Basil and Oregano

by Melissa Capriglione

Mix two parts The Great British Bake Off with one-part magical boarding school plus a generous dash of romance and you’ve got Basil and Oregano, a sweetly delicious lower young adult graphic novel.

Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is the finest school for the art of cooking with magic, and Basil Eyres is determined to be the top student. On the first day of her senior year, Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a renowned chef, joins the academy for her senior year as well. The two are instantly smitten with each other, but Basil senses there’s something Arabella is hiding from her. Still, the two work together to stand out from the class as the end of year culinary festival approaches. But when Arabella’s secret is reveled, Basil is faced with the hardest decision of her life, which has the potential to throw her future aspirations in jeopardy.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Comics

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2023

About the author

Melissa Capriglione (cap-rig-lee-own) is a queer comic artist living in Indiana. She graduated in 2017 with a BFA in Drawing and Illustration from Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. Her debut graphic novel, Basil and Oregano, will be coming out with Dark Horse Comics in June 2022. She is also known for self-publishing a webcomic called "Falconhyrste" with co-author Clara W. since 2015. She specializes in stories featuring women who love women, and other LGBTQ+ representation. She is also the artist for S.P.I.R.I.T(2019), an on-going supernatural comic series, and a slice-of-life drama comic series called PiNKHEARTS(2019). Past clients include Macmillan Publishing, Netflix, Dark Horse, Action Lab, and Arledge Comics. Her work has also been featured in various published comics anthologies.

Reviews

[Stella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it - I love the concept of queer love/rep+ magical school + baking. Plus the art was very cute.
But there was too much going on to actually feel cohesive and there were too many side stories that felt incomplete or just got stuffed in the end. Plus the world building didn't make any sense. Also there were maybe 2-3 mentions of magical ingredients and 1 actually floating cake..everything else was regular people food.. so which is it supposed to be ...magic food or normal food? Felt like it could have been showcased way more or explained to readers more about the food+recipes.

A few open questions I had that never got addressed in no particular order(spoilers):

Why is this a world of exclusively cooking magic but then suddenly you can hypnotize dragons, do arcane defense magic etc?

Cafe girl literally never came back until randomly at the end when she is at the school assembly...at the school she doesn't go to and we never did see any latte art - why?

What was the point of the social media friend Villy? I wished there was more done with the fact they are an influencer. Also if their uncle grows very rare berries why doesn't the uncle help fund villys education?

Speaking of -Felt like the 2 side best friends argument and immediate resolution came out of left field.

If villy and other students are on scholarship and there are only 3 places (gold-bronze) -why isn't EVERYONE hardcore vying for the top? also there couldnt be that many students on scholarship then if there are only 3? In what world is a a scholarship/school fees only given after the completion of the whole program? So what they withhold the diploma and send all their students into bankruptcy? Also what do you mean the entire senior class scholarships were solely dependant on a 1 day festival at the end of the year. This school is sus with finances...

Why didn't basil ever talk to her dads about money?

What was the point of stealing chapstick and hair ties - Why would those 2 items attract a dragon to only destroy their food at the festival (and not them themselves or their dorms etc)

Clearly the girl who summoned the dragon and lol never got in trouble is the best magician cook bc she can do dragon summoning

Why is there a final like 5 days after the first day of school

Why is a different teacher moderating each final

How did the cafe girl get a familiar if it's a spell you learn at magic school?

If familiars are soul bounded and potentially some ppl might only ever get 1. Why did they have to pair up and share a summoning?

Is tomato technically just basil's because oregano didn't have magic?

Why were there no actual tips given when basil nearly died of "burn out" which btw poor student management???

What happens to this over abundance of food?

Why is oregano still allowed at the school if she has no magic- feels very worst witch season 5

Why did mama oregano go from wicked parent to loving mom in 2 seconds

Are all magical creatures just abandoned familiars?

Why do students pay money to go eat at cafes when they can make their own food

Why would basil open her own resturant and not like work with her dads and co-own

Does most of the world do magic cooking or Victorian cooking? Seemed inconsistent

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite graphic novel. I think I liked several of the elements of this book including the magical cooking; however, it fell short in plot development. There were gaps in between the competition sessions at the school, and it felt like a big chunk of the information was left out leading readers to feel confused. I wanted some more exploration and explanation of what exactly was happening at the academy. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the artwork. I typically don’t mind digital artwork; however, this felt like it did too much on the digital side and did not feel realistic at all. The things that I did enjoy about this graphic novel, were the discussions about societal and parental expectations, as well as the gaps in education that are caused by financial burdens. Overall, I think that this will definitely work for a younger audience and I’m willing to check out more works by this creator.

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute younger YA comics! The illustrations are adorable.

There is a very diverse cast, both central characters and supporting characters, including Muslim teacher who requires food to be halal and a teacher using they/them pronouns. Also, nonbinary and trans friends. Actually, I'm not sure if there's anyone in the main cast who isn't queer.

Plus, there's an adorable tomato dog that reminded me so much of my weirdo dog!

I liked the discussion of how this cute magic school has some systemic issues—namely, that it is ridiculously expensive, and the scholarships provided ruthlessly pit students against each other until they reach magical burnout.

Overall, this was such a perfect light read with a cute romance. It wraps up a little neatly, but since this is a lower YA fluffy comics, I can't really blame it for that.

Content warning: abusive parent.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wholesome queer graphic novel that revolves around magic and food!

[⁀➷ Heisy ˚ ༘✶ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que historia tan bonita 🥹

Me encantaron las ilustraciones, en especial las de comida, las que menos me gustaron fueron las de diseño de personajes, no son feos pero no me gustan particularmente.

La historia es simple, pero linda y entretiene.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything about Basil and Oregano was firmly in my wheelhouse so I am beyond baffled that I found it just okay. The concept of food magic was really neat -- though not super well explained -- and I found the art captivating.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A high two stars, because the pacing, writing, and world-building were rushed and rather poorly depicted. I wanted to love this magical cooking boarding school and had we actually been immersed in it, I would've enjoyed this more. There's hardly any time to enjoy the beauty of the ingredients and how they become gorgeous dishes (such as in the Bake Off), instead they're just on a chopping board, swirl o magic, and tadaaaa a dish. It needed more time to truly appreciate the food in order to really make this a food manga.

The scholarship logistics, finals, magic vs non magic, where food actually comes from, etc were very glossed over and rapidly solved, making it a bit frustrating. Likewise for all the side characters. Wish the villain had been less of A VILLAIN and more three-dimensional than simply a mean girl who is mean until the very last bit.

The romance / instalove was sweet, I suppose? I did like the emphasis on being supportive to one another but because everything was so rushed, it never felt like there was a chance of it not happening.

Wish I had enjoyed this more and I probably would have had there been less drama and more of a quiet slice of life where Basil slowly gets to know the new star student, who cooks gorgeous dishes with magic but never looks happy when doing so. More wand-free cooking!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

LGBTQ+ Representation

B&O is Great British Bake Off meets magical boarding school with a pinch of Mean Girls. Basil Eyres is a scholarship student attending Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy her final year. She must get top student in order to achieve reimbursement of the tuition for her dads. It's a very competitive atmosphere on its own but this year new student, Arabella Oregano forces things to the next level. Basil and her small group of friends Villy & Addy, welcome Arabella into their group. The artwork is wonderful and contributes to the cuteness of this world. This story not only has excellent LGBTQ+ rep but also addresses the pressures that children feel to be the best for their parents even when the parents aren't necessarily applying any pressure to them try their best. It's very sweet in regards to the friendships and the evolving crush between Basil & Arabella and the overall message about pursuing your passion(s) & feeding that which brings you joy. Especially in a world full of comparisons, intolerance and uncertainty. Very heartwarming and will lift your spirits if you're feeling down in particular, the familiars!

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a lot of similarities to The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, in that everyone and everything randomly has a food name for no reason. I do think it meshes better in this book because it's actually...about food.

This is a cute story, but it's not always clear what's happening based on the illustrations and there are plenty of plot points that don't make sense. It just has a lot going on for such a short book. Fans of cute gay graphic novels will like it a lot, though.

[anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

rep: sapphic biracial mc, Black sapphic li, Black trans side character, nonbinary side character, achillean parents, Muslim side character

cute, but definitely reads more like middle grade

[Joce (squibblesreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“you should be so proud of her” took me out

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY!!!!!! This is what I’m here for! A graphic novel with queer love, a magical cooking competition, light academia, and FAMILIARS!!!

I need more magical books with familiars, lemme tell ya!

I feel like I’m reading more books that ever with characters named after foods and I am not hating it. I’d much rather read about Basil or Oregano, than Xyhgerichxtlmaw (Not an actual name, but IYKYK). I can actuaaaaaally pronounce them!

This had an adorably endearing art style, beautiful characters, magic, cooking and a doggo that looked like a tomato… whose name is TOMATO! 😍 I don’t love tomatoes, but I love him!

Read this! It was perfect and I can’t wait to see what else the author comes out with.

[zoe belle ·ᴥ· · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was cute, but it’s very evidently a book for elementary/maybe middle school kids. fast pacing and issues that are solved in one or two pages, everyone has a happy ending blah blah cutesy stuff. it wasn’t bad but i was bored.

[Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art, the plot, the characters, the illustrations and the drama everything was 5 stars. What an adorable read!

[Marybeth Buskirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was among the cutest graphic novels that I’ve ever read! If you love food network/great British bake off/ sapphic witches/wholesome cutesy vibes, PLEASE pick this up because it’s just an utter delight! I read this on my kindle but I want a physical copy to re read ♥️

[Sol]

DNF at 56%
This sadly wasn't working for me because every development felt rushed

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute concept, unfortunately not a single thing made sense logistically so it really was just dependent on vibes

[Tor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is enamored with its own coolness, at the expense of plot, pacing, and character development. I felt like I was reading someone's excited fantasy of what a cool story this would be, rather than the story itself.

For one, queer acceptance wish fulfillment stories are always tricky, because you have to find a way to explain why some aspects of oppression are nonexistent, but others are, or else you risk something that reads at best jarring, and at worst condoning. Like, the entire scholarship system says: hey, here's this fantastical world where being queer is no big deal, but capitalism and the meritocracy *very much are.* Not only that--but now when you're drowning in school work, killing yourself for good grades, it's the *queer affirming* teacher who will tell you that don't worry, it's just some burnout, we all get it, maybe get some help? as though this is of course, nothing to be fought, or changed. As though teenagers working themselves to death for school is just something that needs a little down time and self-care.

In fact, that's actually my biggest problem with the whole story. The pacing issues--where everything wraps up so tidily by the end, just makes it more conspicuous how little any of the characters actually cared about the entire oppressive structure of the school. Which would be fine--in a book whose conceit wasn't that queer people are perfectly accepted. But the fact that the end is a quick and neat, "oh gosh maybe we shouldn't punish our poor students this way," the fact that the text itself calls out the unfairness and punishing way this system operates, makes it worse that our main characters all bonded over *being collectively bullied for being poor* and at no point does the author treat this as an oppressive structure comparable to if these kids were bullied for being queer. Our characters don't fight back, and no teacher at any point treats this as a system they are complicit in.

If Basil, at any point, got angry at this system, acknowledged its unfairness, if Oregano had her own arch involve a real *fight* against the school as it exists, the tone of this would be far different. We would have also gotten more fleshed out characters. As it is, everyone feels inert, flat. Things happen to them, and they react. Nobody has any real interiority, any genuine personality, or any real reflection on anything.

The two stars are because it was readable. I don't consider just including queer characters to give high marks as though it having "rep" means anything, because these characters queerness is just as inert as the characters themselves. Having characters who name drop that they're gay and trans is the easy part. Anybody can do it. But the romance between Basil and Oregano feels forced and flat, and none of the other characters themselves even matter enough that that are anything more than a name dropped "and here's how I'm queer, too."

