DELICIOUS! I loved it!!! Balancing horror with a great deal of heart, Jennifer Strange is definitely one of the strongest debuts I've read recently. The illustrations just added to the overall feel of it--the atmosphere was great, and I enjoyed the quirky, haunted heroine.

can't wait to buy a physical copy!

I went into this thinking it was a graphic novel, it had a few graphics but it was in no way a graphic novel like it was mentioned it was. Some things weren't explained well so it fell flat at times and some of the actions scenes were either too long or confusing.

Don't come here thinking this is in any way a graphic novel, for it's not. This mis-billing aside, what I saw was a teen-friendly horror, that starts off with the dials turned to ten and has nowhere to go as a result. The author must have grown up ignorant of the word 'subtle'.

This is a supernatural fantasy perfect for readers of young adult literature.

This was an enjoyable and fast paced book about a girl discovering unusual powers that she struggles to control.

She's left with the diary of her father providing her with insight into her powers and how she might be able to use them for good.

I enjoyed the graphics at the end of each chapter and the pages of her father's diary were a nice touch.

The book had me on the edge of my seat with all manner of supernatural creatures. The author's descriptions of the creatures were creepy. The book gave me vibes of the show Supernatural but with two sisters instead of brothers.

I would rate this 3 1/2 stars out of 5 and recommend for teenage/YA.

Stylish and gory YA demonfest supernatural debut

If you are after a fast-paced, gory, and very stylish YA horror novel then look no further than Cat Scully’s excellent debut splash Jennifer Strange. All too often Ginger Nuts of Horror struggles to find genuine YA horror to review, be rest assured this monster and demon-soaked romp is the real deal which moves at an incredibly fast and very silky lick. The novel is also part comic, with catchy illustrations opening the story, with additional drawings at various key points along the way. It is not a graphic novel and is being referred to as an ‘illustrated novel’, however, it is more of a traditional novel than anything else.

Be careful who you give it to, the cool packaging might look cartoony, but it is considerably bloodier than you might think. Bracken MacLeod has said: “The first time I started this novel, my reaction was, "THIS is a YA book?!" HELL yeah, it is. But it ain't just kids' stuff.” I would agree with Bracken, but also, there are plenty of kids out there who will take the numerous creatures and kills in their stride. It depends on how prudish they (or their parents) are, personally, I found it relatively harmless and I suspect most kids will take it the same way.

Jennifer Strange starts swinging and does not relent for a moment with the entire plot spread over a few days after Jennifer arrives in Savannah to stay with her estranger elder sister Liz, whom she has hardly spoken to since their mother died a few years earlier. Savannah is beautifully portrayed as a city where there are a lot of ghosts and helped in creating a funky Buffy: The Vampire Slayer style vibe. There was an early scene where a demon killed several school kids and it was blamed on a gas leak; that sort of coverup happened in Summerdale High all the time!

Is there a dash of Buffy in Jennifer? More ‘no’ that ‘yes’ but give her time! Instead of slaying vampires Jennifer is a conduit for ghosts and demons. This means that the undead can attempt to inhabit her body and take over her physical form and effectively possess her. Bearing in mind that Savannah is regarded as one of the most haunted places in America, Jennifer really is in the wrong city and on the first day of school there are deaths connected to a demon manifestation connected to her weird gift. The plot does not hold back on either the violence or death, with a swiftly mounting body count as Jennifer begins to investigate a supernatural mystery. Much of the violence does have a stylised bubble-gum, almost comic book, feel to it which complement the expressive drawings perfectly.

Written with a first-person narrative, Jennifer was a cool lead character, who is presented in an accessible and down to earth manner which young teens will have fun connecting with. She is neither a superhero or ultra-cool and is just coming to terms with her new power and the reader has fun following her initial baby steps into the realms of the supernatural. I also loved her vulnerability; highlighted with her nerves when she attends school for the first time, head down, scared to draw attention to herself.

Jennifer Strange is not a deep book and nor does it pretend to be. The characters are sketchily drawn with limited back stories, with its strength lying in its pace, action sequences and snappy dialogue. It lacks the intense inner reflection, conflict, and maturity which you might find in other YA fiction, for example, an Amy Lukavics novel. However, that should not be taken as a criticism, as this is a light and frothy read which provides easy-going entertainment. I was delighted to hear that Lukavics was also a fan of Jennifer Strange, providing the following lovely quote: “A mysterious, dark, and perfectly bone-chilling tale of self-discovery and seizing your destiny, Jennifer Strange is a tremendous addition to Young Adult horror”.

I really enjoyed the supernatural world which Cat Scully develops and the colourful range of demons and other beings which pop up, here is an excerpt when they make an early appearance in the story:

“My cellphone shook in my hand as the bright camera light flickered when it found Bloody Mouth. He held a student up by the base of his neck and brought the guy’s face crashing down into the black hardtop of one of the tall desks. Bloody Mouth smashed, and smashed, and smashed until the guy’s face had turned to putty.”

Other highlights included the rekindling of the family relationship between Cat and her sister Liz, and the developing of her own supernatural powers and the mystery behind the term ‘Sparrow’ which the demons continually refer to her as. The handwritten diary flashbacks written by her father which provide insights into where the power originates was another clever development. There was a lot to enjoy in this very fine debut.

Jennifer Strange is great fun and a colourful read for young teenagers not quite ready to tackle adult horror novels. Even younger kids, who are not too bothered about swearing and violence, will find much to get their teeth into. The creatures are relentless in their quest to get to Jennifer and it was incredibly easy to be sucked along on this rollercoaster journey. There is a serious lack of this gory type of horror for kids on the market and I am sure if the book is targeted at the correct audience it could be lapped up. I have a feeling the story of Jennifer Strange is not yet over and I will certainly be returning for more.

I enjoyed the graphic novel elements mixed with the prose of this novel. The protagonist has started college in a new town, so it has coming-of-age elements mixed with the supernatural. I think people who enjoyed "Stranger Things" will like this book.

Cat Scully is a new voice in graphica for me, but this book proves the need to come back for more. Visually engaging and highly entertaining. Love!

There's definitely some potential here, but unfortunately it isn't working well for me at the moment so I won't be continuing with it. The book is also not categorized correctly as there is considerably more prose than illustrations and the story is mainly told through the former.

The plot of the book is about a young lady who is a conduit for demons and ghosts. The writing was good however I do believe this may need to be added to young adults versus middle grade. I believe this would be a good story for arlee high schoolers that are kind of into the creepy stuff. This book was written for preteens and Young people but I felt that it was too gory for that age group. When I think of stories like this I think more along the lines of like Goosebumps and horror novels for the younger class and this was people exploding and eyes popping out have fingers getting cut off in the first few chapters that's something that I can't endorse in a children's book. I had to stop reading this about halfway through because to me it was too gross.

Jennifer has been dropped off at her sister's apartment. Her dad has gone off in search of answers. Apparently, Jennifer has some supernatural ability dealing with ghosts that she had no clue about, and still does not understand. When all hell breaks loose at her first day of her new school, Jennifer knows she is in trouble. With the help of her sister, Jennifer sets to make the world right again.
She met a guy who seems to know some answers, Marcus. Problem is, Jennifer doesn't know whether or not to trust him. Their families have a long standing feud going on. Is Marcus trying to help Jennifer or trying to help his family?
Opinion
I absolutely loved this book! It was phenomenal. With the MC, Jennifer, being shipped off to a haunted town when she has some type of ghost abilities, what could go wrong? The characters were developed well. The trust/don't trust Marcus inner fight that Jennifer had added an awesome depth to the story. Jennifer's ongoing battle with her sister that needs resolved keeps another depth of the story going. The plot and sub plots do not leave you wanting. Jennifer's anger at her dad's disappearance keeps the story going as well.
The author also self drawn images that added to the story. It was definitely a well thought out book.
I will be buying a copy of this book for my teenage daughter when it comes out. I am looking forward to more books in this series, please :)

Sorry, but this is NOT a graphic novel, nor is it a comic. It is also not a blend of graphic novel/comics unless we are going to categorise all books with a couple of illustrations as that (and I scrolled through this book to see if I could find some comic somewhere). And I hope not as that will just confuse everyone.
I came here as I was hoping for a fun creepy YA Graphic novel with horror stuff. Instead I got a YA horror novel. I am not really in the mood for the latter at the moment and with all the disappointment over this not being the graphic novel/comic (blend) I just cannot get into the book.
I am so sorry, and I wish there was a way to leave feedback without rating. I don't want to give it a one star as I am sure it is an awesome book, for those that are looking for it.

I think this just wasn't for me. I found the lead character acted helpless or too naive for what could be a strong character. I like the idea of having pictures and journal entries along with the story. I think this helped the reader visualize what the author was creating in the monsters.

As should be obvious, just because this book wasn't for me doesn't mean that it won't be for others. I received an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley where it was being marketed as a graphic novel. Jennifer Strange is not a graphic novel and that is not the book's fault. There are illustrations interspersed but it is primarily a YA horror-ish novel which is not a genre I would pick up. Again, this is a reader problem and not a book problem and I realize I'm going into this book at a disadvantage because the genre is already not to my taste. My aim is to be fair to this book in reviewing but the caveat is there.

Jennifer Strange is a book about a teenage girl who is coming to terms with magical abilities she may have, fighting off demons, and uncovering family mysteries along the way. There are the beginnings of a lot of good ideas here. I liked the hints of worldbuilding especially in the types of demons/monsters introduced and the accompanying art. The pacing, for me, was nonsensical. I like that Scully throws you into the world with hints of mystery in the past but after that, it really just did not work for me. The book waffles between mundane events and worldending terror without much ramp-up or cooling down. Truly horrific things happen in this book but they lack tension because no real consequences are ever shown or felt in the characters or in the world other than brief nausea.

I think a more apt comparison than Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children would be Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Left 4 Dead video game series as it's a bit more campy and less brooding and subtle. So check this book out if you think you'd like a YA story along those lines!

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

This story was amazing!!!! I read it in one sitting! A solid plot with dynamic characters. I wanted to keep reading, needing to know what was next!!!!

I'm sorry, I thought this was a graphic novel vs. an illustrated novel. I'm sure it's great but I was hoping for a comic book. My bad! Stay safe :)