I recently checked out What We Wished For from Ilias Kyriazis and really liked it. Humanoids delivered another great book.

The stories about a group of kids who get wishes from a supernatural being while a comet is passing Earth. Their wishes start to come true 38 years later.

Unlimited cake? Super powers? Being a boy? Your crush loving you? Being the best skateboarder ever? These are the things that young children wish for – not adults in their 40s. So, what happens when those wishes are thrust on the lives of middle-aged folks?

Chaos.

The story kept me on my toes, and I was unable to really predict where the story was going. I appreciated that aspect. The story was just flat out engaging.

I was 100% drawn to this book based on the cover alone. The old man doing a flip while skateboarding looked like so much fun. I felt like I had to check it out. The artwork throughout the book was awesome. One of my favorite things about it was that once the kids were adults, they were all very distinct. I was never second-guessing which character I was looking at when they were on the page.

I really liked this book, and I highly recommend it to everyone. It was fantastic.

Thank you Netgalley and Humanoids for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Ok, so, this was NOT AT ALL what I was expecting. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I requested this book. I thought it was going to be a cute little magical story about wishes coming true and going wrong. I was way off. This is a story about kids who made wishes when they were little but the comet passed by before they could be granted. Nearly forty years later, the wishes come true. This book is NOT for children. This book is for adults only. There is a ton of nudity and adult content in this book. It was wild and unhinged as fuck.. Nevertheless, it was good. It had a good message in it about feminism and how toxic the anti-feminists are and how important feminism really is. A “pick me” woman gets some major character development and realizes that her whole mindset is wrong. The story definitely doesn’t leave you hanging, which is nice. You get to see the wrap up for every character. But this book is brutal, gruesome, violent, and so fucked up. Definitely not what I was expecting, like I said, but good. I enjoyed it. It even made me cry a few times. I felt emotional near the end, especially. I actually connected with the characters by the end and felt happy to see the conclusion. (Spoiler) I was a little sad that the wishes didn’t go back to normal but at least they’re using them for good things now. I especially loved how the cake wish was used to help hungry people. Anyway, I’ll shut up now. This was just a really wild and crazy book and I feel so weird after reading it. What an experience! Just, woah.

What We Wished For is a book that explores what happens to our childish wishes. I enjoyed this book. It was a bit too vulgar and rough around the edges for me. I would recommend this to readers who like rag-tag-teams of underdogs

Five kids who are vacationing together wish upon a falling star (or rather, a meteor)... but their wishes only come true 35 years later, with potentially destructive results!
I was afraid this graphic novel wouldn't be for me, especially because of an artstyle which is (purposefully) quite reminiscent of superhero comics (not for me). Yet What We Wished For turned out to be super duper worth it! The plot is unique and engaging, and the characters are all very distinctive and interesting to follow. There were also a few really sweet and affirming moments that I loved, and the ending is really satisfying.
I must admit that I didn't expect it to treat some pretty difficult topics (gender and sexuality, online grifters, incels) quite so gracefully: while I wouldn't call it subtle (subtext is for cowards), it never falls into preachy territory in my opinion.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

"What We Wished For" by Ilias Kyriazis is a graphic novel that I absolutely loved! The art is stunning, but what really stood out to me were the fascinating themes and the brilliant LGBT+ representation, which felt both authentic and nuanced. The characters are wonderfully developed, each with their own unique voice, making the story feel rich and layered.

The whole premise around the wishes is super intriguing, even if we’re not quite sure where it’s all heading yet. The sense of mystery keeps you hooked, and I found myself eager to turn each page, wondering what’s coming next.

If you're into stories that blend emotion, diversity, and a touch of magic, What We Wished For is an absolute must-read. I can’t wait to see what Ilias Kyriazis brings us in the future!"

What We Wished For tells the story of a group of kids who make a wish on a shooting star. Unbeknownst to them, the wishes takes effect 35 years later. Suddenly their lives change drastically and they are forced to reconnect and reconcile with the wishes from the past, their life choices, and their relationships with one another.

The graphic novel has energetic and expressive illustrations (that are at times NSFW!) with a diverse cast of characters. The story will leave you thinking about some of today's hot topics, but in a deep and significant way. Not an easy task for a graphic novel, but this one hits it out of the park!

** Thanks to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc for the egalley copy. All opinions are my own. **

What We Wished For was such a fun read. Heartbreaking at times, but I truly enjoyed everything about it. The art style was so captivating, especially when flashing back to the past. The themes this story explores – gender non conformity, toxic masculinity, queerness, disability, grief, copganda, parenthood, and polyamory – never felt overdone to me. They were an intrinsic part of the worldbuilding and the character's personalities. Speaking of characters, Angie's arc has to be my most favorite. Coming to terms with her gender and refusing to repeat the cycle that was passed down to her? What an icon.

If you're looking to read a graphic novel with a heartwarming yet entertaining story, this is the one to pick up.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me an e-arc of this novel.

A group of kids stumble into a cave on the night of a comet, and discover they each get one wish. One asks for endless cakes, another wishes their parents wouldn’t divorce, one wants to become a superhero, and the youngest girl wishes to be a boy so she can do all the things girls aren’t allowed to do. The last kid thinks really hard and wishes to be the best skateboarder ever—but just as the words leave his mouth, the comet passes, and none of their wishes come true.

The twist? When the comet returns 35 years later, their wishes do come true, for better or worse. Some embrace their new abilities, while others use them in harmful ways.

It's a quick and interesting take on the whole "be careful what you wish for" concept. The villains are really bad, while the good guys are a lot of fun. I enjoyed it overall—though it felt like it could have gone on longer, it did manage to wrap everything up in one volume.

I would say this is more of a 3.5 for me. I really liked the premise and the gritty look at what happens when you get what you wished for, but decades later. It’s an interesting look also at friendship and how people change drastically from who you knew playing as kids to who you grow into as adults and if that can be reconciled. There’s significant queer representation and poly representation which I think is wonderful. I felt the ending was rushed though. I didn’t feel the resolution for Dale’s arc made sense with his established traits despite how the narrative tried to state that it did. And I have a lot of feelings about how Bianca was treated in her character depiction in regard to personal agency and how her actions were portrayed narratively. I think the idea was great, and there were some beautiful scenes and parallels and poignant moments, but the overall plot execution left me dissatisfied. I’d still definitely recommend it to others, and think it’s a fresh twist on the “wish making gone wrong” premise.

While this isn’t for me this comic has its merits. It’s a wish story gone horribly wrong and I think it was rather well written just not something I would pick up personally.

"he's a small, small man, let him be the king of his small hole"

a vibrant, quick, quirky comic about a wonderful array of diverse characters in a super unique situation. It got a little too weird and muddled in the middle for me but I thought it touched on a lot of great topics throughout, however maybe too many with how short this is

thank you to NetGalley for my copy! all opinions are my own.

i was not expecting where the story went. this was such an interesting premise with a very entertaining series of events and characters. it was so fast-paced and focused on so many different main characters that you have to pay kinda close attention to keep up at times but i don’t think it was confusingly rushed. the art gives off a more traditional comic feel which, to me, fits with certain details of the story. i think some of the plot lines could’ve been a little more detailed and longer but other than that it was great!

Pretty interesting comedy graphic novel, where some brattish kids somehow conspire to find a cave, wherein they see the light – and in the light each sees their own cosmic-powered being. The being is one and the same, just appears differently, and grants them each a wish, which – them being brattish kids, dealing with the whole situation flippantly – is easily forgotten about when nothing happens. But 38 years later, when a comet passing over orbits again, why – that's when the wishes come true. So it's up to people in their forties to find that years ago, when they wished for endless cake, or a random girl at school to have the hots for them, or to change gender – why, it mattered after all. A LOT.

The end result is somewhat flippant as well, too, but it does manage to talk about toxic masculinity, the gender dysmorphia fad, the danger of endless cake… Principally it's about how to deal with someone given superpowers who takes to that ability the wrong way, and obviously that's been done countless ways before now – just not like this. Not with a healthy attitude to sex, of many kinds, not with an unfortunate amount of script being in Greek lettering, and not with artwork that could really be better, but probably the merits outweigh the faults here. It's certainly doing something many other books haven't got round to, yet, and three and a half stars is a safe verdict.

Thank you to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. This graphic novel was interesting.... not safe for work/18+ due to nudity, domestic abuse, bullying, and gore. It truly showed the lessons on what would happen if you wished a certain thing, etc. I think the art was gorgeous, and the plot was intriguing. However, it's not going to be for everyone. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars

Thirty-eight years ago, Grimm's Comet passed by as six kids were exploring a cave. Inside, they discovered an entity that promised to grant their wishes as long as they made them before the comet passed. Unfortunately, they didn't finish making their wishes in time. However, 38 years later, when the same comet passed by again, their long-forgotten wishes started coming true.

The book I read was a delightful experience, although it is more suited for a mature audience. It was slow-paced and hard to follow. While it wasn't exactly to my taste, I still found it enjoyable. The artwork in the book was exceptionally well-crafted and filled with intricate details.

Overall, I recommend this book to those who appreciate stories similar to those in Marvel comics.

LOVED IT!

I loved the whole thing about wishing for something and it coming true at an unexpected time in your life. The art was great and fit the vibes of the story well. The only minor issue I had was the time jumps. It was a bit confusing at times to keep up with.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc for the Advanced Readers Copy of this graphic novel in ebook form.

5 out of 5 stars.

What We Wished For by Ilias Kyriazis is an LGBTQIAP+ graphic novel about a group of friends who make a wish on a comet in a magic caves as kids and now thirty-five years later their wishes start coming true.

I would like to point out how beautiful the cover and illustrations are throughout the book and the colours are bright and attractive.

There wasn't a point that I was bored and wanted to put it down, in fact, quite the opposite. I had trouble putting it down.

The twists and turns throughout really caught me off guard and the plot was an amazing one. I really enjoyed reading it.

As well as being LGBTQIAP+ the novel also had characters of colour, characters with disabilities, and a large range of ages and races.

This is for adults and has sex scenes drawn out.

I would highly recommend this graphic novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ACR

My honest opinion 2.7/5 for me.

I loved the throughline plot. But what bothered me was the constant back and forth between the past and the present. It was fine during setting them up but then it felt too jarring. It felt too convenient.
The characters were so-so. I get what they were going through but I couldn't connect with them emotionally.

The art style is fun and light.

Overall, I would suggest this book only if someone asked me "What if what we wished for came true?" to which I would reply "I have just the comic for you."

Much more grim than indicated by the front cover! An exciting fantasy story about the wishes a group of friends made as children suddenly becoming true decades later, ultimately dealing with a lot of really dark stuff. Definitely check for triggers!

Publishing date: 09.07.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Humanoids Inc. for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: A bucket of popcorn wto go with all the drama
The book left me: Once again grateful that children can't make major life decisions

Negatives:
Story felt a little rushed and would benefit from a little more content and time with the characters
Artstyle is a little strange and might not be for everybody
Turns very dark very quickly

Positives:
Very reminiscent of old comics
Tangible consequences for innocent wishes

Features:
Triggers for anti-feminism and misogyny (from a woman), reminiscent of old-school comics, wishes and wants with severe consequences, multi-POV

Why did I choose this one?
Sick skater dude on the cover: had to get it. The whole skating thing is not heavily featured in the comic (sad face), but it has it's flashes. I am as mentioned in my earlier reviews of the year, back in my comic loving self from my early teens. This comic looked cool and had a great premise

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able. The story is a quick read and can be finished in a single sitting, I finished it throughout the day as I was busier than expected. The pacing also benefits from reading it all at once, as there are no proper breaks in-between.

What was the vibe and mood?
Have you ever heard kids make wishes? Have you ever wondered what the consequences of those wishes were? Have you ever seen adults fumble and fail around sudden unforeseen circumstances? Well if you want to see these things, then read this. Absolute chaos.

Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, C tier. This was okay. I had fun reading it, and I think I would recommend it. However, it was nothing groundbreaking. I feel like this story would benefit from a higher page count and more time to develop the characters. You just about have time to get to know them before the story ends. In and of itself the book is just fine, fun but fine.