Also a cooking school whose tests are modeled after cooking reality tv shows sounds like a dystopia, I'm sorry.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

For fans of The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Heartstopper.

The content was enjoyable with a fresh world and a fun adventure. The artwork was colorful, inviting, and very detailed. I was amazed on multiple pages and scenes at what the illustrator was able to accomplish on the page. There were plenty of food jokes and references that were fairly self-aware (the characters names are Basil and Oregano, for crying out loud) and it was fun to see all the food creations they made. The representation, not only in the queer space but racially, socially, economically, etercera was there as well. There are only a few suggestions that might have made this book easier to sell.

This book is categorized as young adult and they put a little note in the synopsis that it’s “lower young adult;” however, it would have done better as a middle grade novel. It all reads very young with kitschy dialogue and younger themes. The ideas discussed and problems each character has are certainly relatable to young adult characters, but would have been better suited for a younger crowd.

Even still, this was an enjoyable novel. I would have liked better dialogue and a different resolution at the end since it all came together too nicely, but I still liked it.

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[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, this YA graphic novel was absolutely adorable. It has everything I love all wrapped up in it: Magic, cooking, a magical cooking version of Hogwarts, cooking competitions, a smidge of romance, a little bit of not so above board antics when it comes to competitions, and a great LBGTQ+ representation in the cast of characters. The art is gorgeous, and I loved everything about it!

Basil is going into her senior year at Portabella, the magiculinary school. Her dads have sacrificed so much to get her there, the least she can do is earn top chef to earn a scholarship to pay them back. But it isn’t going to be easy, and the famous chef Oregano’s daughter is joining them for senior year, making the competition for scholarships even harder.

[Gabriele | QueerBookdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Representation: lesbian biracial protagonist, lesbian Black secondary character, trans Black secondary character, non-binary white secondary character, Muslim tertiary character, non-binary Black tertiary character, gay Black tertiary character, gay Asian tertiary character, Asian tertiary characters.

Content Warning: parental pressure, classism, bullying.

Review to come...

[✨Veruca✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Loved the plot, the issues dealt with and the diversity, but the pacing was way too fast and everything was resolved too quickly. A very cute story though filled with gorgeous illustrations!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute, feel-good fantasy!

Set in a queer-positive world where food and magic are intertwined, Basil Eyres and Arabella Oregano are both determined to do their best at Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy. Basil, because she needs to be the top student to retain her scholarship and Oregano, because her renowned chef mother has high expectations.

But, managing your studies along with any high expectations can be not just stressful but overwhelming. Throw falling in love into the mix and you’ve got a potential recipe for burnout—if not disaster.

I really appreciate how this little story explores not just the typical challenges of growing up but also the difficulties that come from having to navigate inequitable systems—including mental health struggles and burnout.

In the end, there’s not any one hero who saves the day either. It’s through working together and uniting that these young folk are able to overcome and persist together, demonstrating the power of collective action.

Very thoughtful. Very fun.

Definitely recommend for any readers who enjoy a cozy fantasy read with some diverse and delightful queer representation throughout~

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable. I love the concept of a magical culinary school where everyone gets their own food related familiar (there’s a barista with a sting ray who looks like latte art, which made me scream). So many queer characters, and wonderful representation of different gender identities in a very casual way.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute sapphic graphic novel! The magic system in this one was really interesting to me and I really liked the way this reverses the idea of the "mean girl" trope and instead focuses on an unjust system for accessing education. Very cute and I'm glad I read it!

[Lucía Cafeína · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🎂
Muy mona, bonita, inclusiva y mágica. Ojalá hubiera profundizado un poco más con diálogos con algo más de fundamento, se me ha quedado algo floji y edulcorado pero imagino que es porque va dirigido a un público más infantil.

[Dana Melton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute!!!

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[aly✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read. Definitely some plot holes. Cute. Easy. Nothing to write home about.

[Taylor Kundel-Gower · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Cozy, cute, gay. Made me nostalgic for The Worst Witch