Into the Bewilderness

by Gus Gordon

In the Bewilderness, life is good.

Best friends Luis (the large furry one) and Pablo (the small furry one) spend their days wandering through nature, playing songs on the guitar, and eating Slow Joe McNally’s pinecone porridge with their neighbors.

When dreamer Luis receives an unexpected invitation to attend a performance of The Weary Mermaid in the big, bustling city, he finds it hard to ignore the allure of the bright lights.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to go it alone—and it’s a good thing, because it’s a long journey through the Bewilderness, and Luis has many questions. Will they meet laser-eyed gargoyles, zombie chickens, or tyrannical cow rulers? Will they get there on time? Why is quicksand so slow if it’s called quicksand? Thankfully, with his grumpy but loyal best friend by his side, they’ll soon find out.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Childrens, Comics, Fiction, Animals, Fantasy

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2025

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Katey Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruno meets Furari. A bit too niche a comparison? Sure. But I love both of those, and I loved this.

[Tom Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bear and his mole friend have an existential crisis in the forest. Fucking brilliant.

[Maggie - Busy Moms Read Too · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I liked: Sometimes I chuckled. The illustrations are very beautiful and engaging. I like the idea of two friends going into the big city from the woods.

What I disliked: The humor and vocabulary is a better fit for older readers than the intended audience. One of the MCs constantly belittles his friend, calling him rude names for no real reason, and never apologizing for this behavior.

Overall, it is visually eye catching and somewhat entertaining for a middle grade graphic novel. But the humor and vocabulary are better suited for teens and adults. The belittling and name calling felt very mean spirited to me (and that’s not the type of speech I hope for my children to surround themselves with) so I won’t be keeping my copy or recommending it.

[Sera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and cozy graphic novel that also connects with an older audience.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. so much so that I was about halfway in when I went ahead and ordered a physical copy for my 9-year-old nephew. this is somewhere between a like early readers chapter book and a graphic novel. there are a lot of illustrations and the text doesn't completely take over the page, but it's definitely meant for like an 8-12 reading age.

it is about these two best friends Luis and Pablo who live in the woods and are pretty content. but Luis wants some more adventure and so they decide to take the bus to the big city. their journey is riddled with new friends and new experiences and ultimately is about finding joy and the things that bring you comfort.

Luis and Pablo are hilarious together and I especially really loved Pablo. he is a little bit pessimistic and really would rather stay in the woods, but his best friend wants to go somewhere and so they head out together.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel is a philosophical journey for two animals and the community they inhabit, as they explore big questions like: Can we have culture in the woods? Their adventure leads them on a quest to find answers.

The artwork is absolutely lovely, and I especially appreciated that the story takes place in its own unique world—complete with a map. The philosophical musings, presented through animal characters, are fun and thought-provoking. I think there’s a specific subset of middle grade readers who will be drawn to this blend of quirky humor and introspective themes.

That said, the intended audience feels a bit unclear. While it’s marketed for younger readers, much of the tone feels quite adult. The humor—particularly Pablo’s—can veer into snarky or even mean-spirited, and the pacing is notably slow.

The absolute highlight for me—and the character who completely stole my heart—is Ray. I’m lost too, Ray. He’s beautiful, and honestly, he (along with the artwork) is what saved the book for me. My rating is entirely based on him and the visuals.

A worthwhile purchase for middle school libraries, especially for readers who enjoy offbeat humor, deep questions, or stunning illustration.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[Becky]

Abandoned because the line “Was it about the decline of romanticism in a postmodern world?” on page 14 makes me question who this book is actually written for. I think even the most advanced student at my K-4 school would struggle with the concepts and vocabulary there and several other places, so it’s not worth a purchase for my school library. Not sure why the publisher recommends this for fans of The Wild Robot or why some review sources note it as being appropriate for ages eight and up. However, I am sure there is an audience somewhere for it.

[Makayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so freaking funny. I need them to have another adventure.

[Becky Cann · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best graphic novels I've read!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful journey across country with a buddy. A book for all ages

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I wasn't sure what the bewilderness was, but after reading this book, I believe that is the state I entered while engaging with this material. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just...different.

The illustrations are charming, and this - along with the expectation of some good friendship content and maybe some dashes of ecocritical motifs - drew me to this graphic novel. I did get what I was hoping for to some degree, but there are some other unexpected inclusions that have left me feeling a bit conflicted about the read overall. The most challenging element is that the audience for this is somewhat unknowable. This is a known children's author, but the content is pretty dark at times (and strange?), and this doesn't quite read like a typical children's graphic novel. It's also a little rudimentary for the average adult reader. I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to based on this audience confusion. Along with the audience issue, the plot just takes some bizarre turns. At times, the journey feels forced and a bit slower than I'd have preferred.

