This was an interesting read. I wouldn’t really call it horror though. The concept was good but i felt the pacing was off in a couple of parts. However the art was fantastic and really helped bring the story to life.

This is pitched as a YA horror graphic novel, but I really wouldn't consider this horror at all. It felt more like a spooky middle grade, which was fine because I do love those as well. We're following Nell, who is a rebellious Irish teen, who gets into some trouble at school, so her mom ships her off to live with some distant relatives. When she arrives, they are all very cold and unkind to her which makes Nell feel sad and lonely. There is some magical realism involved, which seemed kind of out of place in the story line, that involves a bloodline sacrifice that has been happening for centuries. The style of conversation is a little different since it's written with an Irish accent in mind. One of the character's names was really hard to pronounce. The plot was ok but not sure it all connected smoothly, but I think the ending wrapped up well.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Children's for an eARC of this book in exchange of my honest review. #CryOutLoud #NetGalley

Cry Out Loud is an enjoyable stand alone story about breaking the cycle of generational trauma and abuse, exploring emotional attachments and love through family and friendships. I really enjoyed the artwork and the story overall. It wasn't particularly "scary" but it is a young adult graphic novel, so I didn't expect anything explicit. Although the tale is wrapped up within this one volume, I would not be upset if O'Connor decided to revisit Nell's world. I really liked the characters introduced here.

A premise that pulls you right in with the intrigue of complicated family dynamics and a girl you automatically root for being sent off to a mysterious island. While I love the romantic subplot in this, I do wish that more time was spent developing the dark lore of their family. If that were done then the horror element would've felt more present instead of it really only being slightly thrilling in the last third or so. The story is set up to surround Nell, so it would make more sense to focus on her and her family's history on the island. I also definitely wanted to learn more about Nell's cousin Theo. He has two critical moments in the narrative, but we don't hear anything else from him and his quiet but observant nature left me frustratedly curious about him. Absolutely vibrant art style that I'd love to see more works of!

“The inability of one generation to cope…just needlessly piles onto the next until everyone’s backs are broken.”
Nell has gotten into a wee bit of trouble at school. Her mother decides the best course of action is to ship Nell off to an island to stay with relatives that she’s never met. When Nell arrives on the island, her relatives are not even there to greet her. Thankfully the local lighthouse keeper, Caiomhe, lends a helping hand. Not so thankfully…Nell’s relatives and their house are super creepy. Nell will find out how far she is willing to go for family.

#ThxNetGalley #TaraO'Connor #CryOutLoud

I don't know about you but I really enjoy folklore. Though I enjoy all types, I particularly enjoy Irish folklore. This folklore has a place in the book I just finished "Cry Out Loud" by Tara O'Conner. The books deals with families, mistreatment and the price of following tradition.

"Cry Out Loud" follows teenager Nell O'Brien, she's been suspended for a semester. She and her mother already have issues the two never seeming to agree on a topic. So when her mother sends her to the remote Irish island where her mother grew up. Nell isn't surprised. But from the first moment she's on the island things start to seem weird.

For one thing there is no cell service, but she can write that off to the remoteness of the island. But what is even weirder is the family she's staying with. Though they are technically related she's never met them before.

They are cold and distant and there seems to be something nefarious going on. Luckily for her she has one friend on the island. The woman who helped her when she first got there and Caoimhe. The older woman is especially helpful with some dangerous things start to go down. But is she really as well intentioned as she seems.

Grab this volume when it comes out September 16 2025 to find out more! The vibes of this are very much mystical and family drama along with female rage.

I loved the relationship this book showed between Nell and her mother. Now I want to clear things up. The relationship wasn't positive or even good. But I do think it was realistic for the circumstances. There are lots of things brought up about negative mother daughter relationships throughout this piece.

That is refreshing to see because not all mother daughter relationships are sunshine and rainbows. The reasons for this relationship in the text are complex. And mostly have to do with her mother fearing a loss of her daughter.

Still when everything is said and done and things are put back mostly right Nell brings up an interesting point. Even if someone doesn't remember doing something bad can we still blame them for it. And if not what does one do with all the feelings of hurt from the others actions?

"Cry Out Loud" doesn't offer any easy answers. Instead asking us to debate the questions ourselves. I enjoyed this immensely, and happily give it five stars. I can't wait to read more by Tara O'Connor and want to pick up "Fly By Night" next.

This kept me guessing the whole time. I couldn’t believe the spooky turn it took and the build up to the ending was fantastic! I highly recommend if you love a good old fashioned ghost story!

Banshees! But wait... They're not to the real monsters here? People are? Who'd have thunk. A solid story where we learn how horrible people really are. A decent look at generational trauma. Luminous illustrations.

Over all a good read that's spooky but is more thought provoking than terrifying. A great choice for younger YA who want a little bit scary.

The art is beautiful and the storyline was fun! I had some questions about the plot and storyline but other than that it was a fun read for me!

Thank you for the e-arc of this wonderfully written YA horror graphic novel.

I will say I think this could have been a little more ‘bone-chilling’. I would have loved to have seen more of the history of the town, and more of the actual hunt. I feel we spent a lot of time setting up and then the ending ove the novel went by so fast I was left wanting for more.

With all that said, Cry Out Loud is a perfect entry horror novel, you were easily able to follow along with the story and what was happening and the graphics were very good!

Cry Out Loud really stayed with me. It’s an emotional and beautiful story about breaking the cycle of generational trauma. It also explores what it means to stand together and do the right thing even when the world is telling you something else. The characters felt real and layered, each carrying their own history and pain.

This graphic novel wrecked me in the most beautiful way. I cried more than once. The art is lovely and expressive, perfectly matched to the tone of the story. If you're looking for something meaningful and beautifully done, this one is well worth your time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Cry Out Loud by Tara O'Connor is a YA horror graphic novel set on an island off the coast of Northern Ireland. Nell is a troubled young woman who has a very difficult relationship with her mother. When her mother sends her to a remote island with no cell service, she’s isolated from her friends and the relatives she’s staying with are acting suspicious. But there’s a lot more going on than a break from school.

The book opens with an explanation of how to pronounce traditional Irish names and then states very clearly that Irish doesn’t look like English because it’s not English. Given the conversations we’ve been having around Romantasy and the use of Welsh, Scottish, and Irish in fantasy spaces as ‘flavor’ when they are minority languages, I did really appreciate this. I’m starting to get sick of the gag ‘Oh, Irish is spelled weird’ so this subtle dig at it was really nice.

I am torn between calling this horror or paranormal. Paranormal can have some of the spine-tingling moments that are present in horror but the atmosphere that builds and builds is so important in horror. I will go with horror today but I might change my mind in the future because I feel that the supernatural elements slotted a bit more neatly into my personal definition of paranormal. I feel that the supernatural elements and the scary moments would be appropriate for a middle schooler or even a late elementary schooler and there is no sexual content or nudity on the page.

The art style is very colorful and vibrant and isn’t quite like anything I’ve seen before. It reminds me of the Middle Grade covers from my childhood so it holds a real nostalgia value for me. It’s definitely not a limited color palette and I do like it when graphic novels are as colorful as real life is.

I would recommend this to fans of graphic novels that deal with cults and supernatural elements and readers looking for a graphic novel with complicated mother-daughter relationships

I really enjoyed some of the themes that this touched on, especially how to make peace with a distant and/or emotionally abusive parent. (Or not.) Unfortunately, I didn't feel like a lot of the magic made that much sense. I enjoyed the creeping dread of the graphic novel's atmosphere, but I ended the GN with more questions than answers. I wish we'd spent a bit more time developing the world and the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This comes out in September

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Random House Children's for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dark stories, LGBTQ representation, families

I loved this so much. It's very creepy and well done. The atmosphere was perfect for the book. I love the artwork. The ending made me cry. I highly recommend it!

