Full Shift: A Graphic Novel

by Jennifer Dugan, Kristen Seaton (Contributor)

In this queer, supernatural YA graphic novel from the author of Some Girls Do and the illustrator of Wonder Warbringer, a reluctant teen werewolf would do anything to be human—if that's what it takes to win her crush's heart.

High school senior Tessa doesn't fit in anywhere. Not at school, where she can't figure out how to confess the feelings she's had for her best friend Maddie since the fourth grade. And definitely not at home, where the rest of her family of werewolves make her feel like an outcast because she can't even shift into her full wolf form yet. Sometimes she thinks her whole life would be easier if she was normal, like Maddie and everyone else at school.

When word gets out that a group of werewolf hunters has infiltrated her pack's territory, and that they've developed a treatment that can make werewolves become human, Tessa thinks she's found the answer to her problems. But when it turns out there might be more to the hunters' plans than anyone knows, it's up to Tessa to put herself on the line to protect the lives of those she loves the most.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Queer, Romance, Werewolves

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2024

About the author

Jennifer Dugan is a writer, geek, and romantic who writes the kinds of stories she wishes she had growing up. In addition to being a young adult novelist, she is also the writer/creator of two indie comics. She lives in New York with her family, dogs, and an evil cat that is no doubt planning to take over the world.

Reviews

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

lesbian twilight, kinda

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a companion graphic novel to Coven, but it's only loosely related. Still loved it! This time we're following a teen werewolf who has yet to be able to fully shift, is grieving the death of her dad, and has a crush on her best friend. She feels on the outskirts of her big and boisterous pack and wishes she wasn't a wolf at all. But some questionable choices lead to dangerous consequences...

This is a lovely take on a queer coming of age story, full of family born and chosen, and the struggle to come to terms with who you are and find peace with your body. I think the shifters are partly a metaphor for trans identity, which has been under so much attack lately. Really loved this! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The Bite Unites!

Tessa lives in a large werewolf pack...after her father's death she doesn't quite fit in...because she can't fully transform into a werewolf and she's queer

It's a fun read...loved the main characters..though not quite sure why a few F**** were thrown in..

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun YA Sapphic coming of age werewolf graphic novel from one of my fav authors, Jennifer Dugan. The illustrations were good, lots of color and not too much text. I liked the pack mentality and the grief over the death of a beloved parent and pack leader. Important lessons about loving and accepting who you are and coming out to potential love interests. Looking forward to reading more by this author/illustrator duo!

[kaitziez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Is this who you really are, or is this just your pain screaming for relief?"

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was good and all but all of the artwork is blurry in the ARC copy. Unfortunately that did hinder my love for it a little bit because it's almost like it felt like a specific choice because all of the text is crystal clear. I have no idea how anything works involving downloads and image quality and all of that but it was so weird that the text was clear but the artwork was blurry.

I'll probably flip through a final copy at some point just to see the artwork and all its glory but I don't know if I would buy it. It is a decent book but I didn't love it.

[♡ A ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Shift is a queer, werewolf graphic novel that follows Tessa. She doesn’t fit in anywhere—not in her pack where she feels like an outcast because she can’t shift into her full form yet, and definitely not at school where she can’t figure out to confess her crush on Maddie. When she learns that a group of werewolf hunters is roaming around her pack’s territory, and that they have a cure to make werewolves turn into humans, Tessa thinks its fate. If she were human, all her problems would go away. But when she discovers there’s more to the hunters than she originally believed, Tessa must step up to protect those she loves or risk losing them forever.

Did anyone else go from Warriors to werewolf stories? No? Just me? Well this was another perfect read for my tween heart. As much as I love vampires, werewolves hold a special place in my heart. This was such a cute, fast-paced graphic novel that I adored. It’s such a sweet story about finding yourself and learning to love yourself. I loved the queer representation and the romance was truly the best. The plot is super engaging and it’s so easy to fly through.

I loved Tessa and Maddie—they’re so sweet together. It was so fun and amusing to watch their relationship progress (and see Maddie’s reaction to Tessa being a wolf). It was hilarious! They have such good chemistry and both girls are so strong and clever and truly care so much for their loved ones. They have such strong protective instincts and it was so sweet. I loved Tessa’s pack too—they all truly love one another and getting to watch all their characters and relationships develop was so lovely. It was all so well done!

Also, the art is GORGEOUS! I adored the style so much!

If you like werewolves or queer teens falling in love, you’ll 100% love this graphic novel!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Christine Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute fun ya sapphic romance with a werewolf twist! Loved the slow burn and overall plot. The art was spectacular, j love that Tessa's hair was so wild. Did not like the alpha guy or Dana.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute! I loved the writing of the story and how it was so much explaining happening despite it being a new storyline but also loved the queer representation we got in here!! This one comes out from a month of todays date august 27th, totally check it out read this in one sitting!
Thank u to pengiun teen for sending me an e-arc of this and happy to take it off my list!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!!

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

It was really hard for me to read the book for some reason, but I still enjoyed what I could see of the art. Idk if it was me or the download but the pages were a little blurry. I was still able to get most of the story.

This is my second Jennifer Dugan graphic novel and I’m definitely a fan. Coven was great and this one is up there too. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what I thought of Tessa. She got a bit annoying in the way that she treated people, but I can see where she comes from. Her need to belong and fit in mirrors my own at times. Maddie seemed ready to do anything for Tessa even though she really didn’t deserve it, so you have to give it to her for being a good person and a good friend.

The pack seemed so fun and I loved them. Having a big family to do stuff with seems both annoying and exciting. Even though she didn’t see it at first, I’m had they were there for her when she needed them. Mack turned out to be a great leader and father figure and even Kylie seemed like a great sister after the beginning. I teared up near the end.

The only thing I wish was we could have seen more monsters since they were mentioned. It would have been cool!

[ash (smokedshelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you for penguin teen and gp putnam's sons books for young readers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this was easily my favorite jennifer dugan yet. from the art style to the story i really did enjoy the story overall. while this was short and sweet it truly packed a punch as i teared up a few times followings tessa's story. i think this graphic novel is a great metaphor for dealing with mental illness, specifically depression, while giving it a quirky supernational spin and explanation.

tessa goes from a tough time, grieving the loss of her father and feeling like a misfit to growing more into herself and finding her people so to speak. it was a beautiful little story and makes me feel redeemed and excited to try again with dugan's graphic novels in the future after not being so successful in the past.

[Victoria Sampley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!! Just a sweet coming of age story about a werewolf that feels left out of her pack while also struggling hiding the fact that she’s a werewolf. It’s quite cozy!

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

I've had a trend this year of going "ooh, new graphic novel, why does that name look so familiar... oh. them." I didn't care for Coven at all, but I was interested in this werewolf graphic novel with (hopefully) a better sapphic love story than its predecessor. And I'm still a fan of this old-school comic book-type art style!

Full Shift features Tessa, a fledging werewolf who still can't manage to "full shift" and access her true form. She's the only one in her pack who dislikes her inner wolf, and the recent death of her dad (the pack alpha) isn't helping things. When Tessa mistakes her crush's coming out as a supernatural confession, she accidentally reveals herself - and soon finds out there are more problems at stake than her love life.

From the start, Tessa irritated me. I get that her character is supposed to be angry and closed-off and hurting, but she was just so annoying. She ignores her whole family, shows disgust in her sister for wearing a gift from their cousins and... having a lot of friends. (I know, I get it's her skewed perspective, but this was her dad who died too!) And then when she reveals herself as a werewolf to her crush by mistake and said crush is all "what? I wanted to tell you I'm bi!" Tessa yells at her "yeah, obviously! everyone knows we're both queer! don't tell anyone else I'm a werewolf OR ELSE!" and then runs away. And she just spends a LOT of time threatening this girl if she reveals her werewolf-hood, to the point where I was throwing up my hands and wondering why she was still hanging around Tessa.

