My Thoughts:
The title and the cover made me think that this was going to be a kids graphic novel, but it is not. The graphics are light and childlike on the outside, but the story deals with YA themes like burnout, grief, isolation. Angelica, the main character, suffers from debilitating depression like symptoms, but her internship at a local community theatre and her online friendship with the theatre's mascot, Peri the Bear, starts her on a journey of healing. This odd little magic, with some scenes playing out graphically without dialogue, seems to be a strength of Trung Le Nguyen. He also authored The Magic Fish.
It is not that Angelica is without a support system of her own, but this story just made me think that sometimes we can feel alone in a crowd, so this relationship with the bear is a great reminder that sometimes our teens need to work things out for themselves. There will be students in your class who need to read this.
It is cute on the outside. The bear itself is adorable and not at all kinky/fetishy. I also think the budding romance is what makes this cozy. However, I maybe wanted a little more on self healing and catharsis, even if that might not be the intention for this particular graphic novel.
From the Publisher:
Angelica was the girl who could do it all—until suddenly, she couldn’t. Burnout hit hard. Now, after some very low moments, she’s ready to get her life back together, thanks to her friends, and one very surprising source of comfort.
A bear.
Peri is the mascot of the local theater. He’s been sending Angelica supportive messages from his social. They’ve become friends, and Angelica might even have . . . a crush?
Determined to find the human behind the bear costume, Angelica gets an internship at the theater. She might never go back to being the girl who can do everything, but perhaps she is becoming the girl who can magically have it all.
Publication Information:
Publisher: Random House Graphic (October 7, 2025)
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