How heartwarming!! I love how this manga doesn’t use melodrama and shallow angst to delay the characters from finally dating. These two are people with their own quirks and problems that slowly come to understand what they want and how they feel for one another, and it is so so cute.
My Special One, Vol. 2 by Momoko Koda, (List Price: 9.99, VIZ Media LLC, 9781974736911, May 2023)
Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savanna, Georgia
I thought I had it all figured out in the start. There are countless stories out there that start out in a similar way. However, this novel really does it’s own thing. I thought it was going to be a werewolf or wendigo type creature. Boy was I wrong. Never expected the climax that actually came!
Hailstone by Rafael Scavone, (List Price: 22.99, Dark Horse Books, 9781506730943, June 2023)
Reviewed by Ethan Davis, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida
Imagine being in a country you know nothing about without your phone to guide you. You might be amazed at what you find, discover about an unknown place or even about yourself. This book takes you on journey through Taiwan and immerses you in the culture. I really loved the adventure of it all and the amazing graphics.
Lost in Taiwan (A Graphic Novel) by Mark Crilley, (List Price: 24.99, Little, Brown Ink, 9781368040884, May 2023)
Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
I knew that someone was writing a comedy manga around the world of Elden Ring, but I didn’t know it was going to hit this level of scale! Following the journey that everyone who played the game also had, except this tale takes the world and twists the situations into joking situations. Very clever idea. I hope this is able to be continued until the conclusion.
Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree, Vol. 1 by Nikiichi Tobita, (List Price: 13, Yen Press, 9781975364892, May 2023)
Reviewed by Ethan Davis, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida
I watched this anime several years ago, and I have to say they did an excellent job adapting the manga. I don’t know why I enjoy it so much — the love interest is incredibly toxic, and the main character is a total mess, yet I find myself rooting for them anyway.
Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Vol. 1 by Ayuko Hatta, (List Price: $9.99, VIZ Media LLC, 9781974737529, May 2023)
Reviewed by Amber Brown, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina
Actual chills at the ending of this novel. ACTUAL. CHILLS. Cam and Brie are the absolute cutest in this story. Cam cannot inherit as a girl, so she happily becomes Count Cam and moves to where she’ll only ever be known as a boy after her father dies. But of course she falls in love with the princess herself! After much fashion and adorable hijinks, we have an exciting happy story. This is perfect for fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker, Heartstopper, and the classic Nimona. Don’t miss out on this darling tale that’s a mix of Victorian and modern age and beautiful artwork.
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (A Graphic Novel) by Deya Muniz, (List Price: 17.99, Little, Brown Ink, 9780316538725, May 2023)
Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story on the Square in McDonough, Alabama
A cute romance with a slight twist! I like that there’s some light suspense mixed in. The main character’s trauma feels very natural and I wonder how they’ll sort out the incident in later volumes.
Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 by Monika Kaname, (List Price: 13, Yen Press, 9781975352318, April 2023)
Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
A Choose your own adventure graphic novel with ZOMBIES!!! Can a book actually get more fun than this? Sure to be a hit with graphic novel fans looking for a little something new, What Happens Next may actually be that young readers are clamoring for the next book in this fun new series.
What Happens Next?: Talent Show Troubles by Jess Smart Smiley, (List Price: 12.99, First Second, 9781250889263, April 2023)
Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Before the most well-known vampire novel of all time, Dracula, was written, there was Carmilla, a queer female vampire from the 1800s. In Carmilla: The First Vampire, Carmilla gets a retelling. It’s the 90s in New York City, and the murders of homeless, queer and trans women have been ignored by cops and uncaring civilians. Though the murderer appears to be monstrous, society and structural inequality are as much to blame. Empathetic, flawed Athena is determined to solve the murders and keep other young women safe when she meets the beguiling, disastrous Violet. Spooky, sexy, and suspenseful, the lesbian vampires of the original Carmilla are blended seamlessly with traditional Chinese lore to create a rich, intense story about geungsi, monster hunters, and murder. The art is stunning, the monsters are terrifying, the vampires are lesbian. What more could you want? It’s sucking fangtastic.
Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu, (List Price: 19.99, Berger Books, 9781506734644, February 2023)
Reviewed by Julia Hirschfield, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
The gripping story of a boy who fell in love with a sport to only experience systemic racism while succeeding on the ice, this graphic novel is a must-read. Told in a conversational tone with rich illustrations, Aliu’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Akim Aliu: Dreamer by Akim Aliu, (List Price: $14.99, Graphix, 9781338787603, February 2023)
Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
A gritty and tragic tale of a group of Black Seminoles attempting to settle in the territory of Oklahoma. Some within the community see Refuge as just that–a refuge from the violence of white pursuers. Others see marketable potential in Refuge, and have ambitions to expand and put the wealth into the pockets of the oppressed, for once, and create more lasting change for their people. But when a ragtag group of Buffalo soldiers come to town, choosing sides becomes more complicated. Refuge is a bit of a counter-narrative western with a slow-burn, tension-filled story that pays off in an action-packed conclusion.
Refuge by Bill Campbell, (List Price: $19.95, Rosarium Publishing, 9780578391533, February 2023)
Reviewed by Sam Edge, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Gorgeous drawings meet a classic childhood tale of a toy who comes to life at night. A wonderful early graphic novel to introduce young children to the format.
Good Night, Planet by Liniers, (List Price: $7.99, TOON Books, 9781662665035, March 2023)
Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
Rio is a young orphan living in the slums of the kingdom of Beltrum. When he is stricken with a high fever, he dreams of a different world where he is called Haruto. When Rio wakes up from his fever, he realizes he is two people in one, both Rio of the slums and Haruto, from the other world. When Rio is forced to rescue a kidnapped princess, his troubles get even worst. When the nobles find the young princess with Rio, they accuse him of kidnapping, but after the princess awakens, she tells of how Rio saved her. As a reward, he is granted acceptance into the Royal Academy of Beltrum. An act that upsets the kingdoms noble people, who feel he does not deserve this prestigious reward. Whether he succeeds or not, is all up to him and his new professor, Celia. Perfect manga for fans of The Irregular at Magic High School, Magic Knight Rayearth, or Snow White with Red Hair.
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles (Manga): Volume 1 by Shibamura Yuri, (List Price: $15.99, J-Novel Club, 9781718353442, February 2023)
Reviewed by Gretchen Shuler, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
As an avid fan of Kate Beaton since her days slinging snarky, hilarious comics in Hark, A Vagrant!, I have been waiting for her graphic memoir for years!! Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is a stunningly beautiful story of Kate’s time working in the male-dominated Alberta oil industry to pay off her student loans, full of gorgeous, melancholy art and powerful emotions just under the surface. It’s an exceptional book about loneliness, labor, survival in a male-dominated world, and finding your way home.
Ducks by Kate Beaton, (List Price: $39.95, Drawn and Quarterly, 9781770462892, September 2022)
Reviewed by Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia
I had been anticipating The Witcher Ronin for months and pre-ordered it. I was super excited to see Geralt as a ronin and the book didn’t disappoint in that regard. I loved the new Japanese yokai we got to explore in this Manga but with the familiar storyline we all know and love. I was expecting a little more for the book, so that made me a bit sad, but I overall enjoyed what we did get to see in this first installment.
The Witcher: Ronin (Manga) by Rafal Jaki, (List Price: $19.99, Dark Horse Manga, 9781506733500, December 2022)
Reviewed by Cass W, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
