This exuberant, action-packed YA fantasy graphic novel adds an inventive culinary twist to a magical boarding-school story.
The land of Gourmand "is full of monsters," most of whom "would just as soon eat you as look at you." Hana Ozawa is determined to become a warrior chef--one of Gourmand's "greatest protectors... and its most talented culinary expert." Hana and her best friend, Bobby Binh, follow their dreams to the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, where students learn how to battle monsters and then turn them into five-star meals. Unfortunately, being a warrior chef isn't just about combat and cooking; Hana also must contend with an enigmatic mentor, a bully from her past, and a distractingly attractive rival student.
Author Jordan Alsaqa and illustrator Vivian Truong (The Awakening Storm) celebrate the culinary traditions of immigrant communities through Hana and Bobby, whose parents immigrated to Gourmand from the island countries of Hidaki and Trang, respectively. Gourmand Academy is inhabited by a diverse cast of characters with differing skin tones and body types who create fantastical meals inspired by real cuisine, such as the Trangese banh mì and "kraken pho" or Hidakan "basilisk ramen in a shoyu-style broth." Cooking with Monsters also explores the real-life prejudice experienced by children of immigrants through its fantasy setting: another student accuses Hana and Bobby of just "fill[ing] out a quota." However, it is made clear that Hana succeeds as a chef not despite but because of her heritage--she cooks recipes inspired by her grandmother and "all the things she taught me."
Truong's dynamic manga-inspired art brings excitement to both fight scenes and those featuring characters cooking up delectable dishes. Her striking portrayals of different monster species can be menacing, humorous, or adorable and are as distinct as any Pokémon creature. Alsaqa and Truong depict the world of Gourmand as joyfully queer normative. Hana and her classmates are not presumed to be straight or cisgender by default, and embody a range of gender identities and sexualities. Hana's biggest competitor in her quest to become "the best warrior chef ever" is Olivia--"the coolest girl in school"--who confusingly makes Hana "feel all fluttery and happy inside." The rivals-to-lovers romance between Hana and Olivia is a tantalizing slow-burn that will leave readers eager for a sequel.
Cooking with Monsters is a delightful concoction of imaginative worldbuilding, thrilling action, and endearing characters. Fans of shōnen manga series like Naruto and My Hero Academia and magical school stories should enjoy this rollicking graphic novel. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer
Shelf Talker: Teenagers learn how to fight monsters and then cook them into delicious meals in this kinetic YA fantasy graphic novel.