A gorgeously colored book with some great themes and even better characters. But ultimately this plot was all over the place, and that made it hard to read. So while I'm extremely happy with the representation in this novel, I would say that if you choose to pick it up, be patient with it. Don't go into it expecting action... even though it takes place on a spaceship. I think if I knew what I was getting into, I would have enjoyed it more.

Tillie Walden's work is always an absolute pleasure to read. Walden is an exceptional talent in the comics industry that never fails to disappoint and On a Sunbeam is another wonderful addition to her works.

This book will be perfect for high school students who love sci-fi or fantasy but are looking for a story that is relatable to everyday teenage life. Friends, family, relationships and more. It is in a graphic novel format, which will attract so many readers! I really like the coloring that Walden uses, keeping it to a minimum number of colors, for simplicity. You can really see the emotions that the characters have both with the illustrations and in the words. For a graphic novel, this book is really quite long, 500 pages in the ARC, but it does not feel like a long book. It is long enough for the characters to really develop, and for the reader to really get to know them. Definitely a must for any public or high school library.

Tillie Walden has cemented herself as an incredibly emotive comic artist as is proven with the dazzling On a Sunbeam where a group of travellers catalogue and restore old ruins spread throughout the universe. Captivating and hopeful, On a Sunbeam is a fantastic novel of discovering what it means to be human and to love with simply stunning illustrations.

On a Sunbeam is a fantastic graphic novel. The setting may be science fiction, but the plot is driven by the characters - in particular Mia - and I'd argue the book is more about relationships and found family bonds, and would interest anyone who likes those kinds of stories, than about space. (Although the space elements are quite interesting. I absolutely loved the space ship design.) Walden's use of color excellently highlights and heightens the emotional tone of each scene; her artwork is simple but not boring, and effective. I found myself admiring many panels for the emotional punches conveyed. Another excellent thing about this book is the diversity in this book; the main two relationships feature women loving women and not only is one of the main character's a non-binary person but also there's a discussion about respecting their pronouns that I was glad to see. Overall this is a great addition to any library's graphic novel section.

I am in awe of this book. Seriously. I don't even know where to start with how good this was. I think if you picked out everything I love: space, found families, extraterrestrial cultures, badass ladies and rolled it into one magnificent graphic novel, I still couldn't have imagined how amazing ON A SUNBEAM was.

I will say this: it was a beast. Over 500 pages, it took me a few days to consume, even though I did at lightning speed. I snuck pages whenever I could because I was so wrapped up in the story and the characters.

I don't want to give too much away because I went into this one without really knowing too much and I think that made the experience better. Just know that I want five seasons and a movie with Mia, Grace, Elliot, Jules and the crew and I can guarantee you will too. I can't wait to one day meet Tillie Walden and gush over this in real life. It was such a joy to read. Go download it now and then pre-order it because you're going to need a physical copy to hug.

This science fiction graphic novel is the collected chapters of the webcomic of the same name. The imaginative worlds are beautifully created in simple colors. After finishing school, Mia joins a crew that flies to remote places on other worlds, restoring buildings and structures. Her story unfolds in flashbacks that reveal her past at boarding school, where she fell in love. Her girlfriend was taken home too soon, and for years Mia has dreamt of finding her again. Mia's crew believes in loyalty to one another above all, and they are determined to help her. LGBTQ themes include strong F/F relationships and a nonbinary character.

Wonderful graphic novel with stark, yet emotional imagery. A great novel for first-time readers to the graphic novel genre. Highly recommended!

I found On a Sunbeam to be a visually stunning work with a compelling narrative. Liked how the artwork conveyed the emotions of the characters and complemented the dialogue.

This book is incredibly trippy, to the point where I'm struggling to describe what it's about. It's science fiction where the science is never explained so functionally it's pretty much magic (mysterious ruins! spaceships shaped like fish! giant foxes made out of glowing clouds!) and the worldbuilding is very creative but it's not really fleshed out. On the other hand, if you're into the atmosphere rather than the nuts and bolts, it's extremely ~aesthetic~ and very pretty! The story is told in alternating present-day action and flashbacks that slowly reveal backstory, but without spoiling too much, the seemingly aimless and apathetic main character (Mia) has just joined a small spaceship full of misfits and is still pining for her mysterious lost love (Grace). As she bonds with her new crew (and, in flashbacks to her boarding school days, we find out how she fell in love with and lost Grace), she gets an opportunity to find out what happened to the one who got away. With the exception of Elliott, who is nonbinary, all characters are women; all relationships in the story are wlw and there appears to be no homophobia in-universe but Elliott does experience prejudice from characters who refuse to respect their pronouns. It's a very long for a graphic novel (500+ pages!!!) and it kind of rambles all over, but I enjoyed it? It ends in a satisfying place.

Having read Tillie Walden's graphic memoir - "Spinning", I was thrilled to have a chance to read On a Sunbeam.

The first thing to say is that the artwork is stunning. Walden creates a magical and dream-like reality of floating locations and incredible sports. The story is filled with loves, regrets, pain, and growth. Once I started, I had no choice but to read this cover-to-cover in one sitting.

Apart from the story and the art - something I loved in this was the universe that Walden has created. The gender make-up of the world, the importance of accepting people's chosen pronouns - all of this sits as the normalised background to the actual story. It shows a world the way it could (maybe should) be without making it the focus of the story - and I think that is fantastic.

I will be recommending this publication to others.

This is a disappointing follow-up from Walden considering the mastery on display in "Spinning." The premise sounds exciting: a futuristic space drama, spaceships that look like fish, a forbidden planet...but it all falls flat. Usually an excess of exposition can be a bad thing, but Walden offers none. You'll be at least 100 pages in before you can get your bearings, and that's a problem. Ultimately this feels like a series of set pieces and scenes strung together loosely with little through line or cohesion. It's hard to care about the characters when you know little or nothing about them and thus, their climaxes and arcs are underwhelming.

I found I had a little bit of a difficult time getting into this book. It definitely started off a little slow, but once it picked up, WOW. I loved the world that the author created, and the illustrations were fantastic. So much emotion was evoked in me when reading this, which in my books is the telltale sign of a fantastic story. Definitely will be recommending this one.

This sprawling science fiction adventure starts off a little slow, but manages to pick up the pace and establish its colorful cast of characters just in time. At its heart, it's a story about friendship and family and love and loyalty, and it is pretty much unputdownable. I am going to be pushing it at friends *hard* come its publication date.

(I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)