Nothing Special, Vol. Three is the third collection of webcomics (season 2) by Katie Cook. Originally published online as a webtoon, this collection, released 25th June 2025 by Penguin Random House on their Ten Speed Press imprint is 384 (!!) pages and is available in hardcover and paperback formats.

The art is beautifully complex, absolutely FULL of small hidden details, easter eggs, and inside jokes. The single page comics are in one-panel format, with a huge cast of recurring characters. The humor is ever so slightly off-kilter and is surreal with elements of magical realism, nerd culture, absurdism, and irony.

This would be a good selection for current fans of the authors' work online, or for fans of webcomic style art in general. For readers unfamiliar with the series and characters going into the read completely blind, expect to be lost for a while (or do a quick brush up online before diving in).

Four stars. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library, or for gift giving purposes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was fun.
The book picked up right where the last volume ended and kept me interested throughout the story. The art style was the same as before — whimsical but a bit too cluttered.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

4.25/5

A great volume three. We learn more about the magic of the realm and get some development with our MCs.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of laurel and Callie’s weird dynamic. Declan gets lost in those pages and Callie is so close to being insufferable. The story doesn’t pop off the pages like the did in volume one and two. Other than weird banter and everyone saying they’re mad. Lasser is great radish is radish. The sidebars are pretty fun. I still get lost with some of the panels feeling cohesive with abrupt conversation changes that this series is known for still happens.

However it’s fun and cute and has heart so it’s easy to overlook those challenges. I’ll be excited for volume 4.

Once again, another absolutely amazing addition to the Nothing Special series. Every time I see a new volume come out I have to get it, and I'm thankful for it each time. The artwork and storyline are so fun and I always get sucked in and binge read it in a day. The only complaint I had (and its really not much of a complaint) is that the some of the edge artwork / random bits can get very distracting for my brain. I do LOVE when Katie puts her personality into it, but some of the times like the "steal this look" section or the "lil hobo luggage". Some of them just didn't apply to the story and had me searching the page for the reference, all for it to not even be there. Again, I think it's cute and fun, but should pertain to what's going on to make sense.

The Nothing Special series is my absolute favorite graphic novel series of all time! It is utter perfection. Humor, whimsy, magic, a fast moving and engaging plot, and art work that makes me downright giddy with excitement. Even the little extras in the margins are so darn cute!

Love. So much love. I'll never be able to get enough of this series.

Delightful series. My only regret is I’m caught up! Teen book but the characters are sufficiently charming you shouldn’t turn your nose up as an adult reader if you want a light fantasy comic. I’m enjoying it greatly!

OMY. Katie Cook hit it out of the park again. This series has serious become such a comfort read to me. It is full of adventure, humor, and most importantly adorable little plant ghosties😍😍😍

Another great volume of Nothing Special. I don't think I liked it as much as the first two, but it was still a lot of fun. We got to learn more about Lasser's family, Leir, and the fairy families.

I cannot get enough of Radish!!! This volume keeps its lightheartedness as it deals with the heavy topic of what family is. Spoiler- it is not blood. Relief of finally being able to cure Declan's wing is short-lived as Declan is forced to take all the magic of his lineage and use it to maintain control. Lasser is reunited with his older brother. Another relationship that brings more trauma. Callie has to endure ribbons and big hair if she is to find a way to save everyone she cares about and make things right by returning magic to the earth.
Bright colors continue along with the fabulous satirical Radish comments that represent another component of social justice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

Nothing Special volume three was a 5 ⭐️ read for me.

Callie and crew have made it to the fairies to heal Declan’s injured wing, but get far more than they bargained for. Declan is a lost relative of the Plant fairies, and his grandmother is planning on leaving him all of the accumulated magic when she dies. It just so happens that her death is tomorrow, and there are many others who have plans for the magic that’s about to become Declan’s.

I absolutely LOVED volume three of nothing special. While I found volume two had a little bit of a pacing issue, volume three was fast paced and action packed from the start! There was so much character growth in this one! Callie being protective and supportive of everyone in the group while she learns more about her own power. Declan learning more about plants and magic and finding his own path. Lasser learning to stand up for himself against his family! and also a potential romance!!!!

This volume had everything I loved from the first two, incredible art, sweet and amazing found family, and so much adventure. I can’t wait to see what volume four brings after the ending of this one!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Hoo boy! Did I love this!!!

This was another random pick up because it was on NetGalley and another thing that truly shocked me for how much I absolutely adored it!

I hadn't read the first two volumes before reading this, but that really didn't matter for following this story (although, I absolutely must read them now!).

I am absolutely besotted with Cook's writing, art, worldbuilding, and humour! There's so much going on in the best possible way, clearly taking influences from other comics, fairytales, and manga to create something truly magical!

