Review by Booklist Review
Brooding heirs, a castle, a ghost, and a whole lot of rain make for a silly Gothic adventure in Garrity and Baldwin's new graphic novel. Haley, a plucky Black teen who reads nothing but Gothic romances, winds up in a place called Willowweep Manor (and a new universe) when she attempts to save a drowning man. Willowweep Manor could be something out of Jane Eyre, except for the fissures tearing apart the multiverse. Haley was hoping for something less complicated, like a lost heir or a hidden relation in the attic, but maybe she's not the true heroine of this Gothic tale after all! Baldwin's dark color scheme and wide shots of the castle and landscape give it a conventional feel, while tumbling frames and quirky page layouts create movement amid the fast-paced story. The wide-eyed and expressive characters bring out the tongue-in-cheek visual humor and laugh-out-loud dialogue, and the combination of Gothic romance and sf multiverse plot is charming. Hand to readers who appreciate the cheeky anachronism of Noelle Stevenson' Nimona (2015).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Contemporary high schooler Haley, a Black teen who wears a choker and flowing skirts, is unbothered by her classmates' open mockery but desperately resists her English teacher's attempts to shut down yet another essay on Wuthering Heights--or any other gothic romance. After Haley spots a drowning man while standing "wistfully in the rain," she attempts to save him, then washes ashore beneath remote Willowweep Manor, inhabited by handsome brothers Laurence, Cuthbert, and Montague and gruff housekeeper Wilhelmina, all white. Though Haley revels in the gothic setting of her dreams--complete with secret passages, a menacing forest, and a forlorn ghost--she learns that it's actually an internally anachronistic pocket dimension meant to protect Earth from "an all-devouring sapient miasma." As cracks form across Willowweep, Haley wields her extensive knowledge of gothic tropes to help the brothers regain control. If character development feels lacking, Baldwin's expressive full-color art--reminiscent of Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant--and Garrity's text both delight in their humor, conveying accentuated reactions, ranging from shocked to stoic, that lean into gleeful absurdity. A romp made especially enjoyable by Haley's indulgent delight in Willowweep's ability to make her literary dreams a reality. Ages 12--up. (July)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A girl gets sucked into a doomed, gothic-themed universe. Obsessed with gothic romances like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, bookworm Haley sees her moment to shine when, while on her way home from school, she spots a mysterious man drowning. Her heroic efforts to rescue him transport her to a gothic manor straight out of the novels she holds dear. She awakens in Willowweep Manor, where she meets foreboding housekeeper Wilhelmina, young lords Laurence and Cuthbert, and resident ghost Cecily. It emerges that middle brother Montague, whom she saved earlier, is missing. The brothers recruit Haley to help them save their gasket universe--a small universe that acts as a safeguard to protect the larger ones in the multiverse--from the Bile, manifested here as a sinister friar, that threatens to take over. She must repair the Infernal Device that keeps their universe safe. Though each individual has prescribed roles according to various literary conventions, they must decide to act differently if they wish to save their worlds from evil. The dark color palette fits perfectly with the mystery and many gothic tropes; Baldwin effectively uses varied perspectives to create dramatic visuals. This well-paced and humorous graphic novel will appeal to readers looking for a triumphant story about being in charge of your own narrative. Haley is Black; the inhabitants of Willowweep read as White. A delightfully spirited adventure. (Graphic fantasy. 12-16) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
