THE OCTOBER GIRL VOL. 1

A teen discovers a magical, sometimes-frightening nighttime world in Smith’s YA graphic novel.

As a little girl, Autumn Ackerman believed in fairies, magic, and her imaginary friend, Barnaby. Now, life for the 18-year-old has been reduced to school and shifts at the local coffee shop. One evening, Barnaby, a Gollum-like being, shows up to warn Autumn that she’s in danger. He’s the first of a host of eccentric people and mythical creatures (like Fred, the giant troll) that she encounters; they’re the Night Folk, once legendary beings that the world no longer believes in. While Barnaby and bookstore owner Evan Fade are benevolent, others are sinister, most notably the mysterious Mr. Balloon, who is oddly fixated on Autumn. As the teen quickly learns, she has ties to the Night Folk and even wields a power that she has yet to tap into—controlling it is another issue altogether. Smith’s well-paced novel builds on a slowly developing backstory (Evan’s late father, who once ran the bookstore, spent years helping Night Folk). As the narrative progresses, it’s clear that this hidden world has long existed and that many seemingly innocuous people, like an old man collecting cans at a park, may be much more interesting than they appear. Autumn, a lonely young woman who generally avoids conflict, makes for a curious but relatable protagonist (“My whole life has turned upside down and all you’ve got is, ‘it’s complicated’?!”). Any number of terrific characters could return in the planned sequel(s), including the irresistible Barnaby and the enigmatic October King. The author, who also illustrates, works in a simplified style and includes plenty of detail. As the many nighttime scenes hew to darker tones, Autumn’s chic red scarf is impossible to miss—it’s constantly flowing in the wind and so long she practically steps on it.

A dazzling and heartfelt supernatural coming-of-age story.