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Super Boba Café #2

Home Sea Home

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Aria thought her life would go back to normal when she left her nainai’s boba shop—and the monster living below it—behind in San Francisco.

But while Aria and Nainai may have stopped the Big One, the aftershocks from her summer adventure are far from over. Each night, the monster visits Aria’s dreams, calling her back to the caves below the city. Stranger still, Aria’s discovered a newfound ability to manipulate water . . . but her powers aren’t quite under her control.

So Aria convinces her parents she needs another visit with Nainai, and she packs her bags and heads back to San Francisco.
 
Beneath the boba shop, Aria and Nainai learn the monster’s secret—he needs their help to return home. Can Aria learn how to harness her new powers (and a whole lot of boba) to bring the monster back to the sea, or will it be trapped under the city forever?

216 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2025

19 people are currently reading
61 people want to read

About the author

Nidhi Chanani

20 books278 followers
Nidhi Chanani is a freelance illustrator, cartoonist and writer. After completing her undergrad literature degree at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Nidhi pursued a career in nonprofits. The desire to draw kept pulling her away and in 2008 she enrolled in art school (only to drop out a year later). In 2009 she began completing one illustration every day of the week. She called this Every Day Love and developed her narrative style and voice with three years of daily practice. Thus began her art career and business.

Born in Calcutta and raised in suburban southern California, Nidhi creates because it makes her happy – with the hope that it can make others happy, too. In April of 2012 she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change.

Her debut graphic novel, Pashmina (First Second/Macmillan), released in fall 2017. It received starred reviews in the School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and was reviewed in the New York Times. Pashmina was a Junior Library Guild selection, Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017, Texas Maverick Graphic Novel 2017, Northern California Indie Bookseller Association Long-List Title and a YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. In March of 2019, the film adaptation of Pashmina with Netflix was announced. Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham, Blinded by the Light) is set to direct.

In 2018, Jasmine’s New Pet, which she wrote and drew, was released through Dark Horse Comics. Her bilingual board book, Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend released in 2019. Her debut picture book, written by Bea Birdsong, I will be fierce, released in April 2019. Her next picture book, Binny’s Diwali, written by Thrity Umrigar, released in September 2020. Her second original graphic novel, Jukebox, will release in June 2021.

Her next picture book, Kong and Me, written by Kiki Thorpe, will be released in March 2021. Her author/illustrator debut What will my story be? releases in September 2021. She is currently working on unannounced books. She is an instructor in the Master of Fine Arts, Comics program at the California College of Arts.

Her media appearances include PBS, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and BBC Radio. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, the Women’s March, My Modern Met, Bored Panda and India Times. Nidhi is frequently a featured artist with Disney Parks. She has worked with ABC, Airbnb, Sony, Microsoft, State Farm Insurance and a variety of other clients. Her non-fiction comics have appeared in the Nib. Everyday Love Art prints and cards are sold in retail shops throughout California.

Nidhi draws and dreams every day with her husband, kid and their kittens in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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5 stars
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26 (24%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Stacey Sturgis ˗ ღ ˎˊ˗.
153 reviews
January 17, 2026
3⭐️
Still cute, charming and magical. Definitely not as polished as the first installment. The artwork is just as adorable, but the history and the morals seem much more rushed. Prefer the first installment for sure.

I borrowed this graphic novel via Libby from my public library. In a world where opportunity is tied to access—to technology, education, and essential resources—libraries remain one of the last great equalizers. Whether it’s WiFi for job seekers, computers for students, or bookmobiles reaching rural communities, libraries ensure that everyone, no matter their income or background, has the tools they need to learn, connect, and thrive. Support your local library! Learn more at https://ilovelibraries.org/libraries-...
Profile Image for Mindy Steele.
54 reviews2 followers
September 14, 2025
Aria thought her life would be back to normal after learning about the giant boba eating monster living below San Francisco that her grandmother has been feeding for nearly 40 years, but she’s having nightmares every night. And stranger yet, she seems to have the ability to manipulate water.

