Up to No Ghoul

by Cullen Bunn, Cat Farris (Illustrator)

Overview

In this thrilling and spooky middle grade graphic novel companion to The Ghoul Next Door by New York Times bestselling author Cullen Bunn and Cat Ferris, Lavinia and Grey team up again to solve the town’s mystery.

Ever wake up in the middle of the night to awful nightmares about vampires?

When a mysterious blood bank rolls into town, Grey can’t help but get an eerie feeling. Could it be linked to his nightmares about vampires? After some investigating, Grey learns it’s something more sinister than he could ever imagine . . . and there’s only one creature who can help him—Lavinia.

Despite the fact they are forbidden to talk to one another again, this spooky mystery is bigger than any promises between the ghouls and humans.

This fun, lightly spooky adventure is a good Halloween read but is also the perfect graphic novel read all year round. It's a wonderful escape from everyday life, providing readers with a good scare and plenty of laughter.

The Ghoul Next Door was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. "This fast-paced blend of humor and horror is essentially an against-the-odds friendship story.," praised Kirkus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062896124
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/09/2022
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	1,072,074
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Cullen Bunn is the New York Times bestselling writer of the Sixth Gun, Harrow County, Bone Parish, and Dark Ark series; Bunn has written for Marvel, DC, Valiant, and many others. Bunn considers himself a lucky husband and father, and was once the world’s youngest hypnotist. His website is www.cullenbunn.com.

Cat Farris is a native Portlander, an artist, and pretty sure she’s just making this up as she goes along. She is supported in this venture by the world’s most beautiful husband, the laziest greyhound, and an all-star cast of Helioscope studiomates. She has done art for various comics publishers, including Oni Press, Dark Horse Comics, and IDW Publishing. You can see more of her work at www.cattifer.com.

Editorial Reviews

Evil takes root in this chilling sequel. Gorgeous art meets ghoulish, monster-hunting fun. — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2022-08-17
Evil takes root in this chilling sequel.

Ander’s Landing is a “beacon for the unusual and the insidious.” Most denizens go about their days without noticing. Those who do notice blame it on the ghouls. Despite this, Grey, a biracial middle schooler (his mother is brown-skinned; his father presents as White), maintains his forbidden friendship with Lavinia, a young ghoul, through secret rendezvous and gifts left in the cemetery. When a mysterious blood drive pops up in town, the adults start obsessively donating, sleepwalking, and more. Young people soon follow. Through truly terrifying (and beautifully rendered) nightmares, Grey brainstorms the possible culprit behind it all. His theory: vampires. But, with no one to believe him, Grey must risk it all to enlist Lavinia’s help to save both their homes—or else. Bunn expands upon the ghoul lore introduced in The Ghoul Next Door (2021) to create a compelling supernatural history. Though the vilification of ghouls throughout is pervasive, toward the end, there’s an empowering moment for Lavinia, who embraces her ghoul identity. Farris’ dynamic paneling and Melanie Ujimori’s evocative lettering add playfulness (and occasional comedy) to the grim plot. The vibrant illustrations, rendered digitally and in watercolor, ink, and mixed-media paper, feature bloodlike drips on the copyright page—a thematic and immersive touch.

Gorgeous art meets ghoulish, monster-hunting fun. (Graphic horror. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews