Beetle & the Hollowbones

Written and illustrated by Aliza Layne

Part of the Beetle series

A young goblin named Beetle befriends a ghost trapped in a mall and together they try to find a way to free the ghost before the mall is demolished, while also navigating Beetle's complicated relationships with her gran and her friend Kat, who is now an apprentice to a powerful sorceress.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 6,077 ratings

256 pages· 7,894 words· Est. 1.5 hour read

$12.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

In the eerie town of 'Allows, twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle faces a daunting task: save her ghost friend, Blob Glost, from a mall's eternal curse. With her old friend Kat back, now a sorcery apprentice, Beetle must navigate jealousy and magic. As Kat's mentor's sinister plan unfolds, Beetle has just a week to break the curse, help Kat find her voice, and embrace her own magical potential. Can Beetle rescue Blob and prove her worth before time runs out?

From the publisher

An enchanting, riotous, and playfully illustrated debut graphic novel following a young goblin trying to save her best friend from the haunted mall–perfect for fans of Steven Universe and Adventure Time. In the eerie town of ‘Allows, some people get to be magical sorceresses, while other people have their spirits trapped in the mall for all ghastly eternity. Then there’s twelve-year-old goblin-witch Beetle, who’s caught in between. She’d rather skip being homeschooled completely and spend time with her best friend, Blob Glost. But the mall is getting boring, and B.G. is cursed to haunt it, tethered there by some unseen force. And now Beetle’s old best friend, Kat, is back in town for a sorcery apprenticeship with her Aunt Hollowbone. Kat is everything Beetle wants to be: beautiful, cool, great at magic, and kind of famous online. Beetle’s quickly being left in the dust. But Kat’s mentor has set her own vile scheme in motion. If Blob Ghost doesn’t escape the mall soon, their afterlife might be coming to a very sticky end. Now, Beetle has less than a week to rescue her best ghost, encourage Kat to stand up for herself, and confront the magic she’s been avoiding for far too long. And hopefully ride a broom without crashing.