This was an interesting murder mystery, I don't think I've read any murder mysteries in the graphic novel format and I honestly think I preferred it - there's something about how the illustrations build the environment and atmosphere that adds to the tension. Not one that takes itself too seriously but really enjoyable and fun with beautiful illustrative style.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
At Wilberton Academy for Girls, the theatre group is of the utmost importance. What starts off as a brilliant adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in the beginning turns just as deadly the next morning. For transfer student Abby Kita, everything at the school is overly dramatic. Still, when she’s accused of being the last person who saw Elizabeth, the perfect girl who played Juliet, dead, everything becomes blurry. While Abby is hiding secrets of her own, a shocking discovery of what goes on behind the black curtain of the theatre is just as disturbing. Will Abby be able to decipher the scandalous secrets before it’s too late?
Oh my goodness, this graphic novel was incredibly intense. I had a great deal of fun reading this story. I noticed Abby using a Walkman, so 90s, perhaps? Everyone seems to be playing the blame game, and mainly on Abby, but she knows how to push back. I sensed the bitterness and doubt among most of the students, especially within the theater group. However, that ending! And the reason behind everything? I felt upset and so angry. Mariko Tamaki does it again, creating a suspenseful masterpiece once more.

Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for an e-arc of This Place Kills Me.

From the very beginning you get a sense that the main character, Abby, is an outsider who doesn't exactly fit in at her all girls school.

This books takes us through Abby's journey of being an outsider at her all girls school to her finding courage and acceptance within herself.

The novel was very captivating and I especially enjoyed the art style—it was expressive, intimate, and beautifully matched the tone of the story. The atmospheric mood carried throughout the novel was captivating, pulling me in with each panel.

I enjoyed the characters in the novel and their dynamics were intriguing, but I wanted to see a little bit more character development and back to better understand them.

For the pacing of the novel, it felt a bit rushed toward the end and wrapped up a bit too quick with no real resolve to the characters actions.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Mariko Tamaki was able to do an excellent job of tackling meaningful themes with both care and nuance.

ARC provided by NetGalley. This was a fun mystery graphic novel! It doesn’t have as much depth into it that I would have liked, but it overall was an enjoyable read. I love the art style and the characters were good. Overall I think it could be fleshed out a little more but I think my students would eat it up!
Will be purchasing for our library.

I was a big fan of "Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me" and "This One Summer," so I knew I'd be biased going into "This Place Kills Me." But I was still surprised by how good this was! The pacing feels like a noir, and the characters feel reminiscent of girls I knew in high school. The art was beautiful. I can't wait to see it in full color! These characters and the reveals of the mystery have come back to me over and over since I read it. It's a great story, with sympathetic characters, and a mystery with inevitable momentum.

This graphic novel set at an all-girls boarding school in the 80s follows new student Abby who struggles to fit in and isn't really sure she even wants to. But when one of her classmates, a popular member of the Wilberton Theatrical Society, is found dead in the woods, Abby is suspicious. She isn't convinced the police are right in declaring it a suicide. Along with her student reporter roommate, she digs deeper. But rampant homophobia leaves Abby as an easy target for all those wanting to discredit her.

This was a tough read. Tamaki seems to be drawing heavily on her own experiences with homophobia at an all-girls school, and it is heartbreakingly obvious just how hard it was to be a queer person--much less a queer teen without any support--in those days. The story is strong and the art is beautiful, but this certainly isn't a graphic novel for the faint of heart.

At an all girls private school, the star actress of Romeo and Juliet is found dead after opening night. The school believes it was suicide, but Abby isn't so sure.

I enjoyed my time, but I wasn't wowed. The art style set the atmospheric tone and did a great job setting the scene. It gave the moody, all girls private school aesthetic. Overall, I thought it was well done.

The mystery was ok for me. The best way for me to describe my feelings is it was bland. There weren't enough twists or turns to keep me hooked. The reveal felt fine. I didn't feel surprised or mad. I felt indifferent.

The characters didn't leave a lasting impression on me. I didn't finish the story having an emotional connection to anyone. All of the characters fell flat for me, very one dimensional. I would've loved to see more character development/depth/backstory for all characters across the board. I feel that may be what was hindering my connection with them.

I enjoyed the setting. As a reader, the prep school mysteries growing up were so fun. In this instance, it was not used to its fullest potential. It had me wanting more.

For the pacing, the beginning did drag for me and the ending felt rushed. It made the story uneven, and it affected my enjoyment.

Finally, it was a decent graphic novel. I liked the art, appreciated the queer rep, and was intrigued by the setting. The story itself just wasn't memorable enough for me. It's not something I would see myself rereading or looking forward to more. If the characters and plot were more fleshed out, I would've had a stronger connection. Overall, it lands itself in the middle of the road for me. Didn't hate it or love it.

I love Abby! I immediately wanted to be her friend I mean she is the coolest! I think that this is a perfect piece of art for young people to understand why bullying is unacceptable and homophobia is so extremely hurtful. While we live in a different time than the setting of this book, bullying others based on their sexuality and differences is still so prevalent. It is important to reflect what our words and actions do to others. Overall such a thought provoking read perfectly suited for teens, I am definitely adding this to my school's Library!

This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Nicole Goux
A night of celebration, a wonderful performance of Romeo and Juliet, a dead star. Whispers of what happened abound at Wilberton Academy. Accusations are made about the new girl, Abby Kita. No one is taking her death seriously. Like other bad things, this is another item to quickly move on from as to not tarnish the school’s reputation. Abby does not believe Elizabeth committed suicide. The more Abby looks into what really happened to Elizabeth, the more she is certain Elizabeth did not commit suicide and there is something horrific happening at Wilberton.
Dreamlike shadowy art, layering of panels, and limited dialog heighten the emotion in the powerful images throughout. Inclusion of diary entries, letters, and clippings help you feel like you are trying to solve what happened. Content includes off page serial rape by a staff member and homophobia

I know if I pick up a book with either Mariko Tamaki's or Nicole Goux's name on it, I'll love it. This Place Kills Me is no exception to that.

I was so engrossed that I read it straight through in one sitting without putting it down.

What stands out to me the most is that This Place Kills Me seems like an evolution of (or at least a new take on) Tamaki's much earlier work, Skim. They both have similar set ups (ostracized young women at Catholic all girls schools, an apparent suicide, etc.) which makes for an interesting comparison of how her work has evolved in the nearly 20 years since Skim's release.

Markio Tamaki writes that this book is heavily influenced by her experience going to an all-girls school in the 1980's, and the reader certainly feels that. With the suicide/murder mystery and school outsider themes, I was also getting "Heathers" vibes ,which I enjoyed.

The art in this is amazing, and the shading is standout! The ARC I received was only in black and white, but previews show the final result will be in shades of salmon pinks and steel blues - which I'm sure is the exact color scheme of a sweater I owned in the early 90s. No doubt the full color will be stunning.

However, I feel like the story is a little lacking and tries to pack and balance a lot of different story elements into only 272 pages: Abby's backstory, her budding friendship with her roommate, the conspiracy taking place, the harassment Abby faces. We get enough to build context, but nothing feels fleshed out. As such, I don't feel a sense of suspense or peril. I would have loved for this book to be 50 pages longer to see how Tamaki and Goux could have built up the atmosphere a little more.
That being said, the story does tie itself up in a way that makes sense, albeit it does so quite quickly.

A good pick up for your YA shelves for fans of atmosphere, coming of age stories, and great art.

Content Warnings: Cursing, Homophobia, Bullying, Murder, Drug Abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Alcohol Use

This is a YA murder mystery graphic novel that tackles the dark side of elite adolescence at Wilberton Academy. The grungy artwork, layered mystery, and mature themes create an intriguing experience. As a note before we start, I’d suggest looking up some trigger warnings if you are sensitive to homophobia, drug use, sexual power dynamics, and likely others, however the author forewarns readers prior to the start to give context of the historical relevance in the 90s.

Set among the elite members of the Wilberton Theatrical Society, the story pivots around Elizabeth Woodward’s eerie death. Abby Kita, the new student, suspects foul play when the school writes it off as suicide. The narrative excels at inviting the reader to play detective, and the solution to the mystery was solvable based on the clues we received which was rewarding.

