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Angelica and the Bear Prince
At her lowest point, a teen girl finds solace and a potential crush in her local theater's mascot's DMs, sparking a quest to uncover the true identity of this mysterious figure. From the bestselling author of The Magic Fish comes a new fairy tale romance with a twist.
What do you do when you're the girl who can do it all, and suddenly you can't?
After burning out last year, Angelica is ready to get her life back together. Thankfully she has amazing friends to support her...including Peri the Bear, the mascot of her town's local theater. At her lowest moments, Angelica found comfort in private messaging Peri's social media account, and well, she might have a bit of a crush. Now, Angelica is interning at the local theater in the hopes of finding the person beind the account and thanking them. Who was this mysterious stranger and why did they help her out? Was it just caring for a stranger...or did they feel the same connection that Angelica felt?
What do you do when you're the girl who can do it all, and suddenly you can't?
After burning out last year, Angelica is ready to get her life back together. Thankfully she has amazing friends to support her...including Peri the Bear, the mascot of her town's local theater. At her lowest moments, Angelica found comfort in private messaging Peri's social media account, and well, she might have a bit of a crush. Now, Angelica is interning at the local theater in the hopes of finding the person beind the account and thanking them. Who was this mysterious stranger and why did they help her out? Was it just caring for a stranger...or did they feel the same connection that Angelica felt?
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2025
52 people are currently reading
3030 people want to read
About the author
Trung Le Nguyen
28 books593 followersTrungles (Trung Le Nguyen) is a comic book artist and illustrator working out of Minnesota. He received his BA from Hamline University in 2012, Majoring in Studio Art with a concentration in oil painting and Minoring in Art History. He has contributed work for Oni Press, Boom! Studios, Limerence Press and Image Comics. He is particularly fond of fairy tales, kids' cartoons, and rom-coms of all stripes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 586 reviews
November 13, 2025
In a Nutshell: A YA graphic novel focussing on stress, grief, burnout, and “love”. The themes, the cover and inside art, and a couple of the characters were praiseworthy. But the rest of the execution didn’t work for me. This is a slightly outlier opinion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
‘The Magic Fish’, the debut graphic novel by this author, is supposed to be amazing. Though it is still lying unread in my TBR, its reputation (and that of the author), and the adorable cover of this sophomore work, made me try this book. The result is somewhat mixed. The book has so many right ingredients but as a dish, it was under-spiced.
The introductory letter by the author, explaining how he meant for the tone in this book to be “fun and frothy” as against his debut long comic, but it didn’t work and the book ended up with serious themes. I appreciate the honesty and the warning.
Bookish Yays:
🤴🏻 Angelica, aka Jelly. A realistic teen, with strengths and flaws. With a fix-it attitude towards problems and setting overly high goals for herself, Angelica represents many clever teens who stretch themselves too thin these days.
(On an aside, totally a fan of “Jelly” being used as a nickname for “Angelica”. So cute!)
🤴🏻 The theme of burnout. I haven’t seen this tackled in a graphic novel before, which is surprising because it is an increasingly relevant theme these days for youngsters. I love that the book also highlights how people use busyness as a distraction from some sorrow.
🤴🏻 Jelly's best friend Christine. Such a sweet girl! Their closeness and connection comes out wonderfully. I love how Christine sorts out issues through open communication.
🤴🏻 Christine is not sketched like a thin supermodel, and no one in the book even once comments on her weight, nor is sceptical about her selection as the lead in the play. If only society would reach such judgement-free acceptance of plus-sized humans!
🤴🏻 Unlike most teen novels, this story also includes some scenes from Jelly’s parents’ perspective. Moreover, the adult characters aren’t depicted as jerks (most of the time.)
🤴🏻 A special Yay for Jelly’s Dad, who isn't shy about PDA! 😄 He seems to know both the women in his life well, and performs his role as a supportive peacekeeper with diligence.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🎭 Most of the artwork was a huge Yay. The characters are a bit too cute for a YA book, but I like cute so I was fine with it. However, some scenes involve characters losing their temper, and in these panels, their depiction got really ugly. Also, I was a bit confused between characters in a few panels as the illustrations drew them too similarly.
🎭 Per (or rather, the person inside the Per costume) has a major role in the narrative, but their character development felt somewhat shallow. We know bits and pieces about their past, but the transition from then to now is unexplained.
🎭 The narrative POV jumps across several characters. While this helps us see all of their emotions in greater detail, it also results in a jumpy storyline. Every main character is dealing with their own distinct grief, which further adds a cluttered feel.
🎭 The storyline has inclusivity, but it is too subtle in one case, so much so that I almost missed it. I wish there had been greater detailing in that regard. The old gay couple was super-cute though.
Bookish Nays:
🐻 The plot normalises the scenes of a young girl messaging a stranger about her psychological troubles and revealing all her vulnerability. Keep in mind that she had no idea who the person was; she was messaging an anonymous account that was the official SM handle of Per the Bear. This set my mommy radar beeping in alarm. Luckily, things go well for Jelly, but this could easily have been some pervert taking advantage of a young girl. There should have been some kind of a warning against this in the story or in the author’s notes. This issue was a major red flag for me.
🐻 Not a fan of profanity or vulgarities being included in a book aimed at teens. YMMV.
🐻 This was initially supposed to be a modern retelling of ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’. While the resulting story changed direction, the original Norwegian fairytale is also included in this book as a story-within-a-story coming in special gold-framed panels. However, this serves as a weak framing device as the parallels between the play and the main plot are minimal. Moreover, the book doesn’t do justice to the fairytale, covering the initial relationship and the final HEA scene, but totally skipping out the quest and the resolution of the curse. I reread the original just before reading this, so I knew the missing bits. But to those who don’t know the fairytale, the storyline won't make any sense as they simply won't understand how the curse was broken.
🐻 The ending is both rushed and abrupt.
Overall, while I did like the themes and the characters, I didn’t appreciate the ignoring of stranger-danger and the inadequate portrayal of the fairy tale.
My younger daughter (who belongs to the target readership) also read the book (not as a buddy read, though) and had this to say: “It is just mid. Maybe three stars. That is the highest I can go if I have to be generous.” Well… the boss has spoken.
Recommended to those who are okay with the above Nays. The book is officially aimed at readers aged twelve and above. It might still work with adult discussion, but how many teens discuss graphic novels with the adults in their life? 🤔
2.75 stars.
My thanks to Random House Children's Books and Random House Graphic for providing the DRC of “Angelica and the Bear Prince” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
A year ago, over-active Angelica, aka Jelly, faced a mighty burnout and withdrew from all extracurricular activities. Now seventeen, she is ready to get back on track, and decides to begin one step at a time. When the reputed local theatre selects her as one of the interns for an upcoming production of a fairytale retelling, Jelly is thrilled. Not because she has a job to focus on, but because she can finally meet Per the Bear, the mascot of the theatre whom Jelly has been secretly DMing since a year and finding comfort in their supportive responses. Who is the stranger behind the bear costume? Was their connection just one-sided, or did Per the Bear genuinely care?
The story comes to us from the third-person perspectives of various characters.
‘The Magic Fish’, the debut graphic novel by this author, is supposed to be amazing. Though it is still lying unread in my TBR, its reputation (and that of the author), and the adorable cover of this sophomore work, made me try this book. The result is somewhat mixed. The book has so many right ingredients but as a dish, it was under-spiced.
The introductory letter by the author, explaining how he meant for the tone in this book to be “fun and frothy” as against his debut long comic, but it didn’t work and the book ended up with serious themes. I appreciate the honesty and the warning.
Bookish Yays:
🤴🏻 Angelica, aka Jelly. A realistic teen, with strengths and flaws. With a fix-it attitude towards problems and setting overly high goals for herself, Angelica represents many clever teens who stretch themselves too thin these days.
(On an aside, totally a fan of “Jelly” being used as a nickname for “Angelica”. So cute!)
🤴🏻 The theme of burnout. I haven’t seen this tackled in a graphic novel before, which is surprising because it is an increasingly relevant theme these days for youngsters. I love that the book also highlights how people use busyness as a distraction from some sorrow.
🤴🏻 Jelly's best friend Christine. Such a sweet girl! Their closeness and connection comes out wonderfully. I love how Christine sorts out issues through open communication.
🤴🏻 Christine is not sketched like a thin supermodel, and no one in the book even once comments on her weight, nor is sceptical about her selection as the lead in the play. If only society would reach such judgement-free acceptance of plus-sized humans!
🤴🏻 Unlike most teen novels, this story also includes some scenes from Jelly’s parents’ perspective. Moreover, the adult characters aren’t depicted as jerks (most of the time.)
🤴🏻 A special Yay for Jelly’s Dad, who isn't shy about PDA! 😄 He seems to know both the women in his life well, and performs his role as a supportive peacekeeper with diligence.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🎭 Most of the artwork was a huge Yay. The characters are a bit too cute for a YA book, but I like cute so I was fine with it. However, some scenes involve characters losing their temper, and in these panels, their depiction got really ugly. Also, I was a bit confused between characters in a few panels as the illustrations drew them too similarly.
🎭 Per (or rather, the person inside the Per costume) has a major role in the narrative, but their character development felt somewhat shallow. We know bits and pieces about their past, but the transition from then to now is unexplained.
🎭 The narrative POV jumps across several characters. While this helps us see all of their emotions in greater detail, it also results in a jumpy storyline. Every main character is dealing with their own distinct grief, which further adds a cluttered feel.
🎭 The storyline has inclusivity, but it is too subtle in one case, so much so that I almost missed it. I wish there had been greater detailing in that regard. The old gay couple was super-cute though.
Bookish Nays:
🐻 The plot normalises the scenes of a young girl messaging a stranger about her psychological troubles and revealing all her vulnerability. Keep in mind that she had no idea who the person was; she was messaging an anonymous account that was the official SM handle of Per the Bear. This set my mommy radar beeping in alarm. Luckily, things go well for Jelly, but this could easily have been some pervert taking advantage of a young girl. There should have been some kind of a warning against this in the story or in the author’s notes. This issue was a major red flag for me.
🐻 Not a fan of profanity or vulgarities being included in a book aimed at teens. YMMV.
🐻 This was initially supposed to be a modern retelling of ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’. While the resulting story changed direction, the original Norwegian fairytale is also included in this book as a story-within-a-story coming in special gold-framed panels. However, this serves as a weak framing device as the parallels between the play and the main plot are minimal. Moreover, the book doesn’t do justice to the fairytale, covering the initial relationship and the final HEA scene, but totally skipping out the quest and the resolution of the curse. I reread the original just before reading this, so I knew the missing bits. But to those who don’t know the fairytale, the storyline won't make any sense as they simply won't understand how the curse was broken.