This graphic novel being promoted as “spine-chilling YA horror” just doesn't fit what it is.

While I did enjoy the story, I would not categorize it as “horror.” The plot focuses much more on the characters and their relationships rather than on the town’s lore—something that could have helped build a stronger horror atmosphere. If anything, the tone felt closer to middle grade horror rather than YA.

The story leans heavily into themes of family trauma and tense relationships, with a time travel element woven in. I really loved the illustrations—they had a warm, cozy feel rather than a spooky one. And I thought the ending was really sweet!

In the end....if you’re after a true horror graphic novel, this might not be what you’re looking for. But if you’re interested in a graphic novel that explores family trauma and strange generational rituals, paired with charming illustrations, I think you’ll enjoy it. Plus, there’s an adorable older sapphic couple!

Cry Out Loud is billed as a “horror” graphic novel but read more like a fantasy mystery to me. The story focuses on Nell and her complicated relationship with her emotionally unattached mom. Sent away to a distant relatives house, Nell starts experiencing strange things and soon realizes she has been sucked into a deadly family tradition. I really enjoyed this graphic novel- it had gorgeous artwork and a strong, brave, and courageous female main character. 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the graphic novel Cry Out Loud.

This graphic novel is being marketed as “spine-chilling YA horror” and honestly, I would not say that.

While I enjoyed the novel, I definitely wouldn’t call it “horror.” The novel mainly focused on the characters and their relationships and not much on the town lore—which I think would have added to the “horror” part of it. I think if you want to call this a horror graphic novel, it would be closer to middle grade, not YA.

There was a big focus on family trauma and strained relationships. There was also a time travel element. I really liked the illustrations, though they gave off more cozy vibes instead of horror vibes. I thought the ending was cute!!

Overall, if you’re looking for a horror graphic novel, this is probably not it. However, if you want a graphic novel that focuses on trauma and weird family generational rituals with cute illustrations, you will probably enjoy this one! There’s also a cute old sapphic couple!

In this gripping YA horror graphic novel, a rebellious Irish teen finds herself swept away to a secluded ancestral home, where she’s expecting a quiet visit with distant relatives. However, what she discovers is far from ordinary. Unbeknownst to her, she’s the latest in a long line of victims to be chosen for a deadly generational blood ritual. Trapped in a chilling web of family secrets, dark traditions, and ancient horrors, she must navigate the twisted history of her bloodline. With every step, she unearths more about her family's sinister past and the deadly fate that awaits her.

As the oppressive shadows of the past close in, the protagonist must summon the strength to confront her ancestors and break free from the vicious cycle that has condemned generations before her. This isn’t just a fight for survival—it’s a battle for her very soul. The novel expertly blends spine-tingling suspense with emotional depth, creating a truly haunting tale of survival, courage, and defiance against the ancient forces that seek to control her fate. With breathtaking illustrations and a pulse-pounding plot, this dark, atmospheric graphic novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats, leaving them questioning how far they would go to escape a cursed legacy.

An unforgettable journey into a world where family loyalty and blood ties could be the death of you.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute YA "horror" graphic novel that could have been a little more bone-chilling, in my opinion, but still an enjoyable read. What I found off-putting was focusing more on the relationship between two characters and not going more in depth with the lore behind the town, its residents, and the meaning behind the basis of the novel. While the relationship aspects were touching and sweet, it just didn't provide a full-rounded feeling to the plot.

The illustrations were well done well, and the novel did its job with targeting the audience it was intended to, providing lessons on family and the power of trauma and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed the artwork in this book, and the premise was very interesting. It didn't hook me as much as I wanted it to and I feel like a lot of characters were never fleshed out, but it was still really good and I'm always a sucker for sapphic love.

Thank you Tara O'Connor, Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC!