Publishers Weekly
★ 03/11/2024
Restrained high school senior Mags Herrera diligently shoulders every responsibility that gets thrown at her. Even over Christmas break, she cares for her ill abuela, works at a local diner, and stalwartly harbors a dangerous secret that has troubled her family for two generations. Enter Nessa, Mags’s warm and effervescent childhood friend who has unexpectedly returned to SoCal for the first time since her sudden departure ten years before, ready to reconnect. As the two rekindle their easy friendship—and start a romance—they unearth memories from their past of a boy’s decade-old accidental death and its cause, which is caged in Mags’s basement to protect everyone—except Mags herself. But if she wants to grieve the past and grow into her most authentic self, the confinement cannot hold. Majority grayscale illustrations depict Mags’s present while flashbacks are rendered in unbridled color. Pairing measured pacing, dynamic paneling, robust dialogue, and abundantly realized main and supporting characters, Ostertag (The Girl from the Sea) delivers an expansive triumph—her best yet—to examine issues of grief, identity, intergenerational trauma, and reconnection. Includes an author’s note that shares how “making this book changed for the better.” Ages 14–up. (June)
From the Publisher
* "Pairing measured pacing, dynamic paneling, robust dialogue, and abundantly realized main and supporting characters, Ostertag (The Girl from the Sea) delivers an expansive triumph—her best yet—to examine issues of grief, identity, intergenerational trauma, and reconnection." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "An optimistic message of acceptance and love that insists that the parts of ourselves we don’t like … should be cared for at all costs. … Spellbinding" — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for The Girl from the Sea:
* "Adorable and authentic, this coming-out story is a must-purchase" — School Library Journal, starred review
* "This endearing and often funny graphic novel cohesively combines queer teen romance, realism, and fantasy." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
"With dazzling full-color illustrations throughout, you'll want to demolish every page." — TimeOut Magazine
"A hopeful coming-of-age-and coming-out-tale" — Booklist
Praise for The Witch Boy:
* "Leaves readers wishing for more." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Brims with life." — School Library Journal, starred review
"Thrilling." — Hope Larson, author of All Summer Long
Praise for The Hidden Witch:
* "Absolutely bewitching." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Vivid and vibrant . . . A great comic for magic fans." — Booklist
Praise for The Midwinter Witch:
"A heartwarming, wintry adventure." — School Library Journal
"Should please fans and newcomers alike." — Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
06/01/2024
Gr 8 Up—High school senior Mags Herrera has a lot on her shoulders: when she isn't working her part-time job or taking care of her elderly grandmother, she's making sure the family secret in her basement stays hidden—and fed. When Mags's childhood friend Nessa returns after a long absence, the two easily rekindle their friendship and explore deeper feelings for each other, but Mags, consumed with grief over a boy's death connected to the secret in her basement, is reluctant to let go and feel anything other than guilt. An introspective and stirring coming out story, illustrated largely in grayscale with flashbacks rendered in color. Ostertag's gift for dialogue shines, as does her storytelling with excellent pacing, setting, and characters that are perfect foils: Mags is introverted, tormented, dark; Tessa is open, vulnerable, and light. VERDICT A great LGBTQIA+ romance that readers will yearn to return to.—Rosemary Kiladitis
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-03-23
Mags Herrera is bound to her hometown by a dark secret and a tragic accident, but she begins to dream of the possibilities of a new life after reuniting with a long-lost friend.
Mags, who has short, spiky black hair, obeys the expectations of her Latine Catholic mother and grandmother. But beneath the floorboards of their home lies a dangerous monster that Mags must make blood sacrifices to in order to keep it fed and dormant. Mags struggles to conceal this secret from Nessa, a trans artist and childhood friend she reconnects with. The two fall in love and help each other out of dire situations. The beast at the center of the story serves as a potent allegory for the struggles of the story’s many queer characters, especially Mags, who shoulders enormous expectations as well as experiencing rejection, loneliness, and guilt. Her story will resonate with teen audiences, especially those grappling with acceptance of their gender or sexual identity. Ostertag’s illustration style and color palette shift during important moments to convey her characters’ complex inner lives, such as emotional turmoil or strong feelings. Even while delving into difficult subjects, the story’s heart is clearly an optimistic message of acceptance and love that insists that the parts of ourselves we don’t like (or that society doesn’t accept) are inextricable from who we are and should be cared for at all costs.
Well-drawn, deeply realized characters enliven this spellbinding and fantastical queer coming-of-age love story. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 13-18)
