses on the relationship between Blue and Hamal. Blue is a ghost that follows Hamal around. They became close after Blue died because Hamal was the only person around that could see ghosts. Blue and Hamal are surrounded by random other ghosts, which can cause issues for Hamal. 

The story was so sweet. I was getting so worried when the major conflict of the book started. There was so much world that hadn't been explained yet that anything could happen. Blue and Hamal don't know how things work so the world wasn't explained. It was a great build up. As they learned things or didn't learn things, the reader did. It kept me guessing and it kept me enthralled. The lore of ghosts is so different between authors that I didn't know where to go. 

I loved the cutesy art. This is one of my favorite styles when it comes to part romance, part supernatural comics, manga, and graphic novels. I don't know why. The cuteness helps soften the blow of the horror. There isn't a focus on blood and gore with this style. Things seem more believable for some reason. Whatever it is, I love it.

This is a lovely story.

Hamal is a young man who works at a gardening centre. He also has the ability to see ghosts and he has a number of friends around the town who are ghosts. One these ghostly friends is Blue. Blue is actually in love with Hamal but he is a ghost and so this is a love that isn't going anywhere fast, but both Hamal and Blue enjoy each other's company.

Things start to change when Blue and some of the other ghosts find that they sometimes slip into a different dimension. This is a dark dimension belonging to the Reaper and it appears that somehow Hamal has upset the balance of life and that balance must be restored even if this requires a death.

I thought this was a lovely story with good art. It is a gentle kind of love story but it also has creepy edge to it because it involves ghosts I enjoyed reading it but I felt as if some of the story was missing. The story kind of jumped ahead without explaining key parts in more details. I found myself flipping back to see if I had somehow missed some pages. This didn't spoil the story for me but it does feel as if some parts are missing

It is still a lovely, gentle story and a nice read.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you think the cover is cute just imagine the possibilities when you open the pages of Taproot.

Hamal is a gardener who can see ghosts. Blue is a ghost that hangs around Hamal and also happens to be in love with him...

This was really adorable, the writing, and the plot were engaging. The artwork is the type of style I love. I was never bored and seriously how cute could Hamal and Blue be? Hamal is this sweet guy who loves plants. He has a kind soul. He talks to ghosts and listens to their problems. He doesn't understand why he can see ghosts but he will be getting a visit soon from a reaper. But before that, Blue is around trying to get Hamal to talk to this girl named Chloe. He clearly likes him but he's dead so he knows that it would never work. He wants Hamal happy. What I love about these two is that they are both such sweethearts. Their connection is kind and warm.

Now that reaper... Ghosts have starting to be pulled into a forest that looks a bit daunting and has a reaper lurking in it. There is a lot of sadness and not knowing going around that pull. It reminded me kind of Stranger Things but not terrifying. From here on out there were parts of the story that didn't flow completely right. There were interesting and touching moments but there could have been a further explanation here and there about certain things. It seemed like the characters were keeping things that they were aware of and the readers weren't so when the story progressed the flow was off. Other than that, this was a sweet story with some potential for further publications. I would like to read them with more details on certain things missed in this first book but continue with the style of the story.

A beautifully illustrated, heartfelt love story about a gardener, a ghost, and some supernatural shenanigans.

I loved so much about this graphic novel. From the characters to the illustrations.

The author/artist really did a fabulous job creating the characters. I liked how they weren't glamourised; they had noticeable flaws, wether personality wise or looks. Which was one of my favourite things. It made them come alive on the page. Not everyone is perfect.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this novel to be hilarious. I expected it to be rather serious and yes it had some serious vibes but the author doesn't over do it. I can tell the author had a lot of fun creating the graphic novel. It shows by the amount of effort taking to create each scene.

I have one issue involving the plot. It could have been fleshed out a little more. I have some questions that went unanswered. But other than that I honestly can't complain.

Overall, A really great 4 star read. I'd defiantly recommend this and I may even buy it when it comes out in paperback. 🙂

Esta cosita ha sido lo más cuqui que me ha pasado últimamente. Es un cómic muy cortito y dulce, en el que el dibujo y el color combinan perfectamente con el ambiente y los temas. Tiene como protagonista a una niña que salva a un dragón del té y gracias a él encuentra la tetería de la ciudad, regentada por dos antiguos aventureros. Allí conoce a Minette, una profetisa que ha perdido la memoria, y juntas aprenden el arte de hacer té a partir de las hojas de los dragones.

