Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for this ARC!

Since only the first 2/3 of the graphic novel was available through this ARC I can't provide a full review but will hopefully be able to update this once it is published! Because of this, it ended rather abruptly (which made more sense once I figured out it wasn't the whole book).

I loved the art style used by Sole Otero throughout the book - it really added to the story and stuck with me after reading. The story is a bit hard to follow at times as it jumps back and forth in time but after a couple jumps you get the hang of it. It is a beautiful exploration of womanhood, societal expectations of women (in the past and today), and how complicated family can be.

Looking forward to reading the rest and reading more from Otero!

If you're going to put arcs out there why put partials? Apparently only the first two thirds of this book is available if you received an arc from NetGalley. It ends super abruptly and I was confused for a moment until I realized that I was only a page 200 something and the publication page said 300 something pages. I don't logically understand why you would not give your advanced readers the full book. This does not make me want to go back and finish it. This is frustrating.

The worst part is is that this book is really captivating and the artwork is interesting and I do kind of want to finish the book but I'm mad that it wasn't included. I've literally never had that happen before with an advanced copy and it's so weird to me.

Anyway I'm counting it as a book anyway because I needed this to finish out 2023.

Mothballs is a powerful graphic novel about secret family histories, conflicts between generations, and forming one’s own identity despite societal expectations.

Nineteen-year-old Rocio’s grandmother Vilma dies, and Rocio inherits her house. Rocio’s relationship with her grandmother was strained; Rocio’s interest in photography, as well as other things, angered Vilma. As Rocio considers her own future, she discovers the struggles her grandmother went through, and how arbitrary expectations placed upon women ruined her life.

Stories concerning generational trauma absolutely devastate me. Vilma was rightfully furious with how her life had turned out, but her inability to meaningfully connect with Rocio was heartbreaking. I enjoyed the variety of perspectives in this book.

Sole Otero’s illustrations are wonderful. I love her use of color, switching between vibrant color schemes for the two timelines. My one issue, and this may be just me, but I found the cursive text difficult to read on occasion. But I suppose it could be seen as a positive, as it ensured I fully concentrated on the story, and didn’t skip anything.

I will gladly read anything Fantagraphics publishes, and Mothballs is no exception. A harrowing and important story.

Fascinating and literary visual storytelling. This is a character-centered story and one that’s a treat for comics lovers.

This graphic novel sounded intriguing because it's set in Buenos Aires and deals with intergenerational relationships. After Elena's grandmother dies, she goes back to deal with the aftermath.
Elena's beliefs about their relationship are based on a more superficial understanding, because her grandmother doesn't communicate her feelings. The topic is complicated, and I felt for her.
However, I don't feel like the illustrations were good for the story. They were unrealistic and awkward looking, and the colors were solid but not evocative of the same feelings.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Mothballs explores a difficult relationship between granddaughter and grandmother.

When Vilma passes away, her granddaughter Rocio goes to live in her house. Being in the house makes her reflect on her grandmothers life and what it means to her.

A well crafted story but I wanted a little bit more at the end. Illustrations were beautiful but I found the small cursive font difficult to read on my iPad. I’m not sure how it would look in print but digitally it was just a little too small.

Mothballs by Sole Otero is a beautifully crafted graphic novel that takes you on a mesmerizing journey through the lives of two family members, Rocio and her grandmother. Rocio has moved into her late grandmother's house, and there she uncovers more and more about her grandmother's history. By learning more about her grandmother, Rocio can understand her better and see her in a different light.

One of the things I especially enjoyed was the colour usage. Otero makes use of different colour palettes to distinguish between the past and the future, which I thought worked very well.

This graphic novel is a moving portrayal of complicated grief and family history.

Thank you to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for a review copy in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this graphic novel! When reviewing/rating graphic novels, I like to separate my thoughts into the plot/writing and the illustrations.

Illustrations: Mothballs was beautifully illustrated. The illustrations added to the story and helped move the plot along. I loved the unique style.

Plot/writing: Rocio moves into her grandmother's home after her passing. As soon as she moves in, she begins to explore her grandmother's rocky past, having endured sexual violence on top of a load of family and societal pressure. She begins to learn how her grandmother, Vilma, fought to make her way in the world and how that's all she wanted for her granddaughter.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for my honest review. It is already published!

(Reviewing e-ARC through Netgalley.) An engaging and beautifully illustrated graphic novel about multiple generations of a family in Italy and Argentina. Strong and interesting female characters. Recommended.

The storyline was compelling, but I don’t think my students would connect with this book for 2 reasons.
1) The artwork isn’t appealing. The characters don’t look realistic, and the colors aren’t eye catching.
2) Parts of the book are written in cursive and, as much as I hate to say it, many young adults and teens don’t know how to read cursive.

