I have been following Lunar Boy for quite some time before it was out - I love the concept of a queer sci-fi story based in Indonesian culture, and this book did not disappoint! The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, the world building entirely unique, and the emotions portrayed grounded and relatable. Definitely a fantastic read that I would highly recommend.

Start with the idea of the Little Prince and then take it further. Imagine that character trying to fit into society. Our titular Lunar Boy is the ultimate outsider at an age when fitting in is already difficult. The result is a slow story about finding your place that is strongly supported by fantastic images.

A child was discovered living on the moon by an exploration mission. The woman in charge of the mission immediately adopted them, raising and loving them. The child became known as "Lunar Boy" to some people, but others just called him Indu. He had to move to New Earth as his mother fell in love and married a man who had two children. The blended family tries to deal with the trials of having new people in your home, as well as trying to adjust their positions within the family.

There's also the issue of not belonging anywhere--which is what Indu feels as a trans child, as a moon child. He just wants to go back home to the spaceship where there weren't as many people and everyone got along. On New Earth, there are cliques in school and people who are like Indu, but it's apparently not a good thing to be associated with them, according to the cliques at least. Indu is already getting made fun of a little for not knowing the language and being the "Lunar Boy." Does he want to be talked about even more? Or does he want to understand the queer community out there? OR does he just want to leave everything behind and go back home to the moon--before everything changed?

The art is colorful and vibrant and reminds me a little of Grace Needs Space! .

There's so much in this short book to pay attention to. Middle Grade readers will probably still love it, but there's some layers for sure. It dips into explanations of Indonesian culture and how colonization made the queer community feel bad for existing. But it also shows how the community is trying to get back to its roots and reclaim their history, which I think is a beautiful message. It also brings up the blended family elements, as I mentioned, and trying to fit in at school, which many Middle Schoolers will probably experience. I recommend this for any graphic novel reader who wants to learn more about LGBTQ+ cultures, Indonesian cultures, and more.

In the distant future where humanity has established life on the moon, Indu leaves his familiar home planet and moves to Earth. Homesick, he asks the moon -a sentient entity- to bring him back home. Surprisingly, the moon answers back and agrees. As his departure date approaches, he begins to question if he made the right decision.

This heartwarming sci-fi graphic novel invites readers to explore both a futuristic world and their own emotions. The book’s beautiful color palette illustrates the challenges of finding one’s place in a new environment. Debut authors Jes and Cin Wibowo crafted a touching story with a powerful message that is sure to resonate with readers.

What a heartwarming story! I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful artwork, but the touching storyline really put it all together. I honestly can't believe this is a book for children; it's truly the kind of thing that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. This is the perfect kind of story to put into a graphic novel form. It's almost like The Little Prince for the new generation.

A really sweet story with beautiful artwork. It has a wonderful way of weaving grief, anxiety, and otherness into a compelling story.

Lunar Boy is such a beautiful graphic novel, both in terms of the art and the story. The futuristic setting makes for a fun twist on classic folklore and a relatable story about learning to cope with change. Highly recommended for middle grade graphic novel readers, especially those looking for more LGBTQ+ rep

Lunar Boy is a precious story about family. From the beginning I loved the celestial color palette and the richness of the blues. It's a story about home being what we can make of it. Knowing it can take time, to have people around us we love, to have the feeling of home. At the same time, Lunar Boy is about assimilation, learning new languages, and the spaces we can carve out as our own.

This book is gorgeous.

The artwork, certainly, but also the story.

Everyone wants to be accepted and understood, and for teens especially, it can be difficult to make decisions.

This book gives us lovely way to see that it's okay to make your own decisions, right or wrong, and it's okay to change your mind. It's okay to keep your secrets and it's okay to share them too.

Most of all, this book is a beautiful story of found family, in which LGBTQIA+ rep is accepted and cherished for each individual.

"When I chose to raise you, I promised to love every part of you."

Incredible art, wonderful character, and a warm reminder of what is important in life. I adore the found family angle and how much Indonesian culture shined through this uncolonized futuristic lense.

Lunar Boy is a beautiful graphic novel that grapples with an array of life's most difficult pieces that add up to one big question:

Who am I?

Set in the distant future, space travel and exploration have become the norm. We meet Indu, who was discovered alone on the moon. He is adopted by a member of the crew who finds him, and is brought to New Earth (Indonesia) where he struggles to see how he fits into his body, his new family, and his community. Feeling more alone then ever, he soon realizes that the people around him love him for who he is, and have a lot more in common with him than meets the eye.

I feel like this would be best for middle school and up. The story shows the reader that everyone ultimately has to work through the journey of self-discovery, and that no one path or way of being is better. While the topics are handled in a mature but approachable way, I did have a hard time retaining the meaning of some of the words because they weren't in English and I read this over a few days instead of all at once. Because I was reading on my phone, I may have missed a glossary that could have been included in the print edition. Either way, English isn't the only language, so that piece alone can build empathy and understanding for those who may be learning English for the first time.

Overall, I really loved the found family aspect of this graphic novel. I think kids can find a way to relate to Indu whether it's being queer, or ever having felt different/isolated for one reason or another. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are so calm and dreamy. I think kids will really be drawn to this one on shelves.

As much as the story centers on the main character Indu, it's also a celebration of community, chosen family, and our individual--and sometimes similar, intersecting--journeys. From adjusting to a new home, a blended family, questions of belonging, as well as a chunks of untranslated dialogue in Indonesian, there *is* a lot going on, but this seeming hodgepodge didn't take away from this reader's enjoyment. My favorite character by far is Aminah, Indu's tutor. Aminah is the first person outside of the family with whom Indu connects, as well as the person who introduces them to the wider LGBTQ community. The brief introduction to this aspect of Indonesian culture might feel a bit didactic to some readers, although I think it might also inspire folks to learn more. As a reader based in and more familiar with the U.S., I revel in every opportunity to read about experiences beyond these borders and learn how diversity is lived in other parts of this extremely big world.

"You don't have to understand or accept us, but... you could get to know us if you wanted to."

Really really beautiful artwork, but the story was trying to juggle a few too many things. The writing was a tad stiff at times, but I loved how much Indonesian language was included! Great breadth of character design, including skin color, body type, and gender/sexuality—lots of hijabi characters, too, though religion is not touched upon. The main character, Indu, stole my heart! Appreciated the reference to The Little Prince, and the book as a whole put me in mind of Steven Universe (especially the quote I included above, which echoes "Change Your Mind"). 3.5 stars

TW: death of a parent, grief, homophobia and transphobia, bullying, misgendering

"I promised to love every part of you, even the parts you haven't figured out yet"

so much queer rep! in space!! I really liked how this introduced so many different identities in an easy to understand way without feeling like it's being spoon fed, each of the relationships felt so natural, and it handled a lot of the challenges that come from being queer in a respectful, but honest manner. The art style is so stunning as well, a lot of The Little Prince vibes. If you love found family tropes, this develops it so super well. The only thing is how hard it was to get into the world of the book in the beginning and to understand the dynamics and vibe.

Lunar Boy is a lovely beautifully illustrated graphic novel about finding the place you belong and becoming your authentic self. Lunar Boy is full of so many diverse characters and families. It reminded me a lot of the DCOM Zenon.

If you enjoyed Lunar Boy, I highly recommend checking out Space Boy on Webtoons.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperAlley for providing me with a review copy.

This is a beautifully drawn graphic novel. The colors feel muted, and soft, as if cushioning all the difficult concepts. The details are clearly drawn, in the patterns of clothes to the beautiful temples and terraces. The setting(s) and main characters are Indonesian, and there are a number of Indonesian words used, but it helps the reader feel as Indu does - less than fluent with a new language. The story is one of acceptance, of love and family. There is struggle to figure out who you are, and how to define yourself, through sexuality, living on a planet or in a space community, or even being a foundling from a lonely planet. It is LGBTQIA+, but it is about questioning and acceptance rather than having a specific sexual focus. This is science fiction from the beginning with Indu 'Lunar Boy' being found on a planet (which talks to him) to living in a community in space. The whole book feels 'softer' less hard science, and more focused on emotional journeys and finding out for oneself who exactly you are.

3.5 stars.

A MG graphic novel with trans bipoc main character who learns about family, familiarity, queerness, and gets to learn about himself.

This was a sweet read. I love how themes like family dynamics, adjusting to new surroundings, navigating new friendships were all explored. It was also great learning about Indonesian queer history. We could always use more of queer bipoc books.

Also, loved the two side bi characters, especially the butch bi character. Desperately need more of them.
It is always a delight to see characters who use the word bi for themselves.

The book was great and I totally recommend it. I just had more/different expectations which caused me to think it fell short.

There's something special about queer coming-of-age stories that fill my heart with so much joy. Indu is found floating through space and is taken in and moved to New Earth rather than living on a ship. While feeling like an outsider in every sense of the word - queer, trans, literal alien - Indu starts to cobble together a community that supports and loves him.

The color pallet is pleasing and I love the full page spreads that give a sense of weightlessness floating through space. A great read for those who feel alienated by being different and need hope that they'll find their home soon.

The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning! I loved the queer representation, the family connections/dynamics, and the setting! The only thing I struggled with was sometimes following the plot. I’m not sure why I had some struggles with it, but there were a few times where I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. Based on the other reviews, this might be more a me problem (maybe my ADHD?). Anyway, I loved the artwork and would recommend this to students.

A beautiful and inclusive story about family and belonging.

I adored this graphic novel. Indu's journey of self-discovery, family, and finding "home" is viscerally emotional. The authors coney the theme of change so well and it is not only reflected in Indu but in every person in his immediate circle.

The illustrations are wonderful too, with immersive blues, purples, and pinks. I also like how New Earth's colors are warm toned.

Indu's story will resonate with so many people and this a MUST for your graphic novel collections!