Jennifer Strange is part novel, party graphic novel. By part graphic novel, I mean a few illustrations every chapter or two so not really part graphic novel. It shouldn't really be classified as a comic book or graphic novel at all, and what few drawings it had, I wasn't really feeling the art style.

The concept itself is exciting, almost like Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Supernatural/The Mediator series but the story itself wasn't written well. I don't know if it's the writing style, but the first page alone made me go 'meh', which is really quite sad as the synopsis really got me excited. Weak writing for a story with a lot of potential, but fast-paced. There were also some typos here and there, but since I read the uncorrected proof that's expected. It wasn't bad, but I won't be reading it again. Maybe if it had really been a graphic novel, it would have been better. Good idea for a TV show though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is part journal and part novel. Jennifer Strange has moved to Savannah from Atlanta. She has the ability to give ghosts and demons a body. However, her dad has gone on a trip and can not help her learn about her powers.
I really enjoyed this book and I think teens will too. It had a great cast of characters and a great story to go along with it.

Jennifer Strange is a pretty nice teen fantasy book about a girl, who lives an ordinary life, that is not so usual anymore.
Jennifer has to live with her older sister, Liz, where she gets to know that her family had superpowers and her parents were demon hunters. She just realize that she has a fate to fight against the demons.
The concept of this book is good. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I love, and Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins, which I thought was a ton of fun. In this book, Jennifer is a normal teenage girl until demons start showing up around her. She has no idea what’s going on and all she has is a mysterious journal that her father gave her before unceremoniously dumping her on her older sister. Unfortunately, I can’t help but think that this story would have been a thousand times better if it were told in graphic novel format.

Jennifer Strange is a pretty nice teen fantasy book about a girl, who lives an ordinary life, that is not so usual anymore.
Jennifer has to live with her older sister, Liz, where she gets to know that her family had superpowers and her parents were demon hunters. She just realize that she has a fate to fight against the demons.
As I’m a very big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan I was looking forward to see some similar literature about the hunters world. The illustrations and diary pieces in the book were utterly awesome, a bit similar to The Spiderwick Chronicles’ drawings.
I would recommend this novel for young adult and everyone, who is into supernatural fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy.

I want to start my review by saying that the main reason I didn’t like this book was that I was under the (false) impression that it was a graphic novel, since that’s how it was categorized on Netgalley. This is not a graphic novel. It is a novel with the occasional illustration. And by “occasional,” I mean maybe one every two or three chapters.

The concept of this book is good. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I love, and Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins, which I thought was a ton of fun. In this book, Jennifer is a normal teenage girl until demons start showing up around her. She has no idea what’s going on and all she has is a mysterious journal that her father gave her before unceremoniously dumping her on her older sister.

Unfortunately, I can’t help but think that this story would have been a thousand times better if it were told in graphic novel format.

Because, the thing is, the writing is pretty weak. Instead of worldbuilding that feels natural, we get a lot of infodumps through dialogue. Jennifer meets characters who magically know everything that she doesn’t, and even though she has a journal from her father that contains all of the information she needs, she just casually pages through instead of, you know, sitting down to read it so she can stop complaining about how she doesn’t know anything. There’s also a strange lack of emotion in the book, like when a character is taken and someone says, “Damn it. The Banshee got her.” Shouldn’t there be an exclamation point in there somewhere? Maybe some fear? Any kind of feeling?

The story is also very jumpy, hopping kind of haphazardly between normal events like eating breakfast and taking a shower and, like, demons destroying the city. The transition between the two is typically someone throwing up, which I think I counted seven times within the first 25% of the book, at which point I stopped counting. I wish it would have had more of a transition, or just any kind of transition other than constant vomiting. I’m just not sure why that was necessary.

Anyway, back to my point on the graphic novel. I think it would have hidden a lot of the problems with the writing, and it would also have looked pretty cool. The brief snippets of art we get are really good and I imagine that they’d translate really well into a full graphic novel format. It’s just a shame that it’s miscategorized on Netgalley. I hope it won’t be marketed incorrectly to the general public, because I could see that causing a lot of problems.

