Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

‘Nothing Special, Volume One’ with story and art by Katie Cook is a delightful graphic novel that blends fantasy, coming-of-age, and a touch of humor and romance.

Callie, a teenage girl who feels ordinary and her dad run a magical antique shop. When she comes home with her friend Declan and finds her house has been tossed and her dad missing, she knows she has to find him. Declan tags along because he has a crush on Callie and he wants to make sure she is ok. Radish, a possessive ghost radish, goes too. Once she steps past the gates of the town, she is the furthest she has ever been. Her trip will unearth secrets about Declan and herself that may change things forever.

This story has great story, art and characters. Katie Cook is at the top of her form here and I can’t wait to read Volume 2.

My son read this book with me. It was a fun story with great illustrations. He really enjoyed it !

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced e-book copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I found this book very enjoyable. It was a fun adventure and the romance was very sweet. Although it seems to be categorized pretty much everywhere as an adult graphic novel, it very much reads as YA, even to the point of avoiding swear words. I'll probably read the rest of the series, but most likely in its Webtoon form rather than buying the physical copies.

This is a delightful graphic novel that displays a whimsical charm and adventurous spirit. The story follows Callie Benson, a teenager living a seemingly ordinary life until she discovers her father’s secret connections to a magical realm. Alongside her classmate Declan, who shares her ability to see sprites, Callie embarks on a journey to find her missing father through the mystical Elder Woods. The artwork of the graphic novel is beautifully done and captivated me throughout the novel. Overall it was great graphic novel.

Great graphic novel, illustrations are outstanding, the story is fun and easy to follow, quick passed and beyond entertaining, finished in one sitting!

The first volume covers the first season of Webtoon. There is no epic story, but I didn't mind that at all, as the author focuses more on the world and the characters as a set-up. Our protagonist, Callie, lives with her father on the border of two worlds, but one day her dad goes missing and she and her friend Declan from the real world start investigating. But it's no coincidence that Callie hasn't been able to set foot outside the village in the Wizarding World until now.

I really liked the implementation. My only disagreement is perhaps with the first chapter, where we see Callie as a young child, which can be quite misleading as to what happens next. The flashbacks in the volume, on the other hand, had me hooked, especially the way the plant spirits frame the whole thing. We also get montages to pass the time, so it didn't feel like everything was condensed into a few days. While we get less depth of field in the images, the birds eye perspective that pops up in places really made it special.

For me, it was the ghosts of the plants left in the world because of unfinished business that took the lead. It may all seem a bit absurd at first, because what is a dandelion, for example, to be offended by. The giant tree ghost crying about being cut down is more understandable, although it does look rather funny with its shapely butt and its whimsy of watching people sleep. Of them Raddish stands out who becomes Callie's number one guardian protector. He's jealous of Declan at first, but then a mutual "enemy" brings them together.

There are a surprising number of references to The Lord of the Rings, including Legolas, Pippin and Rivendell, but there are also references to Superman and Spider-Man. All of this makes for some rather comical scenes, as the inhabitants of the wizarding world are not familiar with them, but Callie and Declan use them as a sort of inside joke.

I had a great time reading this graphic novel. There was action, drama, suspense and a few surprises as this story moved along. While this adventure moves forward some shocking secrets came to the surface. As this story comes to a close it is clear the adventure has only just begun.

**SUPER SPOILER DETAILED SUMMARY**

Nothing Special Vol. 1 Through the Elder Woods by Katie Cook is a hilarious, cute, fantasy adventure with some romance! It has it all!

Callie is a human who lives with her Dad, a Daemon, who owns a shop that sells magical items. In a town that is in between the human world and the magic world, her dad has never allowed her to go into the magical realm on his adventures. She has always seen little ghost spirits of “beings” around her. On her 17th birthday she crashes, literally, into a classmate Delcan who has known her since kindergarten but she has never noticed. She has always hated going to human school and for all those years ignored everyone and never made any friends. Delcan, reveals that he can see the spirits too and they end up becoming friends.

One day they go to her dad’s shop and find it ransacked and he is missing. Using a blood oath necklace she realizes they have to cross into the fantasy realm to find her father. Along the way we can tell Declan and Cal have become a lot closer and have romantic feelings for each other.
In the magical world, the little spirits are drawn closer to Cal and swarm her. They meet a very sassy Radish ghost who claims that Cal belongs to him now and will protect “his lady.” Radish is the best. Cute, sassy, loyal, and absolutely hates Declan for being so close with Cal.

They continue their quest, meeting other spirits along the way, and going through several hilarious and cute montages of their adventure. After almost dying from falling off a huge hill,Callie is rescued from falling by Declan who flew down to save her. He has wings! He is a fairy! After their brush with death, they run into Lasser, a magical being who resembles a demon nymph. He finds himself quite charming, and is pretty obnoxious. He snaps Callie away to his home and says they are going to get married so he can go higher up in the family ranks. Callie doesn’t understand how that will help until Lasser reveals to her that she is not a human, she is a Muse. After Callie refuses and literally slaps him, Lasser takes her back to the sad Radish and Declan. Lasser decides to join the party to help find her Dad. Through the Elder Woods they go!

They find her Dad’s body encased in a tree. The tree comes to life as a Tree Nymph and we find out that the tree spirit is Callie’s mother! Her “mother” is pretty insane, and likes to capture spirits to decorate her tree as glowing orbs. Radish jumps in to protect Callie and ends up being killed! Noooooo!!!! Callie ends up killing her mom to save everyone.

The story ends with all of them, including the new employee, Lasser, back in her Dad’s shop as Callie and her Dad set off on a new adventure to find more magical items. After they leave, Lasser points out that they are going to a place where his brother is. A dangerous brother…who would love to claim Callie for her abilities as Muse. They panic and run off to find Callie and her father.

P.S. Radish reincarnates as a new Radish in Declan’s salad

Stay tuned for Vol. 2

I adored the world and background of this graphic novel so much that I actually did a little happy dance when I found out that the story continues. The main characters in this - Callie, Declan, Lasser, and Radish - are pretty fun, quirky, and interesting and their adventure in this is definitely one to follow. With it being pretty mild, this is great for middle school aged kids on up, although some of the jokes are a little more adult so if you’re on the stricter side, you may want to pre-screen. I’d trust my kiddo with it though. Overall, definitely a fun read.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Okey… didn’t expect to love this first volume this much. So cute but at the same time so dark, the mistery gets your attention but the main characters are the ones who makes you want to stay reading non stop. They have such a beautiful relationship. The drawing in my opinion is 10/10 and can’t wait to read more.

Summary:

All her life, Callie has been told never to cross the boundary. But the day her father goes missing is the day she'll have to disobey his only rule – it's her only chance to save him. Luckily, Callie isn't alone. She has her friend, Declan, and a friendly radish spirit to keep her company.

Nothing Special was originally a Webtoon (It still is, really), but now the first season is available for readers who prefer a hard copy.

Review:

I'm not gonna lie – I've been meaning to dig into Nothing Special for WAY too long. So, obviously, I was thrilled when I saw that Nothing Special Vol. 1 was on the publication lineup. It's the perfect excuse to get caught up (in theory).

Nothing Special Vol. 1 is a fun and sweet comic. I adore the friends-to-lover trope, especially as portrayed here. The characters and the plot are also a lot of fun. While a fair bit of danger is involved, it never hits that point of being overwhelming, you know? As such, it's a solid read for most age groups.

I bet most people come out of Nothing Special with a favorite character. For me, that's probably Radish. They're hilarious and a fantastic comedic relief for the series. I hope Radish stays forever (sorry, Declan, I know you're not Radish's favorite person).

Read Nothing Special Vol. 1 if you're hoping to dive into a fun adventure with limitless potential.

Highlights:
Middle-Grade Graphic Novel
Fantasy
Magic & Critters

A big thank you to Ten Speed Press for sending me an advanced copy of this book!

This comic is light and fun and so so so cute!
I originally read this comic when it was coming out weekly on Webtoon. Webtoon and I used to be very close until they started to add pay walls. When I was still a frequenter of the app, Katie's story was one of my favorites to read. I immediately read the newest chapter the moment she posted it.
I am so happy to see it coming out in print form. Katie Cook is a genius of adding in cute pop culture references in a story that is mostly about magical lands and creatures. It allows the story to be lightly anchored in reality so the reader can to relate to Callie and Declan. You feel like their friends and not just a bystander observing a story.

The art is beautiful and whimsical! They characters are fun and loveable! What more could you ask for?

Thanks Katie! I love the story and can't wait to support you in the future!

I also can not wait to see the next addition of the story, especially because I haven't read that one yet!

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Nothing Special, Volume One by Katie Cook was something special after all. It reads like a middle grade to young adult fantasy graphic novel and follows our friends Callie and Declan and a radish with attitude as they cross into a magical realm to find her missing father. This graphic novel has magic, and mystery, and lots of heart, the art was really cute, AND it was unique, a hard trait to come by these days. Solid recommend, can't wait for the next installment. Please give this a try!

I didn'y know that this Webtoon existed. If I had known, I would have read it sooner. It has become one of my favourites. I need to continue reading their story ASAP.
In love with the radish that is their companion.

So adorable. And strong. Add in a bumbling dad and it’s perfect. Already excited for the next installment; hopefully Radish is already hard at work.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an early copy of this fun graphic novel!

While its official release date is today, I remember reading this as a webcomic years ago and having so much fun with its weekly updates. So, it was a lovely surprise to see it in the catalog for requests. I had to see where this story ended up after losing track of my Webtoons account.
The formatting change from a scroll style to graphic novel pages was done so well. I read it like a webtoon for my copy just to keep the nostalgic feel to it. And the chapter number placing is so smooth that I almost missed noticing them until chapter 4. The way friendship and adventure montages are drawn makes it a lot of fun to read.

It was an absolute joy getting to read this again, things moved a lot quicker than I remembered for plot twists and reveals, especially the first reveal regarding Declan. The relationship between Callie and Declan as they searched for her father also moved fast but with the contrast of Lassar and Radish also trying to get Callie’s attention, it just makes things a little silly while still interesting as it got darker towards the end.

Katie Cook works for a lot of my favorite projects and now gives us this amazing fantasy journey with fantastic characters. I love the artwork, we can feel that she loves her story and characters. The story is filled with comedy, chibi, and an overload of cuteness. I hope to get a physical copy of this one because I want to open it on a random page and smile during overwhelming days. The characters all have things to reveal, to discover, with magic, fae, evil fae, hilarious scenes adventures, and romance. I love every time that Declan and Lasser interact. For anime, manga, and fantasy lovers.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this e-arc.

This is a super cute graphic novel that follows Callie whose dad owns a magical antique shop. She doesn't know who her mom is and grows up thinking she's nothing special. Her dad has one important rule: she cannot cross the town gate because it enters into a magical realm. But when she turns 17 years old and goes home with her friend, Declan, they discover her dad is missing. This forces them to enter the magical world to save him. Along the way they encounter a radish ghost and another unlikely sidekick who both fall in love with Callie. In fact, everyone in the magical realm seems drawn to Callie. Along their adventure Callie and Declan find out they are more special than they ever thought. And that they even have romantic feelings for each other. The graphics in this book really brought the story to life. The characters are loveable and fun to watch on their journey. Definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I loved this adorable graphic novel and I know my students will too. It reminded me a lot of Lightfall which is one of my favorite graphic novels. I loved the hero’s journey aspect of the story and the allusions to other hero stories like Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man. Callie and Declan, along with Radish and the rest of the cast, go on a great adventure to find Callie’s dad. The illustrations are also beautiful!