The Book of Murmurs

by Candice Purwin

In this fantasy adventure, a young girl must brave a magical world of strange creatures and shivering landscapes to find her slain parents and defeat a monster who feeds off fear.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Young Adult

272 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 19, 2026

Reviews

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a very dark surreal fairy tale, with dark surreal illustrations that still have a cozy feeling to them because of the colored pencils style and the cute characters. The plot confused me, a lot of the time so much I didn't understand what was happening, but I still loved it. It's my favorite thing I've read this year so far (...except for Of Monsters and Mainframes, but that book is so completely different it's difficult to compare). I will buy this book as soon as it comes out.

[Stephanie Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

volver a la magia, volver a contar y guardar historias, volver a la belleza de lo que nos rodea y lo que nos imaginamos . que libro tan HERMOSO y puñeta, desgarrador para despues hacer creer a uno en la esperanza.


2/2/26

puñeta que buen libro lo quiero releer por lo que me queda de vida necesito que to el mundo lo lea

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unnamed girl begs her mother for a story from her grandmother's book of stories. What follows is a tale of magic and mystery as the girl tries to get her name back and find her lost parents.

What drew me to this graphic novel was the artwork. The cover is intriguing and all of the art inside is absolutely gorgeous. It's mostly colorful, although some of the stories are in black and white. The art always does a good job of fitting in with the type of story that is being told. The issue that I had with this book was with the storytelling. There were stories within stories and a lot of layers. It felt like it was all a metaphor for something, but I couldn't say what exactly. Some of the stories were good, but a lot of them I just could not follow what was going on. It was all a little bit too surreal and it was also kind of difficult to keep track of all of the characters. I did like Goblin, though.

I would recommend this one to readers who enjoy really artistic graphic novels and those who enjoy surreal fairy tales.

Thanks to Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book of Murmurs is a fantasy graphic novel that follows a teen girl trying to find and rescue her parents from a monster represented by invasive eyes and hands. She loses her name and enters a magical world called The Fault, where she meets a variety of characters who help her understand her identity and connection to magic. This book is absolutely gorgeous and is illustrated with watercolor and colored pencil.

The setting is incredibly rich. In fact, every other chapter--rather than strictly advancing the story--develops its mythology through fable-like stories from the Fault. The book's writing is also effective at creating a timeless ambience, and I loved how power is given through names and language.

I did have some problems with the writing, mostly because of how information-heavy this book is. The dialogue consists of many interactions that are exposition-heavy and make the book feel dense. As a graphic novel, I think more sequences could have been shown visually. Despite this, I’m confident that this book will find its audience, especially among teens.

Thanks to Netgalley & Fantagraphics for the ARC!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

“The Book of Murmurs” by Candice Purwin was a feast for the eyes, this was some beautiful artwork and storytelling. Reading it felt a bit dreamlike, the Nameless girl moving from one strange scenario to the next in search of her mother’s lost book. I guess an apt comparison could be Alice in Wonderland. I was a bit confused by everything at first, but eventually I felt I had a tenuous grasp of the magical world that we’ve fallen into. Occasionally I found myself a bit lost in the paneling and losing the thread of conversations and events which is a bit of a shame because otherwise I really enjoyed the book. I feel like the quote “Not all stories are spells, but all spells are stories” is going to stick with me, as well as the themes surrounding the sharing of knowledge and passing down of stories through the generations. This was a lovely book. I’ll definitely be sharing it with my young library patrons and be looking out for other work by Candice Purwin in the future.

[Jacob Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a surreal blend of visual beauty and imaginative storytelling reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland meets Coraline. Even as an adult, I found myself transported back to that childhood feeling of unease; the quiet fear that creeps in when the lights go out and the house falls silent for the night. It's in that space where the dreamlike creatures and beasts of the story awaken, and you find yourself wondering when morning will come.