I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Strange is just that... strange. After an “incident,” occurs at school, her father drops her off unannounced at her sister’s apartment and vanishes. The two girls are left to decipher clues left in an old journal written by him and illustrated by their mother. Along the way, they meet all sorts of supernatural entities. Will any of them be helpful, or will they all try to bring harm to the girls?

I really enjoyed this book. The formatting was a little wonky due to it being an eArc, but I think that with a little more editing and polishing, it’ll turn out wonderful when published. The plot line was fantastic and fun to follow. The twist at the end was not quite what I expected (though bits and pieces were glaringly obvious, and others repetitive). I can’t wait to see the graphics in color! Overall I would recommend this book.

DELICIOUS! I loved it!!! Balancing horror with a great deal of heart, Jennifer Strange is definitely one of the strongest debuts I've read recently. The illustrations just added to the overall feel of it--the atmosphere was great, and I enjoyed the quirky, haunted heroine.

can't wait to buy a physical copy!

I went into this thinking it was a graphic novel, it had a few graphics but it was in no way a graphic novel like it was mentioned it was. Some things weren't explained well so it fell flat at times and some of the actions scenes were either too long or confusing.

Don't come here thinking this is in any way a graphic novel, for it's not. This mis-billing aside, what I saw was a teen-friendly horror, that starts off with the dials turned to ten and has nowhere to go as a result. The author must have grown up ignorant of the word 'subtle'.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital ARC od this novel.

Actual rate: 2.75 stars

First pf all, I want to acknowledge one this: this is not a graphic novel. It was advertised, at least here on NetGalley, as a graphic novel but it's actually a book with a picture and/or a (drawn) diary pages every few chapters or so. That's not a bad thing, of course, but I just wanted to acknowledge it so people know what they are getting into when they start this novel.
I also think this novel shouldn't be considered a Young Adult, even though I think that this is based more about the author's personal choices rather than a publishing mistake. I think this book could have been better if it was directed to the Middle Grade category. The main character is only fourteen, which is already too young to fit into the recent YA standards, and she also acts and thinks quite too childish to be truly appreciated by that age category.
And that's one of the problem I have with this book: it felt too childish, too naive, not only in the way characters acted but in the way the book itself was developed. The worldbulding was based on a very interesting concept but it was executed too superficially, certain elements were barely explained, the action scenes were a bit too long and very confusing.
The only thing I truly liked about this book was the bond between the main character and her sister.
Overall, as I said at the start of the review, I think that this book's biggest fault is that it was addressed to the wrong age category. If it was worked on as a Middle Grade, I bet young readers would have loved this.

This is a supernatural fantasy perfect for readers of young adult literature.

This was an enjoyable and fast paced book about a girl discovering unusual powers that she struggles to control.

She's left with the diary of her father providing her with insight into her powers and how she might be able to use them for good.

I enjoyed the graphics at the end of each chapter and the pages of her father's diary were a nice touch.

The book had me on the edge of my seat with all manner of supernatural creatures. The author's descriptions of the creatures were creepy. The book gave me vibes of the show Supernatural but with two sisters instead of brothers.

I would rate this 3 1/2 stars out of 5 and recommend for teenage/YA.

Stylish and gory YA demonfest supernatural debut

If you are after a fast-paced, gory, and very stylish YA horror novel then look no further than Cat Scully’s excellent debut splash Jennifer Strange. All too often Ginger Nuts of Horror struggles to find genuine YA horror to review, be rest assured this monster and demon-soaked romp is the real deal which moves at an incredibly fast and very silky lick. The novel is also part comic, with catchy illustrations opening the story, with additional drawings at various key points along the way. It is not a graphic novel and is being referred to as an ‘illustrated novel’, however, it is more of a traditional novel than anything else.

