Set in the eponymous town, Blackwater is a supernatural horror romance story about high schoolers and the strange things that they find themselves entangled in.

Blackwater is the print edition of Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham's completed webcomic of the same name, but the book gave no indication that there would be a continuation; as such, it ends quite abruptly with no payoff and not enough buildup to entice the reader into reading more. However, the general setup is still interesting enough that I would like to see more, so I'm hopeful for future installments.

Blackwater's black and white art and paneling are standouts and really help set the story's tone, but I wish that characters, particularly Tony and Eli, the main characters.

I NEED MORE OF THIS! I'm glad I was at least able to get a glimpse at the sample, but honestly, July 19 will not get here soon enough.

This book just wasn’t designed for me. While the black and white illustrations were well done, the script and characters fell flat for me. The bully was quite stereotypical and his friend who was a bystander to his bullying did not do enough, in my opinion, to stand up for the victims. I also feel like the story ended too quickly.

Due to my YALSA committee commitments, I am unable to leave reviews. Please see www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub to see our future reviews for Great Graphic Novels for Young Adults. Thank you!

I received this arc from NetGalley and these opinions are my own. I’m newer to the graphic novel type but I’ve been enjoying the ones I’ve read. I liked the slower build to Blackwater and that it took a bit for the reader to find out what was going on! It felt realistic and I feel like it provided room for both Tony’s and Eli’s backstories to be told! I also liked the way Tony was with Eli it was cute to watch him trying to get close to Eli, clearly someone who has a crush! I also enjoyed the art, really helped paint the picture of the story! This is definitely a story that I can’t wait to read again when it comes out!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks for the ARC.

This was a great start! Definitely spooky vibes, I liked the dynamics of the character relationships. I would like more backstory for sure, as the ARC I read was an incomplete version of the book, unless the book actually ends on a major cliffhanger? I didn't really get the "irreverent humor of Nimona" comparison as I didn't find anything too funny, yet, like I said it was incomplete. I am looking forward to the rest. I enjoyed the two different art styles, and hope the final version is in color.

Oh I am SO excited to finally get to read this, I've know about it for a while now as an online web comic but I never managed to. It's got ghosts, werewolves, gays, the works! I'm very much into the art style and I'm eager to see where it goes.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! What do you mean I have to wait for the next volume!?

Apparently this book is marketed as Riverdale meets Stranger Things. I have seen neither, so for me, it was a paranormal suspense (I say suspense because the supernatural would catch me unaware) and had me holding my breath waiting for them to get to know eachother better. You could boil it down to the typical jerky jock who has parent issues and a nerd who has medical issues, just two teens just trying to figure out why they feel this magnetic pull and what it means. I would get locked into their stories and trials and then get a "gentle reminder" that this is also a paranormal mystery story.

Both of the creators alternated drawing the chapters in their own style. It worked for me, but if you have an eye for artistic continuity, this might be a skip for you if the visuals distract you too much from the story. I, however, love the uniqueness it brings to the story. The Chapter 1 artist has a softer style that lends well to the potential love story, and the Chapter 2 artist has an edgier, rougher texture that handles the paranormal phenomenally,

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next volume!

This was great! It wasn't exactly a unique twist on the werewolf genre but it was still really good. I loved the story and the art style was amazing. Even though it was in black and white I still really enjoyed the art style. It fit the story really well. The characters as well were fantastic. All around I just really enjoyed this.

I really just have to say I would protect Eli (both of these boys) with my life. It’s a cool graphic novel, with an interesting story. I felt like the art style made them look older than high schoolers, but that’s not a dealbreaker. An engaging mix of humor and heavier things, lots of action, and compelling emotional connections.

This graphic novel that was reminiscent of a supernatural Riverdale was a fun read. I think that people that enjoy Riverdale, Vampire Diaries, or other similar shows would like this graphic novel. It has ghosts, werewolves, high school drama, and mystery. Two guy that are opposites become friends and more as they solve a spooky mystery. I wasn't entirely a fan of the art style, but I didn't mind it too much because I was interested enough in the story. It dealt with many issues that I think teens can relate to.

I didn't love this, even though I loved the synopsis. Something about the tone and characterization just didn't work for me, but hopefully others will enjoy it. (And as a note, the eARC version I downloaded didn't have ANY artwork for the first chapter--just speech bubbles and roughly sketched panel lines...it was a bit disconcerting.)