this one was a little dark, a little silly, and all around a fun time. i related heavily to catherine's struggle to remain pious and good (as i feel so many of us raised in the faith are) and the demonic presence actually managed to provide a lot of good comedic relief. the art style was clean and striking, and the story was really enjoyable and fast-paced. obvious content warning if you're an ex-catholic.

Catherine may have moved out of her parent's house, but their Catholicism has followed her. Despite being in a relationship, having a job, and realizing she may not have the same beliefs as her parents, her mother's calls and guilt eat away at her. So when she misses mass for the first time, ever, she has a crisis of conscience and starts to belive that a string of bad luck is actually a sign she is possessed by evil.
An interesting, fantastical take on religion and guilt, Saint Catherine is a thoughtful read I am still thinking about weeks later.

Saint Catherine is a fantastic exercise in Catholic guilt, symbolism of that guilt, family strife, interpersonal drama, and more. When Catherine skips mass for the first time ever, she soon discovers a demon inside of her. Has it always been there or is this a result of her negligence? Through his love of hell, he pressures her to be brutally honest in all the ways she hasn't been in order to save her soul. But is it enough? In attempting to be a good Irish Catholic, she hurts those closest to her until she can no longer deal with the pressure.

The illustrations are fun and the demon is a humorous--well, I suppose we wouldn't call him a sidekick, but you know what I mean. Catherine's struggles are hugely relatable regardless of whether you're religious or not. If you feel guilty or ashamed, Catherine is someone you can relate to.

This all wraps up humorously and tidily, making it a well-rounded story.

Anna Meyer has certainly captured the weird and specific ways being raised in the Catholic Church and trying to break away from it as a young adult can mess with your mind- Catherine's determination to follow a set of rules and lack of a wider understanding of what makes a "good person" is particularly poignant. The side characters were also all charming and felt real.

The art was lovely and expressive, and I loved the use of a limited color pallet.

My main complaint is that I went into this hoping that the book would have a bit more horror to it, and was disappointed there. I also found that while the emotional arc of the story are completed well, the ending itself felt a little rushed.

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second books for a review copy of this book!

I picked this up based on my interest in St. Catherine of Siena, but as I read it, this book really resonated with me as someone who grew up a cradle Catholic and has struggled in my walk with the faith. It's a perfect read for millennials who grew up religious but grapple with guilt of not living up to their parents' expectations of religiousness.

This was a really good coming of age graphic novel! I flew through this one and found it to be really relatable and interesting. I really liked Catherine’s character and her struggles felt real and believable. I loved the art style and thought it complimented the story well. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

I really enjoyed reading "Saint Catherine." I was raised Catholic and no longer practice, so I imagine I am part of the target audience for this book. It handles the topic of Catholicism more respectfully than I thought it would based on the blurb, and thankfully religion is not the only focus of the story. The art was also very well done, with character designs that fit the story. Without giving away any spoilers, I thought the story was wrapped up in a satisfying manner, and serves as a good reminder that we all have to live with the choices that we make.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who grew up devoutly catholic and has lived with the intense view that hell is something very real and all of your miss steps will lead you there, I identified with this graphic novel deeply. I understand where Catherine is coming from. I had terrible night terrors as a child and many of my manifestations were religious. Haunting visions of demons, devils and the damned. Overall this graphic novel really spoke to that experience.

often as we leave home and are faced with deciding on our own whether to continue with church the way our parents saw it or can we find a way to find our own faith. a great read for all who struggle with this.

There were parts of the ARC that were missing, but from what I could read, I enjoyed it. I plan on purchasing it so I can read it more in depth when it comes out because I enjoy the art of the graphic novel and I like the plot.

A beautiful graphic novel about religious trauma. This is a much needed message for those out there who need to hear that the standards you use to define yourself as a good person shouldn't be rooted in guilt and fear. Shocking twist ending! So cute and healing.

This was a fun and interesting novel, it was gorgeous and I thought the story was very nice. I just don't think I was the target audience for this one.