The art style is unlike anything I’ve encountered before, wholly unique and deeply expressive. While there were moments when I found it challenging to follow the dialogue or the direction of the narrative, I still recognize the tremendous value this book offers to young readers. In fact, I found myself rereading certain sections, carefully examining the words and images to ensure I wasn’t missing any nuance.

I will be enthusiastically recommending this book to library patrons upon its release.

[Emilie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and Spirited Away. Personally obsessed with Goblin, the little side character that definitely gives off Cheshire Cat vibes. The overall art style of the book is absolutely gorgeous. The animal imagery within the backgrounds and characters reflects like folklores, bringing to life the backstory bits shown in black colors. Vivid colors contrast the darker parts of the story. The overall concept of finding lost family stories and honoring the past is beautiful.
"Not all stories are spells, but all spells are stories."
"May the Tiger make your fierce and the Crow bring you home."

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics.

[Anastasiya Olkanetskaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy from Edelweiss+.

I'm buying this book as soon as it comes out. The art is so fascinating - there is just overwhelming amounts of detail and texture that make it so visually interesting. Just like the art, there are layers of stories, which adds complexity. It's surreal and fluid and a bit confusing, but I love the experience of it. It's definitely giving Spirited Away vibes - reading this made me feel like I did when I watched that for the first time. The story tackles many different themes without being preachy and some of the darker elements really creeped me out. Overall, a well rounded, worthwhile read that I'm excited to add to my collection.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Thank you Fantagraphics Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. *
I can't wait for this book to be published. I had a black & white copy and am itching to see all those beautiful illustrations in full colour.
The story is a little confusing at times, I felt like it could have been written as short stories and tied into a full graphic novel, but the overall experience is a fabulous, imaginative adventure.
I think this would be a great substitute in a school curriculum for another book about a girl saving her parents by a currently problematic author... ^_<

[Cheryl Harrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book of Murmurs is a beautiful book, and it's undoubtedly even more beautiful in full color. (The ARC is grayscale.) Though I could study Candice Purwin's art for hours, the story itself was quite convoluted and at times confusing. The fables within the larger book were my favorite part. Super creepy!

Art = 5/5
Writing = 2/5

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the best YA graphic novels I've read!! It would be easy to pitch to teens as "Coraline meets Spirited Away," but the story and art style are one-of-a-kind. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because I just loved the artwork so much.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me the eARC via Edelweiss+.

[M D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Edelweiss for the advanced copy. o found this graphic novel confusing with a lackluster dialogue that kept me from fully being immersed in the story. there's no clear distinction between character speech bubbles and the supposed narrator which only adds to the confusion

[mad mags · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

-- 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 where necessary. --

The nameless, blue-haired girl at the center of this story is, as in many fantasy tales, an orphan. Her parents (mother?) was taken (killed?) by a shenk, a nightmare creature that dwells in the shadows. The girl wakes up one morning to find both parents missing - and her mother's book of spells, The Book of Murmurs, gone. While searching, she slips through a portal in her mother's cabinet and into The Fault. There, she and a rag tag team - consisting of Giants, a cat-witch, an assassin (who weirdly resembles a mime), and a goblin - must defeat the shenk and restore names to the nameless (and thus magic to the world? I think.)

If my synopsis seems a bit garbled, it's because I had very little idea what was going on from one panel/page/chapter to the next. The narrative is as confusing as the art is spellbinding. Honestly, the artwork is one of the few reasons to pick up THE BOOK OF MURMURS - it's truly a marvel. Goblin is pretty great too, as is the ongoing celebration of storytelling. It's no small irony then that the story woven here (with the exception of a few stories-within-a-story; e.g., "Spiders" and "The Mushroom Library") is such a bewildering mess.

[Aimée Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ethereal and original graphic book that explores the complexities of life through its fantastical storytelling. The visuals are stunning, Tove Jansson’s illustrative style meets the eerie yet wonderful world of Labyrinth. The plot is difficult to follow at times, but the illustrations and world building are what kept me hooked.