Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this if you like: LGBTQ representation, non-binary MC, villains

This was so cute and a bit evil. I loved it. The characters and their design are great. It has a cottagecore goth feel. The storyline is unique and fun. I highly recommend it!

An adorable story about being yourself and loving what you have. The art was amazing and the story had a nice twist.

Disappointing is the one word I would sum this book up in. The artwork was okay, but the story was all over the place, predictable and boring.

I cannot recommend this book for anyone.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked the art style and the potential for the characters, but I wished that there could have been more development in the suspense in the plot, especially with the antagonist by the story being longer. The antagonist's motivations were quite interesting since they shook up the story and challenged the main character's perspective of themself.

Evil-ish is the perfect blend of self-discovery and found family/friendships, illustrated through a dark cottage core aesthetic. Though I would've loved a little backstory for Hawthorne, I greatly appreciated the depiction of their growth through likes, dislikes, style choices, etc. Love the illustrations and story.

Evil-ish is a fun and quick YA graphic novel that focuses on Hawthorne, an exasperated potion barista who wants nothing more than to be a villain. So when the Bridgade of Shade hosts tryouts, Hawthorne is ecstatic to show them just how epically villainous they are....well, kinda. They have no powers but are sick of Idlewood and the strange inhabitants and even more tired of feeling misunderstood and alone. When tryouts go epically bad for them, they decide to band together with an unlikely ally to prove that they are evil enough to be a part of the Brigade of Shade. But things aren't as they appear to be and Hawthorne has to make a seemingly impossible villainous choice. Do they have what it takes?

I thoroughly enjoyed the animated art style and color scheme usage throughout this story. The plot is interesting and the quirky cast of characters that reside in Idlewood were fun to get to know. I love that the backstory of Idlewood was our first introduction to this story as it truly helped lay the groundwork for this story. My biggest qualm is that I think Hawthorne and Maple both needed more fleshing out in this story. I mean, I didn't feel like WHY Hawthorne wanted to be villainous specifically made much sense. While it made sense that Hawthorne felt isolated and stuck in Idlewood, I felt that Hawthorne's character needed more fleshing out to truly convince me of why they were so set on being evil. They wanted to prove themselves but were surrounded by people who supported and adored them. The only person that didn't believe in Hawthorne was themselves and I just wish there had been a few more pages dedicated to that. Maple's story also got left to the very end to really expand on which I felt was such a disservice to Maple's story because it was such a heavy hitter.

I truly did enjoy this read, though, and I am excited to see other works Kennedy Tarrell comes out with!

Why? Well, that part I didn't fully feel was fleshed out enough for us as the reader to understand WHY Hawthorne wanted to be villainous so badly.

The art and the color palette in this is breathtakingly gorgeous. Honestly I would find myself just staring at the pages for minutes at a time.

The story was fast paced and fun. I loved Hawthorne, the main character and their obsession with being EVIL and learning what Good and Evil really means. Their mother might be my favorite character though- I mean the aprons- c'mon!! So cute. In this Graphic Novel you learn that looks can be deceiving- Just because someone looks, dresses and seems to act one way doesn't mean they are what you assume. There's trauma and a search for belonging and so much whimsy and shenanigans. I adored this story and would happily read more. I highly recommend this one!

This was a sweet little YA graphic novel. The characters and storyline were cute. I would have liked a little more character development, but I understand that some of it was a limitation of the YA-ness. I really like the art style.

Evil-ish is a fun oneshot graphic novel with an art style I really enjoyed and characters I liked a alot! It packs a punch of story on finding your place and exploring yourself while also learning to let go of the things that are hurting you or causing you to hurt others and grow to be a better, happier, version of yourself.

This was my first graphic novel and I ate it up! Filled with funny banter! I loved the illustrations in this graphic novel!

This was okay. It has some good but overall, it was just okay.

Good:
While the character art wasn't my favorite, I did really enjoy the aesthetic. And I'll always be amazed at people's skills. I also thought the idea was cute.

What didn't resonante with me:
The characters. I just didn't understand Hawthorne's character. His wanting to be "evil" but he just wanted to be a prank bro instead. It just didn't really make sense why he was the way he was and his evolving was very flat.

Some of the scene jumps were just too much. It went really quickly from one scene to the next in the middle which made me feel a little whiplashed.

Recommended audience:
I think this will do great for the intended audience, more of the younger side of the spectrum. While this does have some redeeming qualities - I think there was a lot more for the wanting.



But I loved Maple. She was the best character from start to finish.

We all know the feeling of not belonging. Well, maybe not ALL of us, but the people that know that feeling, should definitely pick up Evil-ish. It’s all about finding your place in the world, even when it isn’t where you thought it would be.

