Voyage de Gourmet | Exclusive Preview

Today we have an exclusive first look at Voyage de Gourmet, by writer Paul Tobin and artist Jem Milton, a YA graphic novel to be published by Maverick, Mad Cave’s YA imprint. The story follows two young social media cooking stars, Jiang-Mi Pipper, who is interested in historical recipes, and Layne Green, who is more of a gourmet cook. The two were friends but had a falling-out when Layne posted some not-so-cool photos of Jiang-Mi, and they have been on the outs ever since. Then Jiang-Mi lands a spot on a reality travel/cooking show and gets to travel around the world, pitting her skills against top chefs—but the catch is that Layne has to be her partner. The story follows the two as they try to tolerate each other in order to grab the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Writing Voyage de Gourmet set me off on my own journey!” said Tobin in a statement accompanying the announcement. “I’ve always been fascinated by both food, and by characters, and this was a chance to truly combine the two. And the thing I most learned is that food—like relationships—is both universal, and very personal. There’s a whole world of culture out there. Go taste it!” (Tobin is the writer of the Plants vs. Zombies graphic novels, as well as Earth Boy, Bandette, and I Was the Cat.)

“Cooking has always been a huge part of my life, so working on this book has been a blast,” added Mad Cave Senior Editor Lauren Hutzhuzen. “It’s probably the only book I’ve worked on that’s made me hungry! Layne’s growth and his friendship with Jiang-Mi really makes this a wonderful story of forgiveness, communication, and how friendships can change with time.” 

The book is rated for grades 7-9 and will be released on December 12, 2023, but you can get started with our exclusive preview right now! Enjoy!

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Previews, Young Adult