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10 Incredible Graphic Novels to Read This Year

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10 Incredible Graphic Novels Coming Out in 2023

10 Incredible Graphic Novels Coming Out in 2023

Graphic novels are a book form that sneaked up on me. I think the first one I read for review here (which blew me away) was ESTRANGED: THE CHANGELING KING by Ethan Aldridge. Once I feasted my eyes on that incredible story, I knew there was no going back. Since then, I’ve built a list of graphic novel writers and artists whose work is too good to be missed. Here are the ones with books coming out this year.

Notably absent is Tim Probert, whose third book in the Lightfall series I’m eagerly anticipating. I haven’t seen any release news on it yet, but I’m hoping it’ll be out in 2024.

10 Amazing Graphic Novels to Read This Year

Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Beautiful, fantasy-filled illustrations. A story of friendship, magic, hope, and community. By the author of the Tea Dragon series.

Published: March 7, 2023 | Ages: 10 to 14.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty, Michael Moreci, and Braeden Sherrell

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Missing children, a girl secretly living in a mansion basement, a mysterious man in a black cloak only she can stop. The graphic novel version of the bestselling middle-grade adventure.

Published: April 4, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

What You Need to Know: A novel-in-verse/graphic novel about body image, shame, and the power of art and friendship. This one made me cry.

Published: May 2, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

What You Need to Know: I think the author said he pitched this as “T.H. White plays Dungeons and Dragons with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.” Which is brilliant and pretty accurate! I loved the characters and attention to detail in the panels.

Published: May 9, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Constellations by Kate Glasheen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

What You Need to Know: When a drunken accident lands Claire in rehab, they reluctantly begin to learn about addiction and recovery. A tender, vulnerable journey of identity and acceptance. This is another one that made me cry!

Published: May 23, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A Korean-American transracial adoptee uses art and fandom to overcome racist bullying. A memoir graphic novel. A powerful, unforgettable story.

Published: June 27, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A moving speculative novel exploring the line between AI and human by the author of TIDESONG and co-creator of MOONCAKES.

Published: August 29, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

Deephaven by Ethan Aldridge

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Words I like about this graphic novel description: gothic middle grade, nonbinary main character, boarding school with secrets. By the author of the ESTRANGED duology and LEGEND OF BRIGHTBLADE, and also my favorite graphic novel author.

Published: September 5, 2023 | Ages: 10 to 14.

Wingborn (Wingbearer #2) by Marjorie Liu and Grace Kum

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The Wingbearer series continues, delivering new adventures of this gorgeous, emotive fantasy. The first book in the series is a favorite in my house.

Published: November 21, 2023 | Ages: 8 to 12.

Heartstopper: Volume Five by Alice Oseman

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The fifth installment of Nick and Charlie’s love story. With Nick heading to university next year, are things about to change? A sweet story of love and friendship.

Published: December 12, 2023 | Ages: 14 up.

What are your favorite graphic novels?

If you are a graphic novel reader, leave a comment telling me about your favorite author. Have you read any of the books on this list? What graphic novels are you most looking forward to this year? Leave a comment and let me know!

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Constellations by Kate Glasheen

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Constellations
Kate Glasheen
Holiday House
Published May 23, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Constellations

A debut graphic novel about a queer teen living in the margins who is determined to find their way ahead.

Are you supposed to be a boy or a girl?

It’s a question that follows Claire everywhere. Inescapable on the street, in school, and even at home. A black hole forever trying to pull them in. But as long as they have ride-or-die best friend Greg at their side and a drink in their hand, everything will be okay. Right?

Except, Claire can never have just one drink. And when harassment at school reaches a fever pitch, Claire begins a spiral that ends in court-ordered rehab. Feeling completely lost, Claire is soon surrounded by a group of new friends and, with the help of a patient counselor, finds a space to unpack all the bad they’ve experienced. But as Claire’s release gets closer so does the Can Claire stay sober and true in a world seemingly never made for them?

Set in 1980s Troy, New York, Constellations is a portrait of a queer teen living in the margins but determined to find their way ahead. Done in watercolor and ink, debut author-artist Kate Glasheen has created a world where strong lines meet soft color, and raw emotions meet deep thought in this story of hope, humor, and survival.

“A unique journey that doesn’t turn away from hard truths; courageously honest and vulnerable.”—Iasmin Omar Ata, the Ignatz Award winning creator of Mis(h)adra.

My Review

What a moving story. At the beginning, we meet Claire and get a view of the town, which has kind of shrunk in on itself following factory closures. There are people Claire once felt connected to that aren’t here anymore. I love the those people and missing things are drawing as though they’re on a piece of notebook paper that’s been torn out of a notebook. Like pages ripped out of a journal– perhaps the one we see Claire sketching in from time to time. I thought that whole idea was really clever.

A lot of the story takes place while Claire is in rehab. I liked the way those chapters were presented, too. It felt like going on the journey with Claire and peeling back layers of why this happened. Why alcohol? Why is it so hard to stop? What are you running from? I felt like the way the story unfolded really drew me into those questions and made me feel Claire wrestling with the answers.

Overall, I think CONSTELLATIONS contains some powerful visual storytelling, and I’m really excited that I got to read it. I hope this author writes a lot more.

Content Notes

Brief depiction of sexual assault and references to abuse. Alcoholism and addiction.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Claire has questions about gender identity. Neither of the labels “boy” or “girl” are a good fit. Claire is also an alcoholic. Other characters have addictions to drugs and alcohol and are attending rehab.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A couple of girls kiss Claire.

At one point, a group of boys begin taunting Claire and one grabs Claire’s groin.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A boy in the rehab program talks about how his father beats him. Others describe emotional abuse or neglect. These are brief descriptions. Panels show teens fighting a couple of times.

Claire remembers an instance in which a nun forced Claire to stand outside in front of others with no pants on.

Drug Content
At the start of the story, Claire drinks alcohol at every opportunity. Claire shares the number of family members who are also alcoholic. At rehab, others share their addictions. Some of the rehab participants return to using drugs or alcohol after they leave the program.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of CONSTELLATIONS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler

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Squire & Knight
Scott Chantler
First Second
Published May 9, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Squire & Knight

A young squire tackles mysteries, monsters and magic, but the inept knight he serves takes the credit. Every time.

Squire is brainy, bookish, and terribly under-appreciated by the brawny, inept knight Sir Kelton, who somehow always gets all the glory. So when the two mismatched heroes find themselves in a cursed village plagued by a demonic dragon, Kelton rides off to slay it and Squire stays behind to catch up on some reading. But Squire starts to notice that something isn’t quite right about this town . . . Can he uncover its strange secrets?

My Review

I tend to be really picky about the artwork in graphic novels that I read. The cover of this one really drew me in. There’s so much going on in just that one image. The knight wrapped in the dragon’s tail and held upside down. The squire holding up the lantern and looking thoughtful– I love that the cover conveys this part of his character. He’s a thinker, which is probably harder to draw, since it is an internal process. Then there’s the skeleton dog standing beside the squire and the dragon’s face, behind him as if he’s sniffing a trail of some kind.

I loved the dragon’s character and how he talked. It’s different than the way the other characters talk, and that kind of cracked me up. I like the way the pieces of this story fit together, and the fact that it’s the squire who solves it. Brains over brawn for the win!

I think readers who enjoy fantasy graphic novels like THE LEGEND OF BRIGHTBLADE will like this one. I always read graphic novels thinking of my nephews and niece, who prefer them, and I think this is one I’ll add to my shelf for them to read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Most human characters are white. One family from the town Squire helps has bronze skin and pointed ears.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used once.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The squire hears rumors of a ghost haunting the town’s well. The town was founded by a wizard, and appears to be under some kind of curse. The townspeople blame a local dragon for their problems.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. The townspeople rally, intending to kill the dragon. The knight intends to kill the dragon. The dragon intends to eat the knight.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SQUIRE & KNIGHT in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays

Check out other blogs talking about middle grade books today on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

A Work in Progress
Jarrett Lerner
Aladdin
Published May 2, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Work in Progress

A young boy struggles with body image in this poignant middle grade journey to self-acceptance told through prose, verse, and illustration.

Will is the only round kid in a school full of string beans. So he hides…in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn’t the only feeling that dominates Will’s life. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jules who knows he doesn’t have a chance with—string beans only date string beans—but he can’t help wondering what if?

Will’s best shot at attracting Jules’s attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will’s shame begins to morph into self-loathing.

As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.

My Review

I feel like this graphic novel was an unusual choice for me, but the topic and the fact that it’s told in verse really made me want to read it.

The story itself has some truly heartbreaking scenes. It shows the terrible power words can have when they’re weaponized against someone. It shows the power the words we use about ourselves have over us, too. My favorite thing, though, is its message about the power of friendship. I loved the message about how being truly seen by another person can be a huge step toward healing.

I also love the message about all of us being a work in progress, that we are changing all the time. That we have the power to change. It’s such a powerful, hopeful message. This is definitely a book worth reading, whether you’ve experienced the kind of bullying or loneliness Will has or not.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are white. Will struggles with body image and disordered eating.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Will has a crush on a girl at school.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A boy calls Will fat in a cruel way, and he begins saying cruel things to himself. He stops eating at one point.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of A WORK IN PROGRESS in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Also, it’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday! Check out the other MMGM posts at Always in the Middle.

Review: The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The Girl and the Galdurian (Lightfall #1)
Tim Probert
HarperAlley
Published September 1, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Girl and the Galdurian

Deep in the heart of the planet Irpa stands the Salty Pig’s House of Tonics & Tinctures, home of the wise Pig Wizard and his adopted granddaughter, Bea. As keepers of the Endless Flame, they live a quiet and peaceful life, crafting medicines and potions for the people of their once-prosperous world.

All that changes one day when, while walking through the woods, Bea meets Cad, a member of the Galdurians, an ancient race thought to be long-extinct. Cad believes that if anyone can help him find his missing people, it’s the Pig Wizard.

But when the two arrive home, the Pig Wizard is nowhere to be found—all that’s left is the Jar of Endless Flame and a mysterious note. Fearing for the Pig Wizard’s safety, Bea and Cad set out across Irpa to find him, while danger fights its way out of the shadows and into the light.

Will these two unexpected friends find the beloved Pig Wizard and prevent eternal darkness from blanketing their world? Or has Irpa truly seen its last sunrise?

My Review

What a fun book! I loved the dynamic between Bea and Cad. Bea is more timid and anxious, and Cad is the epitome of a can-do guy. He always believes they’ll get free from every trap or bad situation. I loved the way the two of them worked together as a team.

The illustrations are gorgeous. I feel like I’m really picky about graphic novels. I tend to love ones that have a more epic fantasy feel to them with more woodsy or nature-centered artwork. So this one scratched all those itches for me. I thought there were a few panels that were maybe a little dark or lower contrast that were a bit hard for me to see, but only a very few. The whole of the story more than made up for the fact that I had to slow down a bit a few times.

I think readers who enjoyed ESTRANGED by Ethan Aldridge or the Amulet series will like this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Cad is a Galdurian, a race of people thought to be extinct. Bea is adopted by her wizard grandfather.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some cartoonish battle sequences fighting giant crabs, a tentacled monster, and hungry lizards.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile

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Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice
Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes
Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
Norton Young Readers
Published September 27, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice

On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships.

In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. Cowritten with Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Honor recipient Derrick Barnes and illustrated with bold and muscular artwork from Emmy Award–winning illustrator Dawud Anyabwile, Victory. Stand! paints a stirring portrait of an iconic moment in Olympic history that still resonates today.

My Review

I’m trying to remember when I first learned about Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the 1968 Olympics. Probably in 2016 when they were invited to the White House to meet President Obama? I’m not totally sure. At any rate, I went into this book knowing only vaguely what had happened and eager to learn more. I heard about this book when the announcement came that it was on the National Book Award Longlist for Young People’s Literature. (That was in the fall of 2022… It has taken me a while to post the review!)

I really like the presentation of the story as a graphic novel. The opening few pages show Tommie Smith getting ready for the famous 1968 Olympic race he would win. As the starting gun goes off, the story jumps to the past, to Tommie’s childhood in Texas where his family work as sharecroppers.

At the close of each chapter of the past, the story snaps back to the race, creating the feel of a series of flashbacks leading up to the moment when Tommie Smith lifted his fist from his place at the top of the winner’s stand. Each snapshot of the past helps illustrate the inequality that still ran rampant through the lives of Black Americans, and why Tommie Smith protested at that critical moment.

The story also follows the country’s response to his protest and how long it took for the nation to recognize the heroism in what he did as well as the personal price he paid in the interim.

Some scenes are heartbreaking. Others were shocking. Each is carefully crafted to tell an incredibly powerful story and an unforgettable period in our history.

Having this story as a graphic novel makes it accessible to a wide variety of readers. It’s an easy book to read in terms of its construction and narrative. The illustrations are strong and emotive, adding so much depth. All in all, I totally get why this novel was longlisted for the National Book Award. It’s fantastic.

Content Notes

Content warning for racial slurs and brief descriptions of racist violence/murder.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters in the story are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
The N-word appears several times, used as a slur against Tommie and others.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of Tommie’s marriages.

Spiritual Content
Mentions of prayer.

Violent Content
One panel shows a man who has been lynched. Others reference violent response to civil rights protests. Tommie receives death threats after he states that Black athletes could boycott the Olympics because of racist treatment on college campuses and other places.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of VICTORY. STAND!: RAISING MY FIST FOR JUSTICE in exchange for my honest review.