This was ADORABLE!!! I love a retelling and Doku’s reimagined of Beauty and the Beast was so sweet and heartwarming. I love how in less than 200 pages there was such wonderful emotional depth and complexity to the characters and their stories, and the representation within this diverse cast is vast.

I rendered speechelsss and and wholly bewitched by the artwork. I don’t think I’ve seen such gorgeous illustrations before and this is truly a masterpiece.

I cannot wait to see where Doku takes the story next in volume 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of Brielle and Bear: Volume 1!
3.5 / 5 ⭐

Brielle and Bear follows Brielle, an 18 year old obsessed with finding her fairy tale. Over the course of the graphic novel, we meet a range of diverse, well rounded characters finding their way through their own stories. The narrative felt too flat, but the characters were all lovely, as was the art.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was a sugary sweet and short graphic novel. I loved the character designs. This was very cliche in being a “fairytale romance” book. Meet cute at the bookstore and all. The fights between Brielle and Bear seemed to be just silly and pointless misunderstandings, but they helped moved the characters along. If you want something cute and to the point, deff check it out!

Beauty and the Beast, but make it modern high school 🤩

This was sooo beautifully illustrated! I adored the gorgeous art, vibrant colours and fairytale vibes. Spot the Easter eggs if you can! 🫖

The story was just ok, with some subplots feeling incomplete. However, the characters go through very relatable struggles and dilemmas. I also appreciate the representation. The author is incredibly talented; I loved the insight into her process and behind-the-scenes.

On the downside, this graphic novel wasn't the most readable because of the speech bubbles, which were confusing and hard to follow. I would have enjoyed it more if had the reading experience been smoother and more pleasant.

Nevertheless, this was still a nice read and I look forward to picking up the sequel.

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh! They are so cute!!! Everytime I see a character (or a person) who has vitiligo, I think about how beautiful their skin is. We celebrate how beautiful tigers, zebras and every other being that has patterns all over their skin is, but we don’t do the same for humans and I think that’s so wrong. Needless to say, when I saw that the MC of Brielle and Bear was a girl with vitiligo, I got really excited, because GORGEOUS!

This is based on Beauty and the Beast and while I can see some correlation, it isn’t a 100% exact retelling, so don’t go into it for that. Brielle talks about fairy tales throughout the book, so we do get that.

I really enjoyed this and I’m happy to hear that it’s getting a second volume.

Let’s start with the most obvious thing, this art style is absolutely adorable! From the moment I saw the cover, I was hooked. It’s vibrant, soft, and gives off the perfect cozy romance vibe. The way the characters are drawn just screams wholesome, which fits the fairytale lovers trope so well. Seriously, the fact that Brielle and Bear bond over their love for fairytales while in college? That’s so cute. And can we talk about Bear? He’s such a sweetheart, he’s completely into Brielle, but she’s so oblivious, and yet, he still just wants to be close to her. Plus, him being a rugby player adds such a fun dynamic, especially since Brielle has been to his games. It’s such a refreshing balance of sporty and soft. On the other hand, I felt bad for Brielle when she accidentally read through his stuff. Yes, it was wrong, but it wasn’t malicious—she genuinely likes him, and I loved how their relationship unfolded. The college setting is amazing, too. “Once Upon Time” as the school name? Iconic. It gives the story this light, almost dreamy atmosphere, with just the right amount of drama to keep things interesting. The friend group is also so well-balanced with both popular and non-popular characters, making their interactions feel super natural. And Bear’s struggles with dyslexia? Very realistic, very well-written. I also really connected with Brielle’s story, especially her losing her mom but still keeping an optimistic outlook. That really hit home. Now, on to some of the side characters, Pavao is so sketchy. I have a strong feeling he’s going to either cheat on or dump his girlfriend for Rosalie, and honestly, his girlfriend deserves better. Someone like Malachi, who actually seems to care. And what’s up with her and Brielle’s drama? I need answers asap!! I cannot wait for Volume 2! This story has the perfect balance of fluff, tension, and college slice-of-life goodness. If you love sweet, heartwarming romances with a touch of fairytale magic, Brielle and Bear is a must-read!

The art style is amazing and the story is really cute. But I think it was just missing a few things. Mainly it had depth, but it almost seemed like we could’ve gone slightly deeper. It also seemed like we missed a big portion of Brielle and Bear’s story.

First i would like to say thanks netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for vol 1.
Second, the art work is AMAZING!!!!! I was completely obsessed with it! All of the pretty vibrant colors were adorable thats the main reason i went up in the rating. 💕 However, the story line wasn't it for me. I felt like it was missing some parts or something. I appreciated the msg of accepting who you are and finding true friends but idk i was a little lost on some parts. It didn't give me the interest I was hoping for.

I really enjoyed this. The illustrations were so vibrant and the characters were lovely. I adored the story between the characters and I thought the story was well paced.

A sweet Beauty & the Beast retelling full of a diverse cast.

The colors for this graphic are vibrant and carry a magical feel to it. This feeling may also be attributed to the setting, though! I also loved the use of butterflies, particularly when Bear's creative side was shown. It was a beautiful symbol. One of the things I struggled with throughout reading were the panels. I couldn't decipher what speech bubbles to read first as they seemed a little disorganized.

There are some hard topics that are explored like bullying, loss of loved ones, and toxic relationships.

All in all, this is a great introduction to this series and I would definitely read the next one!

Once upon a time, bookish Brielle met rugby star Bear and their fairy tale began its twisting and swirling story. In this first installment of a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in a magical UK at Once Upon a Time university, sparks begin to fly between Brielle and Bear. They share a few secrets and grow closer but their romance has only just begun by the end of this first volume. I loved the fairy tale inspired illustrations, particularly the Disney World-esque buildings on OUAT’s campus and the diverse cast of characters, but I would have appreciated it if more time were invested in developing the characters, such sharing more about Bear being from the States or Brielle’s Portuguese background, beyond the occasional Portuguese phrases thrown in. Just as the story gets going and Brielle and Bear become more than friends (maybe?), this volume ends. While I will likely be looking out for the next volume to see how the story progresses, this volume felt incomplete. I’ll be hoping for more complex challenges and a deeper relationship (maybe even a kiss) in Volume 2.

Brielle is in her first year at university and works part time at a bookshop. When she and the jock, Bear literally run into each other at the bookshop, it is the start of a budding romance. Brielle and Bear get closer as they are assigned as tutoring partners. They get to know each other but Bear has a secret that has him keeping Brielle at a distance. The supporting cast of other fairy tale coded characters builds up this world of supportive friends and found family. Leaning into the Beauty and the Beast retelling, the story’s art really shines here, adding to the fairy tale quality of the story with the very floral and bright designs. It is a romance but a lot more focus on accepting yourself even with limitations.

A cute YA graphic novel romance that will be great for many library collections. The diversity of all the characters is great with Brielle and her father’s vitiligo beautifully showcased. While the cast of side characters is wide and diverse, it can sometimes pull away from the main story as the reader is searching for the other fairy tale connections. Will be great for fans of other adapted romance webtoons like Check Please and Lore Olympus

I picked this up excited for a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and thought that it really only alluded to the tale rather than retold it in a new voice. I did love the representation in it, particularly leading lady Brielle and her father’s vitiligo shining in the illustrations. Several characters were queer coded and I wish that could have been explored. I still enjoyed the story well enough and was truly enchanted by the art. I will be waiting to see what the author does next for sure

I couldn't love this book more. The art style is beautiful. The characters come alive off the page. The only downside is I have to wait until 2026 for the next volume.

I really enjoy the art style of this book. The interwoven fairy tale elements are fantastic and lovely. The diverse representation is so good. Brielle has vitiligo and the illustration of it is so beautifully done. This is such a fun book and would be really great for young readers. I look forward to the next volume and to see how the story continues to unfold!

"Brielle and Bear: Volume 1" is a beautiful and sweet little love story between jock Bear and bookish Brielle. They are brought together by a bookstore (literal) run-in, then again through a tutoring program with Brielle helping Bear with assignments. Their relationship is slow burn and precious, with some surprisingly deep vulnerability in moments throughout. Readers will be left eagerly awaiting a second installment.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

It was beautifully illustrated and had a good pace throughout the volume. It isn't so much a romance but it is budding but it about being who you are and trusting that your friends will still love you for just being yourself. I will definitely being recommending this to patrons and can't wait for volume 2!

First thing right off the bat: I am in love with the art in this book. All of the panels are either extremely cute or quite beautiful. I'm also excited we're getting more about some of the side characters and I'm interested in seeing what's going on with Pavão's group of friends. There's a lot of tension there, and I enjoy larger casts of characters that all interact together. I did feel like they were introduced mid storyline that was a little jarring, but I know this started off as a webtoon so I assume things like character profiles/etc may have been shared while the author was releasing the chapters which is definitely a different experience in learning the characters as a reader. I think it's obvious the author has really thought out the characters and their backgrounds and motivations, so I think a lot more will likely be incorporated in future volumes.

I adore a fairytale retelling. Brielle and Bear is a cute one, being set in a fairy tale themed college setting. I loved the colorful art in the book, and the characters' fashion made me wish I could take the outfits straight off of the pages! I unfortunately felt the pacing was a bit clunky and awkward, and I personally really dislike the miscommunication trope in romance novels, which was prominent in this book. There were also way too many characters for me to follow- I know we will probably see more of the other characters in volume 2, but volume 1 went too fast for the number of characters introduced. On a more positive note, I was overjoyed to open the book and see that the font used was OpenDyslexic. And despite its flaws, you could feel the love and care poured into this story and its characters from the introduction to the concept art at the end. While this book is not my favorite, I'm glad I gave it a read.

I want to preface this review by saying that I love graphic novels, though fairy tale retellings are usually not my go-to. This book surprised me though! It was more loosely based off of Beauty and the Beast and I liked seeing what similarities popped up between it and the original tale. I also love the art style! It really brings these characters to life. And what a diverse cast of characters as well!

Now, the reason for my 3-star rating mainly comes down to personal enjoyment. I think this title is perfect for so many readers: those who love bright and colorful graphic novels, are into retellings, enjoy Disney, or are fans of jock/nerd romance, among others. The only main downside for me was the lack of depth in some of the characters. While they were diverse, their main selling point seemed to be their diversity, and we didn’t get to dive deeper into who they truly were.

I received a free eBook/ARC of this title from NetGalley, and all opinions are my own.