Aquicorn Cove’s a great graphic novel for summer!

Today I am reviewing a graphic novel because not only was I in a silly goofy mood but because I was in the mood for a little palate cleanser. And the cover for Aquicorn Cove is gorgeous so I knew this novel was what I needed.

Katie O’Neill (they/them) is a self-taught illustrator and an icon with several graphic novels and comics! Katie or Kay, as they also go by online, hails from gorgeous New Zealand. You may be familiar with Kay’s beautiful Tea Dragon Society series, which I adored. But what I really love about Kay’s illustrations is how cute and imaginative they are.

Summary: 

Lana and her father return to their seaside town to help old friends clean and rebuild their community after a big storm. Lana’s bombarded with memories of her mother and her childhood at the beach. When Lana finds an injured aquicorn, she decides to nurse back to health. But Lana soon learns from her Aunt that the coral reefs under the sea are struggling due to the communities carelessness. And this twisted relationship might be the cause of the big storms they keep facing. 

Thoughts:

Kay O’Neill has penned another favorite graphic novel of mine, Tea Dragon Society, but Aquicorn was her first graphic novel. And it is just as cute!

Just like The Tea Dragon Society, Aquicorn features Kay’s colorful and calming art style and cozy writing. Which works wonderfully in this tale about the ocean and its relationship to a community. Although this novel covers some heavy topics like grief, the art style and writing helps makes these things digestible. 

This story is told through Lana and partly through her Aunt Mae. This works well as Lana is still a child and has a sense of ethics and adventure that Mae seems to have lost. The contrast between both of them makes this tale extra delicious. 

Additionally, I loved the inclusion of Mae’s love story. Mae’s journey with the sea began as harmonious as did her relationship with the sea goddess, but as the problems with the sea rose that relationship was severed. This mirroring was a great way to highlight the importance of caring for the ocean. Kay O’ Neill did not need to include these sapphic undertones, but they did! And I love the inclusion.

Mae is an interesting character with a big heart, and Lana is a spitfire. I loved Lana’s character because she was headstron, and the two horns she styles her hair in make her an adorable child. But what I really loved about Lana’s story is that she doesn’t harbor animosity towards the ocean even though her mother death perished at sea. Rather, she gives back by nursing the Aquicorn and later by screaming at the sea to return her aunt Mae.

While this novel’s titled Aquicorn Cove, the fictional creatures themselves don’t have prominence presence in this story. I wished they did simply because these creatures are unique, and I was curious about them.

This novel is full of heart and character, and if you loved the Tea Dragon society, you’ll probably love Aquicorn Cove too!

Content Warning: Death of a parent, Grief

I hope you enjoy Aquicorn Cove as much as I did! Until next time book lovers keep living in libros,

Gabriela

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