ARC Copy...one of the longer graphic novels I have read but I did love the friendship and togetherness amongst all the younger cast in opposition to a portion of the adults being not so trust worthy.

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult/Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarion Books, and Miriam Bonastre Tur for the opportunity to read Hooky in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very cute book drawn in fantastic illustrations, all-color, and featuring a wonderful cast of characters. Despite the happy frivolity of the story, there is a darker side to this witchy tale, and it's something we see often...

Dani and Dorian are 12-year-old twin witches living in a world where witches are seen as evildoers. Dani and Dorian are the kindest, sweetest children, according to a princess who left her castle to find her fiancé, Will, who was supposedly taken captive by evil witches. That just can't be right, can it?

Along with Nico, a local troublemaker, and the occasional help from a local restaurant worker, Mark, Dani and Dorian practice their magic, though often get into tough spots if they become too trusting of regular, non-witch people.

Unbeknownst to the twins, their current mentor has potentially dreadful plans for the children, all because of a prophesy that may or may not be accurate. The next witch king is said to be one of these children, though they do have an older brother...but he doesn't quite fit the prophesied description.

This graphic novel was much longer than expected (almost 400 pages), and also had some thematic elements and plot devices that are geared more toward a teen audience. Although the protagonists are almost thirteen, this is still a middle grade work. I enjoyed the artwork and its cute simplicity, a wonderful range of characters, and the full-color experience. This is a great graphic novel I would recommend for lovers of magic fantasies such as Kiki's Delivery Service or Harry Potter. A joy of a read.

Looking for witchcore vibes? This is your graphic novel. It seems fun and lighthearted on the outside, but deep within is a dark adventure-filled story filled with morally grey characters and excellent world building.
I loved our main cast of characters, they each have their own flaws and talents and all come from different backgrounds. I loved seeing the crew together in this twisty story, and I can’t wait to continue onto the next book. I have no idea how it’s going to end, like this one, I’m sure it’ll keep me on the edge of my seat. This graphic novel really delved into - what really is good and evil? I loved that aspect and could never guess what was going to happen next.
Since there’s a lot of main characters, I loved how the text bubbles were all colour coordinated so you could easily tell which character was speaking. It made this read more accessible and easier to follow.
This is a perfect Halloween read, so make sure to pre-order yourself a copy and settle in for an un-put-down-able read!

The art was super cute and I loved the witch vibes crossed with the fun little fairytale callbacks.

I feel like the story was a bit dragged out, especially for middle grade, but it was fun.

This was a comic book for younger readers written and illustrated by talented Spanish artist Tur. It's rooted in a 'webcomic' from 'webtoon' with which I am not familiar, but which seems to have been a success.

This version evidently has new material, but without knowing the original I can't speak to that. While I thought the artwork was bright, colorful, and well done, for me the story failed to live up to the illustrations. It was choppy and made no sense, and while I realize that I am not the intended audience, and that a less critical audience might well go for this, I can only review it from my own perspective and for me it failed for a variety of reasons. I will say that one wonderful thing about it is that this story did not have JK Rowling's sexist distinction that boys were glorious wizards, but girls were 'only' witches with all the negative baggage that appellation entails. No, these guys were both witches!

I have a problem with magic stories where the actual magic takes a back seat and the story ends up being just a regular story with a patina of magic dusted over it for flair, and that's what seems to have happened here. There were so many places where magic would have been useful, but obviously if you're in a world where you can 'magic' anything, you really need to work on the story to make it entertaining. It's a fine line the author walks between going full throttle magical, which risks making everything too easy for the protagonists, and being a magical miser, which to me makes the magical elements worthless by failing to use them when they make logical sense.

The author seems to attempt to get around this by having these kids be so poorly-educated (magically speaking) that they swing right into that 'magical miser' territory and for me this spoils the story. It seems to me that the kids ought to have had at least a basic grounding in magic from their parents or from their elementary magic school, but none of this is even discussed, much less explored, so there's this huge plot hole whereby the kids are rank amateurs, but we're offered no reason why.

The story here is that witch twins Dani and Dorian miss the school bus that would deliver them to their magical academy. Instead of telling their parents of this, or taking out their brooms and flying, they give up completely and end up wandering aimlessly around, quite lost as to what to do. Through a series of accidental events they end up with an advanced professor of magic, and somehow irresponsibly fail to tell their parents of their change of plans.

