Dear Pumpkinheads,
You were beautiful to look at. I was mesmerized with every turn of the page. While we won’t meet annually, I think I will come and visit this pumpkin patch a couple more times.
With Love,
Hannah
P.S. Book Details
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Illustrator: Faith Erin Hicks
Book Length: 209 pages
Book Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction//Graphic Novel
Publication Date: August 2019
Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Graphic Novels & Comics (2019), VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award for Youth Honor (2019)
Synopsis: Every autumn, all through high school, they’ve worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world. (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1.
But this Halloween is different—Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last good-bye.
Josiah’s ready to spend the whole night feeling melancholy about it. Deja isn’t ready to let him. She’s got a plan: What if—instead of moping and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years . . .
What if their last shift was an adventure?
………………………………………………………….
Hear me out, this books felt a bit overrated… to me. Was it good? Yes. Did it wow and amaze me? No. I love Rainbow Rowell’s heartfelt writing, but this didn’t feel like much more than a pumpkin patch tour. To be fair, I don’t read many graphic novels.
I loved the characters and the artistic ability. They were so cute and unique. I loved the quirks Rowell wrote into the characters. She did an fantastic job making them not only relatable, but endearing to readers. Whether it was sampling all the food to being nervous to tell a girl about some feelings, most people reading the book can relate to a piece of the book. The artwork was breathtaking! The color choices, outfits, and everything had so much forethought. In the back, Rowell said she wanted the girl to be taller, because she wanted to break the stereotype of small, thin girls being the ultimate. I appreciated this intention and thought, even in the details.
My only critique was the storyline felt a little bit shallow. Then, (personal preference) I did not enjoy the format of the graphic novel. I wanted more story, more depth of characters. It is amazing to see the characters and the pumpkin patch, but it felt a little lacking.
I was in the mood for an Autumn book, and Pumpkinheads was highly recommended by Goodreads. It took me a while to read the book because of all the hype, and sadly it fell a little short for me. Yet, that is not to say it wasn’t a great graphic novel. It was a sweet, quick read. Fun and fast paced. Not deep development, which I prefer in a book. If you enjoy graphic novels and ya contemporary books, I would recommend this book. If you enjoy Rainbow Rowell’s writing, this highlights her talent through a different medium.
To Books, With Love 