Something is Killing the Children (Volumes 1-3) by James Tynion IV

Lots of blood and gore, but also a great story and unique lore behind where the monsters our heroine faces. Erica Slaughter is a fantastic character, reminded me a bit of the Buffy Summers that we met in ‘The Wish’. Great mix of horror and action. Felt like one of those 80s movies you stayed up too late watching as a kid, thinking it was a kids show, only to be shocked when the children are NOT safe.

Erica’s entire look is sure to be cosplayed at comic conventions in the future, with the black bandana and the sharp teeth painted across it.

Really excited for Volume 4, which will explore her backstory and the story behind the origins of The House of Slaughter.

The Legend of Auntie Poe by Shing Yin Khor

I started following Shing Yin Khor on Twitter after she teamed up with Jeeyon Shim on a storytelling game called “A Mending”. When she mentioned that she had a graphic novel for kids coming out in the spring, I put myself on the wait list immediately.

Legend of Auntie Poe touches on some serious subjects of American history – dealing with racism and erasure – but is also just a story about growing up and better understanding the world around you.

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass


Ryan Douglass feels like an author to watch. I thought this book had some great things going for it, but I felt like there were a few details missing that could have made it stronger overall. It is definitely a spooky one, and I would give it to older teens who want something SCARY – fans of ‘Get Out’ and gamers of ‘Dead by Daylight’ might enjoy the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in the ghost realm and encountering others.

I think Douglass’ next book will be amazing though and I can’t wait to read that one…with all the lights on.

The American Dream? by Shing Yin Khor

After finishing ‘Legend of Auntie Poe’, I discovered that Shing Yin Khor had another book she had written several years ago, but for adults. In this graphic memoir, she records his travels down Route 66, just her and her dog, thinking about the road, its history, American history, and her life as an immigrant and American citizen.

This is a very quick read since it is essentially a diary filled with artwork, but the ideas are big and stick with you, but nothing hits as hard as those final pages – while the journey took place years before, the book was finally published in 2019 and Shing muses on how she would have felt traveling through the central part of the U.S. after the 2016 election.