Beetle & the Chimera Carnival

The Beetle Books #2

by Aliza Layne

Beetle and her friends attend a carnival full of dragons and magic, only to discover something sinister at play behind the scenes, in this delightful sequel to the Stonewall Honor–winning Beetle & the Hollowbones middle grade graphic novel.

Hidden behind the clouds, giant dragons guard the most powerful magic in the world from prying eyes. On one magical night, once every ten years, these leviathans reveal themselves to a fanfare of costumes, music, and parades in the Chimera Carnival.

But this time, something’s wrong.

When Beetle, Penny, and Kat decide to check out the empty carnival site one night, they discover an injured dragon screaming for help. And the more Beetle uncovers about the Chimera Carnival, the more sinister it gets. Dragons who arrive for the early festivities disappear without a trace. Beetle’s magic begins to go haywire. And Kat’s parents come back to town, worrying both girls about whether they have a future together.

In the catacombs beneath the demolished ’Allowstown mall, something hungers for dragon magic. And Beetle and her friends are already more entwined with it than they could possibly imagine.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Middle Grade, LGBT, Queer, Comics, Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

Aliza Layne was raised by two married dogs but is now a cat. She makes monsters and goblins and Halloween costumes in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, where she lives with her gay friends. Beetle & the Hollowbones, her first graphic novel, was a Stonewall Honor Book. Find more of her work for adults and kids at AlizaLayne.com.

Reviews

[deborah]

*chanting* BEETLE, BEETLE, BEETLE!!
I just know this is going to be a beautiful book. 🥰

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beetle and Kat started dating at the end of the previous book, but they haven't yet told their parents. Kat is sure her very strict family will react badly, and Beetle doesn't want to pressure her, especially during such a busy time. The Chimera Festival is approaching, when all of the dragons gather briefly in the same place, and extraordinary magic is possible. At the same time, Beetle's grandma needs to go away on a trip to the goblin underground kingdom; Beetle's body is transforming in unexpected ways; and something sinister is happening under the festival grounds. I'm such a fan of this series! I love the bright colors, the whimsy and danger of this halloweeny world, and the sweetness that runs through it. This book is tenser and darker than I remember the previous installment being, but I enjoyed it just as much.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow it surpasses the first one. The final act is STUNNING! The characters change in monumental ways, both emotionally and physically. I can’t wait to see how Aliza tries to outdo herself in book 3. 5/5 stars.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single one of you ex-Steven Universe nerds better be reading this series or you're missing out

[Steph ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the pages were hard to follow, given the frenetic framing and swirling art, but overall I enjoyed the continuation! Seeing Kat and Beetle dating was a relief, as I was worried they might not be depicted "fully" as being in a relationship. Their support for one another was heartwarming.

More!!

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Beetle and the Hollowbones with my whole heart, so hearing that there would be a sequel was not only some of the best news that I’ve heard, but also the realization that there would be a sequel to utter perfection. And honestly, how can you compete? There really is no competition when you create another banger of a story.

Beetle and Kat were very obviously a thing at the end of book 1, but coming into Beetle and the Chimera Carnival, we got to see them as actual girlfriends. Albeit, without a title on the relationship, but STILLLLLLLL. They were everything to eachother and history would say “they were roommates.”

This book was like a coming out party to a religious family, only to then come out to loving friends immediately after. One may condemn you, but the other is your chosen family and aren’t they the ones that really matter? The ones that accept you.

I loved everything about this and can’t wait to see it in full color.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

[timber rose, book witch (semi-hiatus)]

my queer goblin heart literally cannot WAIT for more of this series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >:D

[kaitziez · Rating 5 out of 5]

MORE. I NEED MORE!

[kenzie hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

the perfect sequel to one of my favorite graphic novels! layne beautifully uses monsters to explore themes of queer identity and coming-of-age. and, as always, the artwork is stunning and engaging— you just wanna stare at it for hours

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25-3.5/5

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with being a GORGEOUS book, the themes of fearing bodily change, wanting to fit in and be 'normal,' and harmful parental expectations are hard-hitting. The villain in this book was excellently done, and I sympathized with them a lot. Beetle, Penny and Kat are a brilliant team. I can't wait for the third in the series!

And regarding it being gorgeous: I had to read most pages twice just to oggle the colours, expressions, settings, and background characters... every page is beautiful.

[the tortured poets department · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welp, I didn't like this one at all😭 Something about it all was just too confusing to me, and I guessed who the villian was straight away. I didn't know it was possible for a graphic novel to be too info-dumpy, but here we are. I also think it was longer than it needed to be. Kat and Beetle are precious, though, and I do love them!

[Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic art with just as much if not more scope and boundary-pushing than the first entry in the series. Plenty of hilarious, heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes as before. Impressive worldbuilding coalesces nicely with the side-by-side character arcs of Beetle and Kat. I appreciate how much agency and importance they each have in the story.

The story overall, though, is held back by its main antagonist. Though their evil plot is a sufficient vehicle for the action, we only receive hints as to their motivations and not enough for them to justify their actions or make them a compelling character. Perhaps a third volume will sort those details out (I hope it does), but in the meantime it left a noticeable hole in this otherwise tightly woven work of graphic fiction.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARCQuest: Book 38

”EVERYBODY CHILL OUT! The gods cherish a laidback vibe in front of their temples, okay?”

The perfect spooky season read! I love being back with my favorite little menaces, and it’s a lot of fun seeing how everyone has evolved not only since the last book, but also how they evolve by the end of this book. This is such a funny, sweet series that deals with real world issues while also just being a big ol’ silly goose at heart.

I’ve bought the actual hardcover already because this is a series that deserves to be in full color. I can’t wait to see where our ominous cliffhanger leads us on the next journey. Book 3 can’t come soon enough!

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually loved this book more than the first one. Beetle and Kat growing and developing their relationship had me almost in tears. I love them so much. The art here is vibrant, colorful, and as beautiful as the last story. We get some major development and more Penny lore and I am so so hoping this series continues. I couldn’t handle how cute this was between Beetle and Kat. Kat standing up to her abusive parents had me cheering. I guess her whole family just mega sucks. I just love them all your honor. Gran is also a delight always. The characters, art, and story are just so good.

[Hannah Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teenage lesbian monsters and I love 'em. This is the second in this graphic novel series, and the character growth was wonderful in this one. We also get a deeper dive into the magic lore of this series, which is really well done. Beetle and the Hollowbones is one of my top middle-grade graphic novels ever, and this sequel was a great addition.
Thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Children's, and Atheneum Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Sean Briere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although my arc wasn't fully colored in yet, and the story felt a little sluggish in the beginning, I ended up really enjoying this second installment of Beetle. I mostly enjoyed Beetle and Kat's relationship, and Gran's transformation. I can't wait to get the hard copy at my library when we get it in so I can reread it in all it's colored glory.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it a bit less than the first one, but it did start picking up towards the end.
Also love that they didn't shy away from using the word "lesbian", especially considering this is a graphic novel geared towards younger audiences. No one should ever feel like it's a dirty word <3

[Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored the art and the story!!

[Faye &#x1fac0; · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable and heartfelt sapphic romp with beautiful art and vibes very reminiscent to She-Ra & Adventure Time but more Spooky Season-coded

[Jen Appell · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/5 stars tbh

[Imogen Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books and these characters!!!! The art is so great!!!! The messages are great!!! Sometimes I don't quite understand what's going on!!!!

[Izza · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars | “Happy lesbian” 😂🌈 beautiful illustrations

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow-up to a great tail.

[Ash FairyBoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book! The story, the art and the cute little moments. I feel this book was almost written for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and tales of the story and the beautiful LGBTIQA+ representation! Slay! Highly reccomend if you like cute stories!

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this graphic novel. Another fun adventure with Beetle and Kat, but this second volume suffered slightly from a convoluted plot. I had trouble keeping the motivations straight of all the players involved; either Kat's struggles with her parents or Beetle's concerns about transformation might have sufficed enough for a volume. But both these plotlines with the additional "big bad" that also somehow looped into Penny's story was a lot to accomplish in 384 graphic novel pages. I also did not love that both parental figures for Kat and Beetle were simply sent away for reasons, and that's why they didn't have any support through all of this. I still love the style here, as well as the plethora of fantasy creatures involved. Beetle's transformation was beautifully illustrated and a great twist. Kat and Beetle are excellent characters who struggle with very sympathetic feelings of belonging and complex family dynamics. Penny, as always, is adorable. This one just tried to tackle too much.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED the first Beetle book and this one is no different. I really like the expansion into Beetles magic and both of her and Kat's relationship to their own identities and with each other.

I received an arc of this and the arc was not in full color and so I can't wait to do a reread because I think that the color palette this author uses is so gorgeous and I think it's going to absolutely elevate everything up a degree. As of now I really enjoyed it but I just know that adding those full color illustrations is going to make a world of difference. I can't wait to see the finished copy!

[averie]

AND WE HAVE A COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m so excited i think that im going to pre-order this!!

[rachel x]

this is such an underrated queer mc graphic novel series! highly recommend

dying for this sequel