4.5 🌟This was a graphic novel that I was granted a digital ARC for from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you choose to read this, please read it in full page paperback version or something that has some decent screen real estate to spread the beautiful art on. I made the mistake of trying to read it on a iPhone screen and that was a terrible choice and definitely impacted my reading experience and of course my pacing because my eyes would get tired very quickly trying to read the small typeface.

I gave it 4.5 stars because it took a turn near the end that was a little bit darker than I would have liked. It definitely has a very good Fall/Halloween setting that is perfect for the days leading up to Halloween.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(I mistakenly wrote a review for the wrong book here, and this was not a book I finished, so I have nothing at the moment to say.)

Thank you Harperalley and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this great spooky read. Definite similarities to Harry Potter with the setting and characters, both of which were wonderfully done. I thoroughly enjoyed this gorgeously illustrated witchy magic mystery. Would love to read more in this world.

Thank yout to Net Galley for giving me a copy to read!

I thought this was a cute quick read and definitely gave me some Harry Potter vibes! Would recommend if you want something quick and entertaining

THE PERFECT SPOOKY SEASON READ!
I fell in love with this world and got sucked into its mysteries in no time. I cannot stress enough how obsessed I am with this story and especially these illustrations. A treat start to finish.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! It was super spooky and atmospheric with a witch school setting. I loved the clean art the style and the easy to follow dialogue. The animals that each witch is assigned is also very intriguing to me, naturally the main character has a cat, because that is the ultimate witchy animal.

I am taking off a star for the too obvious story line and the convenience of some of the events that took place. The setting also felt very unoriginal to me. Overall, I did really enjoy it and look forward to hopefully more in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Harperalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’m not usually a fan of graphic novels but this kept my interest the whole way through. It’s fast paced and also will keep the interest of middle schoolers. The artwork was beautiful, characters were relatable (except the fact that they were magical) and the familiars were great! I love that they can communicate with each other!

Overall great book!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely stunning graphic novel, a mature Harry Potter, dark academia aesthetic. Plot got a bit complicated and predicable at times, but so many teen readers are going to be obsessed with it regardless!

This turned out to be a very cool graphic novel - a great way to kick of Spooky Season. It gives off a very Hogwarts-esque feeling, but makes it a bit darker. Some scenes felt a bit rushed, but overall the pacing was great. I love the illustrations and characters. I would recommend any teen comic fans this spooky read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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If you're looking for a witchy story with dark academia vibes, look no further! The story is perfect for fans from across the board. You like Harry Potter? This has a witch school. You like mysteries? This has a missing person. You like spooky stories? This has an urban legend handed down over generations of students. You like coming of age stories? This has friends banding together to save one of their own. Plus, the characters are beautifully designed, the colors are beautifully rendered, and the panelization is fantastic. Basically - if you're looking for a magical whodunit with a scary urban legend thrown in for good measure, this is for you. The only reason this is getting 4 stars instead of 5 is because I think the side characters are underdeveloped, and we could have seen more interpersonal growth between the characters.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from HarperCollins Children’s Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Beautifully drawn, magical and mysterious . A graphic novel you’ll want to jump into the pages.

CW: Death, bullying, blood, child abuse, kidnapping

Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo was a beautiful dark academia graphic novel. The art and story was fantastic!!! Over My Dead Body follows the main character Abby as she struggles with the disappearance of her friend, Noreen, who is like a sister. No one at the school seems to be taken Noreen's disappearance seriously. On top of that Abby is dealing with the everyday struggles of being a teenager in highschool. I think it was really interesting to see Sahmain celebrations come alive. I honestly wish readers saw more development in this world's magical system. There was also some plot points that I felt were not fully explained within the graphic novel. I highly recommend checking Over My Dead Body.

I think this can be considered Dark Academia to a certain extent. I think the best way to describe this is a Female Lead in a Harry Potter world who solves the mystery within fifty pages. This was atmospheric and quick paced. I loved it.

This book was great! It was a good balance between cute and scary. I loved the artwork and the spooky vibes. The characters were cool and I liked that no one was perfect. I loved the story and characters, but some parts that were an ode to Harry Potter were more of a copy than a nod.

Couldn’t recommend this graphic novel more. It was atmospheric, but not overly ambitious. The art style is beautiful and eye catching. Though I had a difficult time understanding the ferocity with which the female friendships were guarded in the plot, I loved the flow of the story and the fact that our main character would never give up. I think it’s age appropriate for teens and tweens, even as young as 8 or 9. Nothing terribly provocative happens, and the violence isn’t overwhelming.