Be careful who you give it to, the cool packaging might look cartoony, but it is considerably bloodier than you might think. Bracken MacLeod has said: “The first time I started this novel, my reaction was, "THIS is a YA book?!" HELL yeah, it is. But it ain't just kids' stuff.” I would agree with Bracken, but also, there are plenty of kids out there who will take the numerous creatures and kills in their stride. It depends on how prudish they (or their parents) are, personally, I found it relatively harmless and I suspect most kids will take it the same way.

Jennifer Strange starts swinging and does not relent for a moment with the entire plot spread over a few days after Jennifer arrives in Savannah to stay with her estranger elder sister Liz, whom she has hardly spoken to since their mother died a few years earlier. Savannah is beautifully portrayed as a city where there are a lot of ghosts and helped in creating a funky Buffy: The Vampire Slayer style vibe. There was an early scene where a demon killed several school kids and it was blamed on a gas leak; that sort of coverup happened in Summerdale High all the time!

Is there a dash of Buffy in Jennifer? More ‘no’ that ‘yes’ but give her time! Instead of slaying vampires Jennifer is a conduit for ghosts and demons. This means that the undead can attempt to inhabit her body and take over her physical form and effectively possess her. Bearing in mind that Savannah is regarded as one of the most haunted places in America, Jennifer really is in the wrong city and on the first day of school there are deaths connected to a demon manifestation connected to her weird gift. The plot does not hold back on either the violence or death, with a swiftly mounting body count as Jennifer begins to investigate a supernatural mystery. Much of the violence does have a stylised bubble-gum, almost comic book, feel to it which complement the expressive drawings perfectly.

Written with a first-person narrative, Jennifer was a cool lead character, who is presented in an accessible and down to earth manner which young teens will have fun connecting with. She is neither a superhero or ultra-cool and is just coming to terms with her new power and the reader has fun following her initial baby steps into the realms of the supernatural. I also loved her vulnerability; highlighted with her nerves when she attends school for the first time, head down, scared to draw attention to herself.

Jennifer Strange is not a deep book and nor does it pretend to be. The characters are sketchily drawn with limited back stories, with its strength lying in its pace, action sequences and snappy dialogue. It lacks the intense inner reflection, conflict, and maturity which you might find in other YA fiction, for example, an Amy Lukavics novel. However, that should not be taken as a criticism, as this is a light and frothy read which provides easy-going entertainment. I was delighted to hear that Lukavics was also a fan of Jennifer Strange, providing the following lovely quote: “A mysterious, dark, and perfectly bone-chilling tale of self-discovery and seizing your destiny, Jennifer Strange is a tremendous addition to Young Adult horror”.

I really enjoyed the supernatural world which Cat Scully develops and the colourful range of demons and other beings which pop up, here is an excerpt when they make an early appearance in the story:

“My cellphone shook in my hand as the bright camera light flickered when it found Bloody Mouth. He held a student up by the base of his neck and brought the guy’s face crashing down into the black hardtop of one of the tall desks. Bloody Mouth smashed, and smashed, and smashed until the guy’s face had turned to putty.”

Other highlights included the rekindling of the family relationship between Cat and her sister Liz, and the developing of her own supernatural powers and the mystery behind the term ‘Sparrow’ which the demons continually refer to her as. The handwritten diary flashbacks written by her father which provide insights into where the power originates was another clever development. There was a lot to enjoy in this very fine debut.

Jennifer Strange is great fun and a colourful read for young teenagers not quite ready to tackle adult horror novels. Even younger kids, who are not too bothered about swearing and violence, will find much to get their teeth into. The creatures are relentless in their quest to get to Jennifer and it was incredibly easy to be sucked along on this rollercoaster journey. There is a serious lack of this gory type of horror for kids on the market and I am sure if the book is targeted at the correct audience it could be lapped up. I have a feeling the story of Jennifer Strange is not yet over and I will certainly be returning for more.

I enjoyed the graphic novel elements mixed with the prose of this novel. The protagonist has started college in a new town, so it has coming-of-age elements mixed with the supernatural. I think people who enjoyed "Stranger Things" will like this book.

