This story delves into the complex themes of identity, culture, and the human experience. Arroyo's writing effortlessly transports the reader to a world filled with vivid imagery and rich emotions. Through her skillful storytelling, she explores the struggles and triumphs of the characters, shedding light on the universal human condition. "Blackwater" serves as a reminder of the power of literature to connect us all, regardless of our backgrounds or circumstances. Arroyo's work is a testament to the profound impact that stories can have on our lives, and leaves a lasting impression on its readers.

This was a very fast-paced, easy to read, graphic novel. I think I would have liked a little more complexity around it. The illustrations were beautiful the characters were fleshed out and really pulled you into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I enjoyed this graphic novel. I loved the concept, but found the pacing a little off. But I really liked the characters and their relationship and I would like to read more set in this world if it was ever written.

This just wasn't enough of any of the things it was trying to be—not enough romance, not enough spooky, not enough thoughtful exploration of the diverse experiences the characters in the story are having, not enough of a plot.

I wanted to love this book so badly ... and I did! I love horror, graphic novels, and queer romance, so I was so excited for this book. I loved the diverse cast and really appreciated the artwork. Despite some heavier topics, it felt very nostalgic and escapism-y for me. The only thing I took issue with was the no-so-condemned ableism. I originally thought the ending was rushed, but there may have been an issue with my file loading, as my copy was incomplete - I was able to continue reading my library's online copy.

I thought I would love this and I just…didn’t? I feel like…there was almost no real resolution? Why did any of this happen? What was his mom’s problem? I feel like there weren’t any answers at all. It was just confusing for me, I guess. I could have used a little more cohesion and a few more answers.

This was a fun and cute graphic novel. I had a fantastic time getting to know these characters. The ghosts and werewolves aspect was wonderful and really added to the story. I saw a hand full of reviews talking about the differences in art style between authors being distracting but I honestly didn't notice it enough for it to effect my reading. The romance is slow building but still really sweet. I would love for this to continue as a series to see more from the characters and about the werewolves and ghosts but just the standalone is still fantastic.

I was unable to read this graphic novel before its publication date, but my library owns two copies. It is used for displays and given as readers' advisory.

The art styles did not mesh well, and the writing was really amateur. Good representation though. I liked the first art style a lot too. This had a lot of potential, but sadly didn’t live up to it.

I was provided with a sample of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The dual art styles of this book really brought out the vibrance of the two characters! I enjoyed it so much I had to get ahold of the whole thing, and it was absolutely worth it. A very cool story, populated with characters who absolutely felt like people - for better or worse. I have already been recommending this one to my comic-loving friends and colleagues.

Cuter than I expected! The pacing was a bit strange, but I really liked the awkward staggering of the two boys together. Tony was such a sweetie and I loved his character arc. And Eli was a BABY (complimentary). I adored these two. Even Biff had his moments. I think the lycanthropy angle was a great metaphor for high school and teenage anger and despair. It all fell together very sweetly. I’d love to see more of the trio ghost hunting and settling haunted souls.

I have had "Blackwater" on my shelf for literal months and now I'm so upset it took me so long. I enjoyed both the storyline and the art style. I went in knowing that the book was marketed as LGBTQ, but was surprised by how subtle many of the characters were. Eli's scars and mention of surgery were not glaring and the whole focal point. Tony's hesitancy about being gay and coming out to his father were not the biggest part of the story. These characters were able to be queer without it being their whole identity or the entirity of the plot. It gave room for the "monster" plot to breathe and for the metaphor of the "monster" to be seen.

I had a really hard time finishing this graphic novel. The story was all over the place and really lacked substance. It was like riverdale meets stranger things. It has so much potential but the whole thing just really felt flat. The thing I did love was the illustrations. I was really wanting to love this but it felt so rushed.

Loved how diverse the main characters are in this graphic novel. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the story or really the art. It was cool that the authors switched off illustrating the chapters.

I did enjoy this book. It was a quick and easy read but there were so many unanswered questions the book raised. Where did Eli’s power come from, from for example. This was a sweet book, but it had a lot of plot holes and questionable moments. The characters didn’t have any super clear chemistry and I wish they had more similarities and actual conversations.

Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham
Publication date: July 19, 2022

Date read: September 23, 2022



Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent. Eli Hirsch is a quiet teen who often misses school due to his chronic illness… and also sees ghosts. After Tony encounters a monster on a forest hike with his friend, his life - and his relationship with Eli - takes a dramatic change. Co-illustrated by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham, who alternate chapters with their own style.

I liked the idea behind this story - werewolf stories are mostly fun, in my opinion, if done well. And the werewolf part of the story was actually done pretty well. I have no complaints about the plotting or the way that plot unfolded.

The rest of the story was a bit hit or miss. The characters were a bit cliché, although I did for the most part like them. I also felt that we needed much more backstory on Tony and Eli. Eli could have been a fascinating character, but his story especially felt so rushed, with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it references to chronic illness and top surgery, not to mention his history of seeing ghosts.

I liked Tony, and I thought his story was decently developed, although more backstory on his previous relationship with Eli would have been nice. And while I liked that his father seemed unfazed when Tony came out to him, and it was a nice moment, it also felt so out of character for his dad that it was kind of a weird scene, when it should have just been nice.

The choice to alternate chapters on the artwork worked fine, although neither artist’s work was really too my taste. But that is completely a matter of style and preference - everyone likes different art styles, and there was nothing wrong with the way this story was drawn. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Overall, this story was just okay. I enjoyed the werewolf plot, and would read more if they did a sequel to this book. But as a whole, it was lacking depth and felt pretty rushed and unfinished as far as the characters were concerned. I’d recommend it as a quick, fun horror comic, but it wasn’t one of my favorites.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Content warning: bullying, death of a parent, ableism

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced sample of this book.

I was expecting more conspiracy and high weirdness, less standard monsters, given the title. The writing is a bit sloppy and most of the book is just an introduction.

This graphic novel had everything I could want. Queerness? Check. Romance? Check. Intrigue? Check. Humor? Check. Werewolves? Ghosts? Check. Check. Definitely a book I had fun reading and one I will happily recommend to others.

This was an interesting graphic novel. I was honestly a little confused at the beginning. We really just got thrown in there with no info. As we read on though I feel like we got into the groove of the story and it read a lot better. The plot of this is pretty solid, although like I said it wasn't really clear what was going on in the beginning. But I did like the story once we got going. The artwork was solid, I did wish that it was colored in. I feel like that would have added so much to the story. Overall, this is just ok.