From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
Hamal is a gentle gardener and Blue is the lonely ghost who falls in love with him. When ghosts suddenly start disappearing into a dark forest, the pair are tasked with figuring out how to save them before they are lost forever. Young's vulnerable and kindhearted characters, combined with the muted, warm colors used in the art, reminded me of a comfortable, warm patch of grass in the sun. Recommended By Brianna B., Powells.com
I love the soft greens and blues that fill the world of this gentle book. This is a gorgeous and quiet story about love, hauntings, and things that grow. Recommended By Leanna M., Powells.com
This is a comic I return to again and again. The art on each page is imbued with a magical quality, and it's a pleasure to look at. I wish I could live in the world Keezy Young has crafted, which is full of supernatural, ghost-y characters, and settings bursting with petals. This comic is my happy place. Recommended By Junix S, Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Blue is having a hard time moving on. He’s in love with his best friend. He’s also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart’s content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal’s strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means… leaving him.
Synopsis
"Taproot is like a garden for the heart, a warm and soulful story where nature is explored in all its forms. It's a pleasure to lose yourself in the beautiful artwork, and one of the loveliest queer romances I've ever read." -- K. O'Neil, author of The Tea Dragon Society Blue is having a hard time moving on. He's in love with his best friend. He's also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart's content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal's strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means . . . leaving him.
Rainbow Book List Best Graphic Novel of 2017
Powell's Books Best of 2017
The Advocate's Best LGBTQ Graphic Novel of 2017
Synopsis
"It's a pleasure to lose yourself in the beautiful artwork, and one of the loveliest queer romances I've ever read." -- K. O'Neil, author of The Tea Dragon Society Blue is having a hard time moving on. He's in love with his best friend. He's also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart's content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal's strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means . . . leaving him.
Rainbow Book List Best Graphic Novel of 2017
Powell's Books Best of 2017
The Advocate's Best LGBTQ Graphic Novel of 2017
About the Author
Keezy Young is a comic artist and illustrator based out of Seattle.
She grew up drawing on her mother's walls, sneakily staying up late to read by nightlight, and later, cutting class to go to the library and sketch. Any opportunity to con her teachers into letting her illustrate a book report instead of writing one was taken. Although her art is self-taught, she credits Digimon and Studio Ghibli as important influences.
Today, Keezy writes, draws, and designs her own young adult comics. Her stories are cute, eerie, and sometimes dark, but always hopeful at their core. Her work is character-focused, and she uses action, romance, and mystery to explore LGBTQIA characters and themes, since those are the stories she always looked for growing up, but could rarely find.