Garrity, Shaenon K., and Christopher Baldwin. The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021. 978-1-534-46086-7. unpaged. $14.99. Grades 7-10.

Haley loves Gothic romances so much that her English teacher insists she choose a new genre for her latest book report. While walking home with a fresh stack of library books, Haley sees a young man struggling to swim in the river. She scrambles in to save him, and upon exiting the water she finds herself at Willowweep Manor. The estate (complete with three brooding brothers and a ghost) has a lot in common with the settings of Haley’s beloved Gothic novels, but something is a little off. The manse and its surroundings rearrange themselves, seemingly at random, due to a crucial device going “out of alignment.” The stakes are high and the brothers (especially Montague, the dreamy middle brother whose escape plans Haley foiled with her rescue efforts) need the help of an outsider with a particular set of skills. Lucky for them, Haley, a girl of color, is plucky, confident, and a genuine heroine-in-waiting.

THOUGHTS: This graphic novel succeeds as both a fantastical science fiction story and a lovingly satirical nod to Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and the like.

Graphic Novel          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD