Written by contributor Anna Yesilevskiy
Get into the spooky spirit with some great books and graphic novels that you should check out and read on or around Halloween!
We All Fall Down by Natalie D. Richards
We All Fall Down follows two childhood best friends, Theo and Paige, who one night decide to go to a party at the riverbank under the old walking bridge. Theo has always been impulsive but he hasn’t been sure about telling Paige how he feels. He decides the party is the perfect place to tell her.
Paige has had a crush on Theo since they first met but she thinks her feelings are one-sided so she’s decided she’s going to move on and flirt at the party. Except a fight breaks out and when Paige tries to intervene, Theo hits her in the face with his fist. Going forward, all Theo and Paige want to do is forget that night but strange forces keep pulling them back to the bridge. Something or someone is out there determined to make them remember and pay for what they did.
We All Fall Down is a well-written gripping thriller that has well developed characters, an interesting premise, a focus on friendship and great mental health representation. A definite must read for this spooky season.
Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
Rules for Vanishing follows Sara, whose sister, Becca went missing a year ago in the woods. In their town, legend has it that once a year a road opens up and the ghost of Lucy Gallows calls travellers onto it. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her friends to play the game and find the ghost of Lucy Gallows, Sara believes this is the only way to find Becca and she and her friends decide to play the game. Together, they have to join forces and try their best to survive and come out alive on the other side of the road. But the road is very unforgiving and many have not survived it.
Marshall weaves a well-written thrilling tale that is told in multimedia format. The thriller is hard to put down and is full of twists and turns. Furthermore, it is full of diversity as it features characters of different races and sexualities in addition to portraying characters with disabilities. Rules for Vanishing is a thrilling unputdownable novel that will keep readers guessing what is really going on until the very end.
Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
Séance Tea Party is a middle grade graphic novel that follows Lara, who after watching her circle of friends fade away as they grow up and suddenly become interested in other things is determined to stay a child forever and have fun on her own when a tea party leads Lora to discover Alexa, a ghost who haunts her house and the two soon become best friends.
Yee tells a beautifully illustrated story that has a unique and interesting plot and teaches many important messages about friendship, growing up, and growing older.
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
Paper Girls follows a group of four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls who while out delivering papers on the morning after Halloween, witness their town being invaded by a mysterious force from the future. The girls are unwillingly caught up in the conflict and must band together to figure out what is going on.
The series features a stunning art style, is fast-paced, full of action, has an interesting plot, and a great message about friendship. Furthermore, the series also explores themes of growing up and accepting yourself.
The series is also set to be adapted as a TV show by Amazon Studios.
Sheets by Brenna Thummler
Sheets follows Marjorie Glatt, a 13-year-old girl who runs her family laundry business following the death of her mother and Wendell, a ghost who died young and misses the human world. Their two worlds collide when Wendell appears at the laundromat Marjorie runs and at first neither is happy about it but eventually a friendship forms between them and they must figure out what is going on with Wendell.
Overall, Sheets features a fantastic art style, the characters are authentic, and the plot is interesting.
Delicates by Brenna Thummler
Delicates is the sequel to Sheets and follows Marjorie Glatt, whose life hasn’t been the same ever since she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat and became friends with Wendell, a young ghost. When Marjorie finally gets accepted by the popular kids at school, she starts to worry that she’ll be labelled a freak if anyone learns about her secret ghost friends and so decided to keep Wendell’s ghost identity a secret and Wendell begins to feel more invisible than he is.
Eliza Duncan is Marjorie’s classmate who has an interest in finding and photographing ghosts. Due to her interests, Eliza feels as an outsider, invisible and begins to feel like a ghost herself. Marjorie must come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids and must decide whether losing Wendell is worth it and if she is partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures.
Delicates is a great graphic novel that features beautiful illustrations and also tells a strong story about fitting in, doing what’s right, friendship and mental health. Overall, the graphic novel is a great read with an important message.
On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
On A Sunbeam is a graphic novel that follows Mia, the newest addition to a crew that works in space by rebuilding broken-down buildings and restoring the past. This graphic novel shifts from Mia’s present as an adult to her past at the boarding school she attended as a teen where she fell in love with Grace, only to lose touch after Grace suddenly left the school. Now, as an adult, Mia, with the help of her crewmates tries to find her high school sweetheart.
Walden weaves a compelling multigenerational story full of diverse characters (a non-binary character and a character with disabilities are at the forefront of the story) that accurately portrays lost love, found family, growing up and becoming an adult with beautiful imagery as the background. Overall, On A Sunbeam is a well written story with memorable characters and stunning art that will leave readers wanting more.
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
Pumpkinheads is a graphic novel that follows two high school seniors named Deja and Josiah who work at the Pumpkin Patch every fall. This fall is different because they are seniors and it will be their last time working at the Patch. Thus, they set out on an adventurous night.
This graphic novel is the perfect fall and Halloween read as a pumpkin patch is the backdrop of the entire story. The colour palette is vibrant and sets up the perfect Halloween atmosphere whereas the characters and the relationships are well developed. Pumpkinheads is an adorable sweet read that will have readers smiling and wanting more beyond the last page.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
Mooncakes follows a hard-of-hearing bisexual witch named Nova Huang who works at her grandmas’ bookshop and her non-binary childhood werewolf friend (and crush) Tam Lang as they try to solve a mystery in their town.
Mooncakes is a very diverse story as it features Asian and Jewish characters, a bisexual hard-of-hearing witch, a non-binary werewolf, and two lesbian witches. Furthermore, the plot is enthralling and fast-paced and the background art style is beautiful. It’s the perfect read to get into the spirit of Halloween!
