This lovely graphic novel is just right for the season of Halooween, if you don't mind me saying.
I am glad that I had a chance to read it, because it was full of high school drama, spookiness and a goth best friend. I have not read anything that was along the fantasy line with werewolves and ghost since I was in high school and it bought back the memories and the fun times.
The graphic novel is beautiful colored and I love that fact. It is much easier to follow and I do not have to use as much brain power to picture what the characters are like. It makes for a much faster read. Seeing Anthony and Eli grow together was cute. While of course what Eli did was something that was horrible, I understand why he did it and coming clean helped the both of them together.
I just wished I knew more of what happened to Anthony's friend. It leaves it quite open at the end. But I am glad that everything was somewhat fixed and more healty at the end.
I only have one bad thing to say, and that is the story was so fast. I feel that there were definitely some avenues that were cut off like Biff and it made for a more open ending than something that was good to go.
I wonder if the author will continue the story and thats why they left such a unfulfilled filling to the grpahic novel.
Overall, the grqaphic novel was great. I would change a little it about it, but hopefully this is because it is not fully done.

I didn’t love this book—it just wasn’t for me. I found both of the characters unlikable, and the supernatural plot was thin. The art itself was well done, but I would have preferred color rather than black and white.

For those who love graphic novels and things like Riverdale, Blackwater is a great way to pass the time. The story follows high school track star, Tony Price, and Eli Hirsch. Price is popular at school, but occasionally does stupid things to try and get his dad's attention. Hirsch has an autoimmune disorder that makes it difficult for him to develop a social life. In the town of Blackwater, Maine, they have to face a whole slew of supernatural forces, as well as their feelings for each other.


T

DNF after chapter 1. I didn't dislike this and I think if I would have finished reading it I possibly would've rated it a 3 star, but I found the two different artistic styles to be jarring and I wasn't gripped or captivated by the plot. Once my eARC expired, I could have purchased a copy, but I don't feel compelled to and this is one graphic novel that I am okay with not finishing or hunting down.

I DNFd this book; I usually love graphic novels, but I didn't care much for the way the boys were drawn. They seemed too old, and it was hard to place them in a specific setting because they seemed both old-fashioned and modern. I can usually get behind that type of visual aesthetic (like in the series Loki, for example), but I don't think it was particularly well executed in this particular story. However, I did like the story itself. I love a little mystery and I like a dark graphic novel, and it was very Riverdale-esque to me. I think fans of Riverdale or similar type of darker teen drama will really enjoy this particular graphic novel.

There's a lot going on in Blackwater, and yet, it's handled so matter-of-factly that the social issues slide right by, normalized in the way that such things should be, but rarely are. Those things include werewolves, ghosts, relationships, family problems, and high school - among others.

Tony is a track star, a good student, at the top of his game. Eli is frequently absent, does poorly in school, and has an immune disorder. They attend the same school, even some of the same classes, but they've never really paid attention to each other, until one day, something happens, and they begin interacting. As their friendship grows, in fits and starts, other things are happening too - for example, some strange creature has been sighted in the woods, and Tony realizes that Eli is serious when he says he can see ghosts.

Told in a simple, clear style, with illustrations that complement and highlight the story, this graphic novel combines the best elements of multiple genres, although horror is probably the closest - but the horror portion of the story takes a back seat to the social issues that teens deal with in high school which are highlighted throughout the plot. Recommended for middle school through adult readers, this graphic novel would make a good base for discussion with teens who are struggling with any of the issues experienced by the characters.

This mysterious book just didn't work for me. The characters needed more development and the stereotypes did not add to the plot.

Loved this horror graphic novel told by two different artists/authors. I especially enjoyed the way the art switched between chapters. It will be a hit in high schools for sure!

I thought this graphic horror with a m/m romance would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, I don't think it was executed to the standards I had for it. There were a lot of plot lines started but not enough time and care to sort them out and finish them in a satisfying way. Also, the romance was a little...meh for me. Luckily, this was quick, so I don't feel like I wasted my time, but I wouldn't be quick to recommend this.

Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham is a beautifully told story of finding oneself, standing up for your loved ones, and surviving the difficulties of young life. The artwork switches from one artist to the other, which made for a very interesting reading experience. I especially enjoyed the deft handling of the LGBTQ aspects of the main characters.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The ARC's pictures were occasionally choppy, and only contained half the book, so I waited until the graphic novel came out and am reviewing the entire finalized book now.