The story deteriorates after this as they fall in with a random group of misfits - a princess and a trouble-maker - and just have a chaotic series of adventures seemingly unconnected to anything. Meanwhile we're getting hints of a magical conspiracy, but that seems like a separate and entirely unconnected story. I was pretty much lost by this time because I had no clear idea of what the author was trying to do, or where this story was going, if anywhere. It just seemed to meander at the author's fleeting whim without having a purpose or a plan, and I DNF'd it because it was not entertaining me at all. I was looking for a coherent story, and there wasn't one to be had here. It felt more like a disconnected series of Sunday newspaper cartoons, which is what, I'm guessing, the web series was. So while I loved the art, I can't commend it based on the story - or lack thereof.

First of all, a big big thank you for allowing me to read this one! I have been eyeing this one for a while now! But sadly, I DNF this one around 60 pages in. I really like the idea of magic twins, magic, and more. But the story was just very choppy and at times I missed the connection between one and another part. I also didn't really get a grip on the twins, while they are the main characters I just feel like I miss a ton of information about them. Why is Dorian good at magic but Dani isn't. Why can she fly and he just sucks at it. Why is there just one bus to school? What is up with the world does everyone hate witches or just a few people? Then we suddenly go to a princess who lost her prince. Along the way the parents never show up of the twins.
I will give it 2 stars because there were elements I liked, like the art and the magic.
And maybe I will try it again when this one gets to a library near me (probably in Dutch).

'Hooky' hooked (haha) me right from the start. The illustrations are pretty and i'ts helpful, that the speech bubbles are illustrated in different colours correlating with the characters. The cast of characters is great, but coud be more diverse. The friendships, we are exploring in this volume, are well done, as are the character developments. The only thing I have to criticise is, that the comic sometimes loses track of the overarching plotline, but we mostly come back to it pretty quickly.
'Hooky' is funny, very enjoyable and quite quick to read. I desperately want to continue and I hope the rest of the comic will get translated as well.

A magical adventure filled with humor and heart! Dani and Dorian are a delight to read in this fast-paced journey of danger and discovery.

Hooky is cute, fun and full of adventure. A great classic story for anyone who loves magic stories. Hooky will make you wish you could jump right into the pages and run off on an adventure too.

I love Webtoon comics, I remember Hooky when it was still being published as new (which was probably 3 phones ago), but it's one of those series I saw and never read.
Something I always thought back on, I feel incredibly lucky to be granted access to an ARC of (what I'm assuming) is Book 1 of the series.
However, I was not expecting it to be almost 400 pages long and only about a third (or less) of the series. I feel SO FAR BEHIND.

That said, it was a really great story. There are moments were it lulled, but by the last 100 pages I was hooked and had to know what was going to happen. I desperately need and want more. (I've already used my free reads on WT for the day trying to find where the series matches up.)

The world of Hooky definitely builds in strength and the story goes. This is a very in depth world and tale that address' many different people, from different walks of life, and how they grow behind the roles set for them by others and even themselves. Sometimes guided by fear, but more often courage and love for one another.
It is a lot, but it's a great read.

**Thank you to Clarion Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

First of all... can we have a round of applause for the art? This whole thing is truly a masterpiece from start to finish. It starts out pretty cute and seemingly innocent and then hits you with such a wild ride. From start to finish this was so exciting and so fun. This is perfect for all potter heads because it takes something that feels so familiar and really takes off from there. The adventures... the characters.... the plot... the relationships.... all in my eyes made for a truly perfect story. I think Miriam is brilliant and what I wouldn't give for more ASAP!!

Hooky’s strengths definitely lie in its worldbuilding, character development and compelling story. In fact, I’d argue that it’s almost flawlessly executed. I only have two concerns. First of all, it gets pretty dark at times so I’m not sure about the suggested age range. (For context, there’s a fair amount of death, violence and discussion of the persecution of witches.) Also, this is fairly long. Going in, I expected a relatively short read of similar length to other graphic novels that I’d read before but this was actually pretty lengthy… and then it ends on a cliff-hanger which was a bit of a disappointment.

But with that said, I do appreciate Hooky for being more of a slow burn. Any loss of content would have impacted the strength of this fantastic story so it’s definitely worth overlooking the length. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Hooky progresses after that explosive ending and hope that we don’t have to wait too long for a second instalment.

In terms of the artwork itself, the colour palettes used were wonderful. Lots of magical pastels to contrast with the use of black to symbolise the darker elements of the storytelling.

Overall, a fantastic and magical graphic novel that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, whimsical witchy story with darker undertones.

It's hard to say what my favorite part was. I loved that all of the characters spoke in different colored bubbles, making it really easy to follow and ideal for newer readers of graphic novels. The character development was great, everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses and character arc, not just the two main characters but also their friends. The story was fast paced and exciting, there was never a lull. The artwork was beautiful. I could see this appealing to boys and girls in a wide age range and I intend to purchase a copy for my niece and nephew! My only complaint is that the second installment isn't out yet so we don't know how the story ends!

Hooky is a cute and charming comic, and I appreciate how well it's been adapt from webtoon to page format. Lettering is sometimes cramped, but that didn't impede my reading experience too much. The magic of the original webtoon has carried over to paper, and it's exciting to know that both readers who are familiar with the original webtoon and new to the story will be able to enjoy it.

This was excellent - funny, fast-paced, with fun characters and an interesting story, and I'm so mad it ended on a cliffhanger!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wow. What a fantastic and addicting read. This is my first time encountering Míriam Bonastre Tur's work and I'm surprised I haven't come across this Webtoon while browsing on the app. More than 96 million views and 811,000 subscribers! I'm pleased this will be released in a physical format for more audiences to read and be amazed by this masterpiece. 10 pages of original short comics will be included.

Inspired by classic fairytales and cartoons, I appreciate the art style. Tur's illustrations are whimsically detailed and kept me reading at a good pace. I love how the colors change dramatically to capture the mood and atmosphere of the scenes while creating movement in the littlest things too.

What I didn't expect was a story line so adorable and light-hearted at the beginning to develop into something much deeper and serious. It touches upon prejudice towards witches and non-magic users in a broken kingdom and I was all for it to see how the story progresses.

As for the main and side characters, they are relatable and I am attached to them. I get emotional just thinking about them, especially when I didn't think I would be attached to certain characters! They are flawed yet worthwhile to watch grow as they learn to accept one another and themselves. You will feel for them and cheer them on as you learn about their struggles.

This graphic novel is packed with magic, adventure, drama, and strong friendships that will leave you entertained and in awe. Left on a cliffhanger, I am looking forward to read future volumes! This is recommended for middle school readers.

4/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

When Dani and Dorian miss their bus to magic school, they hurry to find a new magic mentor before their parents learn the truth. In the process, the twins accidentally get labeled as traitors to their kind. As the rift between humans and witches continues to grow, Dani and Dorian are left trying to figure out which side they’re on. With the help of a troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher, the twins might just stand a chance!

Wow, this Webtoon has been beautifully converted into a graphic novel! I didn’t read the Webtoon version of this story, but the graphic novel version was great! The art is gorgeous!

The story itself was a cute and fun read! While the story can be dark at times, it was mostly a cheerful and funny tale of two twins who constantly get themselves involved in all kinds of mishaps. The characters were probably my favorite part of this book!

I would recommend this to younger readers who like graphic novels and fun stories! I also believe that readers of the Webtoon would probably enjoy seeing the story brought to life in a graphic novel format as well!

I do not remeber requesting this and it isnt my taste but decided to give it a chance. The pacing was off to me and I couldnt get into any of the characters. I def think this has an audience, I'm just not it

This webtoon is adorable, and I am thrilled that it is being published. I use WebToon regularly, and I didn't know of this title! I am always pleased when popular webtoons get published. This comic is perfect for fans of Harry Potter or other witch and wizard titles. It is adorably draw with a nice plot. It is putting me in the mood for Halloween in August! It also gives me a cozy feeling like Halloweentown or Twitches from the Disney Channel.

"You’re allowed to make your own decisions. Don’t let yourself be bullied."

Hooky takes you on an unforgettable journey full of magic and cute witches.

The illustrations are bright and colorful. It all really stands out when you are reading the book. They are really eye-catching and you'll find yourself staring at them as your travel from page to page. It was really beautiful.

The story was good but it really jumped a lot. I found myself getting a tad bit confused because of the instant jumping. It had gotten to the point where I thought I skipped a page by accident but it was how the story went.

Hooky was really enjoyable. It had lots of cute moments with some hilarity thrown in. The characters were flawed and I loved that about this book. Usually, Authors want their witches to be perfect and we don't get that here. This author embraced that and it made the story that much more enjoyable.

If you loved the webcomic then you'll love this book.