This was a joy to read! I’m slowly getting into graphic novels this year as I think they are a great way of storytelling and a really useful tool for getting people into reading. Beetle and The Hollowbones is the debut graphic novel from Aliza Layne, who is the creator of the Webcomic, Demon Street.
Going in to this book you can expect the following (which is all right up my street):
- Witchcraft – Broomsticks and spellbooks
- Magic – Crystals and potions
- Spooky – Black cats, pumpkins, and bones
The graphic novel is bursting with colour, but it has some gorgeous, dusky, Halloween hues like oranges, purples, and blues that I think give it a nice vibe.
So what’s it about? In a nutshell, it follows a goblin named Beetle who lives with her Grandma. She spends a lot of her time with her companion, which is a blob-shaped ghost who haunts the local mall and cannot leave. Beetle’s old friend Kat comes back to town, along with her aunt Marla Hollowbone who is supposed to be teaching her magic. Marla has plans for the town and for the mall, which puts the lovable Blob Ghost’s existence under threat! Can Blob Ghost be saved? What is going on with Kat and her Aunt? Will Beetle be able to learn magic? You’ll have to read to find out.
So a bit more about the characters:
Beetle: Beetle seems really lovable, caring, and determined. There is definitely a fiesty streak in her from Grandma.
Blob Ghost: Just the cutest! They do not speak to communicate but that doesn’t make them any less sweet on the page. The illustrations manage to capture every expression on their little face.
Grandma: Grandma is a force to be reckoned with, and she stands up for herself. I love that she’s cheeky, confident, and aware of her own power.
Kat Hollowbone: Pretty and powerful, in a skeletal goth kind of way, if that’s a thing? I really like how the relationship is developed between Kat and Beetle.
As well as being fun and enjoyable, I think it’s worthwhile that books (particularly ones likely to be read by children or teenagers) include a positive message. I feel like Beetle and the Hollowbones shows the importance of an apology and recognising the effect of our words on others. It also centres around the value of friends and family, and how we should try to do our best by them and to look out for one another, especially if someone needs help and they are not in the position to help themselves.
I’d love to see more books featuring these characters, and I think this would make a great read particularly in spooky season (or Halloween) so make sure to add it to your reading list!
Beetle and The Hollowbones is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 4th 2020.
Will you be picking up Beetle and The Hollowbones? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
An enchanting, riotous, and playfully illustrated debut graphic novel following a young goblin trying to save her best friend from the haunted mall—perfect for fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time.
In the eerie town of ‘Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity.
Then there’s twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who’s caught in between. She’d rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle’s old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle’s quickly being left in the dust.
But Kat’s mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn’t escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she’s been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing.
