Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! This was a beautiful story about queer love as well as traditions and when to let them go. The illustrations were breathtaking. My only critique, and it's a small one, was that sometimes the story was a bit difficult to follow without much text. I still really enjoyed it though!

This was such a beautiful story, and I absolutely loved the illustrations. I want a physical copy of this so I can keep coming back to it!!

I first want to thank Random House Graphic and NetGalley for giving me free access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the art style in this book. Zabarsky's use of color complimented each scene so well. And the art style made this a very pleasing book to look at and read.

One of the things I love about reading fantasy stories is seeing these worlds that authors create. There are so many aspects of this world Zabarsky created that I enjoyed and hope to see more of in the future. Another thing that is common while reading fantasy stories is to have questions about the world the author creates. In this book, however, the questions I had sometimes made it hard to continue to concentrate on what was happening.

I do like the characters and hope that Zabarsky comes back to tell another story with them in the future.

Despite some of the critics I have included, there was something very calming and soothing about reading this book. And maybe more so then being a book focused on plot or character development, it's about fostering emotions in the reader.

I plan to reread this book again in the future.

Beautiful to be sure, a little bit confusing as to what all is happening but the main messages of the story are clear. Sometimes change is necessary. Forgive your loved ones. Be brave. Take chances.

"We're strongest when we can learn from each other, as our ancestors did. We're strongest when we can bend and change to help one another."
-Coming Back, Page 252

This story held such a sense of magic and comfort for me. Though the characters struggle to find acceptance and their place in the world, they never fail to carry their hearts with them. Preet and Valissa were both incredibly compelling characters, fighting for themselves and their love in such a vulnerable way. Artistically, I also loved Jessi Zabarsky's use of color and line in her illustrations, which made the story pop! I would love to read more stories set in the world of Coming Back, with its complex and fascinating magic!

My Recommendation-
If you enjoy reading magical, quirky graphic novels with queer narratives at their core, you need to pick up a copy of Coming Back! I would especially recommend Coming Back to fans of Adventure Time or The Owl House, as the story and world have some wonderful similarities to these two shows!

So I ended up purchasing this because the protected PDF would not open, but I absolutely love this story! And the LGBTQ rep is wonderful! Hope the author creates more!

3.5⭐️

Coming back is a lovely sapphic graphic novel set in a world with a magic system connected to nature and cultural ancestry. Our main characters are Valissa and Preet, who are a couple. Preet has great magic and is able to shape shift, and Valissa has struggled to access her magical abilities. The couple is separated at the beginning of the book as they each go on their own journeys.

🤍This graphic novel felt like a celebration of the strength of the divine feminine. The illustrations were saturated in pink and peach, and it was so beautiful. The women were strong and determined and self sufficient. I may have just missed them- but I don’t think there are any men in this story, which was really neat.

🤍I love the final message, and it made me appreciate the story so much more.

The reason I can’t rate this higher is because I was very confused through most of the story. There are many more images than there are words, and it’s difficult to decipher what exactly is happening on the wordless pages. If there had been more text, this could’ve easily been a 5⭐️ for me. I was left wanting much more of this whimsical, magical, matriarchal universe.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely fantasy story about participating in and hopefully improving a society, while trying to navigate its rules and restrictions. Ruminations on the origins and value of traditions and on love and relationships. Cool creature concepts and very beautiful art.

Love love love!! The illustrations were beautiful and the story was full of love, growth, and magic!! This is a quick read and leaves you with keeping and open kind and knowing when to apologize! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review!

#bookreview Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky

I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but it blew me away a little bit. The entire world it creates and immerses you in, the characters you come to love and want the best for, this weird little world that reminds us that there’s a time for tradition and there’s a time for growth and new traditions aren’t a bad thing. Preet and Valissa were a fascinating couple to read/watch grow apart and then back together. Their community thought they were doing what’s best because it’s what they’d always done and these two end up showing them another way. Showing them that change is necessary to survival and compassion.
The story was lovely. The art was gorgeous. I’ll definitely be looking into more graphic novels by Jessi Zabarsky.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"To everyone who has had to find a truer story to tell about themselves"

What an absolutely moving graphic novel. Interwoven inside a whimsical world of magic and tradition, where Shifters and Shapers work hand in hand, is a gorgeous love story between two women, a tale about learning to grow and adapt from traditions while honoring your past, and a beautiful heartfelt depiction of wanting to be a mother. I love graphic novels that have few (but perfectly chosen) words and simple mono-color pallets; there is something so emotional in them, like you could sit and meditate with them for hours. 

This book is cozy like Tea Dragon Society, emotional like Tillie Walden, whimsical and strong like Castle in the Sky, and yet something so utterly unique and beautiful that I find myself wanting to stay in the pages forever. And yeah, I totally cried several times within the 200 pages.

Pros:
-Adorable artwork
-Great message

Cons:
-very little text makes the story hard to follow sometimes

Unique story with wonderful artwork, but I felt lost and confused for a lot of it. In the end, the message was an important and meaningful one.

There is something about Jessi Zabarsky’s illustrations that just feel like being surrounded by a warm blanket. As with Witchlight, for me, the charm of this graphic novel isn’t the characters or the plot, but the whimsical world-building and adorable illustrations. I love the color palettes that Zabarsky chooses and the way that she designs her worlds on the page. The worlds that come together make me wish I could grab a backpack and just slip through the pages on an adventure.

Just like with Witchlight, there were a few aspects of the plot and relationship development that I was looking for, but didn’t get. However, it’s different with Coming Back because Preet and Valissa have an already established relationship at the beginning of the novel and are separated for most of it. Their relationship was cute and I enjoyed seeing the way that they interacted with each other. Zabarsky has a way with bringing the Queer warm and fuzzies, which I greatly enjoy. Both characters are well-written and I found myself sympathizing with their various choices that both drove them apart and brought them back together. They grew throughout their journeys and helped others to grow along with them.

I loved the world-building and the basis of the traditions in Preet and Valissa’s village. I found mythology of the shapers and the shifters interesting and loved the cycle of rebirth that the village is caught up in. Zabarsky takes the reader on two journeys through her lush world, packed with magic and mysterious places. From their beautiful communal island village, to mushroom shrouded caves, and lively markets filled with anthropomorphic beings, this whole novel is a treat for the reader’s eyes.

Overall, this is a great new graphic novel with love, magic, and a message of embracing change and not getting stuck in the past. Traditions are important, but they should be allowed to change and grow with the people who look to them. Fans of Zabarsky’s other graphic novels should be very pleased with this installment and for those who aren’t familiar with the author’s other work will find this a great jumping-off point in both tone and style. Touching, beautiful, and heart-felt. I look forward to whatever Zabarsky comes up with next.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Graphic and the author for providing me with an eARC of this graphic novel. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, the artwork in this graphic novel is BEAUTIFUL. I absolutely loved it. The world building was also good, but I will admit I was so intrigued by it that I would love another story set in this world so I can get to know it better. I was left with some questions about the world. The relationship between Preet and Valissa was sweet, but it wasn't the main plot of the story. Coming Back is a magical sapphic adventure and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for LGBTQ+ graphic novels or love artwork that is both beautiful and cute.

Thank you @randomhousekids and @netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

This graphic novel was a beautiful story about growth, kindness, and bravery in the name of family. It definitely left me wanting more of this world to escape into and devour. Definitely recommended as a light read to get you through any reading slump.

This was so wonderful. It is intensely queer and filled with a lot of big themes surrounding cultural traditions and challenging them while also remaining respectful and true to ancestors, it also delves into the way society can treat single mothers. As a whole I love this graphic novel. I love the art style I love the color palettes everything was extremely well done.

The whole book is set on this island and is focused around this couple. Preet is one of the best shifters and shapers of magic on the island and her partner Valissa can't do any magic. When something happens and someone must make a sacrifice, Valissa enters into an alternate realm of sorts where she must find a way through even if that means challenging her own perceptions of her abilities. Well Valissa is on her own journey, Preet breaks one of the islands most sacred rules and has to face the consequences of it. She is ostracized and eventually finds a lot of extremely valuable lessons. I wish this book had a more like concrete timeline because honestly this book takes place over years. It feels as though only a little bit of time has passed but based on the art style you know that many years and even decades at times has passed.

Ultimately this book is about cultural traditions and how to find a balance between respecting tradition while also challenging them as times change. This book is set with a matriarchal society is super queer and diverse and I recommend it if graphic novels are your jam.

I wasn’t able to open the file but just based on the description and cover I imagine I’ll love it. I hope to read a finished copy soon

A sweet story about confronting yourself and society. The themes were complex, but also presented simple and accessible way. I enjoyed the art style and the variety of character designs.

I’m not quite sure what the right age audience for this book is. It’s wordless for large parts of it but I think it would baffle a little kid. My library has it marked for teens in the catalog and some teens might like the message heavy story but it’s not going to be for everyone. The story is a little difficult to follow with the large stretches of wordless panels. It’s not obvious how much time is passing. It feels a bit in one section like a child grew from infant to walking, talking older child in days or weeks instead of years. Signs of aging a corresponding number of years for a growing child are not obvious on the adult characters. It’s not going to be the right book for every reader but if you want a gentler graphic novel with a story meant to make you think about family, traditions and why people do things in a certain way this could be the book for you.

The artwork is beautiful and the color schemes were perfect. The plot and world building needed a little more fleshing out, and I really wasn't expecting the community's hatred of single mothers and how entrenched it was in this matriarchal society, how a child needed two to raise it. Love the qeernormative aspects, but the disdain for single parent households was a little overwhelming. By the end, they agree their ways and viewpoints needs to be changed, but they're only changed once Preet comes backs with Vasilla and they're a two parent household, so the message didn't land as well as it should've.

Gorgeous artwork with a bit of a confusing plot and muddle message.