Mooncakes
Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil
Oni Press
Published October 22, 2019
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Mooncakes
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
My Review
I reviewed TIDESONG by Wendy Xu and noticed that a lot of other reviewers commented on how much they’d loved MOONCAKES, so I decided to check it out. I feel like I’m always saying I’m not really a big reader of graphic novels, and I’m not, but I’ve read several this year that I’ve really enjoyed. MOONCAKES is definitely one of those!
At the start of the story, we meet Nova, who helps her grandmothers in their magical bookshop. When Nova’s friend Tam returns to town in trouble, Nova immediately decides to help them. As the two reconnect, some romance blossoms. Some secrets get spilled. Plot twists happen. I found I couldn’t stop reading.
Between the beautiful illustrations and the charming dialogue, I got completely sucked into this story. I loved Nova’s grandmothers. They’re so practical and chill about everything. And I loved watching Nova and Tam’s relationship develop. It’s absolutely sweet.
MOONCAKES is definitely written for an older audience than TIDESONG, but I loved it all the same. I think readers who love witchy stories about found family will want to check this one out (if you haven’t already!).
Content Notes for Mooncakes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation
Tam is nonbinary. Nova is maybe pansexual? Two women, Nova’s grandmothers, are in a relationship.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a girl and a nonbinary person.
Spiritual Content
Nova and her grandmothers are witches. Tam is a werewolf. They fight other spiritual creatures.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. Cartoonish battle violence.
Drug Content
None.
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