🐻 The ending is both rushed and abrupt.
Overall, while I did like the themes and the characters, I didn’t appreciate the ignoring of stranger-danger and the inadequate portrayal of the fairy tale.
My younger daughter (who belongs to the target readership) also read the book (not as a buddy read, though) and had this to say: “It is just mid. Maybe three stars. That is the highest I can go if I have to be generous.” Well… the boss has spoken.
Recommended to those who are okay with the above Nays. The book is officially aimed at readers aged twelve and above. It might still work with adult discussion, but how many teens discuss graphic novels with the adults in their life? 🤔
2.75 stars.
My thanks to Random House Children's Books and Random House Graphic for providing the DRC of “Angelica and the Bear Prince” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
May 31, 2025
The Magic Fish is one of the best graphic novels in existence (seriously, if you haven't read it, you need to right your wrongs) and I eagerly awaited something new by Trung Le Nguyen. I was so happy when I saw the announcement for Angelica and the Bear Prince, and even more so when I got an arc. The author's art style is very recognizable and there is use of similar storytelling elements, but the two graphic novels differ a lot from each other in my opinion. Angelica and the Bear Prince follows 17-year-old Angelica as she starts an internship at the local theater. It's the first activity she's taken up in a while after she faced burnout the year prior due to her being a chronic overachiever and people pleaser. In this complicated time she found comfort in a story about a bear prince (basically a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon) and connected with a stranger on the internet through it. This graphic novel feels more like glimpse into Angelica's life than a straightforward story. It's set over a short period of time without focusing on anything in particular. For instance, I thought the theater production would play a bigger role, but it's really just happening in the background. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it opened the opportunity to spotlight multiple characters and their reactions to different occurrences. And the characters are the biggest strength of this graphic novel. All of them were sweet, but they had very real and relatable problems. They dealt with different kinds of grief and mourning – the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the change of a person – and while I liked that this was shown in such variety, I wish it went deeper into the theme itself. Because ultimately, this story lacked the strong emotional impact that The Magic Fish had for me. But I do appreciate it for all the themes it mentioned, like the mental health rep or the casual queerness, and I would recommend it to teen readers without any reservations.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Graphic for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Graphic for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
INFINITE STARS ♾️⭐️ — is it possible to love the sophomore book more than the debut?!
i mean the art and details showcased in angelica and the bear prince were even better than the art in the magic fish, which is saying so much because i was blown away by every artistic aspect of that graphic novel.
i really appreciated the author’s note about grief in different forms and stages of life because while this graphic novel was heavy, it was also uplifting and freeing.
overall, i loved everything about this genius graphic novel and will be hungrily awaiting the next one.
INFINITE STARS ♾️⭐️ — is it possible to love the sophomore book more than the debut?!
i mean the art and details showcased in angelica and the bear prince were even better than the art in the magic fish, which is saying so much because i was blown away by every artistic aspect of that graphic novel.
i really appreciated the author’s note about grief in different forms and stages of life because while this graphic novel was heavy, it was also uplifting and freeing.
overall, i loved everything about this genius graphic novel and will be hungrily awaiting the next one.
September 23, 2025
4.5 ★
this was a sweet, comforting story about grief, burnout, and asking for help.
i like how it combined the growing pains of adolescence w the struggling of parenting, esp a parent who’s lost their parent.
having the tale of the bear prince play throughout and the art style helped bring a light, whimsical feeling and there were some quippy, laugh out loud lines that made me giggle. i also appreciated the Asian and trans rep for MCs!
overall i really enjoyed this and found it comforting. definitely picking up more by this author!
an honest arc review ♡
this was a sweet, comforting story about grief, burnout, and asking for help.
i like how it combined the growing pains of adolescence w the struggling of parenting, esp a parent who’s lost their parent.
having the tale of the bear prince play throughout and the art style helped bring a light, whimsical feeling and there were some quippy, laugh out loud lines that made me giggle. i also appreciated the Asian and trans rep for MCs!
overall i really enjoyed this and found it comforting. definitely picking up more by this author!
an honest arc review ♡
November 26, 2025
the truth is that even the most lackluster story would hold my attention if illustrated by trung le nguyen. his gorgeous art is a delight, and this cozy graphic novel is a gentle little meditation on grief and growth.
all of the wintry images are absolutely lovely. intricate icy snowflakes contrast with warm gradients and depictions of bundled warmth - snowtopped houses with yellow light pouring into the blue dark, steaming mugs of tea, cold rosy cheeks, thick sweaters and warm scarves. unbelievably, seeing such a romanticized depiction of the cold season made me feel ready for our impending northern winter.
le nguyen has a lot to live up to after his magnificent debut. i think the wonderful art takes a serviceable story and kicks it all up a notch here. i enjoyed our cast of characters, including jelly's bestie, christine, her affectionate parents, and her long lost childhood friend, gable. there are also a handful of side characters who don't have much time on the page, but who still have shining personalities.
i do wish gable were more developed as a character. i love to see a trans prince, but it feels like something is missing, both from him and from his romance with jelly (though i love a good secret identity romance, and sending her on a scavenger hunt / solo date was very very cute).
it's particularly nice to see the discussion of burnout paired with that of grief. sometimes avoidance is what keeps us running hard and burning out. i also like that the story shows different characters coping with their grief in different ways.
the book finishes with a thoughtful author's note from le nguyen, where he talks about how the book came to be. perhaps it doesn't quite fill the shoes of the magic fish, but this is still a lovely little book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
all of the wintry images are absolutely lovely. intricate icy snowflakes contrast with warm gradients and depictions of bundled warmth - snowtopped houses with yellow light pouring into the blue dark, steaming mugs of tea, cold rosy cheeks, thick sweaters and warm scarves. unbelievably, seeing such a romanticized depiction of the cold season made me feel ready for our impending northern winter.
le nguyen has a lot to live up to after his magnificent debut. i think the wonderful art takes a serviceable story and kicks it all up a notch here. i enjoyed our cast of characters, including jelly's bestie, christine, her affectionate parents, and her long lost childhood friend, gable. there are also a handful of side characters who don't have much time on the page, but who still have shining personalities.
i do wish gable were more developed as a character. i love to see a trans prince, but it feels like something is missing, both from him and from his romance with jelly (though i love a good secret identity romance, and sending her on a scavenger hunt / solo date was very very cute).
it's particularly nice to see the discussion of burnout paired with that of grief. sometimes avoidance is what keeps us running hard and burning out. i also like that the story shows different characters coping with their grief in different ways.
the book finishes with a thoughtful author's note from le nguyen, where he talks about how the book came to be. perhaps it doesn't quite fill the shoes of the magic fish, but this is still a lovely little book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Read
January 4, 2026A burnt-out teenage girl interns at her local theater to uncover the identity of the theater’s mascot, whom she’s been privately messaging and finding comfort in their words. I love the art style of this graphic novel, especially with how Trung draws hair. This was cute to the point of being a comfort read, while still showing depth in the reasons behind the protagonist being burnt out. Her interactions with her mom, and how they both use productivity to avoid dealing with their feelings, was very relatable for me.
July 10, 2025
OMG I LOVEEEEEED THIS!!
I just fell in love with Trung Le Nguyen's writing back when I read 'The Magic Fish' a few years back. He has such a beautiful gift for storytelling!
I adored the characters so much I saw a lot of myself in Angelica which is I think why this book now has such a special place in my heart. At it's core this GN is about grief and acceptance and it was just soooo incredibly well done. I was fighting tears during some scenes while also holding back laughter in some parts, just incredible.
The art was stunning, it was perfect for the story-tale vibe. The colours were all chosen so well. I honestly can't praise this book enough.
Thank you Random House Graphic and Netgalley for the ARC copy! *All opinions are my own!*
I just fell in love with Trung Le Nguyen's writing back when I read 'The Magic Fish' a few years back. He has such a beautiful gift for storytelling!
I adored the characters so much I saw a lot of myself in Angelica which is I think why this book now has such a special place in my heart. At it's core this GN is about grief and acceptance and it was just soooo incredibly well done. I was fighting tears during some scenes while also holding back laughter in some parts, just incredible.
The art was stunning, it was perfect for the story-tale vibe. The colours were all chosen so well. I honestly can't praise this book enough.
Thank you Random House Graphic and Netgalley for the ARC copy! *All opinions are my own!*
July 20, 2025
I'mma plagiarize myself from another review of mine I happened to re-read just before writing this one:
"I read too many books where the plot is left to sway gently in the breeze in the background while characters talk or think about their feelings ever-so-earnestly in the foreground."
Eminently likable characters emote in pretty pictures as they meander through a gentle story about coping, relationships, and grief. It's all very sweet if equally ephemeral.
A partial adaptation of the traditional Norwegian fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is woven through the story. If you are unfamiliar with it (as I was) and want to prepare beforehand -- especially since a crucial chunk of the story is omitted before its happily ever after ending -- it is in the public domain and available at Project Gutenberg.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
"I read too many books where the plot is left to sway gently in the breeze in the background while characters talk or think about their feelings ever-so-earnestly in the foreground."
Eminently likable characters emote in pretty pictures as they meander through a gentle story about coping, relationships, and grief. It's all very sweet if equally ephemeral.
A partial adaptation of the traditional Norwegian fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is woven through the story. If you are unfamiliar with it (as I was) and want to prepare beforehand -- especially since a crucial chunk of the story is omitted before its happily ever after ending -- it is in the public domain and available at Project Gutenberg.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
December 2, 2025
Angelica is a high school senior struggling to recover from a period of burnout. She applies for an internship at a local theater to try and reconnect with a childhood passion, inspired by a production of The Bear Prince. She also finds a social media account for the Bear Prince and begins messaging him, a conversion that gets longer and more intimate as the play approaches. This story also develops a secondary cast of characters including Angelica's parents, her best friend, her neighbors, and some of the other teens and adults in the theater. It's a fairly slim story- only about 170 pages of comics- but full of winter magic and gentle emotional lessons. There's part of me that wishes this book was 50 or 100 pages longer and went deeper on some of the themes, but I enjoyed every single thing on the page from the very charming character designs to decorative frames to overall warm-heartness of the book.
October 30, 2025
A bit lightweight but cute. I remember The Magic Fish to be much stronger.
February 22, 2026
.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆
No song because I can't think of one. This seemed like it would be cute but I really didn't enjoy this one. So Gable is transgender and was best friends with Jelly when they were both little girls. Jelly doesn't recognize Gable because of the transition into a “man”. I did not like that way of doing the childhood friends to lovers and hidden identity tropes. I wouldn't recommend this and if you think it sounds good I would recommend just reading ‘We Could Be Magic’ by Marissa Meyer. It has a similar vibe and it has romance but everything about it is better.
The Characters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angelica “Jelly” ~ she was really annoying and really dramatic.
Gable ~ This character was…. interesting. I didn't like Gable.
What To Expect
👑 Romance
👑 Graphic Novel
👑 Childhood Friends To Lovers
👑 Hidden Identity
👑 Pretty Illustrations
Quotes
~~~~~~~
None
Content
~~~~~~~
❤️🔥Romance| one kiss, blushing, Jelly's dad kisses her mom on the cheek,
🤬Language| holy crap, what the hell, D-mn, -ss, F-cked, Jelly flips someone off which is shown on page
🗡️Violence| none,
🏳️🌈LGBTQ| Gable (the love interest) is transgender and in flashbacks can be seen as a little girl but in the present day is a “Man”, Gable is also nonbinary, Jelly's neighbors are a gay couple and one of them buys a heart locket with a picture of the two of them in it as a present for Valentine's day,
✝️Religion/Spirituality| nothing
🍷Alcohol/Drugs| Jelly's mom goes out for drinks with the elderly gay neighbor,
⚠️Other| Jelly says she hopes a character gets an ingrown pube, mentions of smutty fanfiction, cheating, death of grandparents, death of spouse, grief,
No song because I can't think of one. This seemed like it would be cute but I really didn't enjoy this one. So Gable is transgender and was best friends with Jelly when they were both little girls. Jelly doesn't recognize Gable because of the transition into a “man”. I did not like that way of doing the childhood friends to lovers and hidden identity tropes. I wouldn't recommend this and if you think it sounds good I would recommend just reading ‘We Could Be Magic’ by Marissa Meyer. It has a similar vibe and it has romance but everything about it is better.
The Characters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angelica “Jelly” ~ she was really annoying and really dramatic.
Gable ~ This character was…. interesting. I didn't like Gable.
What To Expect
👑 Romance
👑 Graphic Novel
👑 Childhood Friends To Lovers
👑 Hidden Identity
👑 Pretty Illustrations
Quotes
~~~~~~~
None
Content
~~~~~~~
❤️🔥Romance| one kiss, blushing, Jelly's dad kisses her mom on the cheek,
🤬Language| holy crap, what the hell, D-mn, -ss, F-cked, Jelly flips someone off which is shown on page
🗡️Violence| none,
🏳️🌈LGBTQ| Gable (the love interest) is transgender and in flashbacks can be seen as a little girl but in the present day is a “Man”, Gable is also nonbinary, Jelly's neighbors are a gay couple and one of them buys a heart locket with a picture of the two of them in it as a present for Valentine's day,
✝️Religion/Spirituality| nothing
🍷Alcohol/Drugs| Jelly's mom goes out for drinks with the elderly gay neighbor,
⚠️Other| Jelly says she hopes a character gets an ingrown pube, mentions of smutty fanfiction, cheating, death of grandparents, death of spouse, grief,
Want to read
April 7, 2022AHHHH SO EXCITED! I loved The Magic Fish. Please let this 2025 release year just be a placeholder. I can't wait that long.
October 23, 2025
This art is magical
August 3, 2025
ARC Review
This was a solid graphic novel with themes of grief and being burnt out. I enjoyed Angelica's story line through out this, and even the side characters were all very compelling. The art style was very nice as well, I do think I preferred the artistic choices of this authors first book more, but this one took a more straightforward approach!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher (Random House Graphic) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a solid graphic novel with themes of grief and being burnt out. I enjoyed Angelica's story line through out this, and even the side characters were all very compelling. The art style was very nice as well, I do think I preferred the artistic choices of this authors first book more, but this one took a more straightforward approach!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher (Random House Graphic) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2025
When I read The Magic Fish all the way back in 2020, I felt seen. I cried at how beautifully it depicted a relationship between a teenager and his mother while helping her to learn English as an immigrant, all while trying to find the way to come out as queer, all of which done through the retelling of fairytales. I knew while reading that book that I would be a fan of Trung Le Nguyen for the rest of my life.
I have patiently awaited the release of Angelica and the Bear Prince to find out what new fairytale lessons we would learn from it. Finding not only grief riddled throughout every page so masterfully that I felt it in my chest, but a main character who has overworked herself into a downward spiral of burnout and fatigue. All of this while also weaving a story about a bear prince whose loneliness has left him in isolation within a castle deep in the woods. Which has to be a metaphor for the love interest Gable… I won’t be giving away anything, because I want you to get the full surprise of his story.
I read a lot of books that talk about a wide variety of mental disorders, physical disabilities, and impairments in general, so to find a graphic novel that covers ailments you may experience in your every day life done so well is impressive, to say the least. It definitely added so much depth to the story and made you care so much more about their wellbeing. It also helped me to feel for what they were going through, because grief, for one, is something most people can relate to.
There is also great representation throughout the story, with Vietnamese, Trans, plus-sized, and Queer characters, just to name a few. All of this to say that it’s not only a beautifully depicted book, it has a lot of meaning and is HIGHLY worth the read!!!
I have patiently awaited the release of Angelica and the Bear Prince to find out what new fairytale lessons we would learn from it. Finding not only grief riddled throughout every page so masterfully that I felt it in my chest, but a main character who has overworked herself into a downward spiral of burnout and fatigue. All of this while also weaving a story about a bear prince whose loneliness has left him in isolation within a castle deep in the woods. Which has to be a metaphor for the love interest Gable… I won’t be giving away anything, because I want you to get the full surprise of his story.
I read a lot of books that talk about a wide variety of mental disorders, physical disabilities, and impairments in general, so to find a graphic novel that covers ailments you may experience in your every day life done so well is impressive, to say the least. It definitely added so much depth to the story and made you care so much more about their wellbeing. It also helped me to feel for what they were going through, because grief, for one, is something most people can relate to.
There is also great representation throughout the story, with Vietnamese, Trans, plus-sized, and Queer characters, just to name a few. All of this to say that it’s not only a beautifully depicted book, it has a lot of meaning and is HIGHLY worth the read!!!
August 6, 2025
i'll do my proper review format soon (or won't, who knows), but for now, a little placeholder review...
thank you, first off, to netgalley and the publisher for the arc, of course.
what a charming little graphic novel this was. the illustrations were absolutely phenominal, and the dialogue was really nice and fleshed out for a graphic novel (something i often find graphic novels lacking in is dialogue, so i am really impressed how the dialogue was handled here). i really enjoyed the positive depictions of therapy and proper coping mechanisms, i love how the topics of burnout and grief were handled, and most of all, i adoreeeeed how sweet and cozy this was. there is a sense of reality within this novel that makes it an absolute joy to read, and i was hooked from the first page.
definite five stars. absolutely seek this out if you want a sweet little slice of life graphic novel with beautiful illustrations and lovable characters.
thank you, first off, to netgalley and the publisher for the arc, of course.
what a charming little graphic novel this was. the illustrations were absolutely phenominal, and the dialogue was really nice and fleshed out for a graphic novel (something i often find graphic novels lacking in is dialogue, so i am really impressed how the dialogue was handled here). i really enjoyed the positive depictions of therapy and proper coping mechanisms, i love how the topics of burnout and grief were handled, and most of all, i adoreeeeed how sweet and cozy this was. there is a sense of reality within this novel that makes it an absolute joy to read, and i was hooked from the first page.
definite five stars. absolutely seek this out if you want a sweet little slice of life graphic novel with beautiful illustrations and lovable characters.
December 31, 2025
Trung Le Nguyen has done it again! He has made me feel so many emotions reading this book and all the characters had amazing depth and charm and all relatable. It hits close to home for me, considering this story explores burnout, but also grief of losing a loved one. It's honestly a therapeutic read where one feels seen. I love how the story explores not only Angelica's story but also to her parents, the other adult figures and even her friend Christine's conflicts and they all resolve it in the end wonderfully.
The art is beautifully done and I laughed and smiled at how silly and relatable the characters' relationships with each other, especially Christine and Angelica and Angelica and her mother. The art also helps with that aspect as well. I could keep going on how much I love this story and I totally recommend picking this up and giving it a read!
The art is beautifully done and I laughed and smiled at how silly and relatable the characters' relationships with each other, especially Christine and Angelica and Angelica and her mother. The art also helps with that aspect as well. I could keep going on how much I love this story and I totally recommend picking this up and giving it a read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 28, 2026
UGHHHHHH THIS WAS SO CUTE!!!!
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT RIGHT NOW.
DROP EVERYTHING. LITERALLY EVERYTHING. DROP EVERYTHING AND PICK UP THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL AND READ IT.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT RIGHT NOW.
DROP EVERYTHING. LITERALLY EVERYTHING. DROP EVERYTHING AND PICK UP THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL AND READ IT.
January 16, 2026
Wow! This exceeded my expectations immensely. I loved the art, empathy, exploration of grief, mother daughter relationship, chapter headings, little stars, and the authors note-how poetic! You must read this.
December 13, 2025
Came for Trung le Nguyen’s gorgeous art style and because I loved his debut book, The Magic Fish
Stayed for:
- Representation of overachieving teenage Asian girls who do theatre, avoid confronting their feelings by staying busy, are independent to a fault, and are highly invested in a conventionally childish fictional character !! (she's just like me fr)
- The old gay neighbours who fix toys
- Angelica’s dad being a certified loverboy
- The butch guidance counsellor
With all the different character plotlines this book had going on, it did feel a bit short, especially the last ~30%. But I had a great time! The art was lovely, and I really enjoyed how the storyline of the Bear Prince was interwoven with the story in the real world.
Angelica reminded me a lot of myself as a 17-year-old, but even outside of that, I really appreciated the way this book portrayed this age group. These are characters dealing with grief and burnout and other big, real, hard emotions, and they have sometimes messy interpersonal struggles, but at the end of the day, they're just kids. They're talking to a bear mascot on social media, planning scavenger hunts, and making traditional foods with their parents. Maybe it's just from the shift in perspective now that I'm older, but this portrayal of older-teenagehood felt so much more relatable to my experience than I remember seeing in YA books I read when I was that age.
Stayed for:
- Representation of overachieving teenage Asian girls who do theatre, avoid confronting their feelings by staying busy, are independent to a fault, and are highly invested in a conventionally childish fictional character !! (she's just like me fr)
- The old gay neighbours who fix toys
- Angelica’s dad being a certified loverboy
- The butch guidance counsellor
With all the different character plotlines this book had going on, it did feel a bit short, especially the last ~30%. But I had a great time! The art was lovely, and I really enjoyed how the storyline of the Bear Prince was interwoven with the story in the real world.
Angelica reminded me a lot of myself as a 17-year-old, but even outside of that, I really appreciated the way this book portrayed this age group. These are characters dealing with grief and burnout and other big, real, hard emotions, and they have sometimes messy interpersonal struggles, but at the end of the day, they're just kids. They're talking to a bear mascot on social media, planning scavenger hunts, and making traditional foods with their parents. Maybe it's just from the shift in perspective now that I'm older, but this portrayal of older-teenagehood felt so much more relatable to my experience than I remember seeing in YA books I read when I was that age.
June 6, 2025
I’ve been a fan of Trung Le Nguyen’s work ever since I picked up The Magic Fish around the tail end of the pandemic. That was such a gorgeously drawn,emotional story. It’s still a standout for me to this day. Authors notes give us some insight that Nguyen wanted to do something less heavy for a follow up work, something fun and frivolous even. Certain parts of Angelic and the Bear Prince are definitely fun and frivolous but, the story evolved into one about grief and how we process that emotion. One of the biggest takeaways is that there is no right or wrong way to grieve. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that somehow. It would’ve saved me a lot of trouble and guilt.
Color was such an important, integral part of The Magic Fish and again in Angelica and the Bear Prince the color palette is a standout. Colors were done by the artist Angela Phu or Popoalu on the Internet (seriously go check out her social media/Insta) The art is fluid and dynamic with the characters in some instances literally! Jumping out of the panels.
Only issue I had was that I found that the humor and the way the characters spoke didn’t match how I perceived them. Many members of the cast look far younger than they actually are. When teenage and adult characters talk and curse like adults it was jarring for me because they initially registered as much younger. Honestly though, that’s entirely minor.
Pick up this book!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc! Hope the book release goes well! :)
Color was such an important, integral part of The Magic Fish and again in Angelica and the Bear Prince the color palette is a standout. Colors were done by the artist Angela Phu or Popoalu on the Internet (seriously go check out her social media/Insta) The art is fluid and dynamic with the characters in some instances literally! Jumping out of the panels.
Only issue I had was that I found that the humor and the way the characters spoke didn’t match how I perceived them. Many members of the cast look far younger than they actually are. When teenage and adult characters talk and curse like adults it was jarring for me because they initially registered as much younger. Honestly though, that’s entirely minor.
Pick up this book!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc! Hope the book release goes well! :)
June 16, 2025
Hello! I received this book as an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
3.5/5 ⭐
Review starts here:
For starters, I would like to say that I adored the art style of this graphic novel! With this being said, I feel like there could have been a bit more character development and a little more clarity with the storytelling.
Characters:
Angelica (aka Jelly):
Jelly is a teenager who was involved in everything, but one day her drive just vanished. She felt like she just wanted to sleep all day (I don't blame her, though), and when she was feeling at her worst, she decided to message an anonymous account for a local character from her favorite childhood theater named "Peri" the bear.
Gable:
I wish we could get to know Gable more. I feel like they could have had so much more character development. We know more about Gable's past than we know about their future.
Christine: She deserves better
Overall thoughts:
- The Art is beautiful
- The romantic relationship could be more fleshed out
- I like the way this talks about grief
- relationship between her parents is soo cute <3
- Concept is cool
Details you may want to know:
- Saphic romance
- deals with grief
- Really cute art style <3
Content/trigger warnings:
- Cheating (not with main characters)
- greif
- Depression/mental health issues
3.5/5 ⭐
Review starts here:
For starters, I would like to say that I adored the art style of this graphic novel! With this being said, I feel like there could have been a bit more character development and a little more clarity with the storytelling.
Characters:
Angelica (aka Jelly):
Jelly is a teenager who was involved in everything, but one day her drive just vanished. She felt like she just wanted to sleep all day (I don't blame her, though), and when she was feeling at her worst, she decided to message an anonymous account for a local character from her favorite childhood theater named "Peri" the bear.
Gable:
I wish we could get to know Gable more. I feel like they could have had so much more character development. We know more about Gable's past than we know about their future.
Christine: She deserves better
Overall thoughts:
- The Art is beautiful
- The romantic relationship could be more fleshed out
- I like the way this talks about grief
- relationship between her parents is soo cute <3
- Concept is cool
Details you may want to know:
- Saphic romance
- deals with grief
- Really cute art style <3
Content/trigger warnings:
- Cheating (not with main characters)
- greif
- Depression/mental health issues
January 22, 2026
This was actually such an amazing GN. If you really struggle with letting your emotions out, dealing with grief, or just processing your emotions in a healthy way, this GN does a beautiful job at expressing the complexities of friendships, grief, new love, and communicating with loved ones.
The art is what really drew me in… but by the end I felt super connected with the characters and their personalities.
The art is what really drew me in… but by the end I felt super connected with the characters and their personalities.
December 17, 2025
4.75 stars rounded up
An absolutely adorable graphic novel about community and old friends and how grief doesn’t have a timeline or look the same for every person. What I love about Trung’s graphic novels is that they’re love letters to fairytales but also say so much about empathy and belonging and how hard growing up can be. I loved these characters, the story, and the art. Can’t wait for his next graphic novel!
An absolutely adorable graphic novel about community and old friends and how grief doesn’t have a timeline or look the same for every person. What I love about Trung’s graphic novels is that they’re love letters to fairytales but also say so much about empathy and belonging and how hard growing up can be. I loved these characters, the story, and the art. Can’t wait for his next graphic novel!