The illustrations are gorgeous! I didn’t find the story anything too special, but it held my interest, especially towards the end, with some twists I wasn’t expecting.

Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo. HarperCollins, 2022.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a e-book copy through NetGalley.


Rating: 1-5 (5 being a starred review) 4.5

Format: E-Book Graphic Novel

Genre: Fantasy/Horror



Synopsis

The veil between the living and the dead grows dangerously thin as the year approaches the Samhain holiday, and the Younwity's Institute of Magic prepares its students to survive the night. The head witches warn to stay away from the woods and not walk the halls at night, lest ghosts haunt your step. But Abby does not care. Her freshman witch, Noreen, has disappeared, and Abby, the senior witch responsible for her, feels immense guilt for not keeping a watchful eye. The head coven at the school promises to find Noreen, but their word is not good enough to Abby. Something is afoul, and she must solve this mystery before things turn deadly. With the help of her best friend and a newbie witch, Abby researches familiar curses, the forbidden woods, and long-forgotten witches, despite the growing danger at each clue she uncovers. But as Samhain approaches, she must fight old, dark, and brewing magic as the clock ticks down on Noreen’s fate.



What I Liked:

Over My Dead Body is a great, spooky, witchy book for readers getting ready for the Halloween season. The characters are unique from each other, both in personalities, writing, and visual design. Learning about the witchy world draws in the reader, especially as you learn about the curse that haunts the school’s halls. The art is beautiful, knowing when to switch between serene and spooky. It has a painted style, with a bit of watercolor texture, and the autumn colors really make the reader feel that it’s mid-October. Overall, this is a great graphic novel for teens who want more supernatural, magical, and witchy books in their life.



What I Didn’t Like:

Some of the world building is left unanswered, or it’s hinted at but not fully explained, leaving reading questioning parts of the story. For example, how does magic work? Why is the connection between witches (a central theme of the story) so important? Why are the witches isolated from the outside world? However, none of these questions greatly interrupt and/or ruin the narrative, so they are not detrimental.



Personal bias

I love witch graphic novels and tv shows, so I tend to rate them positively (unless the writing is objectively not good).



Who Would I Recommend This To:

Teens who like witchy fiction, or who like spooky graphic novels. The Witchery by S. Isabelle, The Babysitter's Coven by Kate M. Williams, and Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu. For High Schools and Public Libraries.

Review Date: September 9th, 2022

Blog: Stories Steeped in Magic (To be up September 12th)

Posting Date on Blog: October 4th, 2022

What a fantastic read! If you're looking for a perfect Autumn read with gorgeous illustrations featuring a diverse wizarding school hiding a dark and terrible secret, look no further, friends!

The artwork is stunning and vibrant and has immaculate Autumn vibes.

The characters feel well-rounded and are all so easy to care about. A+ for the diverse representation we've all been looking for from cool, witchy books. This school has people of color AND queer folks! Imagine that?! (no really, this book is the rep so many of us looked for and didn't find in other unnamed books about wizarding schools - I almost cried)
(bonus: join me in thirsting over Goldie's dad!)

The wizard school is a really cool setting and I love all the little details the author included to make it feel simultaneously massive and eerie, while also feeling cozy and familiar. So stunning and I found myself just wanting to go explore there (creepy woods included!)

The story itself is also fantastic! The pace moves along quickly and is packed with tension. We get tons of good character development while an expansive mystery unfolds around us as well. I can't believe the author packed so much into so few pages.

All in all, a perfect treat of a read. Highly recommend all year round, but doubly so if you can get your hands on a copy on a crisp Autumn evening. 10/10

Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an ARC in exchange for review.

I think the story of this book was intriguing and the art was really great. I didn't realize this was a YA book when I requested it, but it was still good regardless.

Pros:
The art was awesome.
The story was super interesting. I liked the mystery element and that there were past-present connections to be solved.
I liked the LGBTQ+ representation.

Cons:
There wasn't any explanation with why the Younwity girls seemed to have no families. It was a little ominous to be quite honest. Was the school taking young girls and raising them to be witches? I think a bit of an explanation there was needed.
I would have liked some explanation for why everyone wore the witchy hats. It was just one of those things that seemed like it required some tidbit to explain that.

Overall, I liked this book and was entertained by it. If you're looking for something to get you into spooky season I would for sure recommend this book. I gave four stars instead of five because of the cons mentioned above.

A missing student and a witch academy with a mysterious past. Will Noreen be found, and will the students touched by this tragedy be the same in the aftermath?

The artwork was gorgeous! I'd love some illustrations to add to my backgrounds!