A romantic romp through the supernatural.
Blackwater, Maine, isn’t an ordinary town, but Eli Hirsch and Tony Price are mostly ordinary boys.
Eli, a trans Jewish boy, is isolated by an autoimmune disease, an overbearing mother, and a standoffish attitude. Popular track star Tony, who is cued as Puerto Rican, fights with his distant father and is watching his childhood best friend turn into a bully. But mysterious things are afoot: Tony is bitten by a werewolf, and Eli is being followed by a ghost. Trying to unravel the werewolf curse, Tony, Eli, and Marcia, Tony’s levelheaded goth friend who reads as Black, investigate, coming across intriguing complications and haunting dangers. The horror elements are playful, spooky, but not too frightening, providing a backdrop that adds to the developing relationship between the boys. Despite some animosity, they accept one another exactly as they are, with no pretenses, as their friendship turns into a mutual crush. There’s a kind earnestness to their connection, particularly Tony’s easygoing support toward Eli’s chronic illness. An exciting element lies in the artwork: The creators illustrate alternate chapters, with Arroyo’s vivid and dynamic lines and more cartoonish style serving action scenes well and Graham’s precise approach highlighting more heartfelt, character-driven moments. The styles blend together seamlessly to make a stronger whole. However, the story, while breezy and enjoyable, feels incomplete, missing details that would make characters and their emotional arcs more complex.
A romantic romp through the supernatural. (Graphic horror. 14-18)Pub Date: July 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-30402-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
Paranormal fun for readers who have imagined going behind the scenes of ghost-hunting shows.
Three dudes are on a mission to prove ghosts are real.
Trev, Kent, and Brian are the stars of a failing, low-budget, ghost-hunting cable TV show, aptly named Ghost Bros. After being informed of their cancellation, Trev (the ambitious mastermind of the trio) decides it’s time to visit the ultimate ghost grounds: Edgeway Penitentiary in Montana. Kent, an actor hoping to land a bigger gig, and Brian, the tech guy hoping for more, reluctantly follow Trev’s shady plan, which includes their producer Janelle’s locking them in the facility for the weekend despite her hesitations. Anticipating the chance to explore the legendary prison and its accompanying psych ward, the guys antagonize the ghosts to get their attention, resulting in their swift demise. Now they are ghosts learning how to harness their abilities while dealing with rival factions among the residents. On the anniversary of their deaths, TV rivals—the Parawarriors—arrive to solve the mystery of what happened. Now the Ghost Bros must protect the living while proving to the world that ghosts are real. The colloquial, often humorous, frat-dude lingo makes for a quick read. The hard, blocky linework and cool color palette create an edgy reading experience fitting with the gory, creepy narrative. Trev, Kent, and Brian are White; Janelle is Black.
Paranormal fun for readers who have imagined going behind the scenes of ghost-hunting shows. (Graphic fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62010-778-2
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A gritty, raw page-turner.
A bloody story of resilience and redemption in the middle of a post-apocalyptic gang war.
Eight years ago the earthquakes of the Great Disaster hadn’t yet reduced the world to rubble and Ginny’s mom, Odessa, hadn’t left their family. Now 17 and sick of holding her family together, Ginny sees the arrival of a mysterious package from Odessa as a sign that it’s time to leave home and find her mom. Ginny means to go solo, but her two squabbling younger brothers tag along. When the trio reaches their maternal uncle in San Francisco, pursued by a pissed-off motorcycle gang, they find a menacing, corrupt city rocked by a gang war. As Ginny searches, she’s caught in a web of murder and betrayal. Rendered in a deceptively innocent combination of black and bubble-gum pink, panels are expertly placed to use linework and sequencing to strengthen the emotion and humor of the story. Subtle and exaggerated facial expressions add nuance to the intricate plot that unwinds with each new, surprising piece of the puzzle. Snarky humor, mostly from the more cartoonishly rendered younger brothers, provides a counterpoint to the action-packed graphic violence and gore. This title leaves a pile of bloody bodies and unanswered questions as the siblings continue east looking for answers and safety. Ginny and her brothers are cued as biracial (Vietnamese and White); there is ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.
A gritty, raw page-turner. (Graphic dystopian. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62010-789-8
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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