Cat Scully is a new voice in graphica for me, but this book proves the need to come back for more. Visually engaging and highly entertaining. Love!

There's definitely some potential here, but unfortunately it isn't working well for me at the moment so I won't be continuing with it. The book is also not categorized correctly as there is considerably more prose than illustrations and the story is mainly told through the former.

I honestly could not get into this book, I tried a couple of times but had to keep putting it down. Not for me, I'm sorry to say... Mixing mediums is tricky business and trying to pass this off as a 'graphic novel' when it isn't just doesn't sit right with me. When someone is in the mood for a GN, giving them a novel with a couple of images in just isn't going to cut it...

The plot of the book is about a young lady who is a conduit for demons and ghosts. The writing was good however I do believe this may need to be added to young adults versus middle grade. I believe this would be a good story for arlee high schoolers that are kind of into the creepy stuff. This book was written for preteens and Young people but I felt that it was too gory for that age group. When I think of stories like this I think more along the lines of like Goosebumps and horror novels for the younger class and this was people exploding and eyes popping out have fingers getting cut off in the first few chapters that's something that I can't endorse in a children's book. I had to stop reading this about halfway through because to me it was too gross.

Ugh! I really wanted to lie this but In the end I only made it about half way through. I really enjoyed the illustrations and this concept is so intriguing to me but there were a few reasons I stopped reading.
The first is that from the beginning of the written story the exposition and each piece of world building was told and not shown. The writing seemed a little simplistic to me and I really enjoy writing for younger audiences.
The second issue I had is that this was in the graphic novel section on NetGalley and classified so on Goodreads and it’s really not. I didn’t finish the book but I did scroll through and look at the illustrations because I enjoyed them, but having a few comic spreads and some journal entries in between pages and pages of text does not make it a GN. I think the most disappointing part of that to me is that I think this would have really soared in a strictly graphic novel format.
I really want to see what else this author produces because this concept and the art were wonderful. I read some reviews on Goodreads and I agree that Buffy is a bit closer comp because of the type of demons and monsters as well as Jennifer's character, but really the prose lacked the atmosphere I think is needed to compare to the other titles mentioned. Thank you so much for the chance to read and review this book!

Jennifer has been dropped off at her sister's apartment. Her dad has gone off in search of answers. Apparently, Jennifer has some supernatural ability dealing with ghosts that she had no clue about, and still does not understand. When all hell breaks loose at her first day of her new school, Jennifer knows she is in trouble. With the help of her sister, Jennifer sets to make the world right again.
She met a guy who seems to know some answers, Marcus. Problem is, Jennifer doesn't know whether or not to trust him. Their families have a long standing feud going on. Is Marcus trying to help Jennifer or trying to help his family?
Opinion
I absolutely loved this book! It was phenomenal. With the MC, Jennifer, being shipped off to a haunted town when she has some type of ghost abilities, what could go wrong? The characters were developed well. The trust/don't trust Marcus inner fight that Jennifer had added an awesome depth to the story. Jennifer's ongoing battle with her sister that needs resolved keeps another depth of the story going. The plot and sub plots do not leave you wanting. Jennifer's anger at her dad's disappearance keeps the story going as well.
The author also self drawn images that added to the story. It was definitely a well thought out book.
I will be buying a copy of this book for my teenage daughter when it comes out. I am looking forward to more books in this series, please :)

Sorry, but this is NOT a graphic novel, nor is it a comic. It is also not a blend of graphic novel/comics unless we are going to categorise all books with a couple of illustrations as that (and I scrolled through this book to see if I could find some comic somewhere). And I hope not as that will just confuse everyone.
I came here as I was hoping for a fun creepy YA Graphic novel with horror stuff. Instead I got a YA horror novel. I am not really in the mood for the latter at the moment and with all the disappointment over this not being the graphic novel/comic (blend) I just cannot get into the book.
I am so sorry, and I wish there was a way to leave feedback without rating. I don't want to give it a one star as I am sure it is an awesome book, for those that are looking for it.