4/5 stars

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

In which NOTHING SPECIAL continues to be one of the cutest, coziest, most magical and charming comics on WEBTOON.

Volume Three of Katie Cook's strip picks up right where Volume 2 left off. Callie, Declan, Radish, and Lasser have arrived at Laurel Poppyfield's death day celebration. But once they crash the gates, Declan finds so much more than just a healer to patch up his (hot!) wing - for better or worse, he rediscovers his magical lineage, too. As it just so happens, his late mother Angelica was a Poppyfield. And not just any Poppyfield, at that, but Laurel's long-estranged daughter! This puts Declan first in line to inherit the Poppyfields' massive store of magic (and cash monies), whether he wants it or not (spoiler alert: he doesn't).

Old-fashioned Laurel all but insists that Declan assume responsibility for the Poppyfields' oligarchy. But Laurel is not without her detractors: healer Tansy subscribes to Uncle Maddy's school of thought, that the magic should either be returned to the earth, or distributed equally among the fairies. And then there's Leir.

Declan isn't the only one to stumble upon a long-lost relative during the quartet's adventure. Lasser is shocked and a little appalled to run into one of his dozens of siblings - fourth in line to the throne, Leir. Before Declan's appearance, Leir was set to hold the Poppyfields' magic in trust until Declan's cousin Astor turned eighteen and could safely wield it. If Lasser knows his brother, surely Leir has a few tricks up his ruffled sleeve. Can they uncover and thwart his plans before it's too late? Will Declan fold under the weight of his familial obligations? Perhaps most importantly, will all those urban fantasy romance novels help Lasser get the guy?

I really love everything about NOTHING SPECIAL: Callie and Declan make an adorable couple with the best banter; Radish is gd awesome, and he continues to be a one-man vegetable liberation army; and Lasser's character arc has been so incredibly beautiful (*chef's kiss*). I did feel like this story arc dragged out a bit (too much pompousness, maybe), which is why I gave it four stars instead of five, but honestly it's still well worth a read.

Or several - Cook adorns the background with so many little tidbits and asides that I never fail to notice something new. The note about how her mom keeps her grandmother's bowling ball in the garden hit especially hard, since my mom does the same.

In my review of Volume 2, I complained that we never learned what happened to the spirit of the tree that grew in the front yard of Declan's childhood home. I thought I spotted him in the background of Volume 2, and I'm pretty sure he makes a few appearances here, too. I really hope Cook addresses this thread at some point in the future (*fingers crossed*).

I used to follow Nothing Special back when it was on WebToon (it’s still on there, actually), but stopped because distractions hahhaa. Revisiting has been a delight, though! The art style is enchanting, and the world-building is truly whimsical! If you love magical hidden worlds, this is a must-read for you!

Despite feeling like she’s nothing special, Callie has some pretty special abilities, like being able to see and talk to plant spirits, including the oh-so-cute ghost radish, Radish. Her life changes when she befriends Declan, who shares her unique gift. The story begins in search of Callie’s father, who went missing one day, and together, they journey deep into the magical realm to rescue him.

This is an enjoyable adventure through a whimsical but dangerous realm, where they encounter a variety of magical creatures, both good and bad. As Callie and Declan navigate this new world, they begin to uncover secrets about their own identities and discover just how “special” they really are.

And in this volume, we learn more about Declan and his family, but I don’t want to go too much into it lest I spoil it for y’all. But this is a charming tale of friendship, courage, and finding your place in a world filled with magic. I highly recommend!!

I had to re-read the first bit on WebToon before transitioning to my NetGalley reader, and I honestly prefer reading full-paged panels instead of singular, vertical panels. Thank you to Ten Speed Graphic and NetGalley for the eARC!

🌟 Graphic Novel Spotlight: Nothing Special, Vol. 3 by Katie Cook

Okay, y’all. You ever pick up a book that feels like a giant cozy blanket but also tosses you into a world full of magic, cute romance, adventure, vegetable ghosts, and awkward crushes? That’s Nothing Special, Vol. 3!

Katie Cook has absolutely mastered the art of “funny-but-feelsy.” In this volume, Callie and her boyfriend "He's MINE" Declan keep tumbling through magical chaos— now that Declan finds out he is the heir to a royal throne, all he wants is to fix his wings and go home. But where’s the fun in that?

💬 Why you’ll love it:

LOL moments: Radish-with way too much sass. Gotta love him. Lasser and his awkward crush and love for annotating romance novels.

Relatable vibes: Callie’s “why is this my life” face along with her constant need to be angry and every one while feeling the need to kick everyone's ass.

Heart check: Between the jokes, Cook sneaks in real feels about friendship, bravery, and finding your own magic. And cute clean teen romance <3

And don’t even get me started on the art—bright, bold, and packed with little details that make you wanna zoom in on every panel. Seriously, even the side characters look like they could star in their own spin-off. All the laugh details written on the sides of the panels along with additional information really makes you SMILE on each page.

This is the kind of graphic novel I hand to a student and say: “Trust me, you’re gonna binge this like your favorite Netflix show.” It’s quirky, it’s colorful, it’s heartfelt, and most importantly—it’s FUN.

📖 Final Word:

If you’re into magic with a side of sarcasm, friendship goals, and artwork that looks like it jumped out of your dream journal, Nothing Special, Vol. 3 is waiting for you. Put this one at the top of your TBR pile—because honestly? Nothing has ever been this special. 😉✨

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Nothing Special, Vol. Three: Pride and Pompousness by Katie Cook continues immediately after the bombshell that was the ending of volume two. This volume includes still more lovable antics from our "chaotic good" group of two teens, a demon, and a radish. The art, jokes, and details are all on point as much as they ever are, and we even get to meet a couple of extra family members! Loved this. Recommend for any and all ages.

Super cute graphics and great story continuation. It was fun and light and a good balance of fantasy elements. Very enjoyable and the graphics are awesome. Looking forward to the next volume.

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.