Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. So I had not seen the film that this book is based on, so that may explain my low rating. Apparently, the artwork - gorgeous as it is- was taken from the film and put into book format. I have no issue with that, except since I haven’t seen the movie, the storyline jumped around so much that I originally believed that the digital ARC had missing pages because the scenes moved so quickly with absolutely no transitions. If this book is simply meant to be a companion to the movie, fine, but if it was intended to be a standalone, the story left a lot to be desired. I was a world history teacher, so I’m familiar with the Book of Kells, but if I were a child and hadn’t seen the movie, much of this book would be confusion and incomplete. As beautifully done as the art is, the storyline is severely lacking. It would be a nice addition to have a bit of follow up at the end of the book explaining a bit more about the history of the Book of Kells for readers who may be interested. Overall, this ARC seemed rough and unfinished.

I received a free copy of, The Secret of Kells: The Graphic Novel, by Tomm Moore; Nora Twomey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Brendan lives in the Abbey of Kells, as a monk. Brendan has been asked to finish a magic book, will he be able to? This is a great story, I really loved reading about the book of Kells, and seeing the great illustrations.

This is so beautifully drawn. I'm embarrassed so say I haven't watched the movie yet. Though I have seen, and adore, Song of the Sea. There's just something so magical and beautiful about the way the artist creates the characters and scenery 🥰

Video Review available on instagram @sbrodgersbooks This was a very fun and beautiful Graphic Novel. A great adaptation of the movie.

Apparently this graphic novel is based on a movie. I have not seen the movie. The artwork in this book is lovely. However, the story is at times hard to follow. I think so much has been cut from the movie to make the book fit within a certain set of page numbers. Parts of the story are confusing, and it feels like we’re missing pieces. Overall, the book is beautiful, but it was not as satisfying read.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

I absolutely adored the movie version of The Secret of Kells, so I was totally thrilled to see that there was a graphic novel adaptation of it! And with bonus stories? Color me excited!

This was exactly what I was expecting, and that's not a bad thing at all, given the movie was gorgeous! I'm a little disappointed they just used stills of the movie instead of new art, but I get why that wouldn't be economical, so I'm not even gonna dock a star for it. Gorgeously made little graphic novel!

Five stars out of five for The Secret of Kells!

This is a beautiful graphic novel that follows the movie exactly! It's a fun story depicted so well anyone can love it. Reading it feels like watching the movie all over again.

A lovely book version of the film, made with stills from it for perusal in detail. I love the movie, so I enjoyed the book and savored the images. Also contains two short graphic novels included in the book with the DVD, one about the the abbot saving a baby Brendan from the Vikings, and another about what happened to Aislin's people.

Delightful story with charming artwork. I can't wait for this to come out and let my kiddos read it. They will love the whimsy and characters.

The writing was clear but the images were not. It was difficult for me to make out details in many of the panels so I struggled to follow along. The watermark in the bottom corner also obscured the images and text — I understand why a watermark is used but it’s a big visual impediment.

The artwork that I could see well is lovely. I very much like this style.

Because of my trouble with the images, I can’t say too much about the story itself. There is a kid who meets a forest fairy and together they find a magical item that allows the kid to create a special book. All the while, Vikings have been terrorizing the towns and his home is under attack

The Celtic aspect of this book was a fun angle for a graphic novel to take. This graphic novel is composed beautifully and bridges the juvenile gap well. I do wish it was a bit longer, for my personal taste.

Great adaptation of one of my favorite movies! I enjoyed the new short stories at the end. This would be fun for new fans and old ones.

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a wonderful historical fiction, a third in an Irish Folklore series, with gorgeous illustrations in the style of illuminated manuscripts of old. Great job portraying the characters and their feelings. Like some of the other reviewers, I was not aware of the film on which the book is based, but would love to see it now that I’ve read the book.

"The Secret of Kells: The Graphic Novel" is an adaptation of the animated movie, "The Secret of Kells," created by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. The graphic novel has been adapted by Samuel Sattin. I enjoyed that the graphic novel is not just still shots from the movie, and has been completely redone. You still get the feel of the story, with Brendan wanting to help with the "book that will light the darkness" (the illuminated manuscript: the Book of Kells) but with his uncle, the Abbot, trying to keep him safe and away from the woods. The artwork is beautiful and the story is imaginative. It does help if you have seen the movie, but the graphic novel is adapted well enough that it's not a requirement.
A recommended purchase for middle grade graphic novel collections, especially if you have the movie in your collection.

The art is stunning. This is the third in a series focusing on Celtic folklore and I love them all. I haven't watched the movie yet, but after reading this it is definitely moving up my "to watch" list. The story is great there is adventure and magic animals. This book is perfect.

5 stars

I’ve always been a fan of Celtic mythology and this story is absolutely beautiful. The art is unique and if you like this you’d definitely love the animation of it.

A beautiful adaptation of a phenomenal film. The Secret of Kells is a wonderful story of medieval Ireland and the creation of one of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts in existence. I love the way this story weaves in the influence of the natural world and Irish mythology, which are clearly represented in the actual historical manuscript. This is a shot-for-shot retelling of the film, but a beautiful work of art nonetheless.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for my copy of The Secret of Kells: The Graphic Novel by Tomm Moore; Nora Twomey in exchange for an honest review. It publishes February 11, 2025.
I haven’t seen The Secret of Kells movie in a very long time and this book took me right back! The artwork is timeless and beautiful, the story is told in such a compelling way.
This is not one to miss!

I really enjoyed The Secret of Kells! I found this graphic novel easy to read and loved the color schemes. The illustrations reminded me of a Disney cartoon and I'm a sucker for any cat characters, I purchased Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers and can't wait to read them too.

I received an ARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I felt that the plot was kind of shallow, I really enjoyed the story. The art is stunning and moves, in style and color, with the story. It is sometimes Duisney-esque, sometimes maze-ish, sometimes dark and terrifying. They do an amazing job portraying the feelings of the characters and the mood of the story. I will admit that it's possible that I didn't pick up as much of the plot from the illustrations as I should have, Either way, I thought this book was a winner.