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Bone Broth: A Graphic Novel
In this coming-of-age queer thriller, the young transmasculine Ash begins his transition into adult life by landing his first job at a ramen-noodle shop in London, prepping the bone broth. But as the financial landscape shifts under Ash’s feet, and after months of bonding with a series of challenging co-workers, everything suddenly stops dead. Literally. At a drunken staff party, Ash’s bullying boss turns up dead, and everyone’s been taking selfies with the corpse. Good thing Ash has already spent a year on the job…
208 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
About the author
Alex Taylor
153 books17 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This is Alex^Taylor, where ^=space. (default profile)
This is Alex^Taylor, where ^=space. (default profile)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 1, 2025
Ash is a trans man who starts working at a hole-in-the-wall ramen restaurant underneath a London railway arch. All he wants is to “pay for hormones, pay rent, [and] make enough to take a cutie on a date.” Bug’s Bones is run by an irascible elderly proprietor but staffed by a young multicultural bunch: Sock, Blue, Honey and Creamy. They quickly show Ash the ropes and within a month he’s turning out perfect bowls. He’s creeped out by the restaurant’s trademark bone broth, though, with its reminders of creatures turning into food. At the end of a drunken staff party, they find Bug lying dead and have to figure out what to do about it.
This storyline is in purple, whereas the alternating sequences of flashbacks are in a fleshy pinkish-red. As the two finally meet and meld, we see Ash trying to imitate the masculinity he sees on display while he waits for the surface to match what’s inside. I didn’t love the drawing style – though the full-page tableaux are a lot better than the high-school-sketchbook small panes – so that was an issue for me throughout, but this was an interesting, ghoulish take on the transmasc experience. Taylor won a First Graphic Novel Award.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
This storyline is in purple, whereas the alternating sequences of flashbacks are in a fleshy pinkish-red. As the two finally meet and meld, we see Ash trying to imitate the masculinity he sees on display while he waits for the surface to match what’s inside. I didn’t love the drawing style – though the full-page tableaux are a lot better than the high-school-sketchbook small panes – so that was an issue for me throughout, but this was an interesting, ghoulish take on the transmasc experience. Taylor won a First Graphic Novel Award.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
March 8, 2026
DELICIOUS FOOD. QUEER STORIES. HORROR! (All the greatest elements in one beautiful book)
March 31, 2026
I did not realize this was a Fucked Up story going in. Totally thought I was getting something like The Ramen Girl but queer. And. I mean. Sorta. Lol. If The Ramen Girl had Cronenberg guest direct some sequences.
None of that is a criticism. I was hella into it.
I did have some pacing issues and trickiness with the dialogue bubble design that made understanding the proper sequence of speech tricky multiple times. But I love the story, art style, and characters!
None of that is a criticism. I was hella into it.
I did have some pacing issues and trickiness with the dialogue bubble design that made understanding the proper sequence of speech tricky multiple times. But I love the story, art style, and characters!
July 5, 2026
Bruh this was wild plot made NO sense (why didn't they just call the cops??) I found the art style hard to parse, the panels being so small AND monotone in color scheme just made things impossible to decipher. I felt like I couldn't work out any of the characters facial expressions which made following any non textual cues almost impossible.
What is creepy evil Ash? What is his purpose? He seems to be taunting the main character but to what end I cant seem to work out. Ending is abrupt and nonsensical. There were some cute cozy moments before things got irrational where I enjoyed it little more which is the only reason this isnt getting 1 star. On principle I really don't like leaving bad reviews for graphic novels because I really respect the amount of artistry that goes into them but this one takes the cake.
What is creepy evil Ash? What is his purpose? He seems to be taunting the main character but to what end I cant seem to work out. Ending is abrupt and nonsensical. There were some cute cozy moments before things got irrational where I enjoyed it little more which is the only reason this isnt getting 1 star. On principle I really don't like leaving bad reviews for graphic novels because I really respect the amount of artistry that goes into them but this one takes the cake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2026
Just really confusing. The storyline(s) was really hard to follow and the sketchy, all-over-the-place artwork didn't help clarify things. I thought the weird horror concept of was interesting. Very Junji Ito. But the execution of it just didn't work for me.
DNF
DNF
December 15, 2025
An uneasy read for me, but really well done.
Did Not Finish
April 9, 2026DNF @ page 67, felt kind of disjointed and sometime the art worked for the emotional beats but made it hard to follow for other parts.
August 3, 2026
I love how the art style and character dynamics kept making me forget this is a horror. I’d smile through the little flashbacks and then keep getting shocked when we return to the present and they’re chopping up a man to put him in The Broth.
Loved the way the dread was slowly building as the story progressed and everything felt slightly more unsettled. Was fully pulled into every beautiful page except when I was looking around for someone to scream at every twist with (unfortunately, I was the only one reading the book)
Loved the way the dread was slowly building as the story progressed and everything felt slightly more unsettled. Was fully pulled into every beautiful page except when I was looking around for someone to scream at every twist with (unfortunately, I was the only one reading the book)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2026
w h a t just happened ? ?
October 8, 2026
I'm just gonna start off with the elephant in the room, because it kind of haunts the entire book: Dude. *Why* did they do that?
For context for anyone who hasn't read Bone Broth yet, the entire plot revolves around the main ensemble's boss dying in his sleep during an after-party hangout, and *every* person there deciding the only logical course of action is to dismember the poor man and cook him into bone broth to cover up their "crime". Normally, I don't like to pick apart an inciting incident too much- crazy things happen, and if done with care are a good way to start your story- but this one was so nonsensical it doubled back round to being hilarious.
Why would you include the "Why did he stop snoring" line if you wanted to imply he'd been dead for hours? Literally all these people had to do was call the police, explain that they'd assumed he was just in a booze coma and he died in his sleep at their work, and they'd all be fine with just a little questioning. It kind of makes sense why Honey would be the one to suggest it (she was kind of manic, if the- and I'm so so sorry, I'm not trying to be mean- incredibly corny Heath Ledger's Joker type of laughing thing she did was anything to go by), but the fact that everyone *agreed* is what's insane to me. I don't wanna keep rambling about it, but my God, it really leads you to believe either every employee at this noodle bar is stupid, or they're all bloodthirsty psychopaths who've been waiting on the chance to do this since they were hired.
To bullet-point some other stuff I had issues with before I finally get to talk about all the stuff I loved, the tense shifting is incredibly jarring. Of course, once you're decently far in, you get a better feel for the colour-coding and what tense they signify, but those first few switches were a nightmare for anyone trying to build a mental timeline.
As much of a highlight as the characters' relationships were, they seemed very stagnant. Everyone is basically Ash's best friend the second he's hired, and they stay that way. There's like. One scene towards the end where he has a vaguely stand-offish interaction with Blue, but it goes absolutely nowhere and is never brought up again. As an aromantic, of course I love a story that puts happy, healthy friendships in the spotlight, but in a story as crazy as this, you'd think there'd be a *crumb* of conflict.
The supernatural elements all felt very half-arsed. You've got this evil, shadow version of Ash, who at first (due to the highlighting of trans themes in this story) I thought maybe was meant to signify his dysphoria, but that doesn't seem to mesh with Ash.exe's cryptic appearances and dialogue. He, like every other apparition or spooky thing that shows up, evidently doesn't mean enough to warrant a conclusion, because practically every plot thread in this whole book is picked up and dropped instantly.
Despite how much criticism I have to give here (probably more than I've written, but this is turning into an essay), I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time with this book. The characters were loveable, if not pretty flat, the protagonist was endearing, and the ending where he asks out his crush was really cute. I wasn't massive on the style the people were drawn in, but the backgrounds were absolutely gorgeous and I commend Taylor for the time they must've taken.
I think if you're down for a cosy, quick read that's briefly interrupted by a snuff film somewhere in the middle, and don't mind suspending your disbelief, you could genuinely get something out of this. Cute art, cute characters, absolutely insane, nonsensical story that, if nothing else, got a laugh out of me. Three stars
For context for anyone who hasn't read Bone Broth yet, the entire plot revolves around the main ensemble's boss dying in his sleep during an after-party hangout, and *every* person there deciding the only logical course of action is to dismember the poor man and cook him into bone broth to cover up their "crime". Normally, I don't like to pick apart an inciting incident too much- crazy things happen, and if done with care are a good way to start your story- but this one was so nonsensical it doubled back round to being hilarious.
Why would you include the "Why did he stop snoring" line if you wanted to imply he'd been dead for hours? Literally all these people had to do was call the police, explain that they'd assumed he was just in a booze coma and he died in his sleep at their work, and they'd all be fine with just a little questioning. It kind of makes sense why Honey would be the one to suggest it (she was kind of manic, if the- and I'm so so sorry, I'm not trying to be mean- incredibly corny Heath Ledger's Joker type of laughing thing she did was anything to go by), but the fact that everyone *agreed* is what's insane to me. I don't wanna keep rambling about it, but my God, it really leads you to believe either every employee at this noodle bar is stupid, or they're all bloodthirsty psychopaths who've been waiting on the chance to do this since they were hired.
To bullet-point some other stuff I had issues with before I finally get to talk about all the stuff I loved, the tense shifting is incredibly jarring. Of course, once you're decently far in, you get a better feel for the colour-coding and what tense they signify, but those first few switches were a nightmare for anyone trying to build a mental timeline.
As much of a highlight as the characters' relationships were, they seemed very stagnant. Everyone is basically Ash's best friend the second he's hired, and they stay that way. There's like. One scene towards the end where he has a vaguely stand-offish interaction with Blue, but it goes absolutely nowhere and is never brought up again. As an aromantic, of course I love a story that puts happy, healthy friendships in the spotlight, but in a story as crazy as this, you'd think there'd be a *crumb* of conflict.
The supernatural elements all felt very half-arsed. You've got this evil, shadow version of Ash, who at first (due to the highlighting of trans themes in this story) I thought maybe was meant to signify his dysphoria, but that doesn't seem to mesh with Ash.exe's cryptic appearances and dialogue. He, like every other apparition or spooky thing that shows up, evidently doesn't mean enough to warrant a conclusion, because practically every plot thread in this whole book is picked up and dropped instantly.
Despite how much criticism I have to give here (probably more than I've written, but this is turning into an essay), I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time with this book. The characters were loveable, if not pretty flat, the protagonist was endearing, and the ending where he asks out his crush was really cute. I wasn't massive on the style the people were drawn in, but the backgrounds were absolutely gorgeous and I commend Taylor for the time they must've taken.
I think if you're down for a cosy, quick read that's briefly interrupted by a snuff film somewhere in the middle, and don't mind suspending your disbelief, you could genuinely get something out of this. Cute art, cute characters, absolutely insane, nonsensical story that, if nothing else, got a laugh out of me. Three stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2026
Hm. There was a lot going on here, and sometimes it was difficult to follow what was happening with all the time skips and location of the speech bubbles (intuiting which ones to read first was difficult and I often got it wrong). The character motives were also not super clear to me, especially when it came to the logic for the events unfolding the way they did. It felt like we went from 0 to 100 real quick , with most of the first half being devoted to just following Ash learning the ropes. And then after the "reveal", things went back down to 0 . I did enjoy the monotone art, and the cute character introductions/splash pages, but I wish that the monotone color was better used to convey the timeline. It was an interesting choice, but the dual purpose of using pink for current time/flashbacks and purple for current future/main storyline made it less obvious than it needed to be. 3.75 for art/text layout, 2.5 for story.
January 7, 2026
Sadly, this wasn't anything near what I expected. I didn't enjoy the confusing blend of flashbacks and present time. It took me a while to realise that one story timeline was in one colour, the other in a different colour. But even then, everything was so pastel and messy that the whole story began to feel confused and chaotic. The concept of the bones in the broth was an interesting creep factor until their boss died and suddenly they all make the irrational decision to put him into the broth...that's where I tapped out. No thanks. I didn't have a problem with the horror/thriller concept, but I felt like Ash was a wishy washy character who had zero stable personality. He seemed to morph into whoever he was with, then become a blank slate with every person he met. I also didn't love the illogical choices people made, the attempt to be creepy without actually pulling it off. In the blurb, it actually says that when Bug dies that Ash has been on the job for A YEAR! When did that happen? This is part of the problem - there were so many small, inter-plot stories that had NOTHING to do with the current plot or even the plot progression or history, that everything got jumbled into a mess. There was zero concept of timeline, which left me floundering with nowhere to go but DNF.
October 13, 2026
This book was deliciously chaotic and somewhat traumatising but I loved it. I feel like it has sat on my shelf and tbr list for far too long (in reality, probably about a year). The illustrations were beautifully done, with a few monotone colour schemes to help reflect the tone and timelines of different scenes. I loved the transmasc representation and how casually it played a part in the story. Ash was a likeable (morally grey towards the end) character, much like the rest of them.
My only quarm was that, at times, I found the illustrations a bit busy and struggled to know what to focus on. There was a little too much visual information in some scenes. You could tell Taylor had fun fitting in all the details. I had to really slow down to appreciate them all and would sometimes lose track of the story but it was worth it.
That aside, this story was incredibly eerie and built tension so well. The plot was fairly fast paced so I couldn't help but consume this in one sitting. Definitely a fun one to read alone at night. Although, now I'm almost certain my dreams will be haunted by bones.
My only quarm was that, at times, I found the illustrations a bit busy and struggled to know what to focus on. There was a little too much visual information in some scenes. You could tell Taylor had fun fitting in all the details. I had to really slow down to appreciate them all and would sometimes lose track of the story but it was worth it.
That aside, this story was incredibly eerie and built tension so well. The plot was fairly fast paced so I couldn't help but consume this in one sitting. Definitely a fun one to read alone at night. Although, now I'm almost certain my dreams will be haunted by bones.
July 30, 2026
It was a very interesting read. I don’t think I understood what happened at the end. I may have to look into an explanation for this book. The artwork was very cool and unique. That’s what originally drew me in. I had one gripe with the actual physical book and it was the fact it wouldn’t lay flat or even close to flat at all. I had to literally hold it down like my life depended on it. It’s a thick book so even if you wanted to maybe break in the spine a little, it was difficult. Just made reading it a hassle. Also for the most part I had no clue in what order to read the panels. Overall, it was different than what I usually go for and I liked some parts and some I didn’t. So in the end it winded up being middle of the road for me.
November 8, 2025
A very charming and spooky comic of a trans man getting his life back on track by holding onto his new ramen chef job. But it all takes a dark turn after the big work party. I really liked how it went back and forth in the timeline with different colour schemes for past and present. It made what was happening in the present so much more of a gut punch when you see how cosy everything was. The art style is absolutely beautiful and packed with so much detail. I know when I read this again I will be able to pick out loads of details I inevitably missed first time round. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2026
Gorgeously drawn! I adore the use of different color palettes to set both mood and the passage of time, and all the little visual details that make the back area of the city and the ramen shop come to life. The story was surprisingly intense and the main character's transness was handled really well, with stuff about his identity and dysphoria deftly woven in without it feeling forced. I'm a sucker for good food too and this made me so hungry!
My only gripe is that the dialogue is a little hard to follow at points as the bubble order doesn't always follow a simple left-to-right, top-to-bottom pattern. Not a big deal though and kinda feeds into the chaotic atmosphere at the climax.
My only gripe is that the dialogue is a little hard to follow at points as the bubble order doesn't always follow a simple left-to-right, top-to-bottom pattern. Not a big deal though and kinda feeds into the chaotic atmosphere at the climax.
July 5, 2026
A queer coming of age thriller graphic novel set in a ramen shop.
This was a lot darker than I was expecting. It started off really light and wholesome and got very dark, very quickly. The ending picked up again but I didn't fully understand what the ending meant.
They couldn't have imagined it all. Was there some strange power in the broth? Did bug know what they'd done? Why did they even do it? They all jumped on the idea very quickly.
The illustrations really make the story, they're so beautifully done. I love how changes in colour denote the changes in time.
I would be interested in reading more by this author.
This was a lot darker than I was expecting. It started off really light and wholesome and got very dark, very quickly. The ending picked up again but I didn't fully understand what the ending meant.
They couldn't have imagined it all. Was there some strange power in the broth? Did bug know what they'd done? Why did they even do it? They all jumped on the idea very quickly.