Además de adorable es la cosa más casualmente inclusiva que he encontrado jamás, todos los personajes tienen distintos tonos de piel (y algunos rasgos no muy humanos), Erik va en silla de ruedas, Minette tiene pérdidas de memoria, y tiene los romances queer más bonitos y sutiles del mundo. Trata algunos temas tan curiosos como conservar las tradiciones y si hay lugar para la artesanía en el futuro, y enlazándose con estos presenta los conflictos de las protagonistas sobre a qué quieren dedicar su vida. Es una pena que no veamos más del mundo de fantasía en el que tiene lugar, porque deja entrever cosas muy interesantes (monstruos, profetisas, magos) pero se centra en la vida mundana de una niña pequeña. En cierto modo es un slice of life pero enmarcado en un mundo fantástico muy original.

Me ha parecido encantador y súper agradable de leer (aparte de cierta puñalada romántica que fue directa a mi corazón). Me encantaría que lo convirtieran en una historia más larga, pero la verdad es que como un proyecto pequeñito se potencian sus puntos fuertes. Podéis empezar a leerlo en su web: The Tea Dragon Society, pero la versión completa tiene más páginas y contenido extra, como una explicación sobre los dragones del té y un manual que detalla cada tipo que existe: su tamaño y peso, qué partes se usan para hacer el té, los cuidados especiales que necesitan... Y sinceramente, ¿a quién no le gusta ver dragoncitos adorables?

An intriguing story with a surprising and original twist that hooked me right in! Interested to see more!

This was a really cute story about a necromancer/florist and his ghost boyfriend. I absolutely loved the art and the overall style, but I felt like it could maybe have been a little bit longer. I would have liked a little bit more plot detail, but it was still really fun and we can always use more magical realism with cute queer couples.

The author of this cute queer graphic novel, has done what so many authors have said they do, write the stories they wanted to read, in this case one with queer characters.

And I can't say how often I have said this, but representation is important. Having stories, normal, well if you can call a ghost story normal, about queer folk tells people out there that what is going on with them is not an anomaly, that they can be in society.

I love that this is a ghost story. When I was younger the only stories you could get that had queer folk in it were either coming out stories, or porn. This is just a ghost story about a boy, Blue, who is in love with Hamel, who is alive. But the good thing is that Hamel can see and hear Blue, so Blue can at least talk to him.

And that is the point that the story builds on that Hamel can hear ghosts, and that is unusual, and is used by a death type demon to do his work for him.

Cool story.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Taproot sounded very interesting and that it was. Hamal is an gardener who can see ghosts and thus he can see Blue, a guy who died and has a hard time moving on. They both are in love with each other, but darkness lurks and the reaper needs our gardener to fix his badly gone necromancing to heal the plants. Healing does good for Blue too. I really enjoyed the gardening thing and a different kind of approach to necromancing. The story is heartwarming, cute and a little dark too. A great blend of feelings and hollowness! For me their romance was too instant without a well-constructed pace. I wish the comic had been longer and the beginning thus slower, since the feelings don't grow in this tiny space. Like flowers, they need room to be perfect. Also, the necromancing part would've needed explaining, since Hamal isn't your typical necromancer.

The art is a bit crude, but I enjoyed the thin line art. The greenish color theme was wonderful and magical even, which worked nicely. There's slight haziness, which annoys me as the lines seem to disappear making this look like it's not finished. The lack of shading adds to this, although you can see it as a style too. The unfinished touch isn't my cup of tea. I do like the art style though, since it's crude and wonky at times and somehow reminds me of fairy tales gone bonkers. Taproot is an great add to the line of LGBTQ comics, even though it's not too deep and meaningful, but more like nice and cute.

Ivan and I read this one last night. It's about 128 pages, but it goes really fast. I think this is giving the backstory of Hamal and Blue. Blue is a ghost who has a crush on Hamal. Hamal is also the first human to be able to see and interact with Blue.

But Hamal is in trouble and Blue may be the only one who can save him.

