Garlic and the Witch - Bree Paulsen - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: Bree Paulsen

GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel

SERIES: Garlic, #2

PUBLICATION DATE: September 6, 2022

RATING: 4.5 stars

In a Nutshell: An adorable sequel that takes Garlic’s story into an unexpected dimension. Enjoyed it just as much as the first graphic novel. Works as a standalone but better if read in series order. Great for middle-graders, fun for all.

Plot Preview:

Garlic, Carrot and the other veggies are still at work in Witch Agnes’ garden when Garlic discovers an unwelcome change: her hands have begun to resemble human hands. The Count and Witch Agnes try to reassure her that it is a natural development, Garlic isn’t so sure. Changes are never good, right?

My review will be almost the same as that of the first book because my feelings are almost exactly the same!

Bookish Yays:

🥕 While this graphic novel is primarily a sequel, the first chapter reveals how the magical vegetables came into being. This was interesting to read!

🥕 The anthropomorphic veggies are again fun, though they have a reduced appearance in this sequel. The queen of the show this time is clearly Garlic, who has learnt to cope with her anxiety issues to a great extent. It’s a treat to see how far she has come from that hesitant Garlic of Book One. Celery redeems himself to some extent, and Carrot is as awesome as ever.

🥕 Agnes and the vampire (who is not ‘Patrik’ from ‘Patrik the Vampire’, unlike what I had assumed) are as awesome as they were earlier. I doubt I’ll ever root for a vampire as much as I rooted for the Count.

🥕 There are two broad story arcs: Garlic’s fear of turning human and the making of the “blood” juice for the Count. Both works wonderfully in parallel, with Garlic’s confidence in the latter task juxtaposing with her apprehension over her possible transition into a human. Unlike the earlier graphic novel, the storyline in this book is more nuanced. There are some surprises that I didn’t see coming. The revelations are unexpected but not undesirable. The ending is a bit too twee but works for the target age range.

🥕 Yet again, the story offers some valuable life lessons: Don't be afraid of adventure, See the positive in every situation, Not all change is bad, and Make peace with the changes in your body because you are still you even if your body changes.

🥕 The illustrations are in the same palette and style as before, sticking to earth and nature tones to match the strong nature-based theme and characters.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🍇 “Oh Grapes!” (Still find this phrase wacky, though it doesn’t pop up as often as in Book One.)

I had read the first book of this series (Garlic and the Vampire) with my daughters just a couple of days ago, and after enjoying it a lot, were eager to get to this sequel. It lived up to our expectations, and earned exactly the same ratings from us: 4.5 from me, 5 from DD1, and 4 from DD2. (Yup, my younger one was again the Grinch. This time, Carrot’s appearance was the culprit – sheesh!)

Much recommended. The book is aimed at middle graders, but it makes for a sweet and relaxing pick even for older readers. The storyline is mostly a standalone but better if you read the series in order as Garlic’s growth is more appreciable if you know her from the earlier book.