Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen
Bree Paulsen's Garlic and the Witch is the second book in her Garlic series. You can read my review of the first book here. A prequel and sequel are woven together in this story. This book begins with a backstory about the witch and how she came to care for a farm full of living vegetables. As we follow Garlic's story, we find her dealing with an unexpected change that terrifies her. Garlic's concerns are discussed with her friend the Witch, who sends her on a quest in search of ingredients for Vampire's blood-alternative drink in order to help her forget about her worries. Along the way, she learns valuable lessons about embracing the unexpected to get the most out of life. As with the first one, this book is delightful and charming. What I love about Pausen's characters is that they are all supportive and caring for each other. Garlic is someone that you can identify with and has feelings anyone can relate to. She often feels like an inconvenience to her friends, feels anxiety about day-to-day things, but despite all that, she will always be there for her friends. The ending is very bittersweet. Paulsen takes the story in a direction that I did not expect. I hope she writes more graphic novels set in this world.
4.5 out of 5