I did really like how things shifted by the halfway point, with all of Tessa's lies and obscurances coming to light. Her family listens apologizes for not being there for her, her crush develops an actual trusting relationship with her, and her bond with the new pack alpha was especially nice. The ending was pretty cinematic, and there were some good lines too. This was better than Coven - and I liked the Coven tie-ins! - but I still wasn't in love. 3.5/5 stars.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story: Full shift is a refreshingly new and exciting story. Throughout reading this graphic novel I constantly found myself thinking ‘I have never read anything like this before’. The confidence Jennifer Dugan had in this story and in her writing was palpable. The grief was written into this story so organically that I felt the deep emotions Tessa was feeling although I have never lost a parent myself. Similarly, without ever having a sister, I felt like I could relate to the annoying, competitive, and loving relationship between Tess and Kylie. It was really fun to watch their relationship ebb and flow throughout the story. The blend of blood relatives and found family also set a really beautiful foundation for the support Tessa finds by the end of the story. The love interest, Maddie, had me feeling all kinds of proud – a strong, intelligent, confident, queer young women – YES YES YES! Throughout the story, I truly connected with Tessa’s story of feeling lost, insufficient, helpless but finding yourself through wanting to help others.

The Art: There are not enough positive adjectives in the English language to describe these perfect graphics! The detail is unmatched and has me wanting to re-read this novel over and over again, convinced I’d notice something new each time! The way the grey scale is used in contract to the vivid forefront of the main characters of a scene provides an immersive reading experience without being overwhelmed by the drawings. The individuality of each wolf was phenomenal to see. I also really enjoyed all the food in the air throughout the book – that had me laughing out loud!

As always, its so refreshing to read stories with queer main characters that don’t revolve around coming out or queer angst! These stories are IMPORTANT. Every young adult (and adult) can relate to Tessa’s story, queer or not.

[Gabriel Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars out of 5

I think I was expecting so much more from this, especially it being a queer werewolf story. Transformation and identity are so integral to the story, but I still felt like I didn’t have a good clear sense of who Tessa was, or how I could feel connected to her problems. I think the main issue I have with this story is that it’s so tropey in a way that doesn’t really feel that fun, and I also feel like because of its tropiness any sort of emotional core they’re going for felt like well-trod territory, especially for supernatural romance.

The art was really good, but didn’t evoke in me any sort of strong emotion. I do think that the initial misunderstanding of what each girl was coming out as was funny, but from there it was mostly frustrating angst that felt impersonal to me. I dunno, I just hope other people enjoyed this more than I did. My expectations were probably not at the right level for this.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queer werewolf coming of age. I loved the world building, and the romance between reluctant werewolf Tessa and Maddie unfolds nicely. My disconnect is that I didn't understand why Tessa was a reluctant werewolf. I don't mean that I didn't understand her reasoning, I mean that there wasn't any reasoning. I genuinely don't know what she hated about being a werewolf, because she never actually says. Never even says that she doesn't know why she's so reluctant. And she makes some incredibly stupid choices because of that revulsion, which makes her why even more important. But it just... doesn't exist. It didn't even have to be a good reason, just A reason.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for sending me an early copy of this graphic novel! All opinions are my own!

Sapphic supernaturals? Say less! A walk through grief and self discovery that will send you on an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you warm and fuzzy at the end? Yes please!

My favorite part of this graphic novel is the depth behind it and the way that it deals with such heavy topics. Grief is a theme throughout the entire story, and it uses grief to weave in self growth and identity as well as family and overall mental health. Despite the limitations of this form of media, it does a wonderful job of portraying mental health and the journey that grief and isolation can take you on. It deals with this so well in such a short amount of time, and I love the way that family and support is brought into the story to show where strength can be found and how the light can drown out the darkness.

The romance is super cute, and I love the slight miscommunications that happen between them to spur the more "enemies" to lovers line because it just makes everything that much more entertaining. It's overall so sweet and innocent, and I loved the growth that comes from their relationship as well.

If you're looking for a quick, fun read, look no further!

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A queer YA graphic novel about a girl who would do anything to be human by @jl_dugan & @seakitillustrate
🐺
Tessa is struggling to fit in both at home and school. Ever since her younger sister transitioned to a werewolf before her, she now acts like her older sister. She’s crushing on her friend, Maddie, and Mack, the man who replaced her dad after his death, is not her father, no matter how hard he tries. Still unable to fully transform on her own when she wants, Tessa thinks being human would be better. When she hears of another pack who has the cure for this, she thinks all her problems are solved. But the pack may have nefarious intentions and it’s up to Tessa to protect those she loves.
🌕
This was such a great story—I even teared up at the end. I wish the eARC had allowed me to see the illustrations better, but what I did see was amazing. I can’t wait to get the physical copy. I’m looking forward to more graphic novels by Dugan. I received a free copy for an honest review. This #book releases August 27!

