Confetti Realms

by Nadia Shammas, Karnessa (Artist), Hackto Oshiro (Colorist)

A group of teens are transported from a graveyard to another realm where they must collect teeth— and learn about themselves— in order to return home.

On Halloween night, when the moon is full, teenagers get up to mischief. But when an encounter with a giant, sentient puppet in a graveyard sends five teens to a mysterious dimension called the Confetti Realms, they must overcome obstacles in their own friendships–and collect the debted teeth owed to the puppet–in order to make their way home. But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?

Featuring a diverse cast of characters, this Tim Burton-esque, comedic, modern, and high-energy story is written by Eisner Award-winner Nadia Shammas, with art by Karnessa and colors by Hackto Oshiro.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Horror, Halloween

196 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2023

About the author

Nadia Shammas is a Palestinian-American comics and games writer from Brooklyn, NY now living in Toronto, Canada.

She is best known for being the writer and co-creator of Squire (HarperCollins), a Harvey Award winning YA Middle Eastern fantasy graphic novel co-created with Sara Alfageeh. Her other original work includes Where Black Stars Rise (Tor Nightfire), an adult eldritch horror graphic novella co-created with Marie Enger.

She is also known for her work on Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin (Scholastic). Her clients include Marvel, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, First Second, Tor Nightfire, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 3 out of 5]

You never know what might happen on All Hallow’s Eve, but then again you never really quite know what might happen next in Confetti Realms, the YA graphic novel by Nadia Shammas and gorgeously illustrated by Karnessa. It’s a wild ride of queer teen emotions as they attempt to navigate a fantastic realm of anthropomorphic animals, witchcraft and weirdness on a quest to *checks notes* find four teeth for some dead guy. Sure, I mean, we all need a premise to get a plot rolling and this is rather fun although the length does make much of the character development seem a bit clunky and it keeps the focus so much on the interpersonal friction almost at the expense of spending any time really letting the fantasy world breathe or make all that much sense. Which is fine, it’s still a good journey and you get some absolutely breathtaking and awesome visuals like this:

Hell yea cats and pigs getting a brew. I liked the rather Over the Garden Wall vibes this one had, particularly with things like knife fighting frogs and rather zany humor. I quite enjoyed Shammas’ work in Squire so it was nice to see they are continuing to put out creative stories, I just wish this had the length that we saw in Squire to let the world building flourish and smooth out the abruptness to a lot of the relationship dramas. But also, cute animals cooking!

I can’t resist that. I did like a lot of the teenage elements, especially the opening scene at the diner where all the alt kids hang out after local shows and stuff. It just felt…very familiar to my own time in that awkward space of being over 18 but under 21 so you can’t go to bars and we’d hang out at the cool punk diners. Not that I was cool, but these kids are. I also love how the whole things starts because they want to drink in a graveyard on halloween and summon a ghost to party with it.

This was a fun story that made for a nice quick read, and I’m a big fan of anything Halloween or giving queer teens their space to shine, so this was cool. Can’t wait to see what Shammas does next.

3.5/5

[Megu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I signed up for it as I was expecting a creepy Halloween story, but it turned out to be more focused on "young-adulting" and feelings than the world building and eerie vibes (they turned out to be more fantasy-like than Halloween-like in the end). Four teenagers end up in a wacky fantasy town after they stumble upon a scary monster puppet in the cemetery. In order to come back to their world the teens need to collect teeth for the creature. They journey into a city full of magical animal-like beasts - and this was probably what I liked the most about the whole idea. Their designs were creative in funny and sometimes in unnerving way - all of it gave a strong Ghibli vibe, and it's a shame that the authors didn't focus more on the fantasy aspect of the story. Instead, the main plot is mainly teenage angst, as our characters brought a whole lot of emotional baggage and trauma into this other world. The question if they even really want to go back is what drives this story, and considering how abruptly it ends (I felt as if I missed a big chunk of the plot somewhere) I wouldn't say it was delivered very well. Also the art here seems rather underdeveloped, with characters' faces missing proper emotions, so it's not my style.

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*

There were two elements to this book: the wacky and wild realm the characters were wandering around in, and the emotional struggles they were dealing with. It managed to tackle some serious topics while also being silly and fun!

The characters were lovable and entertaining. Teens struggling but doing their best.

The weird and ridiculous shenanigans were fun and made me laugh. The characters were in a strange world and collecting teeth and riding on giant centipedes, but this was not at all scary.

The art was fantastic and in full color. Characters felt animated and emotive without being too exaggerated. Such a great, clear style, but also such a unique and fun world that the artist clearly had fun with. All sorts of humanoid animals in 1920s-esque fashion and ball gowns and steampunk-y attire. Cool little details sprinkled throughout. A sort of spooky overall aesthetic.

Some of the struggles the characters were having came a bit out of nowhere and left me momentarily bewildered as to what they were even talking about and why they felt so strongly. But things made more sense once they were explained a bit more.

The ending was pretty open-ended. Maybe meant to be open to interpretation. Or maybe it’s just a me problem and I didn’t understand but other people will.

Overall, I had fun reading this, and the art was beautiful!

*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Ebook*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes queer YA, full color graphic novels, spooky aesthetics, fun and unique worlds, and teens with teen struggles.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[BadassCmd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the set up and description of the comic, and it has funny and heartfelt moments, but overall it didn't seem to go anywhere and was very confusing.

[threenareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

(cw : panic attack, depression, cancer)

this graphic novel was such an interesting book, i’ve never read anything like it!! first of all, i really adored the art style. it was just magnificent and beautiful. i also loved how it captured the “halloween” feel exquisitely. the characters were illustrated so well. they were complex, they also had this witchy vibe that i found very unique. the diversity of the cast was definitely amazing!!

i think for the most part, the idea of the book was executed wonderfully. the plot was alluring, it was eventful and every scene felt important. i wish we got to see more of it tho… the book was quite short and i feel like there could’ve been more to the story. i need to know what happened after that ending.

this book talks about self-hatred, friendship breakups, and queerness that i think are all important topics, especially for adolescents. i appreciate how they were discussed throughout the whole book so you get an even bigger picture and a higher level of understanding of those issues.

my only issue with the book was the pacing. it seemed a bit fast for my liking and everything happened in a blink of an eye. other than that, the book was phenomenal. i would definitely recommend it to you if you’re fond of quirky, out-of-the-ordinary, whimsical books!! and if you’ve never read any books that are like that, you might want to give this one a try. trust me, it’s so worth it!!

i’d like to thank netgalley, nadia shammas, and mad cave studios for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review <3

[Inés Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was full of marvelous art that kept me flipping pages and the spookiness on Halloween night that starts an adventure. I loved the diversity in this story. It was creepy but also touches ones heart. The story was quite interesting, gave a bit of Alice in Wonderland vibes. It was also fun the different characters, fantastical world.

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: parent with cancer, panic attack, depression & self hatred

I love this Halloween-y aesthetic and the "Over the Garden Wall but queer and YA" vibe. The character designs are top tier and everything manages to be genuinely spooky and whimsically charming at the same time. While the interpersonal drama does come a bit out of left field and feel a little overplayed in the scheme of things, I do also appreciate this inclusion of grief, friend break ups, and nonbinary identity, all alongside the great unknown. What a world to be a part of!

[Kaja Makowska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the eye-catching drawing style I found the story quite confusing and pointless.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC.

[Trish Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, there was a lot that I loved about this book. The fall/halloween vibes were there and I loved it, the art work was so fluid I felt like I was watching a movie. I started off liking our four mcs and the fantasy world was unique and imaginative.

However... we had this deep and beautiful fantasy world that was shown to us but only a glimpse. And then we were forced to slog through the characters personal problems instead. I'm all for a book that touches on mental health, but when it's the same mental health story plot I've read a thousand times before, it's hard to take interest. Especially when I'd rather see more of the fantasy world that was crafted and pushed into the background.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I should have read the synopsis closer, A group of kids are sent to a magical world by a puppet to collect teeth. As someone with a tooth phobia, I was really nervous that I wouldn't be able to read this, but it was ok. The art is cute and fits the story so well. The colors are also an excellent choice. They would fit a real world and a fantasy world well. The letters were easy to read and didn't interfere with the art. I enjoyed the fantasy world and all of the people and creatures. It was a fun story and a really fun world.

4 stars

[Yamini · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 teens have decided to do some sparky cracky adventure by breaking into a cemetery on Halloween night. Only they did not speculate about meeting Tom(an automaton) and getting transported into another fantasy world of animal beings. To get back to their world, they have to collect the debts that these creatures owe to Tom. But, the process and path both seem to be more than just a task, leaving these teens wondering about their life, friendships and inner feelings.

First, shoutout to the amazing illustrator of the book, I can't emphasise enough how beautiful they are! Secondly, the theme/plot of the book is around Halloween 🎃 👻 which was executed well, in different scenes. It had all the right details of breezy weather, falling leaves, indicating changes in life, etc. The only thing that took me aback was the sudden influx of emotional angles to each character amidst the debt chase. It would have worked better if there was a gradual buildup that led us to that situation. Other than that, I totally enjoyed reading this graphic novel.

Genre: #graphicnovel #fantasy #middlegrade #lgbt
Theme: #halloween
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The fight between the 2 girls was a little annoying, though, and there were some parts where the dialogue was accidently swapped AND the ending... wtf? But otherwise, I loved the art and it was very creepy

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very cool. I adored all the artwork and the main cast of crew and all of the secondary characters. Everyone was so interesting and complex and super super weird. This is a weird book but it's one that manages to discuss concepts like mental health and relationship issues and friendship struggles all while providing this absolutely wacky backdrop.

You basically have this group of four teenagers who go to a cemetery on Halloween and end up making a wish to this sentient puppet who sends them on this adventure to collect teeth in a world called confetti realms and if they collect all the teeth from these strange animal creatures then they get to go back home. It's wild and absolutely nuts but so good. I also loved the queer representation and discussions about stereotypes based on body type and such.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great art style with interesting characters and great representation. Would love for this to be longer so that the pacing around the end could be slowed down and the ending not so abrupt. The world is fascinating and the characters vibrant. I thought this would be a bit scarier, but the fantastical world is more odd and wacky than terrifying. I liked how mental health and the complexity of relationships are addressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for e-ARC.

[Hannah Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4! This was a really fun, disturbing, and quirky Halloween read. I can honestly say I have never read anything like this before. The combination of the unique alternate world of anthropomorphic insects/animals, steampunk, and diverse cast, is not something I’ve ever encountered in one package. And surprisingly it all worked well together! The book does a good job of representing anxiety, LGBTQ relationships, and different racial backgrounds. The group’s dynamic reminded me a lot of the early 2000s scooby doo movies. Especially in the beginning scene at the Diner and the quest the group goes on. If I had to pitch this book it would be a more adult “Over the Garden Wall.” I wish we could’ve spent more time in this world and the story was longer. I’m knocking off a star because the ending seemed very abrupt. It wasn’t even like it was a cliffhanger ending. The story just stopped and we didn’t get to see what became of our characters. Still it was such a fun read and very memorable. Also definitely the strangest graphic novel I’ve ever read!

*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review!*

[Irene ➰ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

- Thank you to the author and the publisher for approving me a copy through NetGalley. -

The concept of this graphic novel was so good but while going forward with the read I was getting bored after every page, and I'll tell you why.

It started with a bang, the set of characters is basically perfect and all the ideas were immediately put all together. This new world seemed and first super interesting, as were the challenges.

After two of them tho, I started having a sort of deja vu, simply because the story started to repeat itself again and again. Yes, all the characters they met are all different and yes, all the settings were indeed completely different, but the main path was the same.

New part of the world > new main character > different situation they find themeselves into > challenge to retrieve the teeth > new friend check

And this goes on for like five times - meaning 100 pages - ? At the third I started to skim read and look more at the drawings that were very pretty to look at.

Overall, kinda forgettable experience for me.

[Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is suitable for the upper middle age groups and YA.
A group of 4 friends find themselves in another realm during Halloween. While they want to just have fun and seek ghost adventures, they are thrown into confetti realm where they have to find teeth so they can be freed from that realm.

In the quest to find these, they meet strange and weird creatures and also try to resolve the differences between them.

This graphic novel captures the various problems or issue that teenagers face, specially when they are queer. It deals with adolescent friendships and relationships too.

A nice read overall, I did feel it would have been better if the adventure took place over various other realms too.

Also, I received this book as an arc of Confetti Realms by Nadia Shammas from Publishers and NetGalley

[anna ✩ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Confetii Realms is a short graphic novel about four teens who get transported to another realm on a Halloween night. To return home they must collect teeth, but as they delve deeper into the world, they are more and more attracted to the idea of staying in a fantasy land than going back to their lives in their own realm.

The premise of this story seemed very intriguing, but I must confess the execution disappointed me. The plot was messy and rushed at times. While I really loved such a diverse cast, I found the characters annoying and unlikable (except Ty). There was so much unnecessary drama caused by lack of communication.
On the other hand, I found the art style and illustrations gorgeous! The use of colors really added to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Leonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

So, I didn't love this.

While I liked that the novel has a rather diverse cast, I found none of the characters likable. There was a lot of (unnecessary) drama around their friendships / relationships, which got tiring at some point.

The plot was alright. There were some fun ideas incorporated, but the execution wasn't the best. There were too many plotholes (e.g. people just coincidally showing up at the same place as the others after splitting up), so the plot felt a little messy.

The art style, while nice enough, also wasn't for me.

Overall I can see some people liking this book, but I'd generally not recommend it to anyone.


[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

[Reg Mars · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been looking for some fun creepy graphic novels to read. We're getting into fall so I thought it would be fun to pick this up. However, this didn't do it for me. It did deliver on the fall vibes but I couldn't get into the story. I found myself skimming through a lot of it. Plus, I didn't really find it to be that creepy. There was one character who I thought gave off the creepy vibes but that's it. I ended up giving this two stars because they did have a lot of interesting side characters. So props for that! Overall this story just wasn't for me. I do see a lot of people really ended up liking this on goodreads so if it sounds interesting to you worth checking out.

