A review by betweentheshelves
Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo, Ren Graham

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 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. 
-------
There's a lot of build up in this, and then it ends on a cliffhanger. Hopefully that's not where it's actually going to end? But stayed tuned for a full review to come!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings