I loved the artwork of this book. It was what capture me to read this book when I saw the cover. However, I felt the story was a little all over the place for me. Overall, it's a fun read and if you're not looking to find a graphic novel that has fleshed out characters and just looking for a good time, this can be for you.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you. <3

HoverGirls is a brilliant young adult graphic novel based on a webtoon.
I ADORE this book. The illustrations are beautiful. The storyline is entertaining.
And the characters were adorable.

would definitely read others by this authoro.

I really enjoyed this magical girls comic. It was fun and it had its teenage dramas, both in the friendship and romance department. It throws in some intergalactic alien magic and you get a really fun read.

What I loved most about this was the art style. It was super cute and I imagined my younger self fawning over the adorable magical outfits. I loved the contrast between the two friends of one being more of a Tom-boy and the other being super girly and boy obsessed. Even if being boy obsessed was to her detriment.

This felt very much like two teenagers given way too much power and messing up how to deal with it. Having moments that are less than perfect and feeling the pressure to make people happy. I think we’ve all felt those growing pains and I think this was a super fun story to show that time in life.

Hovergirls was a great read. I loved the character study and the graphic were cool and bright. I’d read more from the author.

Oh my goodness, I loved this graphic novel so much. I abandoned another book I was reading because I was obsessed!

Jalissa and Kim are amazing characters. I love their contrasting personalities and how they interact and play of each other, as well as the characters growing together. I would read so much more of them if I could get it.

The magic was super cool, as were the monsters, fish shaped and water magic? So cool, even if the dramatic reveal made it a little...not scary? But not as cute. It kind of gives me Madoka Magica vibes with a little less... child death. Magical girls whose abilities have a dark secret to them.

And the art is fantastic. I adore the art style, and it fits the powers and setting so well! Also, the memes were great, loved those.

There was a page that repeated itself, where the art was the same but without text. Not sure if this was intentional or not, it was pages 94/95(with text) and 96/97(without text) of my digital copy.

Loved the art style... but the story line was a bit of a mess. It felt disjointed and was hard to relate to the characters because I feel like they were presented as characters of the personalities they were meant to have.

Kim and Jalissa are trying to balance their new move to LA, trying to fulfill their dreams, and suddenly having unexplained powers over water as an army of flying fish attacks.

This was an absolutely adorable comic. I had never heard of this webcomic before. And I’m so delighted to have been introduced now.

The art style was so gorgeous! The colors were so bright and vibrant, but also gave the feel almost of watercolors at the same time. The cast had a variety of skin colors and body types, with distinctive silhouettes.

The characters were very interesting, but I just wanted to know more. Everyone felt a little flat until we started to get bits and pieces of backstory which really started fleshing out the characters. The two girls seemed at first to be so mismatched in personalities, that for most of the book I was wondering what they liked in each other, and struggling to want their situation to work out. But as soon as I knew how they had come together, I was immediately more invested and a lot more psyched for book 2!

Thank you to both NetGalley and Bloomsbury Books for this arc.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Caution: this review contains vague spoilers.)

-- 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 where necessary --

Cousins Kim and Jalissa Vasquez move to Los Aguaceros looking for a fresh start. An aspiring designer and model, Kim hopes she'll finally get her big break. After a narrow brush with the law (and after completing a four month, court mandated anger management course), Jalissa just wants to stay under the radar - and, okay, keep her more naive cousin out of trouble. Things go sideways (or not?) when both girls are seemingly struck by thunder during a beachy rainstorm, giving them magical powers. Not long after, mysterious, water-based anglerfish and sharks start swimming through the skies of LA, spurring the Hovergirls into action. Whereas Kim tries to monetize their superheroing adventures, Jalissa just takes satisfaction in smashing things with a baseball bat conjured from water.

HOVERGIRLS is a fun and often weird webcomic. (I did not see the aliens coming. Fwiw, Seong-Min is infinitely more likable as a sugar-crazy, murderous Piscetite than a deadbeat boyfriend.) Jalissa and Kim are enjoyable on their own and doubly so together; with their polar opposite personalities, they make a pretty amusing odd couple. Idk what the best pop culture comparison for Kim would be, but Jalissa reminds me of a teenage Rosa Diaz. The story line is engaging enough and the art is just adorable.

I feel like this one had all the markings of a comic that I would enjoy -- two girls trying to save the world and a really cool art style? But I still just could not get into this one for whatever reason.

The artwork in HoverGirls is beautiful! It is what immediately drew me in to this book. However, the story felt very scattered to me. In the beginning I found myself wondering if this was a sequel and I missed the first installment, but the flashbacks filled me in. This may not have felt as chaotic had I read it in installments as a web comic, but I read it as an ebook in one sitting, and felt like I was constantly being pulled in a different direction. Towards the end, I was ready to be done reading it, but chose to see it through.

Overall, this is not the best graphic novel I have picked up, but I would read the next one to see if the story flows a bit better. I truly did love the art, and would love to see more of it.

The drawings were adorable - and I knew they were going to be so, because I follow Geneva Bowers on IG and love her illustrations.
However the story was a bit weak and the characters too over the top, which made reading the graphic novel more of a task than pleasure. Perhaps it works more as a webtoon!

Jalissa and Kim are cousins who moved to the city to be independent and somehow gained superpowers. Jalissa is an angry brooding teenager and Kim is an airhead but sweet so most people are nice to her but don't expect anything from her. Strange glowing watery fish fly through the city, and Kim and Jalissa battle them to keep the city safe. All Jalissa wants is to go to work, watch her soaps, and forget how she tried to destroy her life the previous year. Kim wants to be a fashion designer and find a boyfriend and thinks these superpowers are amazing.

I really disliked Kim's character, the airheaded bubbliness, the lack of respect for other people's things and time, she didn't seem to care about others even though she was buying and creating for other people all the time. She was just too sweet and hoping to ride that wave to success. Jalissa's character I liked more, but the lack of any interest in people places, or things really distracted from her character. I think the plot with the aliens was alright, but nothing really gets explained with the long explanation provided. The artwork was very pretty and I loved the color choice, I just didn't enjoy much of the rest of the story.

Fashion forward and pragmatic cousins begin to fight a strange water infestation in the sky. Lovely artwork in this female lead graphic novel. I appreciate the body positivity, multiple sizes, and lack of gratuitous objectification of female bodies.

This was a cute graphic novel. The artwork is gorgeous. I think my students will greatly enjoy it. I liked the main characters. I like the bond that the cousins have. The ending was a little confusing, but I'm interested to see where this storyline goes in the future.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Title: Hovergirls
Author: Geneva Bowers
Rating: 3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: Aug 6th, 2024

Well, that was odd. And not odd in a weird way like some of the things I read but odd in an odd way. If I were to try and describe this story I would say that it is on the surface magical girls but then takes a weird turn when it comes time to conclude the story. There is just a lot going on and I don’t think a lot of it is explained the best or in ways that I completely understood.

I have been reading a lot of graphic novels this year and on a technical level this is definitely one of the better ones I have picked up. The art is absolutely wonderful and the narrative does have structure, if an odd one. I also think the characters had, at the very least, strong archetypes, if a little lacking in development. The dialog was good but there were a few times I felt there was too much of it for a graphic novel.

And I just don’t know, it just feels like something was either missing or lacking in this one that I just can't put my finger on. I’m going to say that I liked it. I’m going to say that you could read it for yourself, but I am not going to say that skipping this one would be a bad idea. It's very much a take it or leave it, not that big of a deal. Honestly, I’ll probably forget a lot about it in a few weeks, it doesn't feel like it has much staying power.

Hovergirls, the Webtoon sensation, is gorgeous. There's a beautiful attention to the shading, to the softness, and the color palette. It's a work of art in and of itself and I can see the art being gorgeous in prints! I had to remind myself to keep reading sometimes after I got carried away with the art! Back to the story. Hovergirls is a story that balances crime fighting and friendship. I loved the relationship between Jalissa and Kim. You can see the differences in personality, their history, and their love for each other. While I wish we got a bit more insight into their past (we do it's just a bit too late for me), I resonated with Kim.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the Author for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love Geneva Bowers and her art, so right off the bat, you have a gorgeous book full of beautiful illustrations. I loved reading this for that main reason! The story itself, in theory, is promising and seems super cool. It just fell a bit flat for me and didn't capture my interest super well. Luckily, like I said, if you're a fan of Geneva's art, I think it's still worth getting and reading!

This is a really cute story with gorgeous artwork. I loved the setting and how that effected the magic system. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed the way the story slowly revealed more of the background between the cousins. Their different personalities also added great humor to the story as well as showing more of their depth as we learned more of their history. I do wish we had gotten a little more of their story this was a fun story but very much felt like just the intro and wish it had gone on a little longer to feel more like a complete first story. That said what was there was very well done.

Geneva Bowers' graphic novel "HoverGirls" is a vibrant and engaging read that beautifully melds the mundane with the magical. This story follows cousins Jalissa and Kim Vasquez as they move to the bustling city of Los Aguaceros, each with dreams and burdens of their own. Kim aspires to become a renowned model and fashion designer, while Jalissa is recovering from a tough year and seeking stability.

The narrative takes a thrilling turn when a mysterious incident at the beach grants the girls supernatural powers, just as monstrous creatures begin attacking their city. Kim sees this as their golden opportunity to achieve fame by becoming superheroes. However, they quickly learn that heroism is far more complex and demanding than they anticipated, and the threats to Los Aguaceros are more dire than they could have imagined.

Bowers' artwork is nothing short of stunning, with each panel bursting with color and detail that bring the characters and their world to life. The juxtaposition of everyday city life with the fantastical elements of their new powers and monstrous adversaries creates a dynamic and visually captivating story.

The character development is a highlight, particularly in the portrayal of Jalissa and Kim's relationship. Their bond is tested and strengthened as they navigate their new reality, making for a heartfelt and relatable journey. Jalissa's struggle with her past and Kim's relentless ambition add depth to their characters, making their heroics feel all the more genuine and earned.

While the plot is exciting and fast-paced, there are moments where the story feels slightly rushed, and a bit more exploration of certain plot points and character backgrounds could have added more richness to the narrative. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the graphic novel.

"HoverGirls" is a delightful blend of action, humor, and heart. It’s a refreshing take on the superhero genre, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and the complexities of fame and heroism. Geneva Bowers has crafted a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, making "HoverGirls" a must-read for fans of graphic novels and superhero tales alike.

HoverGirls is such a fun, familiar story. And by that I mean, it reads so easily, is so beautiful and is entirely captivating, as familiar as finding your way back home. With magical girls and fish spirit alien monsters and possession and figuring out powers whilst having such wonderful unique main characters who both have such distinctive personalities. This story was vibrant and fun and a great time and I humbly request many more like it!