See Pumpkinheads in our catalogue
“Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. 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 goodbye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September.
“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 goodbye. 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, they went out with a bang?”
I’m slowly getting into reading more graphic novels as of late, and Pumpkinheads was one that instantly interested me after reading a sampler at YALC in July. It looked like the perfect autumnal read for the Halloween season.
This was such a cute, cosy read that definitely had me pining for all things autumnal. My heart was so full while reading and I got all the feels that you possibly could. The friendship between Deja and Josiah is so warm and you really feel how much the friendship means to both of them. The story itself is really easy to follow and, as it is set over one night, you really feel like you are in the moment with them.
What I also liked about Pumpkinheads was the great representation! Deja is bisexual, and through the story you learn that she has had relationships with both boys and girls. There needs to be more LGBTQ+ characters within YA fiction, so I was impressed.
Deja is also drawn as plus-size, which, as an advocate for representation of different body types in YA fiction, I was so incredibly happy to see. You don’t see many plus-size characters so this is a big step forward.
Pumpkinheads is an adorable, sweet read that would appeal to younger and older teens alike. If you love autumn and everything about it, then this is certainly a book for you to pick up.