Absolutely loved the art on this. It was a very cute graphic novel but had enough horror elements to keep you on the edge of your seat and trying to figure out what was going on! I just wish there was a little more wrapping up at the end, but it felt more lifelike as is. As they say in the book, life is messy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

i absolutely devoured this. the horror movie vibes are such a fun contrast to the romance, and i really loved the family dynamics in this. there is a really interesting dichotomy of family trauma with unbreakable family bonds, and the way those relationships contrast each other is really interesting. henry’s unbreakable bond with his sister is lovely, and cade’s occasionally-fraught relationship with his well-meaning stepdad was incredibly realistic and moving. the romance is beautiful, as well, the way these two deeply lonely, flawed boys find each other, and the way their relationship deepens as they open up to each other is stunning. i just really aggressively love this book.
(please be mindful of the tw’s here)

taylor swift vibe: honestly just the entirety of debut’s yeehaw, teen angst, first love vibes

recommended for: fans of horror movies and heartstopper, who always wished the two would somehow overlap.

(and a bit that i include in my public reviews, shared here:: if you’ve read it please yell with me about: the speech cade gives about why he loves horror movies)

As a horror fan who grew up loving Jane Austen, I knew I had to read this book the moment I saw what it was about. Northanger Abbey retold with gay teens in modern Texas? Yes please!
The story was highly engaging. I read it in one sitting; completely engrossed. I loved the characters. The art style appeals to me. This is a really solid retelling, which is enjoyable regardless of whether you've read the original or not.

This book is absolutely precious. I was entirely invested in the relationship between these two boys, and I just wanted to give them hugs and tell them everything will be okay. The art is beautiful, and the story is engaging. People who have read Northanger Abbey will appreciate both the similarities and differences between the two stories, and people who have not read Jane Austen's book will still fall in love with Northranger. There is queer trauma in this tale, but there is also queer joy, and the joy will make your heart full. Highly recommended for teens and up.

A heartwarming, adorable read. The dialogue was a little awkward at times but enjoyable nonetheless.

A good graphic novel.
The illustration is good, nothing out of the ordinary but good, the problem with this graphic novel is that it does not close any plot that it offered us, I would have liked it to have developed the story better , Or thats what i thing

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a digital copy of this book.

An extremely unique send-up of Northanger Abbey. What a cute gothic graphic with a romance and commentary on race and queerness.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Special thanks to SparkPointStudio and HarperAlley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up!

TL;DR: Northranger was an unexpected surprise in the best way. This was spooky and gothic and delivered a very emotional coming-of-age story featuring compelling main characters, entertaining side characters and an important story about learning to be yourself in a place where you won't be accepted for who you are.

First of all, I absolutely loved the art style and the choice to tell the story in sepia tones. I think it contributed to creating more of that spooky gothic atmosphere but also made the story feel like it could be happening at any time period. Save for a few mentions of modern-day technology, pop culture references and LGBTQIA+ laws the issues addressed in the story are still as relevant today as it was historically. I also enjoyed how the illustrator really captured all the nuances in the characters' expressions (face, body, gestures, etc.) in each scene.

Cade was in many ways your typical teenager. He's moody, he's a little bratty, and he's going through all the cycles of emotion on a daily basis. He's also a queer Latino teen who hasn't yet come out to his family and has to deal with racist comments from bigots. He is also obsessed with scary movies and has a vivid and wild imagination that kind of runs away from him this summer! I wouldn't say he was the most endearing character but it was easy to empathise with his situation and I mean, I probably would've been a sulky teen too if I was shipped off to do manual labour all summer. I was on the fence about his family at first, especially his mum and stepdad but I'm glad that they turned out to be decent people in the end, and I absolutely love his supportive step-sister, Alice. She was adorable 😂 I liked his relationship with Henry, who was a sweet, caring, and hardworking kid but it was very clear that he was going through a lot. There was a lot of grief and secret-keeping in this, which certainly drove the "mystery" aspect of Northranger's history and just what happened with Henry's family. I loathed their father, who was a douche-waffle of the highest order, but I adored Henry's twin sister, Henri. She was so supportive and understanding and I loved her friendship with Cade and Alice but also how she unfailingly stood up for herself and Henry against their father.

I was on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time I was reading this, especially as the family's secrets sounded more sinister with each turn! It was at turns heartbreaking and heartwarming to see Cade and Henry navigate their feelings and to see the (at times) surprising support they both received from the people in their lives. I think the only thing that I wish had been handled a bit differently was the ending because it felt very abrupt. It wasn't a perfect ending and I actually appreciated that most about the way things were "wrapped up"; however, I expected more time with the characters once they'd processed everything that had happened. Wasn't a huge deal though.

Overall, I would highly recommend Northranger, especially if you enjoy graphic novels that handle big themes well. It was emotional, it was funny, but it was also a bit sad and real!

This graphic novel was pretty good. There was some serious topics discussed but overall, the book felt super rushed. The peak of the book especially felt really rushed. I wish there had been more chemistry/time together developing between the main characters but it was decent.

Super sweet. Super adorable. Really enjoyed the setting and the overall vibe the book had, plus the art was really good!

It was a fun adaptation, and I enjoyed it! The ending felt kind of rushed and too simple, however, I would have enjoyed a more planned ending.

This was an enjoyable read for young adults grappling with identity. I almost wish it was a horror GN because I was enjoying the narrative Cade made in his head. It ended abruptly in my opinion, nothing was mentioned about Henry’s resolution, while this was cades story this was a major part of the plot as well

A queer spin on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, Northranger introduces readers to 16-year-old Cade Muñoz, who has to spend his summer working alongside his stepfather, Dale, in at the General's - Dale's old Army buddy - ranch. Not thrilled with the prospect of shoveling poop for the summer, not to mention sharing a room with Dale, he is pleasantly surprised to discover the General's friendly twin children, Henri and Henry. Cade and Henry are attracted to one another and start up a romantic relationship, but Cade is frustrated by Tyler's secretive nature; a ranch hand convinced that the General killed his wife doesn't help matters. As the teens struggle with homophobia, racism, coming out, and family relationships, their own relationship hits rocky waters. Cade is Mexican-American; his mother and grandmother sprinkle Spanish in their conversations. Cade's stepfather and stepsister are Black; Henry, his sister, and father are white. The sepia color palette adds a timelessness to the story, with creative use of shadows to add to the mystery of Northranger. An author's note rounds out the story. An excellent work of realistic fiction and YA romance.

I was pretty disappointed with this one. Because it’s marketed as horror, I expected it to be scary. There are several plot holes; the dialogue is artificial, and the whole thing feels very amateurish. The one saving grace was just the fact that it was fun for me to read about places I had been/live near.

I had a difficult time reading this book. "Northanger" tackles a wide range of tough topics but doesn't quite resolve them. There's a HEA without an acknowledgement of all the tragic plotlines that come before it.

A MODERN RETELLING OF NORTHANGER ABBEY IN GRAPHIC NOVEL FORMAT?! INCREDIBLE.

I really loved this story and its exploration of not only loneliness, but also the ease in which we can trick ourselves into thinking the worst due to our loneliness. I also loved the exploration of being gay in a place that absolutely does not accept it and how you navigate that.

Honestly, so, so good.

📖: Northranger
⭐️: 5/5
🌶️: .5/5 (Safe for teens and young adults!)
⚠️: Cussing, Bigotry, Racism, Sexism, Death, Alcoholism, Cancer, Anti-LGBTQIA+ Language

*This book was received as an arc. This review is voluntary.*

Please read all TW ahead of time. Some aspects of this graphic novel may be hard for certain audiences. It will definitely make you cry.

If you love graphic novels, thrillmances, and queer representation, this book is for you! This novel is a good representation of coming of age/YA for teens. While the summary claims it to be a retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, it’s honestly a modern gothic story. There’s thrills, twist, and turns that keep you wanting more. The bubbling romance between Cade and Henry are everything! I love that the illustrations are in brown. It’s easy on the eyes and really sets the Texas ranch scene. The narration itself can be on the nose at times, but I think that comes with the graphic novel tropes. The author’s did a great job building the suspense behind the Tyler family while keeping true to the characters they created. Even some of our secondary characters get redemption at the end! This is the perfect Summerween read to get you into the spooky spirit.

SUMMARY

Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz loves horror movies. As a queer kid in Texas, they’re a source of comfort and safety. When he has to work on a ranch over the summer with his stepfather, he expects to be miserable. However, he quickly develops a crush on the ranch owner’s son, Henry.

As they grow closer, Cade begins to suspect that Henry’s family is hiding something—something that may put his own family in danger.

REVIEW

I devoured this graphic novel in one day. The characters were deeply empathetic, and I loved Cade as a protagonist. Terciero’s writing did such a good job of capturing the crushing loneliness and anxieties of being a closeted queer teenager in the South, while Indigo’s expressive art did such an excellent job of bringing the characters to life.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While I’m giving this book four stars, I will say that I probably would have liked it more if I had read it back in middle or high school, or if I was a YA romance reader. I haven’t read Heartstopper, and as revolutionary as Love, Simon was, I’m never going to watch it. It’s just not my thing. As a horror reader, this really missed the spot for what I want from a title labeled as horror.

I won't say that it isn’t horror, but it’s far more gothic romance in the classical sense (obviously, as it a retelling of Austen’s Northanger Abbey) than the kind of horror in the movies Cade references throughout. If you’re looking for a YA horror graphic novel, this probably won’t hit the spot for you.

However, this was a *very* well-written contemporary YA graphic novel with cute art and a southern gothic spin. I would recommend it to folks who like contemporary YA queer romance (especially Heartstopper or Love, Simon) and Jane Austen.