What did we do to deserve this amazing book? It was so perfect I fell a little in love with everything, the characters, the art, the colours, the story, the relationships, everything. I just want to hug it forever. This is the kind of story that makes you feel warm all over and I think I'm gonna reread it a lot of time.

From the beginning I was intrigued by the story and I couldn't stop reading till I finished it was so fascinating? A universe with magic, witches, werewolves, spirits, it was all very magical from the beginning to the end. And the main characters were adorable! Both Chinese American Nova is hard-of-hearing and wears hearing aids and Tam is nonbinary and they were both completely adorable and cute and I want to protect them. Their relationship was the greatest, they were here for the other and supporting each other and it was all fluffy.

Basically the entire thing was amazing and the best and I'm gonna lie on the floor thinking about it for days.

A very well-done and conceptualized idea about a fledgling relationship between a non-binary and hard of hearing character. I was completely immersed in this simple and lovely tale from beginning to end.

If there is is one thing that I can say with absolute certainty, it's this: this graphic novel helped change my definition of what a graphic novel could be. Not only is this amazing for identity, both for Asian and LGBTQ+ rep, but it allows for a story where those facets don't become the central plot point. Nowadays, as much as I love stories that explore and enrich these identities, I think that it's just as important to have stories about Asian witches and non binary werewolves living their lives. All gushing aside, the thing that took me the longest to come around on was the art style. It really took a handful of pages to grow on me, but once I was sold, I was sold!

This graphic novel is just fantastic. It is fantastically diverse with both MC’s being Chinese-American, Tam is non-binary with clear use of they/them pronouns, Nova is hard of hearing with her hearing aids being referred to many times (including doing some kick ass magic with them), and she lives with her grandmas who are in a relationship with each other. The diversity is effortlessly clear and natural which makes it beautiful. It just exists on the page without discussion or explanation.

All of this is packaged up in a fantastic daemon fighting, witchy tale with werewolves, science loving (yet accepting of the withciness) friends, sweet reuniting romance, family focus and daemon fighting!

The artwork is also GORGEOUS! It suits the storyline so much with a lovely whimsy to it. It just draws out beautiful subtle moments of the story with little details in the background (look out for the cats they are fantastic). Overall this is just a fantastic graphic novel and I can’t wait to get a copy and re-read it in full colour.

A cute, and somewhat sugary LGBT+ inclusive graphic novel about a witch and a werewolf.

The story focuses on a witch named Nova and her non-binary childhood friend named Tam who just so happens to be a werewolf. After moving away Tam found themselves back in Nova's neck of the woods trying to defeat a horse demon that their wolf magic had woken up. After hearing about some magical commotion in the woods, Nova investigates and finds Tam in their wolf form.

I personally found it to be a quick and lighthearted read. It was really refreshing in many ways, but being a quick read I felt the plot was a bit thin and some of the subjects weren't explored as much as they could be. Still, I did enjoy the art style and the characters, I just wish there was a little bit more to it.

I just got this eARC via Netgalley from the Publishers in return of an honest review. I was curious to see what this story was about.

The main characters are two teenage girls who meet again after they have been separated during childhood, by Tam's family moving away from the town.

Now Tam is back in town and she is on a mission. She has something to set right. But before she can do so, Nova, finds her. Nova lives with her Grannas as her parents died and currently learns more about being a witch.

Together they set out to deal with the demon that hunts the woods around the town. And as they do so, they discover more about themselves, find new strengths and start to move on.

I loved the artwork in this book, and the main story line including a witch and werewolf with special magical powers provides lots of twists and turns. I also loved how the two teenagers grew back into a nurturing relationship with each other. What felt somewhat forced is the romance, it felt very rushed and not very believable specially with the hurts that happened in the past.

The representation of growing up with a hearing impairment on the other hand is very well done.

Oh friends, this was truly the graphic novel I’ve been waiting forever for. From witchy magic, to unconditional family and found family love, to being the person you want to be on your own time, to the cutest F/NB relationship ever, I am so in love with Mooncakes!

One night, in a sleepy and paranormal New England town, a witch follows a white wolf into the woods. She doesn’t know what to expect, but it most certainly isn’t a horse demon fighting with her childhood crush! With the help of one another (and some cute grandmas) they unfold a story about a cult and people wanting to harness werewolf magic for their own.

