On Starlit Shores out now from Abrams Fanfare; 192 pages
Content Warning: Loss of a family member, grief, mild foul language
About the Author: “Bex Glendining (she/they) is a biracial queer, UK based illustrator, comic artist and colourist. Their debut graphic novel ‘On Starlit Shores’ is scheduled for a 2025 release with Abrams Books. When not working they can usually be found spending time at the beach or fussing Cookie, their very spoilt tortoise shell cat” (Bio from author’s website).
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It’s been years since Alex Wilson visited her sea-side hometown, Indigo Harbor, and her memories of the town have grown hazy around the edges. But when her beloved grandmother passes away, Alex returns to her childhood home with her best friend, Grim, to say goodbye and sort through her grandmother’s possessions. Together, they stay in Alex’s grandmother’s cottage and slowly sift through her things. As they do, the town proves to be as strange as it is nostalgic. Alex bumps into witches and their familiars, stumbles across fallen stars, and discovers selkies swimming in the harbor. Most curious of all, though, is the name Alex keeps running into: Elizabeth. Determined to find this mysterious woman to uncover more about her grandmother’s life, Alex searches the town—and herself—for answers, learning to live with grief along the way.
Bex Glendining’s debut graphic novel is a gentle testament to love, one that made my heart positively glow. The story is soft and slow, and though it doesn’t exactly have a strong plot, it flawlessly encapsulates the feelings of grief and healing, which are often non-linear and entirely confusing. I resonated with Alex’s complicated emotions and sense of guilt towards her grandmother, and also appreciated the community and humor incorporated amidst the heavy loss pervading the novel. The residents of Indigo Harbor came together for Alex despite her long absence, and Grim, in particular, nicely represented the balance between the reality of dealing with grief and the comedic relief necessary to overcome the worst of it. (Although Milo, the neighborhood cat, was also helpful in that regard.) I do wish the worldbuilding was done a little differently, as the fantasy elements in the story seemed out of place at times, and the characters’ reactions to it were occasionally confusing. However, I still loved the otherworldly aspects of the story, and the illustrations greatly bolstered their magic. While most of the artwork was done in pastel hues of pinks, purples, and blues—which suited the quiet tone of the story perfectly—panels depicting magic were much more colorful and vibrant, reminding me of certain scenes in Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). I was charmed by the flowing lines and sparkling details of Glendining’s art, even when I found myself wanting to see more expressive facial illustrations. All in all, I was simultaneously pleased and touched by this novel and would recommend it to anyone experiencing a loss, whether old or new.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Abrams Fanfare for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Melia Gemrose, Pine Reads Review Lead Editor and Co-Assistant Director