"I just finished reading Taproot and wow!! One of the sweetest comics, and overall stories, that I've read in a long time! The characters were so instantly loveable, I found myself screenshotting my favourite moments of Blue and Hamal really early on in the story! There were so many moments I laughed out loud at, the dialogue was impeccable, but the art was what perfectly strung it together, as it should, the detail and talent and effort in every single page was flawless and shone through, the use of aesthetic and colour was very appreciated, it was perfect! Everyone go read Taproot asap!"

(posted to my Instagram story.)

Date finished: 30/5/22
Publish date: 5th July 2022

5⭐
📱

Thank you to @Netgalley for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Omg this one was just so damn cute. It was like a big hug. Just so damn adorable. The artwork is gorgeous. The characters are so sweet. The only negative is that I really wish it were longer.

Ugh, my damn feels. Such a beautiful read about love, life and mortality. I adored the relationship between Hamal and Blue. One scene was particularly moving and I felt my tears welling up! This graphic novel also gave me The Mediator vibes.

I wish the book was longer and more fleshed out but overall, it's the perfect feel-good read. Definitely going to check out more of the author's work!

I love reading webcomics and graphic novels, and Taproot has definitely become one of my favorites. I loved the color, the art (the trees were so beautiful) and the queer representation was everything. Blue and Hamal own my heart they are the cutest, who knew I needed a ghost/gardener webcomic in my life. After this read, Keezy Young's stories will be an instant buy for me.

Favorite quote:

"Now that I'm used to it, I can't imagine my life without you"

I was given an ARC of this recently and was excited to get a new graphic novel with beautiful illustrations.

While sweet and also creepy (ewh bugs), I felt that the story was definitely rushed, especially the love story in the beginning. Quite honestly, the beginning was great, but the reaper piece fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Oni Press, and Keezy Young for the ARC.

I loved this graphic novel. The cuteness of the story was the first thing that I noticed and the first thing that made me love it! Next to that of course was the colour green. Or rather the colour palette in general. I found the darker green used in the darker scenes reminiscent of how green is often also seen as poisonous, (spoiler warning: the darker green was predominantly used in the scenes to show the forest was deteriorating) it was an interesting touch to the book. Especially in contrast with the green used in the scenes where nature predominated. Loved the gardening aspect in the story with a touch of supernatural/ magic. And absolutely adored the main characters. The perfect soft read for cuddling with a blanket and getting cozy in your reading chair!

The only thing I was missing is more of their story. So hoping for a second volume?

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love love love the whole story of this book. I think it's super cute and I highly enjoyed it, I simply thought it was so cute and that the characters were so lovable.

Blurb

Blue is having a hard time moving on. He's in love with his best friend. He's also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart's content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal's strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means... leaving him.

I think the story was very good and that it was easy to follow. Since the artstyle shows a descriptive characteristic of the dead people, it wasnøt all too hard to figure out that Blue was dead with his friends and that Hamal was the alive one. The setting was also easy since it's generally in a flower shop and the plants hat Hamal enjoys being around. They do travel settings but the main one would be there.

The only problem I had with the book is the dialogue. A reaper sparing you because he is a sucker for cheesy romance is not really the thing I wanna read when the story just got good and not that cringy.

Overal a very enjoyable read!!

Taproot is a super cute graphic novel with an amazing art style that was perfect to read on a rainy day!
The story is simple and every character has a beautiful design and color palette. Hamal looks strong but sweet, the Reeper is scary but still has something comforting and even the side character seem to have life in them.

But sadly Taproots story felt quiet flat to me, the magic system wasn’t explained or defined in any way and every decision of the characters seemed to be dragged on by the plot. I wish there was some more substance or the story would’ve focused more on one of the two storylines instead of presenting both. I would’ve loved to see Blues and Hamals story explored more within the first part or see the ghost hunting stretch on for more than three pages.

A very heartwarming and sweet story with some cool light fantasy elements. I really enjoyed the characters in this and the relationship between Hamal and Blue was very cute and endearing, I enjoyed their banter quite a bit. There was a good mix of humour and more emotional moments throughout, creating a good balance. I really enjoyed the art style as well and thought the style and colour palette really helped to build the world, atmosphere, and overall vibe of the story. Some of the story could be developed more rather than moving so quickly past it, but overall I thought this was a really fun and very sweet story.

blue is a teenage ghost who wanders through the world mainly unseen. hamal is a gardener and the only living person who can see him. blue discovers the town is in danger, and hamal may be the cause.

i loved the art style and it really fit the ghost story. i do wish the novel itself had been a bit longer, as the story felt a bit rushed at times. i did really like how most of the story is told through the art rather than the dialogue, which was so cool.

recommended for graphic novel lovers!

Cute Cute Cute Cute CUTE. This is a wonderfully cute, and queer graphic novel good for a rainy afternoon indoors or a sunny afternoon relaxing by the water. I absolutely adored Hamel and Blue's relationship and loved all the cute moments they had together. The artwork was also so well done and flowed so nicely with the story. Absolutely spectacular.

The only critique I would give and why I didn't give it a full five stars is I thought the one year later part of the story could have been the beginning to a second volume instead of the ending to this novel. While it was nice to see what Hamel and Blue's relationship was like, again, I just found it a bit unnecessary in this novel and think it would be a great addition to a second installment.

Overall I highly recommend this to anyone and will definitely be reading again.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for letting me read an eARC of this lovely graphic novel!

Taproot has been on my radar for a while now, so I was delighted that I was given the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is a sweet, queer graphic novel about a ghost boy falling for the gardener that can somehow see him and his fellow ghosts and hence has to put up with his shenanigans. This incredibly wholesome romance story is offset by horror elements that lend some gravity to the story, but without making it too heavy. The art style is beautiful and works so well for the story that's being told, effortlessly switching between calm, warm scenes and spooky environments.

The two protagonists were SO CUTE, especially Hamal, who is a cross between a cinnamon bun and a golden retriever with a..... suspiciously green thumb. I loved seeing these two come to terms with their feelings for each other, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for sweet, gay graphic novels!

While this was a very quick read and the artwork and colours were absolutely beautiful in a muted / pastel kind of look , I felt that the story was lacking a bit of depth and there were some unanswered questions or just plot points that were glossed over to push the story forward .

Firstly the art is absolutely stunning, it really adds to the atmosphere of the book and the colours are just so nice and even if the story isn't for it's worth checking out for the art. Overall this was a really nice, wholesome read and while I did really enjoy this I didn't connect with it strongly and it just felt like there a a little something missing. However this could partially be because I can struggle with graphic novels in digital format,

A cute, quick, queer read!
Taproot made me smile and had that feel good feeling.
I do wish the second part of the book was a little longer, I would definitely read a second volume of their adventures.

Taproot was such a wholesome graphic novel. It was cute and creepy all at once. The story was easy to follow along and the illustrations were so so beautiful.

This story is about a gardener and a ghost. It started off more melancholy and ended up being so adorable. I would have loved for it to be longer and to not feel so rushed, but other than that I absolutely loved it!


I would have loved for the kindle version to be available as well.

it was a fun quick read.

I loved the art the most, it had a lot of nature and I think the artist has done a great job with all the green shades and the flowers and basically everything. it was simple ✨visually pleasing✨

the romance and story itself was sweet.

This was a cute short queer graphic novel about a gardener who is in love with a ghost.
I am only giving it 3 starts because I felt It had a lot of potential but felt short. I had difficulty at times following the story or figuring out who was saying what. The idea and the illustrations were great but could have done with a little more plot development or drawing more to explain some things instead of jumping around.
An overall fun reading experience

Thank you so much for Oni Press and NetGalley...

Taproot has always been in my TBR list since the first time I saw it on my Instagram's feed.
At first, I thought this one would be my "crying-ugly" book, since the blurb told me about the relationship between the ghost and the living one. But, it turned out to be heartwarming story with wonderful art. Keezy Young's art style definitely suited the story of this book, its gave me warm atmosphere while reading it.

The minus point was April character. I didn't really understand her, appeared out of nowhere, crushed things, and then, just sat there with Blue and the kid. I thought she was one of the main ghosts in the story. That would be more appealing if we got more background of April.

The best thing of this book was the "Taproot Process Artwork" part. As a comic artist, I really loved that. My favorite artwork was Blue's Banner. That was really beautiful

I really love

Studio Ghibli meets Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas.
I had the best time reading this listening to the Spirited Away soundtrack, I don't know why I never read graphic novels before this year?!
This was an incredibly wholesome, queer, funny and innately human graphic novel following the love story between a ghost and the gardener who can unusually see him.
(I'm in love with the reaper who is just as supportive of the ship as the reader, an icon).
If you want an easy, fast-paced read to fill that heartstopper ache, read Taproot!