And the two main characters of this graphic novel are everything! One, being Nova, who is Chinese-American, and still coping with the loss of her parents, while living with her two grandmothers (be still, my heart). All of these women are witches and collect rare spell books! And Tam, who is also Chinese-American, and a nonbinary werewolf who grew up with Nova, but recently left their family who wasn’t very kind to them.

And if I haven’t already sold you with the plot and the five star rating, this is also just a story about two young adults learning who they want to be, both separately and together. Nova and Tam are both dealing with hurt from their parents, and even though it is a different kind of hurt, they are there for one another, and unconditionally support one another. It’s beautiful, and powerful, and I had the biggest smile on my face while reading from the first to last page.

Overall, this really was the queer, magical story that I’ve always wanted. I loved the rep, I loved the story, I loved the illustrations, I love the banter, and I truly love both of these main characters so very much. I can’t wait to see what Wendy and Suzanne do next! Also, I’m totally buying mooncakes on the way home tomorrow, because your girl has such a craving.

Mooncakes is the queer, witchy tale that we're all looking forward to in October 2019--and it definitely delivers on its cute vibes.

Art: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★

I was so excited to read this ARC that the minute I was able to read it on NetGalley, I started it. The hype for this sweet graphic novel has been so real. It (mostly) lived up to its expectations.

Nova Huang is a hearing-impaired witch living with her two grandmothers and helping them run their local bookstore. Hidden in plain sight, these witches make a cute living as booksellers and overall peacekeepers for the town. One day, Nova finds a white wolf in the woods battling a demon--in a surprising turn of events, the wolf turns out to be Nova's childhood best friend, Tam.

Tam Long is a non-binary werewolf who ran away from their mom and stepdad due to some family troubles and has found themselves in a spot of trouble, i.e. a demon that seems intent on tracking them down. Tam comes to Nova for help, and soon the grandmas, Nova, and Tam are embroiled in a drama to find out who is behind the demon and to stop them before they get to Tam.

Oh, and there may or may not be some adorable feelings between Nova and Tam along the way.

Can this magical duo save their town from the demon?

I found Mooncakes to be both everything I wanted it to be and...a little slow. I wish we had gotten to some plot drivers sooner, and spent less time on certain dialogue-heavy scenes that almost repeated themselves a few times throughout the story.

However, that being said, I still loved this cute story. I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy this October so that I can relive the gorgeous artwork while in the proper season.

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Lion Forge for giving me an arc of this gr novel to read. Mooncakes had the possibility to be such a cute and wholesome story with some great representation. The art also matches the tone of the story perfectly and gives off this perfect autumn vibe.

The art of this graphic novel was so fitting for the story being tools with its soft colors and clean lines. Xu did ai really good job at illustrating the world of Mooncakes . from the color of with outside scenery, the outfits, the old books, and crystals; Xu did a wonderful job at making this graphic novel relay feel like a modern fantasy set in fall.

The characters were also favorites of mine in Mooncakes. I love the diverse and represented character and that’s exactly what you get in the graphic novel. Nova being partially deaf, being raised by a non-nuclear family, Tam being nonbinary, and every one treating as something normal. No one in the book bats an eye or gets confused when Tam wants to be called by “Them” or “They “. I love seeing stuff like this normalized in any book so seeing makes it all the more likable to me.

The one that this graphic novel is lacking in is storytelling. The story seemed rushed near the end making the climax just seem not that very climatic to me. There was also a lot of things that were never delved into, just mentioned most of the time. This made the story and the world of Mooncakes feel as though it didn’t have very much depth.

Such a beautiful and fantastical book with great LGBT+ representation! I really liked the story and the fantasy elements - it broaches the witchcraft story line differently than I've seen before. The illustrations are also beautifully done. This will definitely be on my recommendation list!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Mooncakes made me smile. I loved the story, the illustrations and the overall concept of this book. I can't wait for Mooncakes to be released in October and to see all the illustrations in colour.

The representation of LGBTQ+ was amazing, and I loved that using the correct pronounce was a big topic in the story (especially since nobody made it awkward and after the mention by the POC, everyone used it correctly).

I LOVED Mooncakes! A cute, cozy romance with awesome illustrations! Will definitely read again! One of the best books/graphic novels I have read this year!

2.5 stars.

this was really cute and had some good representation and BEAUTIFUL illustrations, but that was all it really had going for it. i wasn't a huge fan of the insta-love or very predictable story arc. read more like a middle grade story than young adult.

but it's a good spooky read for when it is released in october.

What an absolutely adorable graphic novel! I am a sucker for anything witchy and I absolutely loved this. The representation was amazing. 1 female/female romance and 1 female/non=binary romance. One of the main characters wears hearing aids. Another character promotes fat rep. The artwork was great! Loved the coloring. I just loved this and it was everything I wanted it to be!

So this was a super sweet little graphic novel that I genuinely enjoyed reading! The whole thing was very wholesome and vanilla, with a cozy, witchy aesthetic that makes me wish it were spooky season. The plot was satisfying, although there seemed to be a few holes (that could have been a result of me not reading closely enough, though). For a graphic novel, I think the little world was very well-developed, and I liked the witch-culture that it established. I wish there had been a bit more structure to the magic, but that’s a personal preference.

The love-story aspect wasn’t too overwhelming, just really sweet and heartwarming. I love the diversity of the characters, too—from hearing-impaired and Chinese to non-binary and queer, there was no lack of individualism in the protagonists. I liked it because although these characters have these diverse elements as a part of their identity, it doesn’t completely define them. They are just people who happen to have a hearing impairment or be gay. It doesn’t overwhelm the rest of their personality and become their single identifying trait.

And of course, the art! It was drawn in such a lovely and unique style. The colors were beautiful and engaging, and the panels were well-planned and easy to read and follow. My only complaint is that I received an advance copy, so the coloring wasn’t quite finished towards the end of the book. I guess that just means I’ll be buying a hard copy when it’s released :)

Bonus: there are cute cats and lots of puns!

This is now one of my favorite graphic novels!! The story and the art was so cute and I loved the relationships in it!. There's only one time that Tam is misgendered and it's immediately corrected with ease. I also really loved the ending, it was perfect in many many ways. I highly recommend this and I'm definitely gonna buy it when it comes out!!

The diverse rep in Mooncakes:
• Tam and Nova are both Chinese Americans
• Tam and Nova are both queer
• Tam is non-binary
• Nova is hard of hearing

I was provided this graphic novel (as an advanced reader copy) by NetGalley. All views expressed in this review are my own.

This was very cute. I was expecting that, ever since I first heard about this graphic novel's release a few months ago. I never followed this in its webcomic days, but I think it works really well in this new published form. The ARC is partially finished artwork and partially sketches and line art, which I know will be different in its finished form.

The first thing I want to comment on is the fact that when I first heard about this, people were saying it was a sapphic romance. While there is a sapphic romance between the protagonist Nova's grandmothers, Nova herself ends up in a relationship with a character who uses they/them pronouns. I don't believe their gender is specified, so I don't want to say what Tam identifies as, but while this is still a queer romance it is NOT sapphic.

This is a story about a young witch named Nova who lives with her grandmothers, who run a book shop/magic emporium of sorts. Nora's parents are dead and only visit in their ghost forms for holidays, but she has a very good relationships with both of her nanas. She stumbles across a horse demon living in the woods of her town, and while there she reconnects with her childhood best friend Tam (who just so happens to be a werewolf). They realize their feelings for each other and fall in love across days of trying to find and banish the demon from their town. The truth behind the demon threatens Tam's life and welfare, and Nova and her nanas realize that there is something sinister about other witches in town.

I know that this short summary makes this story sound dark but I promise it isn't. There are some darker elements and moments of familial discord, but overall it has a happy ending. I am planning to purchase this once it is published!

Beautiful artwork and representation, this will be a hit with reluctant and avid readers alike. Wish there had been a bit more plotting and development to the storytelling as well as a better understanding of the significance of Mooncakes. Still - these are minor critiques to an overall enjoyable story.

LOOOOOVED. Everything I wanted and needed. The representation was so full and diverse in every single aspect. This was the first book I've ever actually read with a non-binary character so it was great to see from a perspective I never have before. This had all the witchy and fall vibes I could ever ask for in a graphic novel. I can't wait until it comes out in October so I can get my hands on a finished copy and see all the lovely illustrations in full color. I can't wait!!!

I definitely recommend getting your hands on this when it comes out!

In this graphic novel Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu was an amazing read! We have a lot of diversity and a lot of ppl of color and I loved that! 5/5 stars!(: