CRY OUT LOUD

After an Irish girl is suspended, her mother sends her to live with relatives on an island where she discovers she’s targeted as the next victim of a centuries-old tradition of sacrifice.

Nell has a strained relationship with her ma, and after getting in trouble at school, she’s sent to stay with family she’s never met before. Nell arrives at their ultramodern house, an “eyesore” in the remote countryside, where her aunt, who had been living in the States, is unnervingly polite (and, oddly, gets Nell’s ma’s name wrong); her uncle, who’s English, has an unusually hot temper; and her cousin, Theo, barely speaks. The villagers, other than lighthouse keeper Caoimhe, are unwelcoming. Nell hears strange noises and sees a ghostly girl. Even worse, she eventually learns that she was brought there to fulfill an ancient blood sacrifice. With Caoimhe’s help, Nell must outrun her fate. This fast-paced graphic novel infused with Irish folklore elements expertly builds the tension through small clues and an ominous atmosphere. Nell is a sympathetic character, escaping her angry mother only to be betrayed anew. The side characters’ backstories offer insight into their decisions. O’Connor also explores the impact of traditions and generational trauma, clearly conveying the characters’ emotions, including anger, remorse, and heartbreak, through her illustrations. She effectively uses the landscape and elements, such as rain and wind, to enhance the storytelling. Characters present white.

A heart-pounding thriller about a terrifying legacy with a lush, well-developed setting.