Brooms

by Jasmine Walls, Teo Duvall (Illustrator), Bex Glendining (Colorist)

It’s 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills...it's there to be found.

Meet Billie Mae, captain of the Night Storms racing team, and Loretta, her best friend and second-in-command. They’re determined to make enough money to move out west to a state that allows Black folks to legally use magic and take part in national races.

Cheng-Kwan – doing her best to handle the delicate and dangerous double act of being the perfect “son” to her parents, and being true to herself while racing.

Mattie and Emma -- Choctaw and Black -- the youngest of the group and trying to dodge government officials who want to send them and their newly-surfaced powers away to boarding school.

And Luella, in love with Billie Mae. Her powers were sealed away years ago after she fought back against the government. She’ll do anything to prevent the same fate for her cousins.  

Brooms is a queer, witchy Fast and the Furious that shines light on history not often told – it’s everything you’d ever want to read in a graphic novel. 
 

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Historical Fiction, Queer, Comics

248 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2023

About the author

Jasmine Walls is an award-winning writer, editor, and artist. She's worked on several graphic novels along with writing Vixen: NYC, and can otherwise be found drinking hot chocolate or befriending all the neighborhood dogs.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

With magic, broom riding, and a tale of resistance against oppression and protecting your community, Brooms from Jasmine Walls and Teo Duvall is a high-flying delight. 1930s Mississippi is reimagined in this gorgeous YA graphic novel, blending historical fiction with fantasy where the practice of magic is restricted under racist laws and instead of prohibition era stock car racing we have unlicensed broom races where the stakes are high but so are the profits from winning. Which is exactly what Mattie and Emma need in order to get a permit to practice magic seeing as the feds are doubling up their patrols and being Black and Choctaw is a sure way to end up in a residential boarding school—you know, the kind remembered for rampant abuse—or have their magic sealed off like has happened to Luella. A fun, fantastical tale that digs into the long history of racism in the US while also showing the power of family and found communities that band together in the face of oppression, Brooms is as a lovely to look at as it is to read and features a wonderfully inclusive cast of characters.

I really enjoyed the art in this one, bringing the US south in the 30’s alive but with witchcraft in the mix and Duvall handles action really well with excellent use of frames. Bex Glendining, the colorist, also picks some exquisite palettes that really pop. This whole thing just looks so pretty and magical, I mean look at this:

The story is quite exciting as well with a really high-stakes plot that is very involved in the magical world Walls creates but nods to the extreme prejudice in society and laws. There is a lot of really engaging world building done in a short space, both for the racial injustices in a magical society and also in the way these broom races work. The story does well by folding a lot of the exposition into the story naturally, like the way the rules of the races are delivered at the starting line (and change based on the race) in a way that not only helps it all make sense but also builds tension. Magic spells are allowed and the races felt like a lot like Mario Kart but with magic bolts and illusions instead of turtle shells and banana peels. And I loved the whole story of Billie Mae out to make a name for herself as the fastest broom racer in the country, yet unable to compete in professional races due to being Black and hoping to raise enough money to escape to California and start her career.

While the plot is tense and full of adventure, the real heart is the characters. I enjoyed the variety of characters here with a variety of races and how the indigenous characters used a sort of root magic that seemed to differentiate them from other magic users. There is a cute queer romance, disability representation and also a trans character with a really touching side-plot and I loved the focus on this found family that comes together to support each other on and off the racetrack (well, I guess there's not a track but you know what I mean). The whole thing feels very heartfelt and uplifting and the characters have a lot of personality.

Brooms is a huge success and also a perfect read for this spooky season! Overflowing with action and suspense, this is historical fiction meets fantasy for a really thoughtful look at people living on the margins of society coming together against oppression. Hopefully they will win the race and this book is sure to win your heart.

⅘

[Tawfek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your hatred is your curse, it tightens around your heart like a noose, Act in Violence and Pay the Price, Live in Kindness and you will go Unharmed.

I have received a copy of This Graphic Novel ARC in exchange for an honest review (It's read now ARC on Netgalley so all people can read it if it's still up) Thanks Jasmine, Teo, Netgalley for the opportunity.

This is taking back Magic from harry potter, a huge statement, but the Graphic Novel really delivers Big.
I loved this so much, I loved the marginalized group of protagonists so much, You are including so many marginalized groups, but it didn't feel forced at all.

