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A review by spenkevich
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
5.0
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh is absolutely charming and heartwarming. Seriously, pick this up right now. Leyh, known for her work on The Lumberjanes and her webcomic SuperCakes, has crafted a really delightful and robust narrative with plenty of side-plots, flashbacks and a cast of dynamic characters that all centers on the theme of how looks can be deceiving. Even better, this book is full of wonderful inclusive representation and trans positivity. The story follows Snapdragon--there is a family tradition to name daughters after favorite flowers--as she befriends an old woman everyone believes to be a witch. Full of magic, mystery and positive life lessons, Snapdragon is one of the very best graphic novels I’ve read lately.
The inclusivity is this book is wonderful. Set in a trailer park, there is a lot of racial and age diversity in the heroes as well as lesbian and transgender representation. It’s a book that reminds you, however, that who you are isn’t how society might initially typecast you. Snap is thought to be a weird and angry, troubled child by her peers. But she is quite a charming girl eager to learn with a great capacity for knowledge. The older woman who cleans up roadkill is thought to be a witch, especially as when she is outdoors she wears a black trenchcoat, fairly witchlike hat and has an eyepatch. But indoors she is a tender old woman in crocs and graphic tees who used to be an unlicensed dirtbike racing star. Even the mystery of the demon that has stalked Snap’s family for several generations may not be as sinister as its initial impression would have you believe.
One thing about graphic novels I’ve always half-struggled with is that they tend to feel fairly short or truncated (which like, I get, that's a lot of art to create) and so much amazing world-building or set-up resolves fairly quickly. While still only being around 230pgs, Snapdragon feels very well-rounded and full with multiple plotlines being addressed and the threading of flashbacks to the present giving it the feel of a minor epic. Leyh excels at letting quick details or recalls to earlier statements give a lot of depth and expansion--especially emotionally--to her story. It is an upbeat tale with plenty of grit and the ending is extremely adorable. Even the climactic conflict that suddenly occurs near the end manages to be massaged into the plot well enough to not feel abrupt and the resolution is more of an emotional epiphany than narrative one where the storylines just happen to appropriately come to their conclusion around it.
This book is simply a joy and Leyh’s colorful and detailed artwork truly brings it to life. This is a great book about believing in yourself and finding your own way in the world even if those around you may think it is weird. It is also just really fulfilling and positive with plenty of withcraft and friendship to go around. Highly recommended.
5/5
The inclusivity is this book is wonderful. Set in a trailer park, there is a lot of racial and age diversity in the heroes as well as lesbian and transgender representation. It’s a book that reminds you, however, that who you are isn’t how society might initially typecast you. Snap is thought to be a weird and angry, troubled child by her peers. But she is quite a charming girl eager to learn with a great capacity for knowledge. The older woman who cleans up roadkill is thought to be a witch, especially as when she is outdoors she wears a black trenchcoat, fairly witchlike hat and has an eyepatch. But indoors she is a tender old woman in crocs and graphic tees who used to be an unlicensed dirtbike racing star. Even the mystery of the demon that has stalked Snap’s family for several generations may not be as sinister as its initial impression would have you believe.
One thing about graphic novels I’ve always half-struggled with is that they tend to feel fairly short or truncated (which like, I get, that's a lot of art to create) and so much amazing world-building or set-up resolves fairly quickly. While still only being around 230pgs, Snapdragon feels very well-rounded and full with multiple plotlines being addressed and the threading of flashbacks to the present giving it the feel of a minor epic. Leyh excels at letting quick details or recalls to earlier statements give a lot of depth and expansion--especially emotionally--to her story. It is an upbeat tale with plenty of grit and the ending is extremely adorable. Even the climactic conflict that suddenly occurs near the end manages to be massaged into the plot well enough to not feel abrupt and the resolution is more of an emotional epiphany than narrative one where the storylines just happen to appropriately come to their conclusion around it.
This book is simply a joy and Leyh’s colorful and detailed artwork truly brings it to life. This is a great book about believing in yourself and finding your own way in the world even if those around you may think it is weird. It is also just really fulfilling and positive with plenty of withcraft and friendship to go around. Highly recommended.
5/5