Title: Blackwater
Author: Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s
Publication date: July 19, 2022
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Summary
Tony Price is a popular high school jock, a star of the track team. Even if he occassionally gets in trouble, desperate for his dad’s attention and approval. Something he never really seems to get. Eli Hirsch is on the opposite end of the popularity spectrum. Quiet, slightly nerdy, and dealing with an autoimmune disorder that causes him to constantly be in the hospital.
The two become unlikely friends as weird stuff starts happening in the words near their houses. Weird stuff like strange creatures and unusal deaths. When the apparent werewolf curse strikes close to home, it might be up to them to save the town of Blackwater, Maine.
Review: Blackwater
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for an advanced copy of this to review! Always on the lookout for new YA graphic novels, so I was excited to start this one. If you’re a fan of slow burn horror, this one should definitely be on your TBR!
What I appreciated about this book is the way the spookiness kinds of winds its way into the story. It doesn’t happen outright, it’s subtle. Little things here and there put into the frames. It’s definite a slow build, which is okay in graphic novel format! I was intrigued about where the story was going to go, even if a lot of the other characters seemed oblivious.
I don’t think I read the entire graphic novel because the ending felt kind of abrupt. The story was over too soon! For that reason, I’ll definitely check out a final copy when it comes out to give it my full opinion. I also wanted a bit more interaction between Eli and Tony. It’s clear there’s something there, but their relationship isn’t at the forefront. There should be more of it!
All in all, I think there’s a lot of potential here, and I’ll definitely check out the final version when it comes out later this month.
3/5 stars