The illustrations really make the story, they're so beautifully done. I love how changes in colour denote the changes in time.
I would be interested in reading more by this author.
July 20, 2026
Picked this up when it came in at the library. I did not pick up that it was horror until I was in too deep. My bad. The style of illustration was overwhelming to me, gave me a bit of nausea and motion sickness while reading. Some very cool visuals at points.
Story was interesting; The characters poor decisions were the plot devices that moved the story forward and it seemed so nonsensical at points, I should probably reread it if I want to understand the plot better, but I really don't think I can handle the art style.
Story was interesting; The characters poor decisions were the plot devices that moved the story forward and it seemed so nonsensical at points, I should probably reread it if I want to understand the plot better, but I really don't think I can handle the art style.
August 31, 2026
Wooooah this was crazy. I was somehow under the impression that this was going to be a cozy slice of life with a cool crew supporting Ash with his transition or whatever. I did not expect the plot twists or how the characters decided to handle them. Quite... Raw!
The art is fantastic, sometimes hard to follow the order of the panels but you can stare at a page for ages because there's always more to see. Really beautiful work. I also like the way the color scheme is used to support the narration.
I want a second book with the aftermath please 🥺
The art is fantastic, sometimes hard to follow the order of the panels but you can stare at a page for ages because there's always more to see. Really beautiful work. I also like the way the color scheme is used to support the narration.
I want a second book with the aftermath please 🥺
Did Not Finish
August 21, 2026DNF at 65 pages. I really wanted to love this book. I love a graphic novel, queer stories, horror, and food focused tales so there were many promising elements. But the combination of chaotic framing, bubble dialogue, detailed line drawings, and monochromatic color scheme made it so hard for my eye to follow and my brain to put together what was happening that I was just not enjoying myself. I don’t think this is a bad book but it is not for me. YMMV
Did Not Finish
April 13, 2026dnf @ s. 22
piirrostyyli on kiva, mutta jotenki toi halju väritys teki sen että silmä ei keskittynyt sivulla mihinkään. kirja on myös tosi pitkä, ja tuntui että per sivu oli kauheesti luettavaa/tutkittavaa mikä tuntui jotenkin raskaalta, ehkä just ton värivalinnan vuoksi. mielellään olisin lukenut mutta ainakaan tällä hetkellä ei pystynyt :D
piirrostyyli on kiva, mutta jotenki toi halju väritys teki sen että silmä ei keskittynyt sivulla mihinkään. kirja on myös tosi pitkä, ja tuntui että per sivu oli kauheesti luettavaa/tutkittavaa mikä tuntui jotenkin raskaalta, ehkä just ton värivalinnan vuoksi. mielellään olisin lukenut mutta ainakaan tällä hetkellä ei pystynyt :D
November 1, 2025
Nice little coming of age story/thriller. Not an enormous amount of plot considering its length, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of the ending. But Taylor's loose, expressive art is appealing and I'll be interested to see how it develops.
December 7, 2025
The Illustrations are beautiful even in moments where the plot turns dark.
The Storytime-line seems a bit chaotic with the past and present mixibg up, so i was very glad it was devided with color changes.
The Storytime-line seems a bit chaotic with the past and present mixibg up, so i was very glad it was devided with color changes.
April 25, 2026
Lovely art style and a surprisingly twisty storyline for the page count. I love the way this book represents the trans experience, it felt very real, informing but not encompassing the central plot of the story.
June 23, 2026
I found the art just a touch hard to understand at times and I don't really feel the motivations in some of the characters' actions, but it was definitely a wild story. I liked the alternating time-line pattern and it REALLY made me want Ramen.
July 11, 2026
The story is a bit strange but the graphics and characters pop off the page. The story doesn’t really make sense but it feels more of a character exploration of an ensemble cast. I think the theme is finding a place and community for your self in a new environment
October 19, 2025
Loved it! Spooky and beautiful, couldn't put it down!
December 19, 2025
This was delightfully weird!
January 13, 2026
2.75 stars This got really creepy in a way I didn't expect and physically made my stomach drop. I finished the book confused and mildly disturbed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews