Blackwater (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
A spooky graphic novel set in the ~50’s. Perfect for monster lovers and fans of noir-style moody illustration. LGBTQIA+ Horror!
(YA graphic novel, ages 13+) — Find more Staff Picks by Apollo
— ApolloRiverdale meets Stranger Things in this debut queer YA graphic novel, developed from a hit webcomic. Set in the haunted town of Blackwater, Maine, two boys fall for each other as they dig for clues to a paranormal mystery.
"For fans of Heartstopper and Teen Wolf." —School Library Journal
Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.
Co-illustrated by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham, who alternate drawing chapters in their own unique and dynamic styles, Blackwater combines the spookiness of Anya's Ghost with the irreverent humor of Nimona.
Ren Graham is a fiction writer and illustrator currently residing in the rainy Pacific Northwest. They have B.A. in Art History and a graduate studies certificate in Science Illustration, so biology, world mythology, and natural elements tend to influence and reappear in their work. Ren is interested in spooky stories, chilly hikes in the woods, and the ways in which art and science intersect. Co-created with Jeannette Arroyo, Blackwater is their debut graphic novel.
"While werewolves and ghosts, bullies and family dynamics are all worthy subjects, Eli and Tony are just so darn shippable that the rest is all gravy. " —Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books
"Together, the creators weave a compelling high school drama [and] a tender romance." —Publishers Weekly
" For fans of the Heartstopper series and Teen Wolf." —School Library Journal
"The co-creators weave together dread, drama and humor in a suspenseful, successful queer romantic mystery." —Shelf Awareness