I really enjoyed this book. The historic background was both very interesting and moving, and the character, relatable.

This book is all about family and identity, and it adresses these themes very well.

This comic made me cry a few times. It is a very real and in some ways a relatable story many people experience to some extend. The art style and the color palette the author used caught my eye from the very beginning. This comic should become a standard part of every teenage (or any other) bookshelf.

I like the art and was intrigued by this multi-generation story with elements of magical realism and queer themes. However, the cursive font used extensively in the work when Ro is narrating her grandmother's story makes it difficult to read and follow the story. The ARC also just ends in the middle with about 100 pages missing from the length listed in the final copy details. Considering this work doesn't come out till August 2024, it is likely that it is still in translation. I would have preferred to read the full text before giving my thoughts.

Content Advisory:
Explicit: Sexual Assualt, Homophobia and assualt relating to Homophobia, transphobia, Pregnancy Loss
Moderate: Non-sexual nudity, child abuse

"Mothballs" is my favourite graphic novel read this year! I wish I could read more of it. The simple but unique artstyle brings the complex cacst of characters and plot to life so vividly. Rocio's searches around her late grandmother's home for clues on her ancestry really make the reader feel just as curious as Ro. I love how the novel flicks between current events with Ro and the past with Vilma. Not a single second is spent without nthralling the reader in a captivating delve into the horrors lurking around fmaily life. It really resonates that there are so many secrets we keep from each other in an attempt to protect those around us but that this can lead to such devastation down the line. Reading this as an ebook did make some of the text harder to read but I imagine with a physical copy it would be much easier. Overall, this is a profound and enticing read that explores the themes of family, identity, and fear excellently. Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copoy of this book.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ——— Thank you NetGalley & Fantagraphics for this eArc.This was such an emotional story set in Argentina and followed Rocío. A young lady who felt hated by her estranged grandmother. This story hit home in some ways for me, made me connect with this story. It was beautifully written and the art work as so unique.

I would definitely recommend this graphic novel to people.

First things first, I realised that the copy I had was cut and it ended abruptly, but obviously, I had gotten a gist and was pretty invested in the whole family unravelling.

The whole shared traits between one generation and other generations are something that usually is an offensive call out between family topics, which can also be seen here. Other than that, the prejudices and making judgements of of someone just speaks so loud here.

The artwork is definitely beautiful as well, that complement the mood of the story. I think my issue is the legibility of the dialogues, which were difficult to read most of the time.

I honestly want to read the whole thing, so I'll get my own copy soon.

Dnf’d at page 60. The art in this book is legit gorgeous. So stylized and bulbous and very cool.
The story was also pretty compelling. I struggled with a lot of text that was written in a script font. Because I was reading digitally, in a smaller format, I could zoom in on text to read it but it was tedious and so I gave up.

This book was a treat that I didn't know I had at first. I initially started the book months ago and didn't connect with it at all and put it down and forgot about it. When I picked it back up, I had no recollection of what I read or what the plot was meant to be. So I started fresh, going in blind, and really loved what I found.

This story is about the family stories that drip down the generations and seep into the people who only know bits and pieces of a life but hold it as they continue on their life. As someone who has inherited a home that is seeped with memories, both good and bad, this book really struck me. I think it does a great job of mixing the physical and spiritual bits that are left behind from a life. I really liked the art style too. It was very interactive and somehow both awkward and soft.
I would recommend this book to folks who want to remember, even if there is pain in that act.

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the ARC.

An incredibly important graphic novel about generational trauma, family, and remembering the pain of our ancestors. The art style wasn't for me. It looks too much like those disproportionate corporate ads. Despite that, this is a necessary read.

This graphic novel has an absolutely stunning art style. I wish the book was a bit longer because I feel like it ended pretty abruptly and without many answers. I’d love to see more from this author in the future. Only negative is that the font was a bit too small to be accessible.

