First ARCs of 2025
A review round-up of the first ARCs that I've read in 2025
We’re already one month into 2025 and I have been making time reading the ever-growing pile of Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) on my shelves. I know I’ve been one to go on request sprees and often download ARCs whenever they’re on a Read Now feature (Edelweiss has a similar function but doesn’t have the name of Read Now), but one of my reading goals for this year is to read more of the ARCs on my shelves and that includes reading at least two NetGalley ARCs.
The First Five ARCs of 2025
Beyond They/Them: 20 Influential Nonbinary and Gender-Diverse People You Should Know by Em Dickson
Genre: YA Non-Fiction
Publisher: Andrew McMeel Publishing
Where I Got the ARC: Edelweiss
The first thing that I should make clear about this book is that this is not a graphic novel. I know the cover looks like it would be a graphic novel, but it’s more illustrated non-fiction than a graphic novel.
Now that I got that cleared up, onto my thoughts on the book. I felt that this book was a great resource for people interested in learning more about nonbinary and gender-diverse folks. You can clearly tell the dedication and effort that Dickson put into the book and it clearly shows on the page. Additionally, Dickson features all types of identities and walks of life among the 20 people featured in this book and does a really great job of compiling the information in this book into an accessible, easy-to-read format.
Okchundang Candy by Jung-soon Go and translated by Aerin Park
Genre: Middle Grade Non-Fiction
Publisher: Levine Querido
Where I Got the ARC: Edelweiss
Poignantly beautiful, Okchundang Candy tells of one couple’s love for each other through the eyes of their granddaughter as she reflects on her childhood with them. While the illustrations were unique and the dynamics between Grandpa and Grandma were great, I felt as though there wasn’t any character development in terms of this technically supposed to be a graphic memoir and you get a whole lot about the granddaughter’s time with them as she got older.
Interabled: True Stories About Love and Disability from Squirmy & Grubs and Other Interabled Couples by Shane & Hannah Burcaw
Genre: YA Non-Fiction
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Where I Got the ARC: NetGalley
Covering all types of disabilities and features many different walks of life, Interabled is a hilarious, heartfelt, and informative look at disability and relationships. I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was so good. Each of the narrators, including the authors themselves when talking about their own relationship, really brought each couple’s story to life and the narration honestly feels like you’re just having a conversation with them.
Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Where I Got the ARC: NetGalley
Evil-ish caught my eye because the cover is absolutely gorgeous and it honestly reminded me of the Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer1.
This was a fun graphic novel and I definitely enjoyed reading the book. From the interesting dynamics between Hawthorne and Maple over their conversations about good and evil to the right balance of illustration and storytelling, Evil-ish had so many things that I think makes up a great graphic novel as well as being the type of story I could absolutely love. My only issue with Evil-ish was that the world-building, which is technically supposed to be a medieval-esque setting typical of the fantasy genre, didn’t really add up to the modern elements that Tarrell adds in there with little to no explanation of those modern elements and stated medieval setting are supposed to coexist.
Blue Stars #1: The Vice Principal Problem by Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Where I Got the ARC: CYBILS Publisher Copy
One of the first publisher copies I got sent as a CYBILS Awards judge2, Blue Stars #1 vaguely had my interest and I was curious to see what it was all about. Fun and engaging, this is a great graphic novel for young readers who love seeing diverse representation in the books they read and are interested in how STEM and activism can tie into each other. I'm interested in seeing how the series develops further, especially as Maya and Riley learn to stick together in order to stand up for what they believe in.
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Anyone who knows me or has been subscribed to my Substack for awhile knows that I absolutely love this series and will literally recommend it anytime someone asks for a romantasy book rec.
Though somehow I ended up getting sent two copies of this book.