{Dani} “Oh no – the bus is leaving!”
Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur
GRAPHIC NOVEL: Hooky (Volumes #1 – #3)
LENGTH: 1152 pages
GENRES: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Comics, Fiction
PUBLISHER: Clarion Books
RELEASE DATE: 7 September 2021 – 5 September 2023
BOOK DESCRIPTION (VOLUME #1):
Two twins. one prophecy, and a whole lot of hijinks. From WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform, comes a fantastical story about twin siblings Dani and Dorian who have missed the bus to magic school and scramble to find a mentor to teach them before their parents find out. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH and the 5 Worlds series.
When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.
But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?
Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.
My Review(s)
Hooky was absolutely the cutest little set of graphic novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far. The art and the characters are both so completely adorable. I love so much about this comic.
Since it was three different volumes, however, and since I gave each volume its own rating, I’ve decided to give each book a mini review and rate them individually. They’re all more than novel length anyway, so it feels completely okay to me to treat them as three installments of a series. Kind of like what I did for the Murderbot Diaries last year.
But I’ll stop blabbering. Here’s the full review.
Hooky: Volume #1
{Dorian} “Oh, Nico… So you were playing hooky?”
{Nico} “I can’t go to class like this!”
Out of the three volumes, the one is probably the most adorable. It’s also definitely the most lighthearted. So much of it gives me Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes, and I’m all here for it.
The art is so pretty – the author is very, very talented. The art style in general is very Ghibli-esque, which is why it probably reminded me of Kiki. That, and the whole witchy theme going on.
The characters were also very loveable. I love it when stories have twins, and especially twin protagonists. This aspect of the novels honestly reminded me of Gravity Falls (an American cartoon) a little bit. Especially with Dani being the more outgoing of the two, and Dorian being more bookish and shy – it seemed a similar dichotomy to Mabel and Dipper. Of course, they are still very different characters despite their similarities.
I also really enjoyed the other protagonists – Monica, Nico and Mark. They added an additional flavor to the cast, and helped the twins come out of their shells. The characters and character and friendship development were definitely the strongest part of the book, after the artwork.
This is a very festive read for spooky season – even though it’s not at all scary. Fall in general is perfect to read this graphic novel in, perhaps with a pumpkin spice candle burning in the background and with some hot chocolate or tea.
Hooky: Volume #2
{Dani} “I love you so much.”
{Dorian} “…I love you too, silly.”
In volume two, things start to heat up. The plot definitely begins to move more and become more defined. The author also starts to lay down a little bit of foreshadowing, which is always appreciated.
The art is still just as cute and pretty as it was in the first volume, but then I didn’t expect it to change at all. There’s also more character and relationship development here then before, but then the story has also moved forward as well.
The romance that’s been inching along since volume one, but far more prevalent here, is also completely adorable. I can’t help but ship all the canon pairings – the characters are just so cute together! And the chemistry between everyone, romantic or friendship based, as just so amazing.
But yeah, definitely still festive for the season. The volume might even be more so, as it’s darker than its predecessor. I’d definitely rather read this one in October.
Hooky: Volume #3
{Monica} “I promise we’ll find a solution. Together.”
{Dorian} “Thank you for everything. Seriously.”
In Hooky: Volume #3 we’re thoroughly embroiled in the plot. Though there’s obviously always been a plot here, this is definitely the most story focused of the three. The first two focused more on character interaction, I found. (This one still focuses on character interaction too, don’t worry!)
(Also, I just realized that I gave all three volumes the same exact star rating, and could have totally just put one star rating at the top of this review, instead of one for each book. Whoops.)
The artwork is, as always, beautiful. I know it might seem a little bit redundant to comment on it a third time, but 1) I really, really like it and 2) there’s been a significant enough that timeskip between volumes two and three that the protagonists have all had character redesigns. And they’re still great, everything’s just a little different.
The romance is also somewhat more prevalent, as the characters are all older now – they’re well into their teens. It’s all just as cute and sweet as it always was, but there are confessions this time around. The chemistry is also as palpable as ever.
This is definitely a solid ending to this graphic novel. I was pretty satisfied with everything about it. And yes, this volume is also perfect reading for autumn, as if you couldn’t already guess.
Closing Thoughts
Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur is a brilliant and adorable graphic novel. I loved nearly everything about it, and even though it’s geared more towards middle grade, I think everyone should read it regardless of age.
Those who enjoy fantasy and comics will probably enjoy it, but I also think that Studio Ghibli fans will also really like it. Actually, I think most people in general will enjoy it.
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!
See ya ~Mar