[J MaK · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.0) The unique otherworldly characters were so charming and funny especially when interacting with each other. However, things took a drastic turn and become a little boring when the focus shifted to resolving the conflicts between the human characters.

[Rowen H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt a little rushed and underdeveloped and I have questions but also I love gay people and silly fantasy worlds

[Jessika Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this one, and I was not disappointed! If you are looking for a quick read to put you in the Halloween mood, look no further. I am so obsessed with this fantasy world—I want more, please! It felt like we fell into a spooky Tim Burton-esque, Alice in Wonderland type world. I LOVED it, thanks to the stunning artwork. I really enjoyed the story, but I do wish it had been fleshed outa little bit more because some of the drama felt a bit sudden to the point that I thought I had missed something. Overall, I did really, really like this & I’m looking forward to release day so that I can add a copy of this to my shelves!

Thank you to NetGalley and Maverick/Mad Cave Studios for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions presented here are my own.

[Alise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fun read but didn’t live up to my hopes.

The Good:
This leans horror comedy with lots of funny one-liners, references and cute fantastical characters. The world is visually interesting and the concept of transformation is great. There is queer and nonbinary representation. Themes around mental health are touched on in a good way and play a big role for one of the group.

The Bad:
There are a lot of half plot lines that are introduced but don’t really go anywhere. It tries to pack too much into a short package to properly get into everything.

Overall:
I think this one is definitely worth reading. I think I would have LOVED this as a fleshed out story. The world is very interesting but with so many moving parts, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough of any of it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was going one way and then took a hard turn and went a different way than I expected. I liked it - but thought it was going to be more Halloween spooky and less YA mental health vibes. Loved the art and all the creatures.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Mad Cave Studios, Maverick and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Confetti Realms is perfect for those who have enjoyed show Over the Garden Wall and are looking for similar vibes and settings. Here we follow five teenagers and their mischief on a Halloween night, when they accidentally shift to another realm. In order to get back, they need to bring teeth to a mysterious man or make the choice to abandon their current lives. Throughout their journey to get back, they also have to overcome obstacles in their own friendships and themselves as individuals. Its stunning art makes the atmosphere even more welcoming and makes you fall in love with the story. I would recommend waiting for a spooky season for full enjoyment.
TWs: self-hate, cancer, panic attacks

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

...I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I loved the incorporation of Halloween and thought it was executed really well. The way it tackled heavy topics while also having such silly characters was incredible to me. I do wish we had gotten to know the characters more and the ending felt a bit abrupt. Overall, I still really enjoyed reading Confetti Realms!

[Nick Eisengruber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great original graphic novel likely geared towards Older Teens. A heart-felt story with plenty of laughs, odd encounters, & a magical world. Reminded me a lot of the 'Fable' comics based on the secondary characters. Ending was a tad abrupt, but didn't take my enjoyment away.

*Thank you to Madcave Studios for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

[Summer (speaking_bookish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite things is a good fall/halloween-themed graphic novel. I seek out new ones each year with relish. Confetti Realms had a promising cover and it takes place on Halloween night so I decided to request an ARC. It opens with a group of teens sitting in a cafe on Halloween night. They decide to visit a graveyard where they end up meeting a large sentient puppet who sends the teens to another dimension and the only way back is to collect enough teeth and return them to the puppet.

This isn't a bad book even if it doesn't really fit the themes I was looking for. For one the cover has elements that would lead you to believe that this story will be set during the spooky season. And while it does open on Halloween night the characters are quickly transported to a fantasy realm where they meet unusual characters and partake in interesting things in order to gather the teeth... but the Halloween vibes are kind of left behind. The warm color palette that I associate with fall remains but the story becomes more of the run-of-the-mill fantasy variety. The story is unique and somewhat compelling but lacked those vibes I was really looking for. The books purpose seemed to be more about learning underlying messages like being true to who are and forgiveness. The synopsis offered on Goodreads does share that this is the case but I didn't read that until I had already completed the novel.

I enjoyed the art style- it's definitely similar to styles that I have found in other fall-themed GNs but it wasn't anything special. I appreciated the inclusivity offered in the story and found the fantasy elements of the other realm to be creepy at times so it does still offer that spooky atmosphere even if its not directly related to the season as I had hoped. I'd still recommend this for the fall- just be aware going in that if you're looking for a story mired in the specific elements of the autumnal season this will have that but very sparsely and only in the first few scenes- then its just general spooky and fantastical vibes from there. Mental health is also largely represented here so keep that in mind as well.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

* 2.5

Ummm so…. That just ended. Loved the world and made up creatures and such. Disliked basically everything else. Twas fine.