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Hello, reader!

I have another TBR & Beyond Tours post to share with you today! I’m so excited to give you my thoughts on a beautiful graphic novel that absolutely captured my heart: The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill. I love a graphic novel that makes both my eyes and my heart happy and this one certainly accomplished that!

Before I jump into my review, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the people at TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to take part in this tour. Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to the book via Netgalley. And thank you to all my readers for supporting my little blog! Also, if you’d like to support the other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers participating, make sure to check out the tour schedule by clicking here.

Alright, now let me tell you more about the book!

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Being a Moth Keeper is a huge responsibility and a great honor, but what happens when the new Moth Keeper decides to take a break from the moon and see the sun for the first time? A middle-grade fantasy graphic novel about passion, duty, and found family.

Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn’t exactly what Anya thought it would be?

The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya’s dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun’s warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences. K. O’Neill brings to life a beautifully illustrated fantasy world about responsibility to yourself and your community. The Moth Keeper is filled with magic, hope, and friendship.

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Author Links

Website::Instagram::Twitter::Goodreads

I am a self-taught writer and illustrator based in New Zealand. I’m interested in nature and all kinds of creatures, mindfulness and mental health, and the magic of every day life. To date I have published three books, which have won Eisner, Harvey and Dwayne McDuffie awards for children’s comics, as well as being Cybils Award finalists and featured on the ALA Rainbow List.

Outside of work I love tea and food, plants, transitional seasons, reading, walking and listening to podcasts.

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Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within are my own.

I was originally introduced to K. O’Neill’s work when I picked up the first graphic novel in the Tea Dragon Society series. I immediately fell in love with their art and their storytelling. They have a way of pouring so much heart into their stories and I knew I wanted to read more from them. When I saw the email asking for reviewers to participate in the tour for their newest middle grade graphic novel, I immediately jumped on board!

The Moth Keeper is a graphic novel that follows the story of a young fox girl named Anya. Anya is determined to prove that she is worth something to the people in her village, especially to those she considers friends. So, when she takes on the position of trainee Moth Keeper, she promises herself that she is going to the best she can do. But the job comes with a lot of long, lonely nights and it soon starts to take a toll on the young fox.

As I mentioned before, K. O’Neill has a way of putting a lot of heart into their stories and this was no exception! It’s a quick read but, wow, does it pack a punch. This is a story that focuses on the effects of loneliness, abandonment, and burnout but also shows the power of friendship and found family. It was a beautiful tale that had me all in my feelings. I legit teared up a few times!

Part of what makes the book so impactful is the gorgeous, evocative art. O’Neill’s art exudes feeling and even the panels with no words take you on an emotional journey. I love their art style so much and that holds true in this one! I used to live in the desert and the art in this really captures the beauty of it, especially at night. And the emotion they can put into their characters expressions! Ugh… it’s just *chef’s kiss*

Of course, beautiful art does nothing if you don’t have great characters. Thankfully, there was no shortage of that in this graphic novel! All the characters, from Anya to her best friend Estell, were wonderfully imagined and came to life on the page. They gave this story such depth and I was instantly attached to all of them, haha. I also love how diverse and inclusive the cast of characters are! This author makes creating compelling characters seem effortless.

Overall, this is a graphic novel that is beautiful inside and out. The art, the characters, the story all have so much emotion and heart that you’ll find yourself drawn in within the first few pages. I adored everything about this story and I especially love that a graphic novel that looks at some pretty serious topics (burnout, abandonment) is geared towards a younger audience that are often ignored when it comes to the effects of said topics. I hope this gets in the hands of so many kids who had to deal with burnout during the pandemic because I think this could be a great comfort for them. A sign that there is hope even if they are still struggling.

Star rating: