This was honestly the cutest thing ever! Obsessed with the witchy vibes. I do think it might be better classified as a middle grade book though.

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' by Suzanne Walker with art by Wendy Xu is a graphic novel about magic and family.

Nova works in her grandmothers' bookshop, loaning out spell books. One night out wandering, she hears about a white wolf in the area and discovers that it is an old friend, Tam. There is also a new enemy in the woods and Nora and Tam will need to fight it off.

I liked this story. The setting and characters are nice. The art is also a nice touch.

I really tried to finish this graphic novel but I couldn’t do it. The story to me was all over the place. I had high hopes with the magic, witches and shapeshifter. I did not like the illustrations as I felt they were so dark.

Mooncakes was adorable!!!! What a lovely time reading this and this is the perfect read during the fall time around Halloween.

This is something that is great for any age. Even as an adult I enjoyed it. There is warmth, compassion, love, friendship, innocence.

The plot was easy to follow and the characters were well developed and likeable.

This was a cute little story with lovely art. Ultimately I found it a bit flat; it seemed like we didn't get enough world building or enough romance to be fully engaged with either the magic or the relationship.

This was an absolutely delightful read. The story and art are both fantastic. Super cute romance. Witchcraft, werewolves, bookstores, what more could you ask for?

Cute witchy vibes! The art is in a style that I really appreciate (simple yet not too simple and colourful). The storyline was easy to follow and kept my interest until the end!

I’ve wanted to read this since before it was released. In fact, I even had an e-arc on Netgalley, but unfortunately I couldn’t download the file for some reason. I’ve been looking for a copy ever since but could never find them, and I finally managed to get one a month or so ago! I think they’ve been reprinted as there is still a few available on Blackwell’s and Forbidden Planet if you’re looking for one.

I was a little hesitant that this wouldn’t live up to expectations as I’ve wanted to read it for over a year, but it really did. This was gorgeous. The artwork was absolutely beautiful and the colours were stunning. As soon as I opened the book I knew I was going to love the art style. I devoured this and read it in two sittings (it would have been one if I didn’t stop for a phone call in the middle!).

I loved that this was a contemporary book with paranormal elements that just feel ‘normal’ for the story. It talked about family, friendship and relationships but also demons, magic, witches and werewolves. And I felt like it just worked. Nothing felt forced, it was a perfect combination. There was also so much diversity, with Asian-American main characters, a non-binary main character, queer relationships and even a main character with a hearing impairment. This all felt natural and flowed really well in the story, but are still discussed in relation to it. Nova’s hearing impairment was discussed in relation to her magic, and is not ignored in the face of anything.

I adored everything about this. The characters are lovely and so well written – I related to them instantly and loved their relationships. The world was super interesting. The plot was adventurous, but the story didn’t shy away from important and hard-hitting discussions. The artwork was vibrant and utterly addictive. I’m so, so glad I read this, it felt like a hug, a warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate. I feel like it’s one I will re-read again and again!

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Mooncakes written by Suzanne Walker and illustrated by Wendy Xu is the most adorable graphic novel/comic that I absolutely regret not reading sooner. I did not get around to the review copy I received of it last year, but its Hugo shortlisting (and presence in the voter packet) finally prompted me to pick it up.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

I didn't actually realise, until I started reading, that this was a story about a witch who wears hearing aids and a non-binary werewolf. If I had known, I would have definitely read it sooner! Oh well, the important thing is that I've now read this adorable story and I have added all Xu's planned books to my Goodreads want list and Walker's stories to my Pocket list.

There was only one thing I didn't like about Mooncakes: the fact that this book is the entirety of the story and we won't be getting more. I really enjoyed reading about both characters and the utter charm of the art and worldbuilding (the forest spirits were so cute!) and would love to be able to spend more time with them. That said, the story was not lacking in any way. It was a complete story with a nice arc for the main characters, including cuteness and peril and a happy ending.

I highly recommend Mooncakes to anyone who likes cute graphic novels/comics, paranormal romance and the various representations I mentioned above. I enjoyed it a lot and I am going to be keeping an eye on future work by both of these creators.

5 / 5 stars

First published: 2019, Oni Press
Series: Seems not :-(
Format read: PDF
Source: Publisher via NetGalley and also Hugo Voter Packet

I have been raving about the comic to everyone I know. It was so enjoyable to read such a cute story about witches, love, and family. I loved Nova's grandmothers, as well as Nova's relationship with Tam. Nova is a witch, Tam is a shapeshifter. Someone is using dark magic to hunt shapeshifters, so Tam turns to Nova's family for help. There's humor, mystery, and interesting characters. I adored the lgbtq+ and disability rep.

A cute story between friends who finds a relationship they had forgotten. A little magic, a little mystery, this story is great for everyone.

The Mooncakes graphic novel is a precious and innocent masterpiece. This story is so full of love, compassion, and truths. I found the storyline to be immensely captivating and this graphic was hard to put down because of it. The characters were likable and relatable; and the diversity in this novel is so important, real, and believable.
Alone the synopsis and the cover are intriguing making this one an immediate pickup; then you dive into the novel itself and quickly get sucked in with the beautiful artwork which captures the magical elements of this story perfectly.
The only reason I didn't give this a full five stars is that the ending was expected and no surprise to me who the "bad guy" was.
Overall, cute story and artwork. I will recommend this one for sure!

xx
Haylz

The cover made me hope for some “cooking is magic” action, so I felt a bit betrayed by it when that didn’t happen. Mooncakes had no impact on the plot! But otherwise a cute story. Some coming of age stuff, some excellent representation, but most of the beats felt a bit trite. This didn’t feel like it tread any new ground, which is fine, but disappointing after all of the good stuff I had heard about this. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the art. Most of the characters looked so similar to each other that I had a hard time some times remembering who was whom, and I also found the omnipresent warm color palette monotonous.

I went into this story without knowing anything about it, and was pleasantly surprised! I loved this diverse YA urban fantasy. The plot was super engaging and multi-faceted - which both some minor family drama, a budding romance, and then the A-plot and danger. I absolutely loved the world that Walker and Xu created, and really hope I get to see more someday. Absolutely charming and lovely.

Is this a standalone? Is there going to be more? Because I really need more of this story. I absolutely adored this story and the characters!

Nova is a witch working at her grandmothers' bookshop. She sells magic books as well as finding the source of any supernatural disturbance in her New England town. One night she follows a white wolf that turns out to be her childhood friend Tam. When they realize that there's a major supernatural disturbance in the town, can they work together to fight it?

I loved all of the characters in this story. And I loved the easy acceptance of the magic. Most of all, I loved the easy way that all the characters respected the choices and identities of other characters. The art was great and I feel the characterization in the art was true to the characters. The rep in this book is great as well and I felt like it was done really well. It didn't feel like any of the characters was "token" or inserted for diversity. Everything about this book was great!

Beautiful illustrations and a great story! I loved it! Can’t wait to use it in my library book club.

I thought this was super good! I’d love to reread it in the Fall because the witchy New England feel was lovely and would be perfect for that time of year. I also loved that Nova wears hearing aids- more positive representation definitely would have made me a lot more open to them as a child with hearing issues.

“Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.” — Taken from the summary on Goodreads.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu has been recommended so much by the internet book communities, and I was not at all disappointed. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous and the story is as heartwarming as any story could ever get. The diversity included in this novel is amazing as well, including diverse characters both real and mythological.
Overall, there really wasn’t anything I didn’t like in this novel. However, there were elements which I thought could be expanded upon. I feel like some aspects were limited, such as the mythology included in certain parts of the story. We see mythical creatures that live in the nearby forest, though with no explanation as to what they are or where they come from — all we know is that they are friends of the heroes. In addition to this mythology, I would’ve liked to have seen more lore about werewolves, which admittedly the protagonists are not so learned in. This they did a good job with, creating a limited perspective in the narration so that readers are able to learn and go on this adventure along with the protagonists. In any case, I hope perhaps Walker and Xu will go on to expand this universe a bit more, as not only do I want to know more about the mythology of Mooncakes, but I just want to read more of Walker and Xu’s work!
While there is so much explained about Tam’s (the werewolf) fight for self-realization, but not so much for Nova’s (the young witch). We see Nova at some odds with her parents about her not having left home to find herself. In the end she does decide to leave to find herself, but we don’t get much insight into the decision making that went on in her mind. While this isn’t necessarily essential to Nova’s character, I’d still like to have seen some more about her character and personality.
The following are the elements of this book I absolutely loved. One thing this book did phenomenally is portray diverse characters in abundance and depth. Nova Huang comes from a half-Chinese half-Jewish family — portrayed wonderfully by the joint celebration of Chinese New Year and Sukkot. She is raised by two grandmothers. She is also in a queer relationship with Tam Lang who is also, I assume, POC, and is non-binary. Unfortunately we don’t get to meet too many other characters besides Nova’s family and the antagonists, but I have no doubt Walker and Xu would portray them with the same care and depth.
What can I say about Wendy Xu’s art in this book other than that it is amazing. The colors remind me of Autumn (no surprise as it is very themed for Halloween), and while they are simple drawings, they are colored and expressed so vividly. I especially liked the trees and the art of the mythical forest creatures — I just want a whole book of Xu’s mythical creatures!
It is clear from the beginning that Nova and Tam have a history as childhood friends (and perhaps more), and so it was no surprise that they fell together so quickly in the beginning of the book. In addition, the two from the start are willing to work on their relationship, it’s not star-crossed or fated, it’s simply made and worked on by two people who have a lot of love to give. Of course there is a grand kiss at the end, but instead of it being a kiss after a long slow burn, it is a kiss of relief that things can finally settle.
I recommend Mooncakes to anyone who needs a bit of love and magic in their life.
I know this is my first book of 2020, but I can already see it being one of my favorites.

Mooncakes
By: Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
Diamond Book Distributors
Lion Forge
Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Teen and YA
256 pages
Publish Date 15 October 2019
#Mooncakes #NetGalley
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This is a cute graphic novel that you should read around Halloween time. I gave it 4 stars. This is about two young ladies one who is a witch and the other one a werewolf. There is a demon in the area and they are trying to get rid of it. You are thrown in right away with a little back ground about their past. This novel has a great family atmosphere and you can read it in a day. There is also female/female romance in this book. I would recommend this book it is a fun read.