No one writes horror like Cullen Bunn! Paired with Cat Ferris’s rich illustrations, The Ghoul Next Door is sure to become a treasure in the hands of young readers who dare to crack its spine!

This graphic novel was perfecto! The story begins one morning as Grey and Marshall are walking to school. Grey's history presentation, a near-scale model of the Artimage Cemetery, is awkward to hold, so he decides to cut through the cemetery and encounters more than he could have ever expected--a ghoul named Lavinia.

Ghouls and humans are not supposed to be friends.

When the other ghouls and a mean witch hear of their friendship, they do everything they can to stop Grey and Lavinia--including kidnapping Marshall.

Filled with friendship, facing fears, having the confidence to do what is right, The Ghoul Next Door is a fast-paced page-turner that will leave the reader wanting more.

I do hope we get to see more adventures between these characters.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Middle grader Grey has a secret friend. Sure, Lavinia lives underground and is The Ghoul Next Door in a graveyard, but ghouls just want to have fun, right?

What middle-grader wouldn’t want to join Grey on the adventure of a lifetime? He must join Lavinia to search the hidden underground city of Necropolis, where ghouls and witches distinctly do not get along.

With just enough scary parts and beautiful watercolor backgrounds, The Ghoul Next Door is a perfect graphic novel for the adventurer seeker in your life. 5 stars!

Thanks to HarperAlley and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Eleven-year-old Grey lives in the legend-haunted New England town of Ander’s Landing, and he can’t help but feel like a pair of eyes is watching his every move. He discovers odd, gruesome bits and pieces from the graveyard that are left for him as gifts, like art carved from bones or jewelry made from (hopefully not human) remains. Soon, Grey is caught up in something bigger than he could ever have imagined."

"The Ghoul Next Door" is an intriguing graphic novel by Cullen Bunn. It is a delightfully creepy read, filled with interesting tidbits on ghouls vs ghosts and will be perfect for the Halloween season in 2021. My only hesitation is that my stomach recoiled at some of the "gifts" Grey receives, however, I'm sure will not be a problem for younger readers.