However, I didn't like that There was no white protagonists at all, Like just one would have been enough, specially that White People are pretty much portrayed the mother of all evil throughout this work, There was no single white person who can pass as a decent human being at all.

I understand the time period, but it felt counterproductive really, because we should all be against racism and marginalization, but sometimes i feel works border on counter racism, or exclusion of white people (and i never felt that more than in this Graphic novel), I feel like if i was a decent white person these days, i would feel like everyone needs to vent, everyone have a lot of bent up frustration that racism still even exists, or the KKK flags are still held up high in demonstrations of racist people, and i would shut up, but we can always try to feel what the other feel, and sympathize.

But we really have to include everyone, or at least a side character who is a good white person you know?
Not sure if i am making any sense at all, But let's learn from self-proclaimed Transphobe Dave Chappell, even when he was pretty much saying horrible things and identifying as a TERF, he still tried to stick his friendship with a trans woman as a shield.
Here we have all white people are evil, but no shields? Specially really that this was alternate reality, Like let's say 1930 or 1940 whenever this is supposed to be, Had not a single decent white person on the face of America, who is against slavery and racism, In an Alternate reality you can make up that person.
(There could be a philosophy behind this choice, trying to balance things out perhaps? But i am not in the know of such Philosophy really, i wasn't invited)

I read recently Summer in The Bayou by European Writer/Artist Johann G. Louis he pulled that off amazingly, White kid a friend with a Black kid, they want to work as detectives when they grow up, and they stick together through out the entire Graphic novel.

The parallels this has with reality, Just proves what an amazing writer Jasmine is, It's scary, and just conveys a deep sense of oppression through out the novel, While the families were supportive of their Queer kids, Trans Kids, Protective of their growing up girls, There was a real sense of danger throughout, Pay attention to the text, the white regime in control is policing magic, policing schools of magic, having patrols in the streets, it was pretty much a dystopia that didn't concentrate on the dystopian Aspects, and tried to concentrate more on what people do to fight back, the totalitarian regime that is controlling everything.

The art was amazing Teo, felt like it was simple? But at the same time i have not seen such beautiful real characters in a long time, no sexualization of women, no super model figures forced on everyone, Just beautiful faces, that showed real emotions in their simplicity, Beautiful natural bodies, and i was just amazed through out by the fabulous art 5/5 all the way.

Have you ever seen anyone who looked like us on a national team? they'd laugh in my face if i tried.

Included Groups, Black People, Indigenous Americans, Latinos, Asians, Trans, Deaf, Lesbian, People with chronic joint pain, people with bad leg due to stroke, Cooking husband, i mean everyone was here, one of the girls was wearing glasses so i feel included, and i am a person of color, so i am glad i wasn't one of the evil guys 😆

I think every single magic novel should have this kind of magic, ancestry magic, to call upon your ancestors in your darkest hour, a huge part of our real world traditions come from love for our ancestors, honoring and remembering them, i don't have to share those beliefs, but using it in magic, and making it really look like your ancestors were watching over you is really cool.
Maybe once in a novel, But imagine a novel with this kind of magic as the specialty of the protagonist, That would be wicked, Also shoutout to The Shadows of Thule that i read recently because Ancestry magic was the magic solution in there too.

This was Emotional and beautiful, the romance scenes were brief and felt sincere, and didn't overshadow the story, just how i like them lately, it was magical, but for that one blemish, imagine you are a white teenager born in 20xx, and is supposed to sit reading this and take the blame for things you never had part in the first place, unless we put a ticket no whites allowed!

Also Take a bow, I noticed that most Read now ARCs available for all readers are always from LGBTQ creators or part of the creation team, Which is just awesome, such an amazing community, All love to every single one of you, These Novels can really be the light someone needs in a dark time, and it could help them persevere.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this!!

This was honestly such a pleasure to read! Every character has my heart. I loved how the more serious topics were handled. The art style was really beautiful, really made the story come alive. The broom races reminded be a bit of how roller derby is played which I loved.

A very cute, quick read perfect for fall 100% recommend!


Thank you Netgalley, Levine Querido, and Authors for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooms follows a queer community of illegal witches who turn to broom races to raise money to elevate their lives.

I like that this graphic novel is a BIPOC cast set in an alternate historical setting and each character has their own very unique identities. I could see the care put into making sure different marginalized identities were represented. And it does tackle some difficult topics in an easier to digest way. I did want to know more about the outlawing of magic and dragging girls off to academies. I also wanted to see a little more depth to the younger girls who didn't have as much going on their older counterparts. There could've been more emotion depicted in the art work. But overall it was still an engaging read.

3.5
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....

[Jan Agaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art style grew on me & meeting all the different rival teams at the race event was probably my favorite, in addition to the queer rep. the part about a person's mom's dresses almost made me cry, im proud to say I resisted :)

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The law is a lot of things. But it ain't ever been kind to us."

Magical broomstick races in an alternate history 1930s Mississippi?

Fuck, yes!

I loved this graphic novel. SO much was going on and it had so many fantastic characters filled with their own motivations and drive. And RACING! ON! BROOMSTICKS! Yes!

The care and research was phenomenal, as was the scope and detail. Sure, magic exists in this alternate world, but it exists in the constraints of white supremacy in the Deep South of the 1930s. It's squirreled away and hidden, brought out in small gatherings to spark joy and community that is always in danger. Magic endures, just as community endures, just as the spirit lives on.

The epilogue was EVERYTHING.

[Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in an alternate 1930s, Mississippi, this story follows a group of friends and found family who have to hide their magic from the restrictive and racist government. They survive at the margins, but they don't let the fear of prosecution stop them from doing what they love: racing together as a team. Deep in the woods seers and witches host carnival like events where racers on brooms compete for prize money and glory. Each of them has reasons why they need to win; lives and futures depend on it. This book is deeply queer with a diverse and magical cast. If you're looking for historical fiction where the trans and lesbian brown witches win, this one's for you.

[andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is out October 3rd, 2023 and I highly suggest that you pick it up!

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This was such a special little graphic novel.

This book talked about magic through the lens of Mississippi in the 1930's. Magic is outlawed for black people and this little found family is secretly participating in underground broom racing to earn the money to move to a safer state before Mattie and Emma's powers are discovered and they're either whisked away to a boarding school where any traces of their inherited magic will be stamped out in favor of approved, white-washed magic or worse, taken from them the way they took powers from their cousin Louella.

This was a sweet graphic novel that was full of love and joy through the lens of a racist America. It features lesbian, trans, and disabled rep, all of which are things that I feel like a lot of historically-set stories refuse to acknowledge or explore.

I loved this a lot! I feel like the only criticism that I had was that I wish that it was longer. Scenes like Cheng-Kwan telling her parents that she's trans were great! But they also felt rushed. Though frankly, perhaps this is just me wanting about five hundred more pages of this world. Loved it!

[acorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, vibrant, positive ✨

This book was so so cool! The diversity of backgrounds and identity in the historical setting is very meaningful. I loved all the characters. The color palette is gorgeous and the storyline is engaging.

Such an enthralling read!

[Krishana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Representation: Native, Black, queer, trans, deaf, lesbian, fat

Themes: belonging, togetherness, racism, overcoming adversity

Summary: In an alternative reality in the early 1900’s, if a teenager of a racially marginalized identity comes of age and shows magical abilities, their ancestral magic is squeezed out of them by the government and replaced with approved white magic. The only way to retain ancestral magic is through a petition, but that costs money. Sisters Mattie and Emma are forced to enter a dangerous broom race to win enough money to keep their ancestral magic.

Rating: 3 out of 5📚📚📚

Review: “Brooms” by Jasmine Walls and Teo Duvall was an inclusive and action packed story using magic realism to reimagine ways people with marginalized identities fought back against white supremacy, racism and oppression. The storyline was pretty heavy for such a short read and quite a bit of the storyline felt rushed. I wish we got to learn more about how Emma and Mattie developed their magic, and what made them such natural broom racers. Also, at times it seemed like very heavy topics were rushed or glossed over like they were included simply to check representational check boxes. The cast of characters was also quite large making it difficult to keep up with sub-storylines.

