Mooncakes (ARC review)

I wasn’t going to read Mooncakes. I really wasn’t.

But then I just kept hearing about it and hearing about it (and hearing about it and hearing about it).

I’m glad I finally gave in to the hype.

Mooncakes is a graphic novel following Nova (a witch) Tam (a werewolf) and…a horse demon. 

The best way to describe this story, however, is as a queer, Chinese-American, Sabrina.

Part of the hype for this book, I believe, comes from its representation. Nova is Chinese-American, hard of hearing, and queer. The relationship which blooms in this story is with her childhood crush, Tam, who is nonbinary. There are approximately 0 men in this story (and no one missed them at all! Bechdel test rates A++). This is witchy, fantastically feminist, secret New England town territory. 

Not only is there quite a bit of rep in such a small book, but it’s presented as being no big deal and none of it is actually central to the plot, which is so dang refreshing. There’s never a big coming-out or an important talk about a character’s sexuality or gender or anything like that. At one point Tam is misgendered by someone, who they correct quickly, and then said character says “of course,” apologizes, and moves on without ever making the mistake again. Slow clap for showing how it’s done. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

What I loved about this story is simply that it brought me a lot of joy. I couldn’t stop reading, not because I was intent on knowing what would happen or because there was a lot of tension, but because it made me feel warm and fuzzy and because I just wanted to spend more time with Tam and Nova and the Nanas. (The dang Nanas steal the show! I love them.) Tam was an especially adorable character in my opinion, maybe due in majority to the way their ‘lil fangs stick out of their mouth when they smile. Eek. So cute.

This book is said to be a ‘romance’ but I wouldn’t really call it that. Tam and Nova get together quickly and without much fanfare, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and they had been waiting for it all along. I almost wished we had seen their relationship build, but, at the same time, it was refreshing to have it just be so that we could move on to the main conflict of the story and focus more on seeing them together as a horse-demon-fighting badass pair. No need to waste time on will-they-won’t-they when there are demons to fight, am I right?

The characters and their relationships definitely drive the story. Or dare I say, carry it. The central plot is somewhat simplistic, the resolution a little lackluster and certainly predictable. I honestly didn’t really care if they beat the demon or not. It never really seemed like a major threat to them, after all. I had full faith that the Nanas would figure out how to take care of it if Tam and Nova didn’t.

The conflicts I cared more about were tied to the relationships we get glimpses of throughout. Deeper, darker, and more intricate facets are brought up over the course of the novel and brushed by. I wondered about Nova’s relationship with her family and Tam’s relationship with theirs. I wanted to know more about Tatyana and the Nanas. I cared about seeing everyone together and spending time with them.  

The fast-paced and somewhat surface-level view of the world and the characters in this story created a feeling that it was episodic. Which, is not a problem in itself. I would love to see this turn into a series where we get to know Nova and Tam and the Nanas more as, in every issue, we see them overcome some magical foe in badass Buffy-style. There is certainly more room to explore both the setting and the characters. And, even when looking at early feedback, it’s clear that readers would love to revisit the Mooncakes world. I know I would. 

Although I found this story to be somewhat too simplistic in its plot, I adored how soft it was and how wonderful it made me feel. For the characters alone, and the feeling it creates, it’s definitely worth the read and I would highly recommend it to all, but especially to fans of Sabrina. I rated Mooncakes 4 out of 5 stars although I’d rate it 5 out of 5 feel-good. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Lion Forge for the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.