After calling Nainai and getting her to convince her parents to let her return to San Francisco, she returns to confront the monster.

She learns of his past and that his name is Rano and he is ready to return to the sea, but he’s been trapped under the city for more than a century.

Can Aria, Jay, and Nainai make enough boba to help Rano, save the city, and put these nightmares behind her?


Review from 7 and 9 year old: 7 year old loves the sea monster mythology and liked the problems that arose in the story. My 9 year old likes the friendship and loyalty aspect of the story.

Thanks @Netgalley and @ABRAMS kids for the Advanced Digital Copy
Profile Image for Megan Mann.
1,409 reviews25 followers
October 14, 2025
I loved this! It was such a cute continuation of the original story in a way that didn’t feel forced.

I AM SO EXCITED WE GET ANOTHER ADVENTURE!
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,607 reviews24 followers
August 10, 2025
Review being submitted to School Library Journal for an upcoming SMS article.
Profile Image for Jaime.
747 reviews4 followers
October 28, 2025
I was actually quite disappointed by this sequel. The storyline was clunky and odd. I get its a fantasy but it seemed to go too far with the talking monster. It lacked a lot of the charm and humor that the first one had.
Profile Image for Ms. Yingling.
3,998 reviews609 followers
May 10, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ever since she visited her Nainai in San Francisco for the summer in Super Boba Cafe and found out about her grandmother's secret job, Aria has been having nightmares. Not only that, but she has developed the ability to control water! Her parents don't believe her, so won't let her travel the 300 miles from Burbank to spend time with Nainai, but when she calls her grandmother, Nainai is able to make her parents see reason, and Aria is soon back in San Francisco. The two go to visit Rano, the monster living under the city to whom Nainai feeds boba, and find that the nightmares do have a tie to him. Rano was in thrall to a sea captain who made him damage ships, and in order to stop this activity, Rano hid himself under the city. He caused earthquakes because he was hungry, and boba is the only thing that satisfies his appetite other than prairie dogs! Now, he longs to go back to the sea, and hopes that Aria and her new powers can help him. Nainai and Aria come up with a plan to encase Rano in a water bubble and travel through the sewer system out to the bay so he can go home. This works fairly well until they are almost hit by a train! Aria's powers wane, and she needs more boba, but neither she nor Nainai can leave. Jay, whom the grandmother has employed in her cafe, managed to follow Hoshi, the prarie dog, whom Aria sends back home wrapped in a scarf that Jay has crocheted for her. He brings boba, but some of it is spilled onto the sewer floor. Nainai saves Aria from having to eat it, and uses her powers to help Rano out to sea. It's an exhausting process, but Nainai is glad that after 40 years of middle of the night trips to feed Rano, she is now free. Or is she? As Aria and her grandmother are relaxing, two mysterious people show up at their door, asking for help.
Strengths: Aria and her grandmother have such a great time together, eating San Francisco delicacies, making boba, and dealing with supernatural monsters! Jay is a fun character, and I'm glad he was finally let in on their secret. The monsters back story is believable, and it's good to see that they are able to return him to his home, even though they run into some snags. Who knew that boba had so many powers? It's fun to travel around San Francisco, and we get to visit landmarks like the bridge and Chinatown.
Weaknesses: There was something about the monster that I found weirdly creepy when I felt as if I was supposed to like him a lot more. Something about the eyes? I'm also still confused about the presence of the prairie dogs, but that is completely a "me" thing.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like fantasy graphic novels like
Yogis and Truong's The Awakening Storm or Nguyen's Anzu and the Realm of Darkness. I bought the first book, so will most likely purchase this as well.
Profile Image for YSBR.
830 reviews16 followers
October 17, 2025
‘Things aren’t always what they seem’ is a trite theme but the best books displaying it give us a way to appreciate just how hard it is to do that. Nidhi Chanani’s Super Boba Cafe series maintains this in the background of an inventive, pastel-colored girl-in-the-big-city allegory for the immigrant experience. Aria discovered her nainai’s (grandmother’s) secret in book one. Nainai lives in San Francisco and has been feeding an earthquake-causing fish monster a huge boba ball each day for 38 years. In addition to modernizing the family business (adding kittens to the cafe and teaching the reader to make boba), Aria launches an investigation to help. Turns out, Nainai was motivated to help the city’s prairie dogs, who were the monster’s previous favorite snack. Aria discovers the monster, making a connection with it and calming it down.

