I had to give up on this one. The art style is fun and amazing, but the typeface was too tiny for me to read. I even zoomed in but it was too blurry for me to read properly.

I’m in love with this graphic novel. I loved seeing the different characters past lives before present day. The drawings were beautiful

This graphic novel was so interesting. The artwork was captivating, with bold uses of color. The cursive text was a little hard to read but I liked the overall vibe.

I received an e-arc of the first 200 pages of this title and it did peak my interest. We don't get very far into the story in that amount of time but the premise is solid and the art in well done. I would be interested in reading the rest.

Thank you to Fantagraphics, NetGalley, and Sole Otero for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This comic centers around generational trauma and different methods of navigating through it. I need a sequel to see what happens with Ro! I loved the artwork and color scheme, brilliantly done!

Mothballs begins with 19-year old Rocio inheriting her grandmother Vilma's house after she passed away. Struck by the low turn-out at the funeral, Ro uncovers a hidden family history of hardships and resilience. The story weaves between Italy at the beginning of the 20th century and Argentina in the 21st, drawing paralells between Vilma and Ro's lives. Despite being pressured to meet familly and societal expectations, both women remain strong-willed and yearn for independence. Ro embarks on a journey of self-discover whilst honoring her grandmother's memory.

This was a worthwhile read :D .
I couldn't put it down since page one. It was well-written. I liked how the flashbacks were weaved thoroughly in the narrative without making it confusing to read.
The illustrations are lovely and vibrant. Personally, I think it would be better if the cursive font used for the dialogues are changed. Would love to read the rest of the story.

This is a review of the first 200 pages of Mothballs provided by Fantagraphics Books on Netgalley. Thank you for the copy!

3.75/5

I like the art style to this book so much! it's so playful and highlighted several things that needed to be highlighted. Mothballs is a book about discovering other life your grandmother never talk about it to you. Such an exciting, yet heart wrenching read about family.

The illustrations were gorgeous, probably the most beautiful I've seen in a graphic novel!! I liked the book, but the cursive font on some of the pages was really hard to read and dampened my experience because it was taking so much effort to figure out what it was saying that it took me out of the story.

The art in this book is initially what drew me in, the color palates and landscapes are as wonderful as the expressive emotions painted on the characters.

Family ties, and finding ones self in a wild world, this novel is moving and endearing.

This book would be ideal for a book club or graphic novel club at a library. Each layer of the story yield opportunity for discussion and programming in a library.

I can't wait to read the last part when it comes out!

<i>***I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review*** </i>

Poignant and cutting, <i>Mothballs</i> explores the cycle of generational family trauma that haunts the present evermore.

The protagonist was unlikable, but seemingly that was the point of the comic—how one comes to be similar to their grandparent. Even I started to find similarities between myself and my parents, grandparents, so on. Blood never leaves you to yourself no matter how much we try to change. It's a weird phenomenon.

An interesting read, and I would actually recommend it.

<i><b>I don't really know what it means to be a good person, but if somebody asked for examples, I'd never include you on the list.</i></b>

⊹ . ⋆ ☽ ⋆ . ➶

It's a little difficult to give feedback on this book as we weren't given access to the entire book--it's hard to rate only about 60% without seeing where it's going to go next. But so far, promising. This book reminds me of Maus a lot and, depending on the ending, I think could gain the same popularity and appreciation. So far it's a very sad but touching story about a young woman coming to understanding why her grandmother was the way she was by learning about her life story and family history, and the shame and secrets that have been passed down. I expect the last 40% of the book will be about her learning to break the cycle of trauma, as she realizes how alike she is to the grandmother she had a fraught relationship with. The illustration style is so beautiful and unique. I really look forward to finishing the book, hopefully soon! (?)

While I feel like the storyline is good, more needs developed. The relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter is not explored enough. The uncle is constantly mentioned, but his importance to the main character is also not well developed. The mother is overbearing, but it is never shown why. All of the characters need further development for me.

I also found the script font used to be difficult to read. I would not be able to recommend this to many readers for that alone.

A story that makes you think about your own family relationships, grieve and ancestry. I didn't really like the illustration style, but that didn't detract from the story at all. Great graphic novel!

Mothballs is the story of 19 year old Rocio, who moves into Vilma, her deceased grandmother’s, house and slowly begins to unearth family secrets. Weaving together Vilma’s immigration to Argentina and her deprived youth with Ro’s own coming of age, Sole Otero has constructed a moving and beautiful story of family and tragedy.

I don’t read graphic novels as often as I should and books like Mothballs remind me of how capacious this genre can be. Otero’s book is poignant and funny, rich with detail and so vivid I erroneously assumed it was autobiographical. Through Vilma and Ro, she deftly offers commentary on politics, sexual violence, and the legacy of family trauma. There are no easy answers here but I was rooting for Ro the whole way through. I’ll definitely be looking out for whatever Otero does next—she’s an artist to keep your eye on.


Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Mothballs follows a story about a granddaughter and her grandmother and the parallels between the two. Born from different generations, but similar in personality, she inherits her grandmother’s house and cat.

Our MC has a love, mostly hate relationship with her grandmother’s cat but also with her own parents and friends showing the similarities between grandma and granddaughter. Like she says in the comic, “ you can’t change your blood.”

Reader beware this graphic novel will leave you feeling hollow, full of emotion and dread. I could feel the grief and pain from the characters in this story. Themes include sexual assault, misogyny, homophobia and more so prepare yourself beforehand because you will feel upset, pissed off and even heartbroken.

I loved how the author touched on politics during that era which added a historical fiction element to the story.

The art style is simple and uses a simple palette which adds to the overall depressive mood.

I hope there will be a volume 2.

*Note* I did have a little trouble reading some of the words because of the cursive font. Although not an issue for me, I could see how some readers may have issues.

Thank you for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

This was an extremely moving story about a family told through the granddaughter of, undoubtedly, the main character. My thoughts on the story are unfortunately not entirely concrete as this arc only included 2/3 of the book so all that I can say about it is that it was told and illustrated in such a beautiful way that made it impossible to put down. I would love to read the rest of it as well.

"Mouthballs" by Sole Otero is a compelling exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of relationships. Otero's vivid storytelling and unique artistic style draw readers into the protagonist's journey of self-acceptance, as they navigate the challenges of adolescence and the discovery of their own sexuality. The graphic novel skillfully addresses important themes with a blend of humor, vulnerability, and poignant moments. Otero's character development is rich and authentic, making "Mouthballs" a relatable and thought-provoking read that resonates with the universal struggles of finding one's voice and place in the world. The artwork complements the narrative, adding depth to the emotional nuances of the story. Overall, "Mouthballs" is a commendable work that captivates readers with its sincerity and artistry.

I enjoyed this a lot (if enjoying is the right word). It's a moving family story, told through lovely art - I especially liked the larger drawings with characters moving from space to space.

I'm still not sure what the little smiley bouncy mothballs were all about.

This graphic novel had an interesting story line. I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect of this book. However, the art style was not for me. I did not appreciate nudity in this graphic novel. I felt very bad for the grandma as we learned her story but I did not connect with the granddaughter who was telling the story. Hence my two star rating. Thanks for a copy of this book.

Since this was a partial version of the book, where it cuts/ends as far as I read the copy, seems like it hangs rather than answers everything that was laid out so far. There were side characters & smaller conflicts that I thought would be explored more, but it just hangs midway. So, that's probably why: the different version we receive.

Anyway, this review will be based on the 205 pages we get to read. First, the choice of cursive handwriting-like font was quiteeee a headache. Although the art style & color palette works well, maybe not the typography. So hard to read I had to keep pinching my screen in & out to zoom. Story wise, this book explores a lot of family conflict but everything feels... unresolved. These are not lovable characters, mind you, all of them are. And it explores topic like rape, sexual assault, family trauma and poor bond, trans life. So.. lots to unpack yet many left unexplained. Overall.. I would love to know more, but it was kinda frustrating to follow through? The ending doesn't satisfy the despair that the book has cost me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me this eARC to review!