A review by thebooknerdscorner
Life of Melody by Mari Costa

4.0

When a fairy and a beast encounter a baby in the woods and each want to have it as their own, they embark on a less than amicable arrangement in which they pretend to be a married human couple in this cozy, queer fantasy graphic novel. 

Razzmatazz is a fairy, and fairies are tasked with making fairy tales come true. However, he is not the greatest at his job and has failed to do so thus far. Desperate to succeed, Razzmatazz decides that he is going to raise a human child in the hopes that he'll be there for them whenever their story needs fixing. What he didn't expect was to meet a grumpy beast by the name of Bon who also wants to get his hands on the same baby. Razzmatazz and Bon embark on a reluctant partnership where they pretend to be a human couple so that they can raise the human child together and both achieve their goals. However, it's hard to keep feelings at bay when one is involved in a fake marriage and the two soon find that they have bitten off more than they originally anticipated. 

I didn't have high expectations going into this one, but it ended up being a really cute read that was actually quite funny. Razzmatazz and Bon have such fun exchanges of dialogue, and it is so hilarious following their misadventures as new parents that are also trying to blend into the human realm. Razzmatazz's eccentric nature pairs quite well with Bon due to the fact that he is a very down-to-earth kind of guy, which leads to them having great chemistry together. 

The world building isn't the most in depth, but it is easy to follow regardless of this. This book reads like a rom com that just happens to feature a fairy and beast, which adds to the comedy immensely. Watching these two pretend to be human is quite comical (though honestly, Razzmatazz is the one that struggles with this fact), and I found myself giggling constantly. 

I honestly didn't feel any attachment to Melody herself, but I was totally willing to watch her goofy parents learn to grow to tolerate (and then love) one another. This is certainly a feel-good comedy featuring two mythical gay dads doing their best to raise a human baby. 

Overall, "Life of Melody" wasn't that special of a graphic novel, but it is certainly funny and sweet. Watching Razzmatazz and Bon interact was so wholesome and hilarious; it's truly the reason to read this book. I wasn't the most invested in the other aspects of this story, but this novel is truly just a feel-good, queer romantic comedy that gives a quick dose of dopamine for those who indulge in it.