Rating: ★★★★★
Author: Rainbow Rowell, Faith Erin Hicks (Illustrator)
Title: Pumpkinheads
ISBN: 125031285X
Genre: Young Adult & Contemporary Romance
Publisher: First Second, 2019
Page Count: 209 pages
Synopsis: 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 good-bye every Halloween, and they’re reunited every September 1. 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 good-bye. 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 and the usual slinging lima beans down at the Succotash Hut—they went out with a bang? They could see all the sights! Taste all the snacks! And Josiah could finally talk to that cute girl he’s been mooning over for three years... What if their last shift was an adventure?
I don't actually remember what got me interested in picking up Pumpkinheads. I probably saw it on Goodreads and was interested in the art style and slice of life concept. Pumpkinheads follows two soon-to-be college students enjoying their last Halloween at the pumpkin patch festival that they've worked together for some time. As the two get nostalgic about the end of their traditions, Deja hatches a plan to get Josiah to talk to the girl he's been crushing on for several seasons.
I'm at the height of my autumn feelings, as we dip into September. And I loved the autumnal palette of the graphic novel, and of course the pumpkin patch setting. What I wasn't expecting was just how charming the characters would be. While most of the story follows Josiah and Deja, everyone around them feels like a cast of hometown residents with silly turns of phrases like, "What can I do you for?" They remind me of all the folks I grew up with in my hometown.
One of the things I miss most—especially with the current pandemic—are festivals. As a southern girl, we have festivals just for the hell of it, and I always loved the silly pumpkin patch festivals. I love being bundled in my favorite scarf, drinking apple cider, and enjoying a haunted hayride made for kids. It was a fun tradition that I have only done once since living on the other side of the country. Pumpkinheads brought me back to that.
The entire story is contained around one plot element: getting Josiah to his crush so he can finally admit he likes her and stop being a complete goober about it. But this plan is regularly derailed by run-ins with exes, goose chases from booth-to-booth, stops for caramel apples, and silly segues by Deja (who I love dearly). Every chapter is short but full of personality. One of my favorites was the scene at the S'mores Pit with Dave. Dave was yelling at children playing with the skewers and embodied a low wage worker dealing with swarms of crazy families. Plus, the casual way he said, "There will be blood," cracked me up.
I also loved watching as someone like Deja—a POC bisexual young woman—got to be a main character alongside Josiah. While the plot involves him finally meeting his crush, the story itself is completely driven by Deja. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I thought it was cute and worth it.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that anything Pumpkinheads does is riveting or groundbreaking. But I don't think that's its point, either. It doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a great, easy read for people looking for a casual story with fun characters. If you're looking to get into the Halloween/autumn spirit, I'd add this to your list this season. Then I'd follow it up with some apple cider and Over the Garden Wall—again.
Pumpkinheads is the perfect light read to kick off the season, full of heart and humor. You won't be disappointed.