November 21, 2025
The art is stunning. The story is emotional. I adore Chrissy, our gorgeous plus sized girl who plays the lead in the local play and no one ever comments on her size. It’s wonderful. I loved seeing Jelly and her mom reconnect, and the relationships were all so sweet and real.
November 3, 2025
im not crying you’re crying 😭
December 24, 2025
a gorgeous art style and a perfect winter read that hit me in the seasonal depression weepies.
if you see me rereading this too many times before spring brings back my friend, the Sun, no you don't
if you see me rereading this too many times before spring brings back my friend, the Sun, no you don't
November 11, 2025
This was amazing, sweet, perfect wintery vibes. Slightly sad and some emotional drama but ultimately cozy and gently romantic.
October 9, 2025
Dedication: To Flora and Ronan - upon this book's publication date, neither of you will be quite old enough to be its target reader. However, Flora once mentioned how nice it would be to have a book dedication, so I'm obliging.
First sentence: Angelica?
Last sentence: And the prince and the girl lived out the rest of their days in happiness.
I will begin this review calmly and rationally.
I WILL ALWAYS READ ANYTHING BY TRUNG LE NGUYEN BECAUSE I LOVE EVERYTHING HE WRITE AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS JUST HIS SECOND BOOK, I WILL ALWAYS BE CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR MORE THINGS FROM THIS AUTHOR BECAUSE MAYBE I JUST NEED A GOOD HEARTWARMING CRY OK?!?
Mm, yes, very calm, very rational.
Trung Le Nguyen writes beautiful, compelling characters who have a very realistic dash of queer mixed into their personalities. I love that Nguyen remembers that his characters are still fully-formed people EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE TRANS. SO many YA books I read just revolve around trans angst, gender grappling, tears and anxiety. Which yes, those books definitely have their place in the world and I am happy for them.
But for a YA graphic novel to have a TRANS PRINCE as one of the lead characters and BE LIKEABLE and CHARMING outside of their angst is SO REFRESHING.
Outside of the Queer themes, Angelica and the Bear Prince is about a stage managment intern who is fighting grief and recovering from burnout.
ME TOO BABE.
As a young professional non-equity stage manager, I GET YOU BABE. This book hit VERY close to home, because Angelica, like me, fills up her life with THINGS TO DO to avoid grief, the emptiness. How will we cope with these feelings? No feelings, must have things to do. Yes, yes, cannot feel feelings if busy. The moment that hit me the hardest was from Jelly's school counselor: "But as time goes on, youmight outgrow some of your old coping strategies. And those old strategies calcify into habits that are difficult to break. Instead of helping, they cause new problems....So ask yourself, honestly- why do you like to be busy? What happens without constant activity in your life?"
This book was made for me: theatrical elements, stage managers getting chewed out unfairly, queer people, winter without being inherantly Christmas themed, snow, a PLUS SIZE MAIN CHARACTER WHO IS CAST AS A LEAD ROLE..... I am a huge fan of this book and reccomend it to everyone in the universe.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK!
First sentence: Angelica?
Last sentence: And the prince and the girl lived out the rest of their days in happiness.
I will begin this review calmly and rationally.
I WILL ALWAYS READ ANYTHING BY TRUNG LE NGUYEN BECAUSE I LOVE EVERYTHING HE WRITE AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS JUST HIS SECOND BOOK, I WILL ALWAYS BE CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR MORE THINGS FROM THIS AUTHOR BECAUSE MAYBE I JUST NEED A GOOD HEARTWARMING CRY OK?!?
Mm, yes, very calm, very rational.
Trung Le Nguyen writes beautiful, compelling characters who have a very realistic dash of queer mixed into their personalities. I love that Nguyen remembers that his characters are still fully-formed people EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE TRANS. SO many YA books I read just revolve around trans angst, gender grappling, tears and anxiety. Which yes, those books definitely have their place in the world and I am happy for them.
But for a YA graphic novel to have a TRANS PRINCE as one of the lead characters and BE LIKEABLE and CHARMING outside of their angst is SO REFRESHING.
Outside of the Queer themes, Angelica and the Bear Prince is about a stage managment intern who is fighting grief and recovering from burnout.
ME TOO BABE.
As a young professional non-equity stage manager, I GET YOU BABE. This book hit VERY close to home, because Angelica, like me, fills up her life with THINGS TO DO to avoid grief, the emptiness. How will we cope with these feelings? No feelings, must have things to do. Yes, yes, cannot feel feelings if busy. The moment that hit me the hardest was from Jelly's school counselor: "But as time goes on, youmight outgrow some of your old coping strategies. And those old strategies calcify into habits that are difficult to break. Instead of helping, they cause new problems....So ask yourself, honestly- why do you like to be busy? What happens without constant activity in your life?"
This book was made for me: theatrical elements, stage managers getting chewed out unfairly, queer people, winter without being inherantly Christmas themed, snow, a PLUS SIZE MAIN CHARACTER WHO IS CAST AS A LEAD ROLE..... I am a huge fan of this book and reccomend it to everyone in the universe.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK!
June 4, 2025
the art style and colors are just so gorg. story is whimsical and cute with a touch of heaviness in dealing with grief. another great one from trung le nguyen after the magic fish though i thought that the story ended a little abruptly and would've love to get a bit more of the ending.
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