Thank you to First Second Books and Netgalley for an eARC of this book!

I enjoyed Saint Catherine so much. Though I did not grow up catholic, I did grow up in a very Christian household. I went to church every week. Went to a Christian school, worked at Christian jobs, etc. I didn't know anyone outside of my religion for a long time. Reading this reminds me of my early college experience (which I still am going through). I felt really bad skipping church when I first did it, and though I got over that, then proceeded to find my way back to God, I find this thought process very relatable. I really like this sub-genre of kind of religious non-religious books that First Second Books has put out! It's so good, and it's honestly really interesting to read about. I cannot wait to pick up my own copy of this.

This is a stunning and often funny graphic novel that tackles complex feelings like guilt, faith, and devotion. Religion and the belief in heaven and hell can be a scary thing, especially for a child, and SAINT CATHERINE grapples with these big topics in a relatable and unique way. Meyer places her skeptical heroine in the middle of a diverse and loving found family, including her BIPOC, queer roommate, Kim, and Latino bf, Manolo, much to the chagrin of her extremely Catholic and conservative biological family. Catherine's guilt over her faith, or lack thereof, and some deep-seated secrets she's keeping from her family and boyfriend, eventually make her believe she's been possessed by a demon. I loved all of the illustrations in SAINT CATHERINE, but especially of her witty demon friend, who is kind of like a gooey version of Lucy from DISENCHANTMENT. With gorgeous art reminiscent of Lucie Byron's THIEVES and trauma I'm sure most of us can identify with, SAINT CATHERINE is a stellar debut from newcomer Anna Meyer that I can't wait to buy physically for my graphic novel collection.

Catherine has never missed a single Sunday mass, but on the one day she does, she is possesed by a demon who wants her soul and starts making her question her choices and life style, including a choice she made a year ago that would change everything as she knew it. I loved the story telling, the artwork and the metaphorical sense of a "parasite" for inner guilt.

I have had a lot of friends that grew up in strict Catholic households and felt a lot of Catholic -guilt growing up when they didn't attend church or confessional. This graphic novel helped me understand what they were going through a little more. I loved how not only did Catherine feel guilty from not attending church the one time, but she went all the way to think she was possessed. To my non-religious self, I found that hilarious. The graphics in this one were great, they matched the dark vibes of the book. I also liked how there were just a few characters., you really got to see each of there personalities and they were all enjoyable to follow. I read this one in one sitting, so I would definitely recommend it.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

A really well written and beautifully stunning story. The illustrations were vibrant and evocative, and the book keeps you guessing - is Catherine really possessed by a demon/many demons, is she having a mental breakdown, or are the giant black blobs just manifestations of her guilt? I read the majority of this graphic novel in one sitting, and I liked how everything played out. I had to shave off half a star because I can't, on principle, give a book 5 stars if there's cheating. My sympathy for Catherine dropped about 80% once that was revealed. I'm so glad Manolo stood firm and moved on at the end; he deserved better.

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel that tackles generational and religious trauma, relationships, and morals. It's a quick read but I really enjoyed it! The imagery is beautiful and it's a very relatable story of how we can create our worst nightmares ourselves. I do wish the demon that is haunting Catherine was more fleshed out but I think the twist kind of sets that in a different direction. There's funny, sad, and tender moments throughout. I'll definitely be giving this another read and checking out Meyer's future works.

I had originally started reading this on Webtoons years ago and was excited to see the book version. While I was invested in Catherine and her relationships with others, I found myself disconnected from the plot at the start. The demon aspect didn't feel as fleshed out as I would have expected, though it mostly falls into place later on. The second half of the book was emotionally impactful, with Catherine's trauma and guilt out in the open. The ending was bittersweet and hopeful, and the soft art style compliments this well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC!

Beautiful and captivating graphic novel. The story is a harmony of suspense, emotion, and comedic relief. I felt so connected with the main character and her battle with emotional turmoil and her moral compass. A beautiful story for anyone who has struggled with mental health and/or religious trauma.