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!

Sheets by Brenna Thummler | Goodreads

A lonely girl? The cutest ghost? Messy decisions and funny little misunderstandings? SHEETS has it all and in the cutest way possible. Marjorie is over-burdened and sad and lonely, trying so hard to save her family laundromat business while her father grieves the loss of his wife. There is also the wicked neighbour to look out for, who is constantly trying to acquire the laundromat land for his own business. And then one day, a ghost suddenly appears in the laundromat – cute little Wendell – and it is one fun adventure that unravels! I loved this story so much and it had its fun as well as serious moments in a perfect balance. And the art, the colour palette was simply stunning, clad in pretty pastels. SHEETS is a fun little unique graphic novel that will surely bring a smile to your face.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman | Goodreads

I fell in love with Nick and Charlie and I know you will too when you read Heartstopper. Charlie is openly gay, and he meets Nick, a soft-hearted rugby player on a fateful day. Friendship soon blooms between the two boys as they understand and support each other while Charlie finds himself falling for Nick. Heartstopper is so heartwarming and so adorable that you will want to read all the volumes in one sitting. Nick and Charlie’s story has made my heart melt and swoon. It is one of the cutest graphic novels I’ve come across and has all the right amount of fluff while also glancing at important topics.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang | Goodreads

This graphic novel is going to give you all the feels! Prince Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret from the world, and especially his parents who are hellbent on finding him a wife. Sebastian, though, clad in gorgeous dresses, takes Paris by storm at night as the coveted Lady Crystallia, with his best friend Frances. Soon turning into a fashion icon, Sebastian finds his place but not Frances, who has to remain a secret. Frances, however, dreams of making it big in the industry, creating a name for herself. And she cannot do it if she wants to protect her friend. A colourful little story about finding yourself and not being afraid of who you are, The Prince and The Dressmaker is a hopeful and promising story about love without conditions. With a spectacular colourful palette, the story explores identity, art, young love, and family. And those beautiful dresses? Damn, I would love to own all of them!

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson | Goodreads

Nimona is the most adorable. Period. Nimona is an energetic and young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister, the villain in this story, takes in Nimona as his sidekick, and with their superpower they create havoc. But when a vicious battle erupts, Lord Ballister can only grasp how powerful and unpredictable Nimona and her past is. This story is full of love and hope and friendship, added with a dollop of villainy and mastery. Nimona is a goddamn precious bean and I loved the ending so much. It was simply beautiful and fun with all the needed wickedness and morally grey and notorious characters.

Fence by C. S. Pacat | Goodreads

One of my recent favourite books with the best set of characters is Fence. Illustrated by Johanna the Mad, Fence traces the story of Nicholas, a sloppy fencer with immense skills, who is also the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion. Nicholas only dreams of getting a chance to prove himself as a worthy fencer, get the appropriate training to compete. As he is thrust into the world of fencing and Kings Row private school, he not only has to face his half-brother and #1 fencing champion, but also the mysterious Seiji. The Fencers are bound to give you all the #friendshipgoals, and I love Seiji and Nicholas so much. All the characters and players in the book play such important parts in the growth of each other, and I couldn’t help but be at amazed over each character arc. They made me laugh and giggle, Nicholas made me want to shake some sense into him, and Seiji simply made me swoon. When you read Fence, you will definitely fall in love with all these characters and go on a journey as they train and become better versions of themselves. Plus, the art is fun and the dialogues will simply crack you up!

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill | Goodreads

These little tea dragons are going to bring a wide smile to your faces. First in The Tea Dragon series, we meet Greta who discovers a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, and then ends up in a teashop where she discovers more of them. As she takes a liking to these little creatures and spends more time with the teashop owners, Greta leans more about the art of tea-dragon care and makes a few friends in the way. The second book, The Tea Dragon Festival, explores the story of Rinn and Aedhan, a real dragon, as she helps him come to terms with his feelings of being lost in time while saving the village from an enchanted sleep spell. The third book, The Tea Dragon Tapestry, is the concluding story of Greta. Steeped in diversity and inclusiveness, this series surely has a cute little story aimed at making everyone happy and find their calling, while enjoying the art of creating. Colourful and vibrant, the art is truly eye-catching!