Home Sea Home begins with Aria screaming– she is haunted by dreams that her parents are increasingly concerned about and she realizes she has the mysterious power to control water, splashing it, spinning it in an orb, or freezing it on command. Something to do with the boba? the monster? Hiding her powers from her parents, she explains that another Nainai visit may help her dreams. And so, it’s back to San Francisco, where the journey continues with Hoshi, the leader of the prairie dogs; some of the cafe’s cats; Jay, a neighborhood kid with a vast knowledge of San Fran history; and one very cool (and very active) grandma.

By broadening the allegory in unexpected ways, Home Sea Home provides insight into the immigrant work experience, compassionate burnout, family histories and ancestral magic, and environmentalism. There is masterful attention to the daily-grind of junior high, urban food service, and parenting– pushy customers, locker-front awkwardness, silly encounters in after school clubs, adorable kitties (each with their own name and personality, of course), and the power of family. 

“We solved this together! I’m so happy I finally shared my secret. You are the key!” shouts Aria, asking us to face our flaws and realize together we are stronger. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Profile Image for bookcookery.
194 reviews3 followers
Read
October 9, 2025
In the first installment of the series, The Super Boba Café, Chanani explored a wide range of weighty themes: the isolation of the immigrant experience and single motherhood, small business ownership, the gentrification of San Francisco, bullying and social media, friendship and trust, and the intergenerational passing down of traditions in a multicultural family. It’s a book deeply rooted in its setting, embracing both the beauty and challenges of San Francisco. And the monster, whether seen as a literal threat or a metaphor for Nainai’s burden and Ari’s desire to free them both, was effective.

Given the wealth of issues raised in the first volume, it’s understandable that Chanani chose to revisit the story. However, the second installment is less successful and doesn’t function well as a standalone. It leans heavily on the original for context while failing to fully revisit or resolve many of the larger issues previously introduced. The fantasy elements, particularly Ari’s new powers, are underdeveloped, the characterization feels shallow, and the barest hint of romance between sixteen-year-old Jay and the newly fourteen-year-old Ari comes across as awkward and unnecessary.

As in the first book, the setting remains a highlight, and the storyline involving the buried ships beneath San Francisco is the strongest narrative thread. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to carry a story that gradually loses momentum. While the book briefly revisits the bullying incident from the first volume and ends with a moment of symbolic catharsis for Ari and her grandmother, Chanani largely shifts away from the introspection and emotional depth of the original, leaning instead into unnecessary destruction and gross-out humor. The book concludes with a lead-in to yet another installment, and I’m hoping that next story circles back to the strengths of the original book.

Thanks to Abrams Fanfare and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
Profile Image for Lindsay McDella.
126 reviews4 followers
July 17, 2025
5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Kids for the ARC copy of this book!

We were so excited to be approved for Super Boba Café No. 2 because the first Super Boba Café was one of my 10-year-old’s favorite books. When he found out there was a second one—and that he got to read it early—he was really, really excited!

From the mind of a 10 year old:

“This book was really, really, really, really, really, really, really good! My favorite part was when Rano made it back to the ocean. That moment was so exciting and satisfying. The whole story was fun, and i honestly don’t think anything could’ve been done better.

The illustrations were super colorful and full of detail—they made the book even more fun to read. I finished it all in one sitting because the story was so capturing I just couldn’t stop!

It ended on a big cliffhanger that has me super excited for book number three! There were two mysterious shadows who said, “We need your help,” but we don’t know who they are. It left me full of questions and wanting more right away.”

