Literally slathered in stress relief advice, and suicide prevention contacts, this series takes a serious side of the world and puts killer witch thingies on top of it. Our heroine has been in a mental hospital for some time, with depression and with being considered at risk, but any attempt to get out and back into the real world of school, friends and sports training is beset by ghostly visits, apparitions, fantastical elements from the other world – and not only are they going to get worse and worse, but our gal is the only person alive with the power to stop them taking over...

You can get a certain impression from this early on when you know that this is just a self-contained four starter – that the thing will be incredibly well-intentioned, and very meaningful for some, but will not be able to provide that satisfying a story in the short time allotted. And thus it proved – the supernatural elements have to increase slowly, over the first few issues, and the enforced ending has to make everything escalate and escalate then climax and be over in far too brief a time. Clearly the book isn't about the supernatural – it is about life in general, wanting life, beating life's ability to throw problems in our way. It is designed to test the old adage about what doesn't kill us making us stronger to the nth degree, and there it certainly succeeds. But even with a trans-Pacific element to the ghost story, a nice quirk from a marble, and more, the ghostly side of things are weak – acting like a roller-coaster with one slow ascent, a nice drop – and then nothing else, show's over folks, please exit via the gift shop.

I hope this catches the eye of many who think life is a bit crummy, or inspires many to drop the s-word with a friend they have concerns for. But as an entertainment, three and a half stars is a smidge generous.

definitely an enjoyable and interesting graphic novel, if a bit generic at times. i'm not usually a graphic novel reader. but this was good. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this graphic novel

I found this an interesting story of a young adult struggling but no one understands what she is going through, my attention to this was in and out of being invested in the story

Glad I read it but it's not one I am going to buy and keep.

I was intrigued by the use of mental health in this and think it's an interesting idea.

The artwork was well done, though not really my style.

I have bad eyes and deal with migraines and sadly I had to DNF as I didn't find this accessible to read. From the very first panels I found it difficult to read - possibly the black text in white bubbles which felt so bright on the darker images. I then just really struggled to keep my eye focused and felt like the panels were jumping about on the page (I've never considered myself dyslexic in the traditional sense of words moving about but this was 100% what I imagine that is like). That latter part is not the book's fault - perhaps I would find it easier when I'm at 100%, after all I've read other graphic novels easily, but sadly I don't see 100% coming to me any time soon and I'm a bit put off with the book now.

As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression and who loves comics this one was so emotive and beautiful in a darker way. The way it is based on Naomi’s own personal struggle I think comes through in how tender this story is dealt with. While there is an element of the paranormal there is a human element and realism that cannot be ignored.

The panels are beautiful with a fantastic colour palette, the text is placed well and there is a good ratio of panel to text space. In short this creates a great graphic novel with a fantastic story. I do think those who have battled or are still battling mental health this will stick with them but on another level fans of paranormal comics will enjoy this as well.

As always thank you to Image Comics and Netgalley for the copy to review. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.

Summary:

Cleo is a sixteen-year-old girl who’s dealing with some things. She’s been coping with anxiety and depression and has had more than her fair share of suicidal thoughts. But for a time, she thought she was doing better.

Then she started seeing the ghosts. Are they real, or is this another sign that she must return to intensive care? Who will believe her if she reaches out about what is happening around her?

Review:

Ghosts, legends, and lost family secrets - where do I sign up?! But seriously, A Haunted Girl is the perfect recipe for a paranormal graphic novel in my book. The pacing was the only reason I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to (and boy, did I want to). It's all over the place.

Let's take a step back. A Haunted Girl is a dark story with a lot of potential. The setting is fantastic, the family lore is interesting (but we could have used more), and the characters were SO close to being perfect. I'm trying to say I love this story's idea. It's got great bones, and a little more work could have made it out of this world.

In addition to loving the potential of A Haunted Girl, I adored the adored. Despite the overall darker tone, the colors are rich and vibrant. They make for very visually appealing pages, especially as the more paranormal elements seep into them. It's a fantastic effect.

Highlights:
Horror & Fantasy
Ghosts Galore
Friendship to the Max
Family Secrets

Trigger Warnings:
Mental Health
Death & Hauntings

This graphic novel was emotive and captivating, and I loved every page. Father and daughter duo Ethan and Naomi Sacks teamed up to write this story based on Naomi's own struggles with mental health. This brought a realistic element that definitely spoke to me as a reader. The parallels drawn between depression and the supernatural were moving, highlighting how strength can be found when we look to others for help.

With a beautiful art style and colour use reflecting the main character's inner thoughts, A Haunted Girl was a striking graphic novel. Anyone looking for an uplifting (and sometimes spooky!) read should give this a try.

A good start to a possible series. The comic issues 1-3, feature a girl in school who is suffering from depression. In addition, there are scary ghouls that she has to deal with.

I really liked the art style, as it was very colorful and had a lot of stuff in the background. I thought it was the perfect style needed for a horror comic that also deals with mental health. It seemed as if the color and chaos of the art style increased with the worse our main character was feeling.

I also liked the depiction of mental health and horror together. However, I felt like I wanted just a little bit more on both mental health and the horror aspect.

Overall, it was very good. Just needed a bit more oomf.

“The fate of all life on earth depends on a girl who doesn’t know if she wants to live.”

The art in this is absolutely stunning and I was immediately pulled into the story and needed to know what was next.

I love the resources provided throughout this. It makes it abundantly clear that depression and mental health in this story are not just being used as a plot device. The authors clearly care about the issue.

Thank you to Netgalley and Image Comics for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This graphic novel is the epitome of what it is to live with depression and mental health concerns. While it is telling the story of a girl saving the world from an apocalypse, it goes deeper than that, showing that those who are suffering are in dire need of loved ones and friends to step up and show that they believe in them no matter what their mental health is doing.

It was so nice seeing mental health and anxiety represented in such a real way for me. I felt so much for the character and her fight with her struggles and it was nice to see her over comment and made me believe that it’s possible for me to overcome it as well.

Absolutely captivating and deeply moving, A Haunted Girl by Ethan Sacks and Naomi Sacks is more than a ghost story; it's a beautifully crafted tale of resilience, healing, and the power of love and connection. This graphic novel follows the journey of a young girl grappling with her inner demons, who must confront both literal and figurative ghosts to reclaim her life.

The story is powerful and tender, tackling themes of trauma and mental health with sensitivity and empathy, while the artwork brings each page to life with haunting beauty and emotional depth. Ethan and Naomi Sacks skillfully blend supernatural elements with real-world struggles, creating a narrative that resonates deeply with anyone who has faced loss, fear, or self-doubt.

The Haunted Girl is more than just an amazing read—it's a heartfelt experience that stays with you long after the last page. This is a must-read for fans of graphic novels with heart, and for anyone who appreciates stories that capture the beauty in life’s most challenging journeys.

Synopsis: A Haunted Girl follows Cleo, a sixteen year-old girl trying to find a new normal as she continues to battle personal demons following a brief hospital stay. But finding normal isn't coming easily to Cleo, and it has everything to do with the otherworldly things she's been seeing lately. Cleo doesn't know if they're real or not, and there is the added pressure that the future of the world may rest on shoulders.

Review: A Haunted Girl is a graphic novel that I wish had been around when I was a teenager struggling with major depressive disorder. I remember what it was like to constantly be on edge, or just in the depths of despair while dealing with life as a teenager. I don't know if it would have changed much for me, but at minimum, having it would mean that someone saw and understood my struggles, and that I wasn't alone. As I still struggle with depression and anxiety, I feel that a small part of me, perhaps the younger version of me who struggled and felt so alone has been healed by reading A Haunted Girl.

The authors don't pull punches with A Haunted Girl. They show depression for the horror that it is, and that managing the ups and downs that come with it don't get easier. Cleo's isn't portrayed as a victim, but as a vulnerable and resilient person who desperately needs understanding from the people around her,. Instead, she mostly finds isolation, misunderstanding, and judgment, along with support that she doesn't quite understand how to utilize, She feels alone as she continues to struggle with her recovery.

However, it's in this confusing and lonely space that Cleo connects with her true purpose: saving the world from a supernatural evil that wants to destroy everyone and everything. In order to do that, she has to confront her personal demons that threaten to destroy her, and the demon that is hellbent on destroying the world.

The illustrations are beautifully rendered, and capture the mood of each scene perfectly. Sometimes, graphic novels can miss the mark with the illustration, but Marco Lorenzana understood the assignment in each panel.

The story is challenging but empowering, and although I am well past my teenage years, I related to Cleo very easily. Her struggles with her mental health will resonate with anyone who has struggled in the same way, and it's for that reason that I think A Haunted Girl should be read by everyone.

This was a book I didn't know I needed in my life. I have never read something which spoke to me on so many levels.

The story is stunning and so well written and with the up most respect for the subject matter. The characters ARC is something of my dream.

I would recommend this book to everyone but check where you are mental when you read it as it can make you feel alot

A Haunted Girl, written by Ethan Sacks, is a gripping blend of supernatural horror and emotional drama. The story follows Cleo, a teenage girl grappling with the loss of her mother and her own struggle with mental health, as she discovers that her haunting visions and nightmarish experiences might not just be symptoms of trauma but encounters with real malevolent forces.

Sacks weaves a narrative that balances psychological depth with paranormal intrigue. Cleo’s emotional journey is central to the story, making her a relatable and sympathetic character. Her grief and struggle with mental health are portrayed with care, offering a raw look at how isolation and unresolved trauma can take on monstrous forms—both literal and metaphorical.

The supernatural elements in A Haunted Girl are effectively unsettling. Sacks does an excellent job of blending eerie, atmospheric horror with intense moments of fear, keeping readers on edge throughout. The pacing is tight, and the mystery surrounding Cleo’s haunting gradually unfolds, leading to a satisfying and chilling climax. The ghosts and paranormal activities aren’t just thrown in for scares—they are tied directly to the emotional core of the story, making the horror feel more personal and impactful.

Visually, the artwork complements the haunting atmosphere of the story, with dark, moody illustrations that enhance the tension. The ghostly apparitions and supernatural encounters are depicted in a way that feels both terrifying and intimate, adding to the overall eerie tone of the book.

Overall, A Haunted Girl is a compelling read that merges supernatural horror with heartfelt drama. Sacks' thoughtful character development and suspenseful storytelling make it a standout in the genre, offering both chills and emotional depth.

The inspiration behind this story is a great concept but I definitely would've enjoyed a better execution and more development of our protagonist's inner circle. The supernatural elements were very cool and I liked the idea of other cultures (Japanese and Aztec) worshiping the same deity but calling it different things. I find that idea fascinating in religion but also if godly creatures are real then it makes sense for other cultures to have different iterations of the same thing, but it's a brief note in the book so I won't go down that rabbit hole further.

This book is about a girl suffering from depression and there are people who care about her and support her but only her uncle/dad figure was really there for her, her "best friend" didn't really give off those vibes of truly having her back except for when she sang that song in the hallway just to make her smile. That was sweet but when things got hard she folded immediately, which on one hand I get it. If your bestie said something outlandish and she had just been hospitalized for mental health then I'd be wary but I wouldn't immediately abandon her. I know bestie got jumped by a zombie, but that's not the point! She didn't die and proceeded to sit there while her friend ran off and even if you think she's lost it, why would you let her go off by herself in the rain in the middle of nowhere?! That's not bestie material, but that's just me I guess, lol. She's not a terrible friend or anything but this is something I noticed.

Overall, this book could've used more development on the relationships because it's trying to tell the story of how this girl comes to realize she wants to live. With the supernatural chosen one plot, that isn't at all unique (I mean this factually, not in a bad way), this story at it's heart really needed to emphasize its characters and their development because that's really all this story has going for it. It's about the people, mental health struggles, finding inner strength to do what's necessary, etc. Her uncle/dad was a good display of this because we see him struggling to be a parent and trying to do what's best for Cleo. It was funny though when he offered to go on a run with her to cheer her up and and barely made it a few blocks, I cracked up at that and it was a sweet moment for sure.

I feel like this comic approached mental health in a really well thought out way. Cleo's struggle with her mental health was relatable and felt really genuine.

I enjoyed this story and would definitely read more! My only complaint is that the story felt slightly rushed at times, I feel like it could have been drawn out a bit more to flow better.

Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for providing me with this arc

When a graphic novel starts like a B-rated horror movie, it's going to grab my attention. Cleo is a young woman learning to navigate her life after she tried to end it. Little does she know the lives of humankind depend only on her ability to stop an age-old curse? responsibility? placed on her bloodline. I enjoyed the premise accompanied by the harsh artistic flare of the artists. The plot lulled until partway through and concluded itself almost too quickly. I would've preferred at least 2-3 volumes of a story with lore I felt had a little more to say. The resources provided to readers about the origins of the author's idea for this story and the additional mental health resources were placed throughout the story in areas that provided a good reprieve from the heaviness of its topic. I gratefully received an e-ARC of this work via NetGalley and Image Comics.

Fun and creepy, touching and engaging. A fab read and a brilliant collection of work. Just a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this graphic novel. This was a very intense story about mental health. I enjoyed it, and think it is such a relevant topic, my issue is that it seemed rushed, and was too short. There were several parts that seemed to jump to conclusions. It felt like it just needed a little bit more polish.