Shae Beagle

For a graphic novel very much aimed at the alternative teenage girl market, this was actually a surprisingly good read. The artwork is a touch simplistic and chibi (without fully committing to it) to really work for me, but I was drawn in by the cast of characters and really enjoyed how the authors thoughtfully tackled some of the themes that are at the forefront of the LGBTQ movements (without obviously seeming to do so). The characters are a motely crew of supernatural beings (our show more protagonist is a werewolf), but even with this obvious trope we're given a thurthful feeling lesbian relationship (or hoping to be one - so cute), an interspecies flirtation, and the inevitable questions of self discovery and acceptance - all presented as if this is just an ordinary day, which it 100% is. Themes around relationships and gender aside (and there is plenty more that could be delved into here), the framing story was also pretty good. We have friendships being challenged, a devious magic show, and a very interesting world premise. I'm very curious to read what comes next for the cast, so I hope that the next volume is available from the library soon! show less

This was actually the cutest?? Werewolf girlfriends! Chet! Chet's butt! Coffeehouse mystery solving! Just so cozy and adorable and I spent a lot of time making delighted noises at my phone while I was reading it.

Cute, silly, fun. Hooray for a centaur character, and for his loud concern over his butt. Hooray for a sweet were lesbian romance. Downsides -- Julie is entirely too sensitive, in my opinion, and I started to find her annoying. It was hard to follow the action at times -- namely in the vision scenarios and in the ending, which kinda didn't make any sense at all.

This is so cute! The story, the characters, and the art all made me squishy inside and this is definitely a series I’ll be continuing with. If you have a fluffy gay urban fantasy happy place, like I apparently do, this is perfect.

Things I enjoyed include: Julie, our fat, gay, anxious, werewolf/barista/aspiring author heroine; Selena, her fabulous Black werewolf girlfriend; Chet, the adorably campy genderqueer centaur extraordinaire; the side characters who flesh out the cast and include show more gorgons, vampires, and witches; the beautiful and different art; the fantasy creatures and elements scattered through the background of the panels; the pitch perfect children’s mystery story-in-a-story and Julie’s snarky commentary on it; the recognizable university atmosphere; and the whole breezy happy vibe even when stuff is going down.

So … pretty much the whole thing. 🙂 When the worst thing I can say is that the in-world life advice column that caps off each issue/chapter got a bit repetitive, you know you’ve got a winner.

Warnings: Anti-werewolf slurs and one or two instances of fantasy-related ableism.

8/10 show less