As a family drama, this graphic novel makes for an introspective slice of life. Rocio moves into the house her grandmother left her and begins wondering whether her ghost still inhabits it. She struggles with her friendships and her relationship with her mother, which gets her thinking of her grandmother's life as an immigrant and all that she endured: is it possible that they're the same? Does family misery skip generations?

I loved the art style and how color was used in this graphic novel. Definitely a good read.

Gorgeous! Combining colorful bold artwork and a beautiful story of grief, family, loss, shame and love, this graphic novel was one I really enjoyed. I can’t wait to read a finished physical copy and see what this author does next.

This is actually the first graphic novel I’ve ever read - and I’m wondering why, as I thoroughly enjoy the combination of art and literature. I guess I always thought they had to be less serious, or more action-y, but Mothballs exceeded all of my expectations. The art style is modern, dynamic, and breathtaking, and the storyline is intense, honest, and heartbreaking. It centers on Rocio, an Argentinian 19-year old who moves into her grandmother’s home after she passes. Once in the house, she begins to delve into her grandmother’s tragic past and the accompanying, unspoken trauma that the family has carried for generations. The only feedback that I have is that the bits in cursive can be a bit hard to read, and there are certain points where I'm not sure to whom the events are occurring (Rocio or her grandmother), but these were not majorly disruptive in my enjoyment of the book.

I was only able to read the first 200 pages but I’m dying for more! 5/5 stars so far. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

stunning illustrations, but I was upset to get only a partial book and not the full story. Will be revisiting when I can read the entire book.

I cannot wait until the entire work is fully published in English; honestly, I may seek out the Spanish version to read in the meantime.

The art throughout worked very well with the story. I greatly appreciated the intention with the colors, small details, and recurring elements (the mothballs, the fleas, etc.).

I love stories that connect people (especially families) through time. The impression we have as children, teenagers, and young adults of our older relatives is inevitably warped by our impression of the world into which we were born; no matter how much history we learn, it's impossible to fully understand lives lived in eras past.

As the story highlights moments in Vilma's life that shaped her self and relationship to the world, Rocio slowly uncovers who her grandmother was, building empathy and connection through memory for a person now gone. This book made me think of my grandmothers; it made me want to hold their hands and sit with them and listen to the stories of their lives. And now I'm crying lol.

Misogyny, gender, sexuality & queerness, power & control, sexual violence, autonomy, social & political unrest, family dynamics & hierarchies, broken promises, violated trust, generational trauma, grief, and more. I look forward to re-reading/finishing Mothballs upon release in August 2024 to fully process and appreciate this story; I want to sit down and write about it.

What I've read so far seemed very emotional and touching, and this helped me through the art, which was not really my cup of tea. The setting provided a unique perspective on a part of the world I'm not that familiar with. I found the typesetting very unfortunate, because the font type and size together created a very unreadable combination on smaller screens, even with zooming in, which made the reading experience a bit forced. I'd not go any further, since the story was basically cut in half, but overall seemed very promising!

Fascinating and intricate perspective on the ways several historical events and places intersect. The intimacy of learning a story through multiple levels a family's generations and the small cursive text blended the visual and narrative parts of the book.

I could stare at the art all day, and the story is worthy of it. A provisional five stars once I get to read the last one hundred pages that weren’t included in the ARC. And I’m not even mad about that, that’s how good the first two hundred pages are.

Mothballs is revolutionary in its artistic exploration of the family saga and the ways in which generational trauma and choices impact future ones.

Otero's art style is absolutely stunning, and the way in which her designs change, both big and small, to tell a story—especially its most haunting and heart-wrenching beats—is a feat. Otero's voice and art is welcomed warmly to the canon of generational family sagas and seeks to answer in Mothballs a life-long question: how do the choices of those who came before us impact our existence?

Thank you to Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for the partial ARC! All opinions are my own.

i wish it could have been made clearer that this was a partial arc (like in the title or in first line of the summary, as opposed to it being clarified at the bottom). anyway, the drawings are rather unappealing and i couldn't bring myself to care about what was going on.