Wow. I can't believe I hadn't heard of this graphic novel before now. It has everything one could want - beautiful artwork, a plot that keeps things moving, and characters that make me want to read more. Blue and Hamal are fantastic, and Blue especially is a great narrator for the majority of the story. This is definitely going on my to-buy list, and I can't wait to read Young's other comic series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

Beautiful.
This delightful graphic novel is about a ghost and gardener who have known each other for a while. Strange things are happing to Blue and the other ghosts in town as they discover what the reason for that is.

This is the first story Young has written and while it might not have the tightest plot and some scene transitions are not clear enough in terms of time passed or starting/ending a new chapter, you can absolutely follow it and just enjoy the experience of two magical brown men falling in love.

The art is stunning. We have rich colours and detailed, rough backgrounds everywhere. The characters are consistent across each page, their facial expressions varied (and so funny at times!), the design choices well chosen. It is beautiful to look at and fits perfectly into a story that is about life and death without getting too serious. The setting in a flower shop worked out well, too: it showcased Young's artistic abilities and it adds another layer to Hamal's personality as a kindhearted, soft individual.

You can tell Blue and Hamal mean a lot too each other and I liked them together very much. But I think my favourite character is the meddlesome character that gets introduced half-way through, he worked as the perfect balance to round the story out.

So this might be a little rough around the edges but I cannot wait to check out more of their work as there is so much potentional in this one.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was quick, sweet, and intriguing the whole way through. The Art was gorgeous as well.

The art work was really pretty and the idea of a florist necromancer falling for a ghost is amazing. My only complaint is it moved a bit fast while not showing and of the negatives of the power and Blue coming back. It just jumped into them doing supernatural things together and getting ice cream. Overall though I really liked it and would recommend to a friend.

What cuties! I have seen this graphic novel floating around different places for a few years now, but have never had the chance to pick it up. Behold my surprise when I saw it available on Netgalley! I was super excited to be able to dive into this beautifully rendered world. I love the color pallet, the gorgeous art, and the quirky characters. The story is cute too, but it has a few moments of convenience and there are a few places where things could have been explained more. However, this is an easy recommendation from me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Oni Press, and Keezy Young for providing me with an eARC of this graphic novel! However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Taproot is the story of a love between a ghost and a gardener and is like nothing I’ve ever read before! The artwork is one of the things that makes Taproot so special, not only the way the characters are drawn, but also the post apocalyptic depiction of the surroundings and the stunning decay of buildings and roads that have allowed for plant life to take over. The plot of the graphic novel is totally unique and held my attention throughout.

I was so excited to see this on NetGalley so I could read it again! I adore this story! I read it for the first time over four years ago (holy cow) and it hasn’t lost any of its charm. I’ve read it at least a dozen times and it always makes me cry. The catharsis and good feelings of this story!!!

There was process artwork at the end of this edition (which I hadn’t seen before) and an author’s note. Keezy talks about the healing this story brought them as a happy ending for queer characters that they never got to see growing up. I loved reading little bit about their book’s audience:

“adults too—no matter who they are—who need some hope to balance the grief.”

This is so true to what Taproot has always meant to me. It’s growth, friendship, balance, and hope. It’s really just a wonderful little graphic novel as lovely as the flowers Hamal cares for. I always recommend it!

super fast read and just super sweet to read. perfect length and speed for a graphic novel such as this. i would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves graphic novels, and young children. the artwork was also amazing, so colorful and vibrant 😍

Beautifully and vibrantly illustrated, Keezy Young pulls the reader into a magically real graphic novel that is achingly sweet and heartfelt. I was left wanting more, more of Hamal and Blue, the world they inhabit, and the story which reminds the reader of how to heal what sometimes seem broken.

taproot is a very quick read! the illustration style is enjoyable - i especially loved the detailing of the plants. the characters were charming, however i felt the plot flowed in an odd way and that the pacing was slightly off.
i was underwhelmed slightly after finishing it, but i must emphasise how pretty the colour pallet is! i’d recommend to anybody looking for a sweet, quick read!

Taproot is a cute and quick paranormal romance. In this graphic novel we follow Hamal and Blue, a gardener who sees ghosts and a ghost who's in love with him. This is a very short and digestible read that I finished in one sitting. The art is gorgeous and works very well with the story. I would love if this were longer and we got explanation into all the paranormal aspects.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the art style of this graphic novel, as well as the first half of the story! The 1 year later portion on the other hand seemed a bit random to me. But it only took me about 20 minutes to read, so I would probably recommend others not to buy the book, but to check it out from a library because its pretty short and a fun lil queer ghost necromancy love story :)

The art style, coloring, and world building of this book is spectacular!! The end was so heart warming and soft and everything I want from a queer romance. And I love seeing books with fat love interests, its so nice to see. My one critique is I wish is was paced differently, it was jumpy and a bit rushed.

love this graphic novel! i'm not usually a fan of graphic novels-- always too many pictures, and not enough words for me-- but this one was so charming. the cover was what initially drew me in. i love the art style, it's reminiscent of old zelda art in a way. the way it used different colors to create a stark constrast between the darkness of the forest, and the light of the real world really emphasized the confusion that blue and i shared. i love blue, and i find myself relating to him a little bit more than i should. huge fan of the casual queerness of the two main characters, at no point did they have to openly state their sexualities but they were allowed to be casually coupley like straight people are in media. the story was short, but gripping. i did not expect the plot twist, but looking back it makes a lot of sense. i truly enjoyed this book all the way to the end.

This was absolutely adorable. I immediately fell in love with Hamal and Blue and while I wish there was a little bit more to this book, it is so freaking cute. It's got a mid-size to bulky gay MC and a ghosty gay MC In addition to some other great characters and the most sassy and sarcastic grim reaper ever. I'm still giving this five stars because I loved it so much but I do want more and there were some parts that felt super rushed. But even with that, it was an incredibly enjoyable read.

This was an adorable read! I enjoyed getting to see Blue and Hamal in action. The story was intriguing and I loved the idea of balance of life and death being vital to the story. I enjoyed that there was an overarching plot and the romance was more ancillary. The way it handled life and death was novel, with the “system” working differently than I have read in previous books.

My only concern is that it was very jumpy. It would hop around a bit in time towards then end, with limited exposition, and so the reader had to “catch up” to what was happening. Overall a very adorable read!

I received a copy of Taproot by Keezy Young from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel, with its beautiful art and story. I highly recommend giving this story a read if you like ghosts and gardening alike.

This was <b><i>beautiful</i></b>. Hamal is a gardener who can see ghosts, and he forges a friendship with a guy called Blue. A lovely LGBT+ romance with stunning artwork. I really hope this book continues with Hamal's adventures, but this was a lovely self-contained story. Genuinely enjoyed every second - a strong 5 stars for me.

A spoiler but a point I really want to make: <spoiler>I have never been happier to see a happy ending in an LGBT+ story. It is so often filled with tragedy and I though that was going to be the case, but I am so happy it didn't go down that direction.</spoiler>

<i>I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Oni Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>.