We loved everything about this book—definitely 5 out of 5 stars!
Profile Image for TheNextGenLibrarian.
3,030 reviews114 followers
April 28, 2025
Book 2 in the Super Boba Cafe MG graphic novel series by @nidhiart
🧋
Aria’s life hasn’t been the same since she visited her nainai’s boba shop and found out about the monster living beneath it. She’s having nightmares and is now able to manipulate water, though she’s still learning how to control that. In order to meet these issues head on, Aria decides she needs to go back to San Francisco to visit her nainai. Together they realize the monster wants to go home. Can Aria use her new powers to help him?
🧋
I’ve been waiting (impatiently lol) for this sequel! I had the honor two summers ago to have dinner with Nidhi at ALA (and get an awesome pin that she made that I still have!) and I wanted this book then! The wait was worth it because this was as adorable and well-drawn as the first one. I want even more from this world! It’s a popular one in my middle school library. Book 2 releases September 23–just in time for back to school!

CW: nightmares
Profile Image for pineapple tofu.
310 reviews45 followers
November 12, 2025
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Right after the ending of volume one, Aria begins having nightmares about the boba monster calling her back to San Francisco. After her grandma convinces her mom to visit, Aria learns she can control water and hopes that this gift can help the monster underground. Getting all the help Aria and her grandma can get, they venture back to the tunnels to help the boba-loving monster get back to the ocean or fail this time around.
This middle-grade graphic novel was hilarious (with the inner thoughts of the cafe kittens), and I had a lot of fun reading it, especially Jay’s reaction to seeing the boba monster for the first time. Aria getting magical water powers and learning the truth of the monster's origins, each page was filled with bright colors and lots of boba. And that ending? Another volume in the works?
Profile Image for Sunil.
1,043 reviews151 followers
November 22, 2025
Home Sea Home is a fun and cute sequel to Super Boba Café ! Aria is a waterbender now and has to help a sea monster get home with the power of boba, and Nidhi Chanani works in a lot of real San Francisco history as well as important messages about learning from that history. It's a quick, easy read with vibrant, evocative art and silly talking animals. I'm curious what she has in store for the next one!
925 reviews6 followers
July 27, 2025
Thank you ABRAMS Kids, Abrams Fanfare, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a second book in the Super Boba Cafe series and here Aria and Nainai are back, trying to help get the ancient monster home. More of the same great characters, more action, and definitely more boba. The ending hints at another volume, so am cautiously optimistic. Looking forward to the next volume!
Profile Image for Sara.
43 reviews4 followers
October 17, 2025
I’ve been looking forward to this sequel since I finished book one and it delivered magnificently! Aria might have left San Francisco and the monster beneath it but the monster hasn’t left her and continues to visit her in her dreams. The strange summer has also left her with the ability to manipulate water. There’s strong themes of friendship, loyalty and love as well as a lot of silly bits to keep things from getting too scary.
Profile Image for Sarah.
656 reviews
July 9, 2025
I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Again we follow Aria; a 13 year old girl heading to San Francisco to visit her grandma who owns a boba shop. She is having nightmares abut a sea monster and she needs some help from her grandma and her friend Jay. This is another cute little story and will be interested to read the next volume.
Profile Image for Patti Sabik.
1,477 reviews13 followers
July 12, 2025
Quirky and fun sequel to Super Boba Cafe with a great segue at the end for a third. Brilliant color pallet and adorable illustrations will draw readers into this fantastical adventurous graphic novel.
Profile Image for Ms. Garr.
230 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2025
I thought the story was less fleshed-out than the first book, but I still enjoyed it. I would’ve given three stars, but I threw in a fourth star for the political themes that were subtly but successfully woven into the story.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
648 reviews38 followers
January 16, 2026
I quite enjoyed this second installment in the series - actually, I found it much more enjoyable than the first. The artwork was great and the story felt more fully developed this time around. With that cliffhanger ending, you know there's going to be a third installment, and I'm here for it!
Profile Image for Selina S.
2 reviews
July 17, 2025
OMG THIS IS SO GOOD THERES ABSOLUTELY NO WAY YOU WOULDN’T LIKE THIS
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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