Readers looking to read about the bewilderness, and perhaps take a trip there themselves, will enjoy this peculiar experience.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Tori DeFazio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Into The Bewilderness is a graphic novel for ages 8-12 that follows two best friends, Luis the bear and Pablo the mole. Luis has been searching for culture and knows he can find it in the big city, but will he be able to convince his best friend to come along? While reading this graphic novel I wasn’t really sure what age group this was for -the humor is off and typically pretty mean instead of funny (and the characters don’t apologize for their mean behavior/ leave a lesson from it). This really put a sour taste in my mouth. A positive to me was the art - it was really the only reason I was motivated to finish this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Into The Bewilderness

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are adorable and I loved the dialogue and existential crisis-the more the merrier! However I wonder if kids would really like this or just skim it…there’s no way much of this doesn’t go over their head.

[Chelsea Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a quick & cute little read! however, as other reviews mention, some of the humour and themes in this graphic novel are likely better for slightly older audiences than the 8-12 recommended age.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this unhurried story. A pair of animal friends live a great life in the forest. They take a trip to the Big City that affects the dynamics of their friendship, then make everything right.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations were great. Best part of the story, in fact. The story improved about 2/3 into it and ultimately had a good message. But the dialogue was mostly not believable among the animals. Other than that, it was a cute story. I might read another book by this author, but I’m not sure just yet.

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about this story didn’t work for me. I found the characters slightly annoying and I think that as a kid I wouldn’t have had the attention span required to read this. It’s simple in theory but there’s so much text that you actually need to focus. I liked the small details of life happening around them, both in the woods and in the city, but it wasn’t enough to captivate me.

[Andrea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable friendship stories with comforting artwork. I may just need a copy of my own 😉

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun adventure as two friends go in search of culture in the Big City. But sometimes what you are looking for is already right under your nose.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommend recommended by a young friend. There were some cute moments, but I didn’t like the way one of the friends casually insulted the other friend on a regular basis.

[Jessica Wilant Pederson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vocabulary is great for young readers to stretch and learn. The story is wonderful and likens back to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern conversations. Love this!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I wasn't totally sure what I was getting into here. Luis (bear) is a whimsical creature who is innocent (except for maybe the squirrel and bird eating!) and is curious and wants culture in the forest. Meanwhile, Pablo (mole) is more of a realist, even negative little creature. Weirdly, when they were heading to the city, I though the city would be full of people but it's filled with city animals. I feel like Luis just wants to see the beauty in the world and for most of the book it made me feel sad because he was constantly coming up against Pablo. But Luis maintains his sense of wonder throughout it all. The book is beautifully illustrated and overall is really quite a sweet story.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I chose this book: I chose this book because of the bear.

Brief summary: The bear and the mole live in the wilderness together, but when bear gets tickets to a show in the Big City, they embark on an adventure there to experience culture and learn what life is like beyond the wilderness.

What I didn't like about this book: When I started this book I thought yay! Another Frog and Toad type friendship for kids, but I was quickly disappointed. Frog and Toad have a friendship characterized by kindness and contentment, but the mole in this book is unnecessarily mean to the bear, calling him names and mocking his intelligence. The mole has a grumpy personality which seems to give him a "pass" for his rude behavior, but I found the insults incredibly off-putting, especially in a book for young readers. That said, I didn't find this book to be very appealing for young readers as the jokes are beyond what most juvenile graphic novel readers are going to understand. The content of this book felt more adult but because the characters are cute little animals it had a juvenile label slapped on it. Some kids might enjoy it, but I'm not sure what kind of young reader I would recommend this to. I'm not even sure what a suitable read-alike might be. Perhaps readers who enjoy Dav Pilkey or Aaron Blabey might like the humor of this book.

What I like about this book: The illustrations in this book are cozy, and I enjoyed seeing the contrast between the wilderness and the Big City. When the mole isn't being mean, he does make some funny quips, albeit a little above what I think most kids would appreciate, I like how the mole has some intellectual ponderings that come across as quite funny to an adult reader.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 2 out of 5]

But... why?

I spent most of my reading time making a really weird face, wondering what the point of this was. It has the general shape of a story, I guess, but it mostly felt like random things were being said that were supposed to sound wise but weren't. I wasn't sure who the audience was, because it seems like it's supposed to be kids based on the humor, but also there are a lot of things that seemed more aimed at adults, and neither end of that spectrum worked for me. I don't need a book to have a moral, but I would like there to be SOMETHING. This was all pretty jumbled and random in a way that I didn't enjoy.

