Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

Snapdragon doesn’t have a lot of friends but who would’ve thought she would befriend the town outcast, Jack. Everyone says Jack’s a witch, but in reality she’s just an old lady who wear crocks and sells roadkill skeletons on Etsy. They meet when Snap’s dog, Good Boy, gets hit by a car and Jack nurses him back to health.

One day, Snap stumbles upon a group of kids at her school playing around with a dead possum, poking it with a stick. Snap gets furious and shoos them away. Of course, they make fun of her because that’s what every bully does, but Snap doesn’t care. She’s just worried because she notices what no one else saw…a litter of baby possums, now motherless. Her classmate Louis breaks away from the cool crowd to find out if Snap is okay, and despite their differences they establish a friendship.

In asking Jack for help with the baby possums, Snapdragon unwittingly begins uncovering family secrets including the truth behind her family’s curse, experiences the joys of late night horror movies with your BFF, and confirms her suspicions that magic and witchcraft are real, after all.

This book is very different from other graphic novels that I have read. It shows the point of views of a diverse cast of characters including a range of races and characters in the LGBTQ+ community. This is a story of acceptance, learning your strengths, and knowing your self-worth.

In most of the book the full-color illustrations are very bright and vibrant, but when the characters have flashbacks it turns shadow-like, with the use of one or two colors to accentuates certain features. During dramatic moments the author makes panels slanted and zooms in for close ups.

Snapdragon is for readers who enjoy uncovering family legends, coming out stories, friendships, and a little touch of magic.