Tony and Eli are unlikely friends (and possibly something more). Tony is a popular athlete with a father who ignores him, Eli is an unpopular boy with a chronic disease and a mother who doesn't trust him to do anything. But as the boys begin to bond, something supernatural and very dangerous begins happening in their town.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. The two main characters are very likeable, and the third (female) teenager in their group is a great supporting character (the other teenager, a male, is very irritating, but that appears to be the main point of his character up to a certain point). The supernatural and paranormal elements are woven in well, and the story is intriguing. The romance is very sweet and I was definitely rooting for them. This is an enjoyable, quick read.

I wish I could rate this higher or properly, but the fact is I’m not comfortable rating a book based on a sample (something which was not disclosed when I received this arc copy).

Blackwater is beautifully illustrated. The artwork is confident and expressive, reminding me of certain cartoons. The character designs were fun but a little dated; I didn’t mind the retro look but it took me too long to realize that this took place in this century, as Tony’s design in particular was more mid-20th century.

Based on this sample, which I believe goes to page 120 out of 305 pages, I really can’t speak for the plot or even the characters. Everything felt external, like we were only looking at characters from a distance and so I wasn’t able to connect with them or understand their motivations. The senes jumped around quite a bit as well. So far it’s a pretty basic “monster movie” plot, but things still felt like they were missing or unexplained. Gaps of time that were unaccounted for.

I wish the publisher had provided a full arc, even with unfinished art, so I could rate the story as a whole. But as it stands, Blackwater has potential but I am not personally confident enough in that potential to purchase a copy for myself.

I can kind of understand why this is being marketed as Riverdale meets Stranger Things. In the queer YA comic Blackwater, two boys in a small town who may be feeling something for one another have their relationship hampered by werewolves, bullying, and disparities in popularity.

I really liked it, and it was cute when the relationship finally began to blossom.

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enjoyable graphic novel with lgbtqia rep and chronic illness
the black and white artwork added to the novels eeriness. Biff was the worst and very tiring to keep reading about. I am interested if there will be more

Sadly this book fell a little bit short for me, but it was still a fun time and quick read. I feel like if you like something a bit unhinged in a whimsical way and want a queer paranormal story, it is worth checking this book out

I'll be honest, this book didn't really work for me. I requested it because it was being marketed as Stranger Things meets Riverdale, but I think that almost sets this up to be a little disappointing when it doesn't live up.

While the art style wasn't my favorite, that's personal preference and something I easily could have looked past for the story. Unfortunately, and this isn't a fault of the book but the Netgalley reader, about a third of the pages were barely readable. What wasn't a fault of the Netgalley reader was that most of our characters were just unbearable. This is once again personal preference, and perhaps a sign that I'm no longer the target demographic when it comes to YA.

I'm also unclear whether the ARC copy was just a sample, somthing that wasn't advertised, or if this is the first volume of a series rather than a contained story. The ending is a little jarring, less in a cliffhanger way and more in a where's the rest of it way. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I am not much of a YA or graphic novel reader. I'm just not the target demographic for YA, high school is typically not a super interesting setting for me, and graphic novels typically are paced in a way I do not really enjoy. Blackwater, however, did everything right for me.

The characters are wonderful. Their designs are not terribly complex but they are super fun on the page--I love Tony's pomp and little fangs especially. Every character, while obviously inspired by or referencing certain high school stereotypes, is given depth and nuance (including the bully). The excellent characterization and focus on character relationships is what really carries this title for me, I think; the plot itself is fine, but it's certainly not the star of the show. In this case, I think that's a good thing--a simpler, easy to follow (but still interesting) plot using familiar supernatural creatures whose lore broadly follows about what the reader is familiar with allows for more focus to be given to the characters.

Connected to the writing is the pacing. Again, normally pacing in graphic novels isn't my thing; it either feels rushed or over too soon. Blackwater, however, felt very well-paced. The story in this volume wrapped up on a satisfactory note, leaving me feeling like I had gotten a fully developed and well-executed story while still leaving possible openings for more to follow. I also especially appreciate the hopeful take on horror--monster as Other yet with sympathy and understanding, an aspect of queer horror/paranormal stories I wish was used more often.

I look forward to more of Blackwater. The authors did a fantastic job and I would love to see where the character's story goes next. I would really advise anyone who is interested in queer YA to pick it up, even if they're not interested in horror (As the horror is present in elements but the goal of the story certainly isn't to horrify).

This graphic novel firmly lands itself in the category of "god, I wish I had this in high school." I'm glad it's here now.

This graphic novel was quite enjoyable and a really quick read for me. The art style is very nice and that ending was kind of predictable but I like the way the author drew the characters transformation. Don't want to give too much away in my review.

This was just okay for me. I really wanted to enjoy it, as it was described as "Riverdale meets Stranger Things". However, I didn't feel that it gave what I wanted it to give. It just wasn't for me. However, I'm sure there will be teens that come to really love these characters. They just didn't resonate with me, and I didn't find the plot all that interesting or new.