CW: violence, blood, death of a parent (recounted)

4.5 ⭐️

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

Full Shift is a 257-page graphic novel, and I wish it were longer. The art is loose and organic, with flowing shapes and an emphasis on natural colors and forms. The woods, the river, the buildings, and the clothing of Tess and the pack are in subdued neutral shades, while Maddie stands out in more vibrant colors. The wolves themselves are drawn with humor and joy — with lolling tongues and bright, eager expressions. It’s a joy to look at.

The story is quick and the writing bright. The banter between Maddie and Tess is sharp, and a stark contrast to Tess’ quiet moments of despair.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an early copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.

This is overall really cute and I loved a lot of the elements of chosen family and focus on community as family. The romance between Tessa and Maddie was sweet though definitely had some stuff to work through given the whole coming out scene - which had me absolutely cackling. I especially enjoyed the humor that kept coming up during the most dire moments, which helped keep the story overall very lighthearted.

[Zackary Ryan Cockrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for an early copy for review. This title is set to release on 8/27/24 from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

I really enjoyed Full Shift and would recommended to YA readers who are looking for a coming of age story that might be different from some others they've read. Full Shift is a mixture of a werewolf story and pack drama but also has a strong message of accepting yourself which resonated with me as an adult. The art was beautiful and really made the story come to life. I believe there will be a lot of people who enjoy this and have. strong takeaway from it at the end. Also it's. sapphic werewolf story, what more could you ask for?

[alexander shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up liking this book more than I expected to. I love the art style, I loved the wolves. There were so many pack members that none of them got as much spotlight time as I felt they deserved, and the overall storyline of a character learning to accept who they are and realize they are loved was far from original, but something about it had me enjoying it. I'm sure it being a queer title instead of a cishet one was part of it, but it wasn't the whole thing.

[HaileyAnne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever since her father's death, Tessa has resented being a werewolf. When she hears that a local witch coven may have a cure, she thinks she might have a chance at a normal life- and maybe she can finally tell her crush how she feels. But when the truth turns out to be more sinister than she thought, Tessa finds her crush, her pack, and herself in grave danger.

I thought this was fine. I appreciated the theme of finally accepting your true self. But I also found Tessa irritating at times.

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great graphic novel! I loved it so much.

I loved Tessa’s story towards accepting herself and her wolf. My heart absolutely went out to her and I was so happy to see her learn to love her true, full self by the end.

Her relationship with Maddie was so dang cute and I absolutely loved her complicated family and pack dynamics. So much love between these pages.

The plot had me absolutely hooked, too. I could absolutely read more set in this world.

[Ashley Holbert]

Overall I did enjoy this story. The art style was really good. It's also helluva queer which is nice. However, Tessa was a little annoying. She definitely had that teenage angst, "I hate the world" kind of attitude. When she decided to put others before herself, the story became much more likable. I think Maddie should have gotten more groveling from Tessa, but it is what it is.

[Missnöjd Konfirmand · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jennifer Dugan gör den där grejen hon gör ibland, när huvudpersonen av någon anledning tror att hon är osams med den hon är kär i, vägrar prata, och allt skulle lösa sig om hon bara öppnade munnen. Och sen har allt något lite töntigt över sig, vilken ålder är boken tänkt för egentligen?

Men men, det är absolut inte den sämsta varulvsboken jag läst, så 2,5 kan vi väl ändå sträcka oss till.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun little read! i didn't love the MC but i have to admit i was the same way when i was a teenager, it can be tough to handle grief and other big life changes while also trying to have meaningful friendships-- it's hard not to be selfish!-- and then being a werewolf on top of all of it?? impossible!

[Raven (the.readingraven) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Shift is such a great graphic novel! I think it's perfect for fall and had me reliving some Twilight fantasies! (Don't judge!) I love that this graphic novel is sapphic and delves deeper into werewolf lore.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Courtney Lanning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from Jennifer Dugan and Kit Seaton. After this and Coven, I think they’re an auto-buy now. I love their stories and art.