Review: ‘Hex Vet: Witches in Training’

Hex Vet: Witches in Training
by Sam Davies
KaBoom! (Boom! Studios), $8.99
Grades 3-6

Combine apprentices, magic, and caring for animals, and you have Hex Vet: Witches in Training.

Clarion and Annette are aspiring veterinarians for supernatural creatures. Clarion is cheery and good-hearted, while Annette comes from a family with a scary reputation, and the town gossip has made her grumpy.

Clarion is sent to clear a bugbear out of the storage room, while Annette has to work reception. When a strange rabbit with magical eyes appears at the office, while the supervising vet and her nurse are out on a call, the two girls have to work together to protect their patients.

The simple lines and shapes are reminiscent of the cartoon-styled art so popular these days. The lessons are simple but powerful: appearances can be deceiving, and kindness will be repaid. This is a quick, lightweight read that older audiences will find predictable, particularly once the lengthy concluding action sequence starts, but there’s plenty of potential here for future world-building, spurring young imaginations.

We’ve previously posted a lengthy preview.

After the story, there’s a section showing the artist’s process of page construction, which also encourages readers to make their own stories.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews