Taproot is a delightful graphic novel about a ghost (Blue) and the gardener (Hamal). Hamal is a sweet, quiet boy who loves plants and is hired at a plant store. Hamal is able to see ghosts, and he's thought to be a bit strange as he talks to all the ghosts that hang out with him, looking like he's chatting to the air. He's more comfortable hanging out with the group of ghosts that hang out with him, especially Blue.

Blue, called that as that's the dyed hair color he had when he died, is another kind, genuine boy. He's the one who gathered up all the other ghosts in the town, and is like the older brother of the group, taking care of them and handling the small conflicts that appear.

He can't really handle the pining that he has for Hamal, and it's CUTE!! It's mutual pining between Blue & Hamal, which is the central conflict, as how can a ghost be romantically involved with a living human? There's another mystery intertwined with the story, as there's a strange forest where the ghosts disappear to, and a stranger that might bring danger to both ghosts and humans.

Don't worry, it all wraps up neatly with a happy ending! It's a super fast read, and worthy of your time. I recommend it for when you're in the mood for a simple story, with uncomplicated feelings, with a cute ending.

Taproot centers on a gardener named Hamal who has a special ability: he can see and talk to ghosts. One of these ghosts is Blue, a sweet guy who doesn't take anything too seriously. As a seemingly impossible romance blossoms between them, a reaper comes to even out the balance between life and death, which may just cause the two to separate.

This was so cute! I loved the art style and the color scheme. Keezy Young doesn't shy away from the sadness surrounding death and loss, but she also displays the beauty in the balance of life and death. Hamal and Blue were so cute and the romance was lovely. I only wish there was more! I would've loved to see a bit more buildup to their relationship. Nonetheless, it will definitely earn a reread from me in the near future!

What a lovely read! This title has been on my TBR ever since the first publication, but I just never got around to reading it. Then I saw it available on Netgalley, and I felt like it was a sign for me to finally start reading it - and that was the best possible decision! I also happened to end up reading it on a day that was otherwise just plain awful, but Taproot has managed to make it better, to cheer me up, to add some sunshine to my day. Thank you for that, Keezy!
I usually have no difficulty choosing a favourite character from any book, series, movie etc., but I just simply can't choose between Hamal and Blue here. They are both amazing in their own way, Hamal is so genuinely caring and sweet and tender, while Blue is such a curious and lively person, and the two of them together are magical. Also, the fact that Hamal is a bigger guy (I mean, compared to usual characters in books, that is) is such a lovely thing to see.
The drawing style is very different from usual comic/graphic novel styles I've seen before. It kind of has a roughness to it, but in the best possible way, a certain simplicity, yet is done beautifully and with awesome skills. It was a little unusual at first, but I only needed a couple pages to get used to it, and now I'm in love. I would love to see more of Keezy Young's drawing style and definitely read more of their stories in the future. I'll keep an eye on their future works, they've definitely just got a new fan.
Thank you for this wonderful story, Keezy!

Very wholesome, quick read, absolutely adored the art style. Definitely gonna become a comfort read! I really wanted more, it felt like it was over too soon which was my only problem with it.

Book content warning: Bereavement theme.

Every comic is ruled by art first, if the art is not exceptional most will not read it. The amount of mental gymnastics a reader has to perform to read a comic and the work a cartoonist has to invest to pair imagery to text seamlessly merits proclamations when done well. Taproot is such a piece. Keezy Young has created a visual feast with lush colors, expressive linework, interesting compositions, and characters. The storyline brings echoes of Cyril Pedrosa's "Three Shadows" combined with a dash of Taiyō Matsumoto sentiment. This comic is also joyously reflective of its time, LGBTQIA friendly and diverse cast of characters. This is a story about a developing relationship between a mischievous ghost and a kind gardner- or is it? "No spoilers please." Go, enjoy this beautiful work of art.

I absolutely ADOOOOOORED THIS BOOK

Think Heartstopper meets Cemetery Boys and that's what this simply immaculate graphic novel is!!

The story was great, there are parts of the art I'd hang on my WALL, it made me emotional, I'd recommend it to everyone!!!

This is a short graphic novel of a guy named Hamal who can see ghosts, one of which, Blue, is in love with him. That's when a scythe fins out there's a necromancer that's disturbing the balance of life and death.
The art style of the graphic novel is seriously AMAZING. The overall story is cute and wholesome, but i found that the plot was a little under-developped and lacking. The were some time skips that I didn't very well understand, and a couple of times I felt like there were missing pages because the dialogue was disconnected.

An 'otherworldly' romance budding into fruition (cheesy but appropriate). The plot was is sweet and definitely liked the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me the opportunity to read this.
#Taproot #NetGalley

This graphic novel was absolutely adorable and a pleasure to read.

Whilst being fast paced, the story held so much emotional depth and underlying narratives which were so beautifully orchestrated. It was simple and flowed so well because of it.

The story itself follows a gardener (and hidden necromancer) and his ghostly companion- together they go on a series of adventures and it is so so heartwarming. This is the definition of queer joy.

The artwork itself was beautiful, from the design to the colouring, to the layout of pages. Each page was a gift, and every new character was perfectly personified by the way they were drawn.

I loved this. It was so so cute. Go read it!

I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for a review.

This graphic novel was beautifully created and had a unique story following our 2 MCs. One is of the living, one if of the dead. The plot wasn't as full as I would have hoped and not much truly happened but I believe this is part of a web series so I may continue on with the rest of the series to know what happens next.

this was such a cute story!! such a must read!! almost got me with that sad ending and then it was all like n o p e we are ALL happy in this house!!! please go go pick up this book and partake in all of this joy!

featuring:
- ghost boy falls in love with human gardener <3 the angst!!
- insanely rendered flower and nature art
- a reaper (your scary cool aunt) on speed dial

It was the 2018 Rainbow List. Ask me how I know 😁

Is this being rereleased? I'm so glad. It is WONDERFUL. My original review was "Absolutely gorgeous, totally adorable."

⭐️⭐️

⚠️ TW/CW: Death, Child Death, Grief, Blood

Synopsis: 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.

Thoughts: This was a very cute graphic novel with a unique art style and adorable characters. I loved the concept and love that this is so different to any other graphic novel I’ve read before. It had funny bits, like the grim reaper having a phone and the romance was super cute. However, I feel that it was a little disjointed and underdeveloped in places. I totally understand that this was a debut graphic novel and think it is such a fun read I just wanted more development in places to help me fall in love with the characters and their story a little more.

Recommend? ✅
Reread? ❌

Absolutely adorable, cute story and plot. And beautiful artwork, can't wait to see what the print edition looks like!

This is amazing! I love and adore this comic so much!!! the characters are so lovable and unforgettable, the artwork is just chef's kisses! An instant favorite!

Absolutely adored this. Some parts didn't seem to fit into the story as well, but overall it was cute, unique, and a beautiful queer story. I read it in one sitting, and im already so sad that its over

The art style is stunning! The character dialogue and the character personalities were so fit for the book, it made reading it that much more enjoyable. Overall, it was such a cute story. However, personally, it had been a bit fast paced, great for quick readers, though! Other than that, I definitely recommend giving this book a try, great for quick reads, as mentioned before.

TAPROOT by Keezy Young is a sweet and lovely queer graphic novel about a ghost and a gardener who can see him. It's a quiet story that doesn't have a fast-paced plot and a lot of action, which I really liked. It's sweet and focused on the love the main characters have for each other. It's still quick to read since it's obviously a graphic novel and relatively short. The art style is beautiful and the color schemes are pleasing.

I felt like parts of the story were a little rushed - the romance developed really quickly, and I felt like I couldn't fully get to know the main characters. The fantasy world and magic aren't particularly developed either, but the vibes are there and I didn't mind that some details weren't explored. I still felt connected to the characters and wanted to see them get together and find happiness, so I enjoyed the book overall. It's sweet and cute, and I read it super quickly. So I would recommend it if you'd like to read a quick graphic novel that is queer, quiet, and sweet.

This was a cute book! It was very short and sweet. I loved the illustrations; they were so vibrant and lovely. The characters were also very wholesome.
The story felt kind of rushed, which is probably because it is a graphic novel. But I found it was easy to follow. I like how it ended on a happy note though. It's really nice to see queer stories end so beautifully.

God, this graphic novel was SO wholesome. The art was beautifully magical and the story had the right amount of romance, tragic and fantasy.
I quickly fell in love with Hamal and Blue, the two main character and just needed to know everything there was to know about them!