This book is intriguing and beautifully illustrated with lush color, but ultimately I was disappointed. I couldn’t believe it ended when it did - there was so much more to be explored. I was sometimes confused by the characters in the grandmother’s story, but maybe that was intentional. I appreciated the inclusion of a surprising LGBTQ+ side story, thought that ended disappointingly as well. The book left me wanting more of it, which I suppose is not a terrible thing, but it feels incomplete.

what a beautiful meditation on grief, with a really striking illustration style. seeing ro's story alongside her grandmother's made for a fabulous narrative on the power of generational trauma, and the pacing of both stories worked really well. the mundanity of ro's life next to vilma's turmoil was jarring in a good way, showing how family curses die hard. knocked down to four stars, though, for a stylistic reason: the CURSIVE. it was SO hard to read. i had to squint during vilma's segments because the cursive was near impossible for me to read in the ebook copy. maybe it is clearer in the physical book copy, but it actually kind of gave me a headache trying to read the curly font. but the story itself was great and this stylistic aspect should not be viewed as a critique on the content!

MOTHBALLS is not your typical graphic novel. It is a haunting duet across generations, weaving the stories of 19 year old Rocio and her grandmother as a girl. Rocio inherits her estranged grandmother's house and stumbles into a family history brimming with unspoken pain. Through Vilma's forgotten belongings and dusty memories, Rocio uncovers not just her ancestry, but a parallel between their lives. Both women, separated by decades and continents, share a fiery spirit yearning for freedom, battling societal expectations and the weight of family secrets. Otero's artwork is a masterpiece of muted tones, perfectly capturing the ache of isolation and the bittersweet joy of rediscovering what was lost. This is a story that lingers long after the final page. If you are reading MOTHBALLS, prepare to be moved.

An incredibly enjoyable graphic novel that touches on immigration and the expectations placed on the children of immigrants. An engrossing story about a family of immigrants and the granddaughter that has moved into her recently passed away grandmother’s house. The granddaughter narrates the story of her grandmother to the best of her knowledge from the stories her grandmother told her growing up. While the granddaughter feels like she wasn’t too close to her grandmother while she was alive, through the narration of her grandmother’s story, she realized she has a lot more common with her than she thought. She also comes to realize her hard disposition is due to the hard decisions she was forced to make throughout her life.

A must read for those that enjoy literary focused graphic novels. The illustrations felt special and felt like a lot of time and thought were put into them. The reasoning for my four star rating instead of a five was just because the cursive text used to tell the story was quite difficult to read at first. Throughout the story, it does become easier to read. I also wish that some of the dialogue between characters had been developed a bit more to convey the emotions and storytelling in a tad bit more masterful way.

Haunting and evocative, "Mothballs" by Sole Otero unravels memories and loss in a Buenos Aires steeped in family secrets and political turmoil. Elena returns home after her grandmother's death, unearthing the past through dusty heirlooms and faded love letters.

Otero's lyrical prose paints a vivid portrait of the city, shifting between Elena's present and her grandmother's past. The non-linear narrative slowly unlocks truths, leaving the reader both captivated and melancholic.

Mothballs, a symbol of preserved memories, encapsulate the lingering scent of nostalgia and the shadows of a bygone era. As Elena confronts hidden truths, she grapples with grief, love, and the enduring legacy of the past.

A complex and rewarding read, "Mothballs" is a testament to the power of memory and the importance of facing the past, even when it stings.

As someone who recently lost their grandmother, a fate shared by the main character of this graphic novel, the central themes of isolation, grief, sacrifice, and the weight of family history hit close to home! My favourite elements of the book were the use of colour and of the gutters. With the latter, I could tell there was a lot of thought put into the representation of time, both in the present timeline and the memories, as well as fun had executing the overlapping dialogue and more - which helped balance out some of the darker, more violent subject matter at times. Both Italy and Argentina are richly imaged and vividly coloured. Every page was a treat to look at! I do wish we got to know the protagonist a bit more personally, but I can forgive that since it doesn't seem like that's the aim of the story.

i really wanted to read this graphic novel because i thought the art style was very gorgeous, and i was interested in the story of generational trauma. both of these things did not disappoint: the art was absolutely gorgeous and i loved looking at it, and the story told was very complex and interesting and showed how generational trauma can stay in a family for many generations. i was very invested in the grandmother‘s story and was really rooting for her and her brother - i loved seeing his queerness also being a topic in the story. however, i thought the MC was very unlikable, and her scenes kind of annoyed me - she was always very mean to the people around her for no reason. i understand that the author tried to make a connection to her grandma, but unfortunately it really bothered me during my reading experience.
however, if you are interested in stories about generational trauma and war, and the rules put on women and queer people during this time, i would definitely still recommend reading it! 3.5 ⭐️

Cute color palette used for the graphic novel, but the cursive was hard to read. I was able to understand the generational trauma the characters went through.

thank you netgalley for this arc!

the art style is really cute and the simple color palette makes it comforting and eye catching!! i took me a while to get into but it explained generational truama excellently. the comparison between her and her grandmothers life was done beautifully. I can wait for it to be released officially

The art work is very unique and I enjoyed the art style with the vibrant colors. I just couldn’t get into the story, and felt it was every where all at once. Partially could be my fault- I had a hard time reading the small cursive. I don't see how present events correlates with how Ro and Vilma are the same? Plus everything that’s going on with the house. Also the ending felt very abrupt. Overall this wasn’t for me.