The illustrations were beautiful. The storytelling behind this found family was beautiful. Each character’s motivations were clear and all came back to love and sacrifice. It was a quick read and I would recommend adding this graphic novel to a lazy weekend read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Levine Querido for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 196/300

content warnings: racism, forced institutionalization, hate crime, police brutality, violence

mattie and emma know that practicing magic without a permit can land you in jail, but their family doesn’t have the money to buy a permit. their cousin, luella, knows the pain of having one’s magic bound, so she proposes broom racing, a dangerous, but lucrative, sport. she introduces the girls to the night storms, who include billie mae, loretta, and cheng-kwan. the team agrees to take the girls on and teach them all there is to know about broom racing, though this isn’t without its dangers.

i believe i first heard about this book due to its deaf + sign language rep, so i didn’t know exactly what all this had in store for me. i did really enjoy all the rep, and how this was tied into the historical setting and fantasy genre! unfortunately, luella was taken to a residential school when she was younger, which is what led to her magic being bound. i don’t often see residential schools being discussed, even in fiction, so i appreciated how the author took the care to tie this into a fantasy book. also, her relationship with billie mae was so cute! another aspect i liked was the incorporation of ancestors, though i don’t want to dive into this too much as some parts of this aspect come in later. overall, this was a lovely graphic novel, and i’d be interested in reading more from jasmine walls in the future.

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 4 out of 5]

a solid historical fantasy with an array of representation that briefly but succinctly touches on civil rights issues of the time.

i would've loved for it to get even more into the magic, but i thought the idea of champion broom racing was really fun.

rep includes indigenous, Black, latine, Deaf/hoh, asian, sapphic/queer, and trans.

go billie!

[river ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

super cute artwork and i really enjoyed the casual diversity, including a variety of lgbtq+ characters, as well as characters of varying ability levels, and races. the idea of magical broom racing was also executed beautifully and the book managed to capture the excitement and tension of a race well. i also loved how the plot addressed important issues, such as how non-white people were unable to participate in the official broom races no matter how good they were. no issues with pacing and just the right amount of background information was given when it was necessary (ex. the broom racing rules).

this book reminded me why found family is one of my favourite tropes!

e-ARC provided by Levine Querido via Netgalley

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rtc!

ahh the casual diversityy<33 i’m in love

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the way that diversity and disability is included without fanfare or as a whole identity/only personality trait. We have sisters one of whom is deaf, a broom racer who has a leg brace and another who is implied to have chronic pain. And both sapphic/lesbian and trans inclusion, while the focus remains the racing and family.
Fun, fast-paced, well-balanced, full of a likable cast of characters and engaging action.

[Gretal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO good!! Big thanks to Kait for recommending this to me. Why isn't anyone else talking about this book?? I definitely need to buy a copy asap.

[mads]

absolutely loved this. perfectly balanced the heavier topics with moments of joyful resistance, paired with a beautiful art style and the nostalgic, witchy magic I was hoping for. truly one of the best graphic novels I've ever read.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently remembered that I love graphic novels and after a quick ransacking of the library, came home with a big stack. BROOMS by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall is the first that I read, and it reminded me how there’s really something about the joining of story and art that adds a whole new, fresh dimension.

This is a 1930s alternate history set in Mississippi and drawing from the illegal backwoods races of the time. But instead of cars, there is instead a magical world with its own thrills and threats. A group of young people come together to learn magic and race on broomstick for the prize pot, which would offer them freedom in many forms: the ability to move out west, evasion of government officials trying to curtail their magic, fighting back against the people in power who took their magic in the first place.

It’s such a rich text with layers upon layers of representation - some overt and openly discussed by the characters, some more nuanced and expressed through the visuals. Like the synopsis says, it’s a “queer, witchy Fast and the Furious.”

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1930's Mississippi, the story revolves around a group of women that have magic. There is a broad range of representation here from Choctaw to Mexican to queer and non-binary.

A group of friends form a team and take part in illegal racing. Various spells and charms are used to keep the authorities from seeing the illegal activity. Two young girls - Mattie and Emma - are trying to avoid being detected and sent away to government school where they will be "deprogrammed" of their magic. Luella is their cousin and knows all too well about losing magic as she was stripped of her magic after she spoke out against the government.

This book has a lot to say about a lot of things. I liked the diverse representation, but I wanted more depth to the story. There was a lot to follow and it got a bit confusing at times. I think giving each set of friends their own story would have helped flush the characters out. Case in point: Cheng-Kwan is trans. She lives her life as a woman with her friends, but as a man in public and with her parents. When her parents find out she's been hiding dresses she wears, it's all very easily accepted. I would have liked to see that storyline go into more detail to add complexity.

This is a fun read with exciting broom races that are depicted well through the genre.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Levine Querido, for the advance reading copy.

I wish I loved this graphic novel and liked it more than I did.

For readers like me who enjoy both graphic novels and novels, I feel that it would deliver more as a novel.

I love the blurb.
However, I got disappointed with the dialogue delivery, the art sequencing and the way the characters interacted with the least interest shown on their faces.

It is a story based during the 1930s, queer and magical. And should be thrilling too fighting against the government. Who would want to miss that?!

I missed out the vibes somehow. It’s a me problem. I just want to read the script now.

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much an issue with me, not the book, but I just didn't get pulled in by the art work as much as I wanted. I also thought there were a little too many protagonists, which I found confusing and hard to follow along with in a graphic novel. That's just a matter of personal preference though, and it's why I couldn't fully enjoy this graphic novel. That being said, I did find the premisse of this to be very intriguing: the historical setting, the magical twist on residential schools, the broom racing. This is such a solid concept, so I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more.

[Andrew Eder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!! Really good!!

Art was great. Story was great. Representation was AMAZING with so many cultural, queer, and ability identities. Reallllllly loved the diverse cast!!

It definitely felt rushed and fluffy. Not enough depth as I was hoping for and not much character growth or change or development. It felt more like a snapshot of time rather than a story being told.

Otherwise, pretty good and I’d definitely recommend!

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this kind of blew me away. I have never before seen such diversity in a graphic novel, and I loved it. Beautiful.

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

I’m so glad I found this graphic novel the legit *day* it was being archived because this was beautiful. The representation found in this graphic novel is amazing! BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disability. I’m sure if I tried to list everything out, I’d miss something! Before this graphic novel, I don’t think I’ve read one that had a deaf character and sign language was seen on page!

This is honestly such a perfect graphic novel for Halloween because hello magic and broom races? Go read it!!

[Mary Shyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional 👏🏻

[Katelynn W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readding this bc Goodreads removed it from my reading challenge

[Chelsea &#x1f3f3;️‍&#x1f308; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the book that finished out my challenge but I wish it had been. This was beautiful!

Hands down, this was the most diverse comic I read this year. Black Indigenous rep, Mexican Indigenous rep, wlw rep, trans rep, Chinese American rep, and deaf rep. Best of all, these women and their communities are working in solidarity to overcome the country’s oppression of their identities

The ban on Black and Indigenous magic is used to create an allegory for the US’s history of forcing these communities to assimilate. Luella, a Mexican Indigenous woman, was forced into a residential school where the “reward” was a chance to learn magic in Latin, the permitted magic. Out of fear of what would happen to the girls, Mattie and Emma, they try to earn money to pay for a way out.

Billie Mae was awesome! Total bad ass and her relationship with Luella was really sweet. Cheng Kwan’s story was moving and, while I wish we got to see a bit more of Loretta, she had a good ending as well.

More comics like these! Always a fan of stories showing solidarity between BIPOC. When the ancestors showed up, I cried.

[Vayl · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start, this was an amazing book worth a 5-star review.

The reason:
Brooms is a book set in 1930 Mississippi, where things are not that great for magic users of color, and the protagonists need to start participating in clandestine races to gain money and be safe.
The plot is so much more than that. The amount of research and care that was put into this graphic novel is impressive. The parallelism with the history of queer people is also great. You can sense the authors' care about the topic.
I am queer, but not from the country this is set on, so I can’t talk a lot about the history part of the book, but I am happy to see the representation of so many people with such amazing character design.
But I don’t love this novel just for the representation. All the magic and races are entertaining, and I hope to read more books like this. It left me with so many emotions, and the ending was what I hoped for.
I am thankful for the opportunity NetGalley gave me in reading this novel. It is going to be my favorite for a while.

[Živa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say the books was necessarily bad, but at the same time I don’t think it serves a purpose it was supposed. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, but the storyline is just ‘meh’. It feels like the characters were created with the intention to write a diverse story, not to write a story with diverse characters, you know? The ending was definitely rushed. While I get that the storyline loosely follows the actual history, I don’t think it’s the right setting for a fantasy cartoon. There wasn’t much character development and depth to characters whatsoever. In my opinion we can find better books to diversify our bookshelves.

[aarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Spellbinding

The art was just okay, but I loved everything else. Read via library.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYTHING about this was absolutely perfect, wholesome, inclusive, and inspiring!!!!