The graphic style is distinctly cool, very much reminding me of the 90s grunge scene which is very fitting for our main character. The artwork is rich with subtle visual clues that enable us to piece together the mystery through nuanced imagery.

While I did enjoy the read, I do think the pacing was a bit uneven. I feel like the beginning and flashbacks were a bit slow to come and the ending and resolution was way too quick. Additionally, this is the type of story where I don’t think you are really drawn to or “like” any of the characters, but are still interested in seeing where this story ends up.

Ultimately, I did enjoy this read and the mystery. If you appreciate queer stories with a bit of mystery and a bit of grunge, I would definitely suggest this read.

There’s something about this story—the isolation broken only by tragedy, the absolute senselessness of the death, the abuse of power by those who should protect—that lingers. I’ve read it three times and I’m about to start again.

Homophobia is rampant. Keep in mind it’s the eighties; they’re teaching Oscar Wilde and talking about homosexuality as a medical condition. Abby’s experience isn’t a pleasant one, but the storytelling and character growth is mesmerizing even if the mystery is tragically, frustratingly obvious to an adult reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Fanfare for providing me with an arc of this graphic novel.

*** Spoilers Ahead***

Abby is ostracized at her all girl boarding school due to rumors about her sexuality. When she discovers a member of the theatre society dead and the school claims it was a suicide, she takes it upon herself to find out what really happened.

This book was very emotional and could potentially be very upsetting to people struggling with bullying, their sexuality, or being groomed/preyed upon by an older adult in a position of power over them. I thought these themes were handled well, although I do wish Mr. Wilson ended up being punished for his crimes, rather than the girls continuing to lie for him. In this way, it was a very realistic portrayal of abuse and the justice system. I enjoyed Abby and Claire becoming friends and the mystery kept me guessing. I would definitely recommend this book, although I would warn any potential readers about possible triggers. It was excellently done and I enjoyed the accompanying artwork.

Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for the e-ARC of This Place Kills Me!
3 / 5 ⭐
This Place Kills Me is a sapphic murder mystery set in an all girls boarding school. It tried to tackle heavy themes like homophobia, grooming, and victimization, but it fell flat for me.

I absolutely loved this!! Abby is a very compelling main character and felt like a very good narrator for this story!

It reminds me a lot of the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray, which is one of my favorite series! I love the mystery aspects of it! I also love that it's set in the 80s!

I really liked the art! I thought that the character design was good, although sometimes I did get confused which blonde girl was which.

I would have liked to see more of Abby's past but I think for the constraints of a graphic novel, it would be hard to show without making it too long!

overall I really enjoyed this and think this is a perfect book for anyone looking for a quick little mystery!

I received this for my daughter that loves reading graphic novels. She really liked the storyline, she read it in one sitting. She enjoyed the characters stories as well. She said she would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys graphic novels

It's an engaging read, especially for fans of murder mysteries. What makes it especially impactful is Abby Kita’s journey toward self-acceptance. She begins as a timid, awkward teen dealing with rejection and past trauma but grows into a confident, courageous character who stands up for herself and uncovers the truth. The book features a strong queer protagonist whose story highlights the importance of identity, resilience, and self-acceptance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

Period-typical homophobia with a side of Encyclopedia Brown-esque detective work. I know I sound like a broken record but it was predictabllllleee as heck, the antagonists were easy to see through from the get-go, so no surprises to see here. It was nice to see Claire's character growth, and is a good, solid overview of how easy it is for people to shun and belittle people they don't understand.

I think it would've been more visually compelling in colour -- i may give it another go once the colour version is published!

Lovely art for a grim story. Main character Abby Kita is closed off and puts up with a lot from her judgmental classmates. I really sympathized with Abby and was invested in learning more about her backstory. I wasn't sure how the mystery would wrap up, and while some of what I expected did occur I also thought there were a few details that got left as loose ends. Though the plot works well for not revealing too much of the mystery right away and has an effective reveal, I also feel like the story could have been slightly more fleshed out. I really enjoyed the illustration style and eerie atmosphere, and look forward to seeing how it comes across in full color.