Book Review: “ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse” by Stephanie Cooke, Mari Costa

“ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse” by Stephanie Cooke (Author), Mari Costa (Artist) (2021)

Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Fiction, Middle-Grade

Page Length: 242 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

It’s fall break in the supernatural town of North Haven, and young witch Abby’s plans include pitching in at her mom’s magical coffee shop, practicing her potion making, and playing board games with her best friends—a pumpkinhead, a wolf-girl, and a ghost. But when Abby finds her younger sister being picked on by some speed demons, she lets out a burst of magic so strong, it opens a portal to a realm of chaos bunnies. And while these bunnies may look cute, they’re about to bring the a-hop-ocalypse (and get Abby in a cauldronful of trouble) unless she figures out a way to reverse the powerful magic she unwittingly released. What’s a witch to do?

In this deliciously humorous, cozy, and bewitching graphic novel, sometimes the most of powerful magic comes from our connections to family and friends (but kicking bunny butt is great, too) (description from Godreads)

Review:

Paranorthern is a fun and cozy read that is perfect for the Fall or Halloween season. Set in the fictional town of North Haven, the story takes place in a city full of supernatural beings with a focus on Abby, a young witch, and her best friends including Silas (a pumpkin boy), Gita (a werewolf), and Hannah (a ghost). When Abby accidentally opens up the portal to a dimension full of cute, but dangerous bunnies it sends the town into a world of chaos and it’s up to her to fix it.

In the blurb of this book it mentions that it is a great read for readers who enjoy the Lumberjanes series and I got that vibe throughout the whole novel. I loved the immersive atmosphere of North Haven which reminded me of one of my favorite Disney movies, Halloweentown. There’s a deep sense of Autumn and everything that I enjoy about the season: the crisp leaves, Halloween decor, and seasonal drinks. It seems like such a cozy place to live and I loved the Witch’s Brew cafe that Abby’s mom owns. I got the Lumberjanes vibe from the strong themes of friendship presented in the story. I admired the bond between Abby and her friends and that they stepped up to help her when she needed their support. They worked well as a team and we also got to see the individual personalities that make them entertaining characters as well.

I loved the artwork of this story and the incredibly vibrant colors that made all elements of the narrative pop. The character designs were excellent and my favorite character look was Silas. His entire Pumpkinhead design was the coolest. Another thing I appreciated in this story was the theme of believing in yourself as Abby has to overcome the obstacle of finding a way to seal the portal once and for all. We get to see her vulnerability and confidence grow as the story progresses.

All in all, I highly recommend this graphic novel who loves heartwarming fantasy stories with a cozy feel! It has many characters you want to root for and it’s very entertaining to read. I would be interested in reading more stories set in North Haven in the future.

Final Verdict: