Cute love story between two girls, a witch and a shapeshifter. Nova is a hearing impaired orphan that lives with her grandmas. They are a family of witches that run a bookstore with the special books in the back. She runs into her old friend, that she fell in love with before, tam. Tam is a shapeshifter. She turns into a wolf and her preferred pronoun is they. She has run fr her family because of her stepfather. Tam is being chased by a demon horse. They come together to help defeat the demons and they also grow up together. This is a really cute love story that is all inclusive. I would recommend this to all my friends. I look forward to adding it to my collection.

This is a sweet love story with a side of action, adventure, and magic. The plot and magical elements take a backseat to the charming, diverse set of characters and their relationships to one another. The non-binary werewolf character uses they/them pronouns, which is a great step for representation in books for young people! Also, the young witch (who wears hearing aids! yay more representation!) they are in love with has f/f grandparents who reminded me of older, queer versions of Zelda and Hilda from "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." While the plot felt a bit lack-luster, the characters shine through, not to mention the absolutely gorgeous artwork. I would recommend this book to young adult readers (and adults, too!) looking for queer graphic novels. A super cute story that I can see young people falling in love with, too.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this eARC.

What a cute graphic novel! It's spooky and has a mystery and is perfect for this autumn/halloween season! We follow two girls, one is a witch, and the other a werewolf. They grew up together until the werewolf girl had to move away. Eventually they meet up again right as a dangerous spirit has been found in the town that they are both from originally. They work together to solve the mystery of what this spirit is and where it came from. There is also a small budding romance and it is oh so cute! Also the conclusion of the mystery can seem a little bit dark, so be warned hehe.

I rate this 4 stars. It wasn't wow in my face amazing, but I still really enjoyed it, and it was a quick read.

Sweet and magical, 'Mooncakes' is a graphic novel about witches, werewolves, family and love. And although all these sound terribly cliché, its authors have managed to make it unique by adding a variety of representation: one of the protagonists has impaired hearing and is using hearing aids while she is also half Asian, there's a bunch of LGBTQ+ characters, while most of the characters that appear in this graphic novel are definitely not on the skinny side.

While 'Mooncakes' has a very interesting and whimsical premise, I found it a little lacking in some aspects. First of all, the story starts in medias res, kind of in the middle of things, and although I understand there are things that have happened between the characters before the beginning of the story, the main romance and the intimacy of the main characters' relationship did seem very rushed and rather unfounded. The art was a bit awkward in certain panels, and the plot and its resolution felt a but rushed and naive at certain points. However, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading it.

I really loved the characters and this magical world that the authors created - witches in our world and their magical antics reminds me a lot of many of my childhood stories, so it made me feel quite nostalgic. Overall, 'Mooncakes' is a very pleasant read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a witchy, light and feel-good read.

First up a big thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for allowing me to read this one.

Sadly... this one wasn't for me. I have heard so much about this one, and I was so excited. But it just was bland and flat and I gave up after 50 pages. There was just something missing. For instance the relationships, Tam and Nova are instantly romantic and while they apparently have a history it just felt very much insta-love because we don't see much of that history except a few sentences here and there and one little flashback.
Plus, why is Nova going outside in the dark woods? Is that her job? Is that something she has to do as a witch?

I did love the variety of the cast and also the fact our MC has hearing aids (which I rarely see or read about in books). The art was fairly fun and cute. I did like the magic aspect. But yeah, it could have been a bit better executed, now it just didn't hold my attention at all. I would have liked to get a proper introduction to the characters.

So despite not finishing it I will give it 2 stars for the good points I mentioned.

So many cool pieces going on in this one! Graphic novel, awesome hair (this is really a side note!), non-binary rep, queer rep, Chinese rep, hearing aids rep, and oh yeah... witches and werewolves.

Especially loved the two grandma characters and the mid autumn festival celebration.

I can see this one being fun and interesting starting at the late middle grade/middle schoolers realm. Super fun and unique and cute love story wrapped in too. I’m curious to see what the final product looks like, as well.

3/3.5 for the story and writing, but overall 4 stars for me because all of the moving pieces were intriguing and refreshing.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lgbtq+ romances are some of my favorite to read for graphic novels and this was absolutely one of the best I've read. The characters were diverse (non binary, Chinese-American, hard of hearing) and well developed. Each character felt unique with their own story. The art style was beautiful and put me in the mood for autumn and Halloween. One of my favorite themes in books is found family and I saw a lot of that in Mooncakes. I wish some stuff would have been better explained without having the reader just accept points of the story with no backstory (what happened to Nova's parents). Overall, this was an instant favorite of mine and I will be buying a copy when it is released this fall.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC for me in exchange for an honest review!

Mooncakes was such a nice graphic novel to read! I found myself turning page after to page to keep seeing hat was going to happen! The art is absolutely gorgeous and the story itself is so cute and sweet.

I do wish we got more information on the backstory of the characters, however, since it would have helped connect the reader to the characters more. I also wish we could have gotten an in-depth explanation of the magic system in this world as well.

Regardless, Mooncakes was adorable and I loved every second of it!

This was such an adorable and heartwarming graphic novel. It’s packed with witchy vibes, a sweet young romance, werewolf magic, and the strength and pure love that a family—both biological and found—can give. Between the art and the story itself, it really captures the feeling of Fall—cooler weather, cozy nights, spooky feels, changing leaves. I found myself easily transported into this world, the atmosphere almost tangible. It is an absolutely beautiful read on so many levels.

In this story, we follow two best friends. Nova Huang is a brilliant, Chinese-American teenage witch who works with her two grandmothers in their bookshop. She helps them loan out books on spells while also going out and investigating any odd, supernatural happenings around their town in New England. Tam Lang, Nova’s childhood best friend, is a Chinese-American, nonbinary werewolf…and also Nova’s long-time crush.

The pair have lived apart for a few years with Tam having to constantly wander to escape those who wish to harness her power for evil. Then, one night, Nova stumbles across Tam battling a horse demon in the woods outside town. Soon, Tam, Nova, and the grandmothers team up to fight the forces pursuing Tam and defend the magic of the wolves. And something even more powerful is being rekindled between Nova and Tam.

My favorite part of this novel is the illustrations. They are absolutely perfect for the story and portray the tone of it incredibly well. Just the color scheme alone—deep, rich tones with a somewhat muted look—immediately sets the atmosphere of the novel. The colors Xu uses capture the mysterious and dangerous undertones of the text while also creating a feeling of warmth and welcoming to match the themes of family and love. And the style of the illustrations themselves is one of my favorites out of all the graphic novels I’ve ever read.

The story is also written so well and it is fantastic to see so much diversity being put into this novel. It is a perfect addition to the ever-growing library of LGBT+ young adult books. The characters are brought to life and developed extremely well in such a short amount of time. Walker does a great job forming the relationships between the characters and the close ties they share. Nova is a strong, intelligent, and brave young witch who will drop everything to help her loved ones and community. And Tam, equally strong but lost and hurting, finds love, comfort, and a sense of belonging that, as a whole, help her fight for herself and those she cares about.

The only thing I wish is that the novel was longer. There were a few parts of the story that I felt were just a bit underdeveloped. I would have loved to see more back story for both of the main characters, particularly Nova and her family. I would also have loved to see more of Nova and Tam’s relationship progress as well as learn in more depth about the magical aspects of the story—both good and evil. Also…I just need more of this!

Mooncakes is a beautifully-crafted and magical graphic novel. I can’t think of any better way to describe my experience with this novel than by saying that it made my heart happy. It has everything I love—queer romance, the unconditional love of found family, witches, werewolves, magical animals, and libraries of spells. What more could you want?! I very highly recommend picking it up this fall to read during a cozy night in with a warm drink (and maybe a snack cause, oh boy, was I craving mooncakes after this). This is truly an enchanting story that readers of any age will love.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The title, the cover, the hype... I had to pick this one up and I'm so glad I did.

This book is an absolute treat and I loved every minute. The artwork is fantastic and just my type. The characters are sweet and lovely. The supernatural parts feel like they fit into the real world so well...

This is where I start to feel horrible about my inability to write good reviews, because this book deserves so much praise, but I just don't know what to say besides: I think everyone should read this.

Look we have childhood friends reunited with a budding romance. There are LGBT+ characters and non-white characters everywhere making this a gloriously diverse read. The two friends are so fun to read about and I was curious about what was going to happen. There is even the friend who isn't magical (oh no forgot her name), but she is great and a platonic friend. It is nice having a little bit of everything in one book.

Besides the magic though, this is a story about family and about figuring out where to go in life-- finding ones roots and how to grow.

If you like cute graphic novels then you should 100% give this one a try. If you like supernatural or coming of age books, I also recommend this!

I loved the love history between them both, mixed with magic and extraordinary creatures. Its a really sweet and cute comic.

My daughter enjoyed the book and read it very quickly. she said she would like to read more books from these series. She says she would recommend the book to her friends.

This was a delightful, soft, magical graphic novel. It is a perfect way to get into fall and had some amazingly positive vibes. I’m also a sucker for witches! I’d also like to mention that this graphic novel is very queer and I’m so happy! Highly recommend this lovely tale.

Really loved this one! Very inclusive with all diverse characters. Lesbian, non binary rep. Bi racial rep. Hard of hearing rep. Also really enjoyed the artwork, it's beautiful. And just a fun story about witches and werewolves.

Love this graphic novel! The witty banter, and the gorgeous illustrations and colourings. Can I also add that I think this is my first time reading anything magical with the MCs of Asian descendants.

received a free ARC of this cute ass graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel was magical, inclusive, adorable and gorgeous all in one. Witches, werewolves, demons and cults all appear in this quick and cute read. We’re introduced to Nova, a young witch being trained by her grandmothers and helping them keep the town safe. After her best friend tells her she has seen a white wolf in the woods. Nova decides to investigate and discovers that her old friend, Tam, is the wolf that her friend spotted. Tam has come back because they are running from a cult determined to bind them to a demon and the only way to defeat it is by tapping into their wolf magic. Nova vows to help Tam with their problem and in the process Nova and Tam begin to reconnect on a friendship level as well as a romantic one.

Character wise, the Nanas were completely adorable and my favorites without a doubt. They were so cute, understanding, and even funny. Tams’ struggle made me love them and put emotion and sensitivity into the story that I didn’t expect. Nova’s spunk and loyalty are certainly worth envying and made her loveable as well. Honestly, I couldn’t find anything wrong with any of the characters. There’s LGBTQAI rep and differently abled rep that is done so smoothly that I think a lot of authors could certainly take note. They weren’t used as props, but actual characters who faced issues because of their identities, but were also well rounded people. The illustrations were also amazing. Because this was an ARC, there were some chapters that were just drawing drafts without color, but even those were great.

If you’re looking for a cute inclusive read for spooky season, run out and grab this when it’s released on October 15, 2019.

Really cute and magical graphic novel. I loved both main characters and the diversity included in the story. The plot was simple but at the same time very interesting and magical. It was really good overall and I feel like it's the perfect Halloween read , it will give you the right amount of magic /fall mood for this time of year.

This tender, proudly queer graphic novel is a huge breath of fresh air from all the fantasy books trying to (and succeeding in) wrecking me. I breezed through this one effortlessly! Plus, the illustrations are so adorable and I just felt all warm and soft throughout the story.

Full review to follow (and will be posted on my blog!).

This is the cutest read ever, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I definitely recommend that others go on this spellbinding adventure of magic.

I liked both the story and the drawings, but the whole book in general didn't <i>amaze</i> me. Though I loved the reunion between Tam and Nova, and I'd particularly recommend this to young adults/middle graders who'd enjoy to better understand what being a queer means, as an adult I feel like the general plot isn't that original or intriguing. It made me think I already heard about this somewhere, or I could predict what later happened. Anyway, I think this is aimed to a younger public than I am, and if it's your case, read it - that's a very cool graphic novel!