A review by readthesparrow
All the Lovely Bad Ones Graphic Novel by Mary Downing Hahn

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

SUMMARY

Siblings Travis and Corey are incorrigible trouble makers. When they get sent to their grandmother’s inn for the summer and find out it’s supposedly haunted, they decide to stage a haunting of their own. It will be fun, and besides, a ghost will be good for business. 

Turns out, though, the ghosts of Fox Hill are easy to wake. When Travis and Corey realize what they’ve done, they must try to lay the restless spirits to rest.

REVIEW

It’s been ages since I’ve read Juvenile horror (the last one being Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), so picking this up, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I got was a fantastic ghost story with beautiful art that got surprisingly (but, I think, appropriately) dark. I won’t spoil anything, but the final confrontation had my jaw dropped.

The art is gorgeous. It’s consistently excellent, too–something I’ve noticed isn’t always the case in graphic novels (to no fault of the artist’s, of course. Poor art quality is typically a reflection of rushed deadlines or poor pay). The character designs are fantastic (the kids are all adorable), the colorwork is gorgeous, and I love the style and use of lineart. The cover is accurate to the inside. 

The illustrators are Naomi Franquiz, Brittany Peer, and Joamette Gil, who all absolutely knocked it out of the park. I’d love to see more horror graphic novels from them as a team in the future!

The ghost story elements are very American folklore, reminding me of ghost stories I’ve heard both as an adult in the horror space and as a kid at summer camp: wicked rich folk using their power and wealth to suppress poor folk, accompanied by all the resulting the bloodshed and tragedy. What is especially vital about All the Lovely Bad Ones’ ghost story is the treatment of historical tragedy; the narrative urges acknowledgement of tragedy and honoring the dead, rather than profiting off of or making a spectacle of very real pain.

Ghost stories are about the past, but they’re about the future, too. In a digital age where it’s all too easy to make a spectacle of death and pain, it’s especially important for narratives to explore how to respect tragedies while honoring and acknowledging the dead.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I had such a blast with All the Lovely Bad Ones. I should read more juvenile horror, especially ghost stories–they’re where it’s at.

All the Lovely Bad Ones is a treat for middle-grade readers and adult readers alike. If you’ve got a ghost-story loving kid in your life, they’ll love this graphic novel, and readers of the original story will love the way the artists brought the characters to life.

Thank you to Clarion Books for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in All the Lovely Bad Ones, it releases 15 August 2023. Find more information from the publishers, including preorder information. If possible, support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org!

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