Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Snapdragon

THIS WAS SO WONDERFUL!!! I'M SO GLAD I STUMBLED UPON THIS!!!

I loved everything about this. It was whimsical, magical and wholesome and I will read it a few times more in the future, I'm sure.
The art style is so expressive, I especially loved Snap. She seemed so real, every emotion so clearly displayed (the others as well, but Snap is so energetic that I thought it was especially well done). She's a wonderful child in general. Her excitement for things other kids might find creepy, her loud personality, her love for animals... The other characters were wonderful as well, Jacks is an absolute delight. (I need to read more things with elderly butch queer women, I think.)
I also loved the witchy things, they're basically druids <3
The story arcs were woven together in a way I really enjoyed and how everything was kept lighthearted, even though there would've been opportunities to go darker. (... Beside the obvious of animal skeletons being everywhere. I thought I'd be creeped out, but I wasn't.)

Do yourself a favor and read this, it'll warm your heart.

(can also recommend reading this outside in the sun ... or in the shadows while it's sunny, in my case)

P.S. für deutsche Lesende: Ich bin lediglich leicht verwirrt, weil Vi basically direkt nacheinander Lulu richtig als Mädchen bezeichnet, dann aber von Snaps "Freund" spricht? I am confused. Idk ob das ein Fehler ist oder ein komischer Gebrauch des generischen Maskulinums?

Content Warnings

sherny's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is so good I cried happy tears. I love all the characters in this book so much! Even though it’s short, I feel like I know them all so well! Fantastic lgbt representation (more on that later). The pacing, plot, and development of this book is so masterful, it should be a screenplay. I read this from the library, and loved it so much I plan to own a copy just so I always have it!

The lgbt representation in this book is done well and in a way that we need to see more of. (Some character development spoilers ahead)

There’s a trans character who discovers her identity and is loved and accepted by her friends and family. So many books want to show the challenges of being trans, which is important, but we need more books like this to show kids that you can be accepted and loved by your family.

It also talks about the complexities of gender and the differences of gender and expression.

We see the young trans girl, butch and femme lesbians, and our protagonist who’s not feminine, but still a girl.

I was very happy to see this book in the children’s section of my library, and proud to live in a state where we value the importance of showing kids happy healthy queer and trans people.

Some additional wonderful things:

Elderly characters who are still growing and learning
Kids excited about science
Women doing traditionally masculine jobs
A single mom doing her best
Mysterious circumstances that are somewhat predictable but revealed in a fun way
Cute animals
A somewhat accurate (with fantasy exaggeration) portrayal of witchcraft.

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tinysierra's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Snapdragon is a delightful graphic novel!

I love the friendships! The characters are so loveable.

I like that the author makes the point that just because someone dresses like a “tomboy” does not make them trans. But clothes can be used to make someone feel more like the gender identity that they align with.

Baby opossums!!! A fox! One legged dog!

Ghosts, bones, roadkill, witches, magic

Book 2 for the
#TransRightsReadathon2024

Content Warnings

el_wheel's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Adorable

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andrewhatesham's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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grem_ler's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Content Warnings

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is a very cute story that lightly touches upon homophobia and animal death. It does show depictions of deceased animals along a road, as well as various animals' bones. It also lightly touches upon a person discovering who they are as well as working towards healing familial wounds. The content tags appear rough but in general a child between the ages of 8 and 13 will be able to handle them, especially with post-reading discussion.

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