I liked where the story was expanded upon (how Kim and Jalissa meet in the present day, first meeting with Seong-min, the new character Beryl, and Jalissa’s backstory to an extent) and the quirky humor. But Jalissa’s anger issues seem so much worse here than I remember in the comic; most of this could be attributed to it’s been a while since the first reading. But it made the story less enjoyable for me. 

Sure, Kim’s ditzy and naïve, but Jalissa has a perpetual attitude, one where I’d have left her to stew in her funk alone. Deep down she had a soft spot for her cousin, but it felt very sparse. I’m not against characters with bad attitudes, but Jalissa seemed a little one-note. I wished we could've seen a display of other emotions from her.

Still, I think this will appeal to teen readers. The self-doubt, moving out and independence, and trying to follow your dreams will certainly resonate with them. Also, there are a few magical girl jokes that made me smile (hello, 8-minute transformation sequences).

GdBee/Benton is one of my all-time favorite artists, so I’m always happy to support her work. While this wasn't my favorite, I'd read book two because I'm sure everything would be improved upon.