There are also no stakes. The only real choice either of the MCs makes is to be a real jerk, and then there are no consequences. At all. It made me actively dislike the characters by the end.

I think the best way to sum this up is that, IMO, a story can be 'random' and nonsensical so long as it has an internal logic, but this didn't. Bewilderness indeed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I see other people had a good time with it, so maybe I'm just no fun.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 1 out of 5]

A quick DNF

“Squirrels need to stop twitching and chill out. We should gather ALL the squirrels together for a big meeting and explain to them that everything’s going to be just fine. Only some of you are going to be eaten.”

In a world of sentient animals that wear clothes, live in houses and talk… this is an opening conversation between a bear and a(mole, i think?????). How they just have to tell another group of sentient, clothes wearing animals that some have to be eaten… something just felt really off. It feels… very gross.

And THEN i turn a few pages and the two characters are at a squirrels house… calling it to come outside so they could eat it. Something about this just feels borderline cozy with the KKK… it gives terrorizing minorities. It feels gross portraying characters wanting to murder fellow sentient animals as cutesy??? As funny??? A bear is literally playing a guitar singing to a closed door about how good the squirrels inside taste the FUUUUUCK

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestingly European... just a bit unexpected in some minor perspectives & ideas. I've never seen it admitted in American books, for example, that bears will eat squirrels.

I love, in the beginning, that the mole admits, "I think I'd be just as grumpy anywhere." He does so matter-of-factly, almost as if he's proud of it... but honestly he's not all that grumpy... it's more like he has preferences & opinions. And, well, by the end..., well, find out for yourself.

I like the observation that, in the city, "The woods are more my kind of pace. Why do you think everyone is in such a hurry? ... They must be chasing something.... Do you think they'll ever catch it?... Not if they don't lift their heads."

Rounding up to a strong four stars because I really want to read more by the author. Also because I want to read this again some day. It was too easy to read too fast. Lots of philosphy; young me would have loved it enough to reread often.

[Cristin Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hard-bound, full color graphic novel follows ever-optimistic bear Luis and his cynical friend and roommate Pablo, a mole. They live a good life in the woods - picking gooseberries, hunting mice, hanging out with a bumbling Bigfoot, with Luis playing songs on the guitar and Pablo despairing of them.

But, Luis wonders if there might be more to life. So, when the opportunity comes to go to the big city, he and a reluctant Pablo set out to see for themselves.

This story is as big-hearted as they come, told with absolutely wry, hilarious dialogue and the most darling characters. The illustrations are a masterpiece. And I love the message about the role of art and culture in our lives.

My 12 year old was especially taken with this one - I think because she’s old enough to get the humour and she adored the characters.

This review is reposted from https://www.instagram.com/artsplorers...

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: One spring afternoon, deep in the woods, far from anywhere, friends Luis (the large furry one) and Pablo (the small furry one) are on their way home after a successful outing picking gooseberries.

Premise/plot: Luis (a bear) and Pablo (a mole) are best, best, best, best friends. They live in the woods and have a great life. But Luis is a philosophizing bear who wonders about the world outside the woods. He's a bear that is considering leaving the woods to go on the occasional adventure. When Luis wins theater tickets for the Big City production of a play, the two leave for the City....but will the City live up to everything Luis has imagined it to be? Can their friendship withstand such a big adventure?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It was a delightful read. I loved the dialogue. I loved the friendship. I loved how they have so many nicknames for one another.

[alexander shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this book is ADORABLE. I love the style and the color and how all the different animals look, even the scenery is gorgeous. Some of the subject matter seems a bit advanced for younger readers, more geared towards junior high age (at one point Luis contemplates the intricacies of reality, entertaining but likely over the head of younger readers), but mostly it’s a light romp following two friends exploring a new world and the experiences/complications that come with it. I have to say the journey in town did not go as I expected, and it was rather a long book with a decent amount of text considering the target audience. But for me as an adult reader, it was beautiful and entertaining, with clear themes but not to prominent it beats you over the head. Honestly I’d read it again just to enjoy the art some more.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luis the bear and Pablo the mole set out on a grand adventure into the city after winning tickets to the theater. The pair have never been out of the woods before, and they have a lot of big thoughts about the perils and excitement of their journey.

One of the most notable things about this junior graphic novel is its extensive vocabulary--lots of multi-syllable words are tossed around and it definitely asks even middle-school readers to reach up. Expect to hear kids asking for definitions and pronunciations if they're reading on their own. There are also references to philosophical topics that at times just feel like adults talking to one another over the kids' heads--this tends to work better in family movies with a collective audience than books that are generally one-on-one with the youngster.