The story is a simple one of an unexpected inheritance and the malevolent brother of one of the central cast looking to steal it for himself, but the telling of it with the hilarious and fascinating details of the fae realm, the charm and humour that positively oozes from every panel, and the pièce de résistance, the truly unhinged and marvellous annotations, asides, and jokes woven around the edges of the page.

The artwork is phenomenal, especially when things get swirly and magical.

Frankly, this has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. Plus, the book is absolutely huge, being well over 300 pages!

This has been the favourite part of my morning for the last few days. I absolutely loved it!

Also, the radish spirit is EVERYTHING!

I love Katie's illustrations! The art is fantastic. I love how cute all of the characters are, and I love the way Katie draws wings. It was great to see Declan's character be fleshed out a little more. I cant wait for the next book! I need to know what is going to happen next, and need the cliff hanger resolved, haha.

Thank you Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Graphic, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is the third instalment in the Nothing Special series and it’s just as fun and fast-paced as the other two. Same great characters and gorgeous artwork make it a pleasure to read. The ending hints at the possible continuation of the series , so am cautiously optimistic as I wait for the new instalment.

Another stellar book from this author. I love the Nothing Special story and this is yet another great addition! The detail is rich in the illustrations and I love finding all the little hidden easter eggs in the backgrounds!.

The characters in Nothing Special, are actually something special & I love getting to go along on their adventures with them. The characters and their stories are sweet and funny, and you can't help cheering them on. Add in adorable little radish and other plants ghosties & this series is a wonderful read.

Another great installment of the Webtoon hit series, Nothing Special. When Callie, Declan, Lasser, and Radish travel to the Poppyfield estate to repair Declan's wing, they learn that Declan is royalty. The group is roped into Laurel Poppyfield's end of the life celebrations and plunged into a world of deceit and political intrigue.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the ARC of the book. The story starts when volume 2 ended. We are meeting new characters with the old ones. I'm a big fan of the characters and artwork of this series, but unfortunately for the story itself, I had problem to get into it. The story was dragging for a long hot minute for me. It got better in the end though. Overall it was enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

EEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!!!!I loved it so much! I love the doodles on the sides. They are so cute and funny, its a fantastic addition to the graphic novel. This one is just as gorgeous as the previous two. I really hope Katie Cook creates a book just about Lasser. He's my favorite character and I would would enjoy more of his story and his family.

Callie, Declan, Lasser, and Radish is trying to find someone to heal Declan’s wing. He meets Laurel Poppyfield who is dying and in need of an heir. It turns out Declan is Laurel’s grandson and the timing of his arrival could not be more perfect.

Not everyone is happy about Declan’s sudden appearance, though. Leir, one of Lasser’s older brothers, has worked for years to become a trusted presence in the Poppyfield home. He was Laurel’s top choice to inherit the family’s magic before Declan showed up, and he’s not about to let his plans get ruined. It’s up to Callie, Declan, Lasser, and Radish to thwart his nefarious schemes before the Poppyfield magic falls into the wrong hands.

I don’t have enough words to describe how much I just straight <i>adore</i> Katie Cook’s <i>Nothing Special.</i> series. Callie, Declan, Lasser, and Radish’s stories were unquestionably the first from Webtoon that I knew, unquestionably, I’d want physical copies of. There’s no questioning that I’d have loved this book even if it had been exactly the same as the story I’d read online. Amazingly enough, the level of additive detail that Cook puts into the book version of her tale is nothing short of exceptional.

It helps, I think, that I’ve been following the author for a while now; so I knew that she was working though building a more detailed world as each book came together. As a result, I had an absolute blast comparing each new panel to the original and seeing how everything had been adjusted and enhanced. There’s no doubt in my mind that Katie Cook is an exceptional artist and storyteller.

The story is much the same for the second half of what’s basically a season 2 equivalent. It’s the sort of story that expands on the original lore set up in the first and second books, coming to a brilliant climax in this third volume. Even more exciting are the family dynamics that are explored in depth for Declan and Lasser. Whereas book one was really all about Callie, books 2 and 3 are Declan’s story—with the most brilliant of teasers for what’s to come.

It’s rather easy to adore every aspect of this story, though for me I continue to be incredibly attached to Radish and Lasser. I left this book eager and excited to have the copy on my shelf as soon as possible. And even more, I can’t wait to read everything that comes next!

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc of this graphic novel in exchange for a fair review. We're following Callie, Declan, Radish, and Lasser as Declan has arrived at the Poppyfield Estate, and the matriarch wants to leave Declan her magic as she leaves this world. Declan is a reluctant inherantee (is that a word?), while there are those who would stop at nothing to get their hands on that sweet sweet magic. Overall the art style is great. I find all of the characters except Declan lovable. His reluctance at inheriting all that magic when he could just divvy it up between family members later was irritating me. I never love a whiny character with an easy solution. So it made it a little big of a draggy read for me. All of the other characters kept me going. I could probably read a whole graphic novel on Radish's lore.