Hawthorne has dreamt of joining the Brigade of Shade their whole life. Being evil is all they’ve been able to imagine: idolizing the villains and wishing to be by their side. The stories of the dissent they sowed and the places they’ve been are the stuff of legend. So when they put out a flier saying they are accepting applications, it’s finally time!

But then they don’t get in. And yet Maple, the bubbly girl who sings to birds and looks nothing like your typical villain, does.

As Hawthorne is lying in their room, crying over what should have been, Maple shows up to offer help at asking for a second chance. Which, of course, goes terribly wrong and the leader of the Brigade ends up dead… leaving Hawthorne their new leader.

This was delightfully fun and full of queer characters. I mean, there are 2 nonbinary characters and I imagine Hawthorne and Maple becoming a thing somewhere down the line, so even though it’s not fuuuuuuuuuully canon, it is in my head. I love Hawthorne’s growth throughout the story and how they may not have fit in with the town they live in, they just needed some coaxing and a little evil to show them the way.

My favorite part/character of the story was Hawthorne’s mom giving them an apron that said Mx. Manager on it. She asked around for the correct thing to say on it so that they would feel properly represented. It’s that extra step of caring and affection that really show a parent’s love and devotion to their child. I wish more parents were like fictional ones.💜Every queer kid needs this kind of love.

Honest Netgalley ARC Review: This was such a sweet, fun, magical YA graphic novel. Hawthorne doesn't feel like they fit in. They wish to be an infamous villain so they try out to be part of the notorious Brigade of Shade. Hawthorne is done helping their mom by being a potion barista and instead cover their bedroom walls with posters of evildoers. When a deadly accident puts Hawthorne in a position of power they can't wait to be the villain they’ve been dreaming of being. The problem is that being evil may not be what they actually want. Hawthorne is a non binary teen who has evil aspirations but is stuck working with their family. They want to make their own way in the world and they think a life of evil is what they want. Hawthornes character can be stubborn and selfish but they are also kind, helpful, and forgiving. They grew a lot in this story and it was so sweet reading about their journey.

This was a cute graphic novel about how sometimes realizing we aren't who we thought we were or who we thought we wanted to be.

I really enjoyed reading this though there were a few things that threw me off...it's giving high fantasy but then they have video game systems and Hawthorne, our main character, mentions something about never remembering to text back...kind of pulled me out of the story a bit since everything else has it set up as a time before tech.

Overall though I really enjoyed this and thought it was sweet with a great message. ^^

4.5/5 (rounded down to 4)

CW: violence, murder, death

I would like to thank NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was such a fun graphic novel! Being that I absolutely love the Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, I knew heading into this book that it was going to be something I really liked. I think the dynamics between Hawthorne and Maple were very interesting, especially when you consider their conversations about good and evil and how people can ultimately change. Additionally, I think Tarrell does a good job with balancing artwork and storytelling to help ease readers into the heart of the story. However, my only issue with this book was the world-building. Like, I understand that it's supposed to be a medieval-like setting and the magic system wasn't too hard to figure out. However, there were these modern elements added into the story, like keto diets and little league teams, that didn't really make sense to the type of setting the book was supposed to be nor was it really explained why these modern elements were there in the first place.

Nevertheless, if you like stories that really examine morally grey villains on if they're actually villainous or just simply misunderstood, want a fantasy graphic novel with a non-binary MC, and/or you just love the Assistant to the Villain series, you might want to check this book out.

This book was so whimsical and fun. The art work was beautiful and I read it all in one sitting because I just could not put it down

this didn't go where I expected, but it was such a good read about found family and discovering your place in the world and how it's never too late to make amends

Evil-ish is a lovely and fun story about finding your place in the world, but more importantly it’s about doing evil. Kind of. Mostly it’s mischief, the fun kind of “evil.” The story gives dnd vibes with fun and chaotic characters, including liches, and ancient magics. The artwork is wonderful, both beautiful and at times perfectly cute. The art style is a perfect match for the tone and vibes of the story itself

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For potion barista Hawthorne Vandecast, leaving their mundane life is all they want. And being preferably evil is even better. When tragedy strikes, Hawthorne is pushed to lead the Brigade of Shade. Yet, when bubbly and cute Maple joins the evil party, it confuses Hawthorne on what truly defines evil. Can they turn things around before it’s too late for their small village?
I absolutely adored this graphic novel! It was so much fun to read in one reading session, too. Hawthorne wants change for themself, and Maple wants to fix her past. The cast of characters for the Brigade is hilarious, and Hawthorne trying to come up with evil things is funny. It’s a classic twist on good versus evil and finding what makes oneself authentic and true.

Super cute villainous graphic novel with a twist. The exposition of the first few pages was a little confusing to me, but once I met Hawthorne, I loved it.