The Hills of Estrella Roja

by Ashley Robin Franklin, Ashley Robin Franklin (Illustrator)

Overview

YALSA 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens 

2024 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List

In this delightfully creepy and unapologetically queer horror romp of a graphic novel, sometimes dreams do come true. Nightmares are technically dreams, after all....

When college freshman Kat Fields receives a mysterious email urging her to visit a relatively unknown Texas town with a history of witchcraft, strange sightings, and “devil lights”—glowing red stars that appear above the town’s hills every night—she ditches her plans for spring break and takes a solo road trip to Estrella Roja to investigate for her podcast, Paranormal Texas, catchphrase: “Y’all stay spooky!”

Meanwhile, Marisol “Mari” Castillo is also headed for Estrella Roja, to attend the funeral for her abuela whom she hasn’t seen since childhood, when her mom cut ties with the family and left town. Feeling lost and bored, she decides to help Kat after a chance meeting at the local diner—and, okay, it doesn’t hurt that Kat is super cute.

As the two girls grow closer not only to each other but to uncovering the dark legacy that the town was built on, they discover that something hungry lurks beneath the strange stars and that in the hills of Estrella Roja, some secrets should stay buried.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358567028
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	518,411
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ashley Robin Franklin is a queer cartoonist and illustrator based in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her girlfriend and their goofy tiny dogs. Ashley makes sweet and spooky comics with horror and fantasy elements. Her most recent in-print comics are One Million Tiny Fires (2020) and That Full Moon Feeling (2021), both published by Silver Sprocket. She has also published several short comics with the New Yorker, the Nib, and Pome press. The Hills of Estrella Roja is her YA graphic novel debut.

Ashley Robin Franklin is a queer cartoonist and illustrator based in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her girlfriend and their goofy tiny dogs. Ashley makes sweet and spooky comics with horror and fantasy elements. Her most recent in-print comics are One Million Tiny Fires (2020) and That Full Moon Feeling (2021), both published by Silver Sprocket. She has also published several short comics with the New Yorker, the Nib, and Pome press. The Hills of Estrella Roja is her YA graphic novel debut.

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/29/2023

Eighteen-year-old Marisol Castillo abruptly wakes from a haunting dream—involving desperate cries for help from disembodied voices—to discover that something is wrong with her abuela, prompting her, her younger sister, and their mother to return to their Estrella Roja, Tex., hometown, which they haven’t visited in years. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Kat Fields, a paranormal podcaster, is also making her way to Estrella Roja after receiving an anonymous tip about the town’s supernatural secrets. The citizens aren’t thrilled about either of these events: Mari’s relatives give her a suspiciously wide berth, while residents staunchly avoid Kat’s prying questions. When the two teens meet, Kat persuades Mari to join her investigation, in the process uncovering strange secrets about Mari’s family with dangerous implications. Psychedelic full-color pages burst with intricate detail and dynamic panel configurations. Equally careful attention is paid to the arid Texas backdrop, the characters’ expressions and gestures, and the pulse-pounding horror elements. Franklin (Fruiting Bodies, for adults) expertly captures the spirit of campy paranormal mysteries in this queer supernatural graphic novel interpretation of Latinx folklore. Mari is Latinx and Kat is portrayed with tan skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Psychedelic full-color pages burst with intricate detail and dynamic panel configurations. Franklin expertly captures the spirit of campy paranormal mysteries in this queer supernatural graphic novel interpretation of Latinx folklore." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Franklin’s energetic, full-color artwork pulses with emotion and movement. A queer graphic horror with an upbeat vibe." — Kirkus Reviews

"This campy and spine-tingling graphic novel is an excellent choice for teenagers seeking an a rom-com horror read." — Booklist

"A winding paranormal mystery about loyalty, bravery, and familial trials." — School Library Journal

"Stranger Things and The X-Files inform this creepy yet charming graphic novel set in a gorgeous desert landscape." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Deliciously creepy grip from page one. Come for the town-with-a-secret story and stay for the tenderhearted queer romance." — Emily M. Danforth, author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Plain Bad Heroines

"An immediately engrossing and spooky mystery featuring deeply charming protagonists, tense family drama and the paranormal. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down until it was done with me." — Jenn Woodall, creator of Space Trash

"A heartfelt and rascally joyride." — Chelsey Weber-Smith, host of the podcast American Hysteria

From the Publisher

08/01/2023

Gr 8 Up—Eleven years after high school senior Marisol (Mari) Castillo moved away from her family's secluded hometown of Estrella Roja, TX, news of the death of her abuela sends her, her mother Yolanda, and her little sister Ana on a trip back. At the same time, Kat Fields, a college student and co-host of the obscure podcast Paranormal Texas, receives an anonymous tip about the so-called "devil's lights," possible paranormal activity, which appear above the hills in Estrella Roja every night. Much to the chagrin of the townsfolk, when Mari and Kat's paths cross, they begin to investigate what may be causing the lights and discover there's more to the small town than either could have predicted. A psychedelic color scheme in the early pages makes way for muted daytime scenes with sporadic pops of vivid, warm color, while nighttime renderings bring a collection of purples that set the stage for magical mysteries to be slowly revealed. The story has spooky but never terrifying moments, and the illustrations are both detailed and unpolished, giving an underlying sense of chaos and instability that runs parallel to Mari and Kat's growing unease. Moments of romance exist between Mari and Kat but are secondary to the main plotline. Nonbinary, bisexual, and lesbian representation are included, as well as a variety of body types. Secondary character Clem appears Black, while Mari and her family are assumed Latinx. VERDICT A winding paranormal mystery about loyalty, bravery, and familial trials. Recommended.—Alea Perez

School Library Journal

2023-05-24
A slowly building graphic novel full of creepy monsters and tense family dynamics.

Eighteen-year-old Marisol Castillo’s spring break involves traveling to the small Texas town of Estrella Roja to attend the funeral of the abuela she hasn’t seen since childhood due to a family estrangement. Nineteen-year-old Kat Fields, who co-hosts the podcast Paranormal Texas, heads there too after receiving an email tip about strange “devil lights” and learning of the town’s history of unusual events. Eager to pursue these leads for her podcast, Kat changes her spring break plans with friends and takes off alone to explore the mystery. Despite repeated warnings, Kat ventures into the hills but finds locals unwilling to talk about the town’s past. Then she meets Mari. Mari finds her extended family’s detachment and hostility palpable, and she senses they are keeping something from her. Increasingly suspicious about their secrets and eager to spend time with Kat, she joins her quest. As they make terrifying discoveries in the hills and face the townsfolks’ hostility, Mari and Kat realize they can trust no one else, and their fast friendship blooms with an awkward first-crush cuteness that gently slows the plot’s momentum. Franklin’s energetic, full-color artwork pulses with emotion and movement. Kat reads White; in addition to Latine Mari, characters reflect the diversity of the Texas population.

A queer graphic horror with an upbeat vibe. (concept art) (Graphic horror. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews