Member Reviews

Has some inventive panels, but I think I like the regular book best. Still good for kids who need a creepy Halloween read!

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I always love to read Mary Downing Hahn. While this is not my favorite story of hers, it still remains an enjoyable read that appeals to young readers taking their first dip into the horror genre. However, I do not particularly enjoy the artwork of this adaptation and feel it does not do the story justice.

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'Took: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel' by Mary Downing Hahn with adaptation by Scott Peterson and art by Jen Vaughn is a scary story for middle school readers.

When Daniel and his family move to a new state and a run down house, he hears stories about a witch that lives in the woods nearby with her terrifying assistant. Daniel refuses to believe until his sister goes missing and a girl who has been missing for 50 years shows up, Daniel knows something is up. Now he is about the only one who can be courageous and rescue his sister.

I liked this fun, spooky story, but the parents were so checked out, it kind of kept taking me out of the story. The art is fine and younger readers should be scared by it.

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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for late elementary school and up.

I had previously read the novel Took, and I'm not usually one to re-read things so when I first began this book I wasn't super excited. But as the story went on I changed my mind. The illustrations in the book are creepy and have sharp edges, just like the story. It suits well. I found myself completely sucked in, even though I already knew the story. I think that's a good sign.

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Had been looking forward to reading this book. Sadly it wasn’t for me. It just lacked a good plot to get you excited and wanting more. It was very slow paced and never picked up

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This is a graphic novel version of a popular Children’s horror story. I wish I would have liked it more. The original novel was spooky and full of suspense, but the graphic novel just did not give the same vibes. It felt more drawn out and like the story was never going to end. The story is a family moves to a new house in the woods. The family starts to change, being moody, grouchy, and dirtier. Then the little sister goes missing. The son is sure the witch of the woods has stolen her. A new little girl shows up who was “took” years ago, but is destined to live a very short life. The story is still a great story, and I think it would make an excellent movie/show, but it may have been the illustrations or the way the story was broken up, but I was just not impressed with this story.

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Took by Mary Downing Hahn is a bit of a niche book, best suited to those 12+ who are interested in creepy, spooky stories, but aren't quite ready yet to read full blown horror novels. The graphic novel adds to the creepy vibe and the illustrations matched the tone of the book very well.

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While I never read the original novel, the graphic novel adaptation seemed almost too watered down. It was fine overall, but a little silly/simplistic in some of its retelling. The illustrations were also a little underwhelming. Still a spooky story and most middle-grade graphic novel fans will probably enjoy it.

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I wasn't previously familiar with Mary Downing Hahn or her books prior to reading this graphic novel. This graphic novel was a fun and creepy read. I liked the images but felt they could have a done a bit more in terms of the illustrations. Overall though, this as a nice and quick read.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

This has a very Folkloresque feel with a side of modern gothic. Illustrations leave something to be desired

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I really enjoyed this Graphic Novel and after I had finished I wanted to go and read it all over again. It was well written and the illustrations were so eye catching. It was a really interesting story and I cannot wait to get a physical copy

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I am a huge Mary Downing Hahn fan and love that her stories are being brought to life via graphic novels for a new audience of readers. However, I struggled with this one being text heavy with text taking up half of a page at times. I am not sure that it was fully transitioned to the graphic novel format, where images carry the story as much or more than the text. However, some kids may still really enjoy this, so it might depend on the audience that you are serving.

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This book is seriously creepy! When Daniel and his sister Erika and family move from CT to a small town in West Virginia, everything feels off. Could it be the challenge of moving to a new place? Or could the rumors of 'old Auntie' that steals kid be real? What should Daniel do when Erika starts hearing voices and runs off into the woods? This is a well-told ghost story that is enhanced by the fantastically eerie drawings in this graphic novel version. Recommended for fans of horror movies and spooky stories.

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This author can tell a ghost story. I enjoyed this one immensely. It was nice to see her story in pictures. Highly recommend.

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This was a graphic novel where we join Daniel and his family who have just moved home. Behind their home, the woods are haunted by an evil witch and another scary beast. At first Daniel believes these are just stories, told to him and his sister to scare them as they are new at school. However, then Daniel's little sister disappears and he has to become very brave and face the evil in the woods to get her back.

Spooky and fast paced - a good read.

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Mary Downing Hahn was one of my favorite authors when I was growing up so I was excited to see Took had been made into a graphic novel! The pictures were great and really brought the story and characters to life!

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#Took was my first specifically "horror" book and my first Mary Downing Hahn book. I had recommended her books for years to my students before I finally read one for myself. I loved it. It wasn't gory or too scary, but just the right amount of creepy.
When I heard the graphic novel was coming out I got so excited! It lives up to the original. The images are a little different than what I imagined when I read the chapter book, but I know my students will love it.

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I enjoyed this folktale style, ghost story, graphic novel. It was told well, the illustrations were great, and the author kept me engaged throughout.

I like that it was a darker graphic novel and I love the cover, that doll is creepy.

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The whole atmosphere of this graphic novel was creepy. Loved the story and the artwork. Hope to see more graphic novels from this author.

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This is a fun and suspenseful graphic novel. I enjoyed the story and the pacing. Can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. Nicely done.

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