Garlic & the Witch
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 〰️
🎨 Graphic Novel 🔮 Fantasy 🫖 Cozy
🪴 Life Changes 💛 Friendship
Synopsis
A witch uses her magic to turn her sprouting plants into tiny friends. All is well in the cozy garden until Garlic begins to notice a change - he’s grown fingers. Does this mean what he thinks it well? In a great panic, Garlic seeks help and comfort from his friends, before embarking on a grand adventure. Read all about this adorable little sprout and how brave one can be in the face of the unknown.
“That’s the thing about big change, isn’t it? You want to wait until you are ready, but sometimes you never are.”
FavoriteS
The cover alone convinced me to read this book. The colors and the art style are just beautiful and so enchanting. It truly encapsulated the coziness of this story and its sweet message.
And of course the dedication - "To all the sprouts facing big changes and uncertainty." Going into the book blind I though this was really cute, but after reading it? We really are just lil sprouts trying to be our very best.
I audibly gushed at the little sprouts popping out of the ground; they were just so freaking precious. I also liked that there were a couple of different problems that needed to be solved in such a short read - Garlic's problem, Count's beverage, and the witch being so busy. They were each written in so well together and provided a peek into our characters' relationships with one another.
Little Garlic being hesitant and anxious about their "big change" came across so naturally. The expressions drawn upon the characters face and the raw dialogue portrayed true fear and anxiety - both real feelings that come along with life changes. Where our world might brush off Garlic’s unease, dismissing them entirely, each of their friends did quite the opposite: offering empathy, comfort, and support - what everyone should receive when faced with any sort of challenge. I was so happy to see the ease in which accepting change was described. It was clear that whatever was happening to Garlic was inevitable, though this change was never discouraged. Their feelings were validated and they received comfort from their friends within stories that related to theirs. Comforting someone can be difficult, as can accepting change yourself, though this book portrays how easily it can be done with a bit of patience and effort.
“So don’t let your fear of being a bother stop you from reaching out to her.”
Final Thoughts
I absolutely adored everything about this story. The art, the plot, the characters, the message, the ending - It was all five stars. I’ve been so eager to get into graphic novels lately and am so thrilled with this read. It’s giving cozy vibes. It’s giving cottage core. It’s giving “add to my tbr right now.” I highly recommend to adults, young readers, and everyone in between!
“This whole situation would be a lot less scary if I didn’t have to go through it alone.”