I didn't think anything was too inappropriate, but it does deal with death and ghosts. Blue and Hamal are both boys, and they do have some romance going on. I thought it was really quite sweet, and Ivan (8 years old) just loved the story. He didn't even mention the romance aspect. I thought he'd mention that they were both boys, but he just rolled with it.

A quick and enjoyable read. I can't wait to see more from Keezy Young.

I loved (loooooooooooved) this graphic novel. I hated (despised?) the sub title. Let's get that out of the way so I can be super excited. See section "UGH!" later in the review for a medium sized rant.

Hamal makes plants grow as a caretaker in a flower nusery. He nurtures the plants and sometimes sings to them. They grow despite the conditions. People trust him to help.

Hamal also cares for the dead. He can see ghosts, speak to ghosts, and befriends them. They do not frighten him, he has spoken to them most of his life, even before he knew what they were.

When Hamal meets Taye "Blue" Alvarado, his world axis flips. Blue is dead, nailed by a truck. While his corporeal life ended, Blue found himself suck and he never left the earth. Meeting Hamal struck down his loneliness.

Out of concern for him, Blue is perpetually attempting to talk Hamal into dating beautiful women, being happy, finding love. Hamal however, has already found love. Blue. He loves Blue, utterly and completely.

On a disturbing tangent and with increased frequency, Blue has been stepping out of reality, finding himself walking in an etherial forest of death. The other ghosts Hamal cares for also spend time in the forest, unaware of the cause for their displacement. When a reaper locates Blue in the forest, he advises that Hamal is unknowingly using Necromancy and killing his world. If he doesn't stop, those things he loves may be destroyed and the forest, may consume Blue.

Hamal and Blue need to set the world in balance before it ends.

Holy.. This comic broke my heart. To be spoiler free, I cannot describe how, but it has been a long time since a single page of a comic gutted me and brought me to tears. The characters are so damn genuine, it just hurts.

The artwork in this comic is also something unique. Looking at Keezy Young's website, it is clear that this style is nothing new for the author. There are several web comics and long term projects which share it. I didn't know that I cared for the artistic style, feeling unfinished / hurried. Soon after starting, I embraced it at a genetic level. I came full circle and found myself nostalgicly remembering early Miyazaki work and the even more nostalgic 'Enchanted Journey' from 1984 (city chipmunks moving to a forest).

The Reaper was a real treat. In opposition to the personalities of Hamal and Blue, I was really astounded by the conciseness and Reaper character. Visually and in text, it acted as a wonderful offset...

Simplistic, but deep. This is a highly suggested work to seek out on publication. I will also be digging into the other work Keezy has created.

UGH!
I have a complaint... The subtitle....."A Story about a Gardner and a Ghost".. Fuck that. Why even write that.. It pigeon holes this entire work as being some silly undertaking before anyone even hears the premise. The author's website adds insult to injury by describing "Taproot is about a gardener who can see ghosts, and the ghost who falls in love with him." Both of these dimish the work, clipping key tendons right before a big race.

This is a fragile balance between life and death. It is about Hamal and his link to the ecosystem of his world and his ability to both take and provide. One could easily infer that the term Taproot is referencing Hamal as a central life support for everything that depends on him.

It just irks me, and begins the novel like a gimmick rather than the beautiful thing it really is.

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Disclosure: This Graphic Novel was provided for review purposes by the Publisher. They made no claim that lack of review would result in an unmarked package arriving filled with nervous Gila Monsters. Nor did they thinly veil statements about where a secret stash of anti-venom was located. All of that was in my head, which simply means they need to step up their game!

Cool artwork with blending colors and maybe water colors? Fun story for junior readers as well.

Taproot tells the story of Blue and Hamal. Blue is a ghost and Hamal is his best friend. Hamal is human but he can see ghosts.
Problem is, the world starts disappearing for the ghosts and they are sent to a scary forest where everything is dead…

I had a great time reading this. It’s a really short story but with a lot of heart. The characters were great and very well painted, I was really rooting for them.
The artwork was interesting too.
However, at times, it felt like the main intrigue wasn’t explained enough, I would have liked more background or explanations on what was happening and why, or even more clarifications on the actions of the characters that, at times, seemed weird to me… Some things just seemed to happen out of the blue, I guess...
I feel like I’m not making any sense but I don’t know how to properly explain it. I’m sure you would understand if you read this book, which I really recommend you to do btw.