The Hills of Estrella Roja is a classic queer horror story with two college-aged protagonists. One of the main characters is a podcaster, a very contemporary hobby readers will enjoy. The inclusion of Latina characters and Latine American urban legends is a nice touch to an otherwise forgettable story. Despite the lack of unique plot, the target teen demographic should relate to the struggles of first love, family drama, and friendship shown throughout the narrative.

Fun and spooky! This was an exciting mystery, and I think it was the perfect length for the story it wanted to tell. Kat and Mari were super cute. I liked that they got to spend a lot time together and it was funny when they both got all the flustered around each other. The colors were very cool, too.

Hello Again!

Towards the end of last week, things got really busy around my household. But I also really really wanted to read. I started a few new audiobooks but I also wanted something I could read quickly, so I turned to my graphic novels to see what I might be interested in picking up. As I was looking at my collection, I decided to read an ARC! (Thank you so much to the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). I was just really drawn in by the summary for this graphic novel so I decided to dive in!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Estrella Roja is a bit of an odd small town. The residents do not want visitors and any outsiders are shunned. But Mari has to go there for her grandmother’s funeral and even she is not super welcome. Mari, her sister, and her mom left Estrella Roja many years ago and they have not come back very often. But now they are here. They will be staying for roughly two weeks. Around that same time that Mari and her family arrive another outsider arrives. This person is here to create a podcast about the mystery surrounding the weird lights that can be seen at night. Despite being not exactly welcome by the town, they are both here. But is there really any mystery to the lights? Why does the entire town hate outsiders?

I had so much fun with this graphic novel. I love when I am unable to guess the mystery and this graphic novel definitely brought those vibes. All of the characters were interesting and unique (I loved the twist with Mari’s family). Also without spoilers, I thought this epilogue was chef’s kiss perfect! This graphic novel comes out on August 29th, I highly recommend grabbing a copy and giving it a try!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

****Thank you so much again to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This graphic novel has 1) Great representation, 2) a delightful art style, and 3) a well developed and fun plot that is easy to get invested in. I was blown away by how likeable the characters are and the plot was a great success. I'm so glad I got a chance to read this story and I will be adding it to my permenant collection for sure.

This graphic novel was hilarious and well-drawn, definitely worth the money and the hype, and I hope will be successful!

A spooky fun time! I loved the art style and story of this book (also great representation). The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the slow burn romance while trying to solve a paranormal mystery. I'm hoping there will be a continuation of the story with these characters as I would love to learn more about the Castillo's Family power. Recommend picking this up, especially for Halloween season. While the story takes place during Spring Break, the creepy small town and "Devil Lights" give all the spooky vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book!

The Hills of Estrella Roja is a cute sapphic graphic novel about Mexican paranormal legends and folklore. Kat runs a podcast with her friend, but her friend does not want to join her over a school break to explore mysterious lights above the mountains in a small town called Estrella Roja. The locals are unfriendly and strange, but Kat befriends another girl named Mari who is visiting for a family funeral. They begin to bond over exploring the town's history - and the connection Mari has to it.

I love the diversity and the innocent but adorable love story that develops. My only criticism is that sometimes the pacing felt a bit off, this is a longer story but it felt like intense and deep moments were rushed through, especially the ending climax and resolution. I felt like some of that could have been extended and the numerous scenes about snacking could have been skipped. Without spoilers, I also feel like Mari's connection could have resulted in a much cooler conclusion, it gets glossed over towards the end when it could have made some really cool action or at least could have made the epilogue a bit more intriguing.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

An interesting story dealing with a podcaster chasing some wild hairs, and a teen girl discovering truths about herself and her family. I loved the artwork. The story was very engaging. I love stories dealing with folklore/myths/legends and this totally hit the mark.

This was everything I had wanted and more. The title caught my attention because I am bilingual, but the description kept me intrigued. Ashley Franklin is a great author and I will continue to read her work.

Flowing with color, history, and spooky lore; this one captured me with every moment. The art is stunning to look through as you’re pulled deeper into the story. The time spent is so abundantly clear as you look. The writing is fantastic and I finished this in one sitting. If you want creepy Texas with the rich colors of its west, you’re in for a treat.

Ashley Robin Franklin once again brings us a stunningly visceral spooky story of dangerous paranormal secrets and the cute queers who investigate them. Look no further for ghost hunting, fluttery crush feelings, family secrets, and dark paranormal activity in the heart of rural Texas.

Read For:
Sapphic
Small Town
Spooky Lore
Nice Art Style
Paranormal Podcast

I absolutely loved this so much. The vibe of this graphic novel was spooky, mysterious, cozy, and queer. I loved the gay panic moments between Mari and Kat, they were so cute. The unwelcome small town vibes and paranormal history was written and drawn so well. I was fully invested with how this was going to play out. Not to mention the artwork was stunning and I really loved this art style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(First Person POV)
Spice:none, just kissing

Rep: Lesbian MC, Bisexual LI, Non-binary/POC SC, Latinx MC and SCs

⚠️ Content Warnings:
Graphic: Blood and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Body horror and Death

A perfect gem of a graphic novel! There is SO MUCH CHARM here. There's intrepid Kat and her spoopy podcast, shy Marisol whose family is hiding something, the shared queer outsiderness in a tiny Texas town that brings them together, and of course the mystery of what's really going on in Estrella Roja! Absolutely perfect combination of sweetness and scares, great pacing, and a really lively and fun art style.

This book does a thing that I always love, and that I think takes particular skill: the characters and the story are very nuanced and specific, and that specificity is what makes the whole thing relatable. The frame of the paranormal mystery (which I don't think ever gets fully explained, but I didn't mind) supports and enhances the more real-feeling stories of struggling to reconnect with family and wondering why you're not welcome, of following impulses and making do with junk food and positivity when your money runs out, of seeing a friendly face and hanging out together in the library or in a car in the middle of nowhere or sneaking in the window for a sleepover when being alone feels too frightening. And with the trappings of Mexican cryptids and witchy town history and a showdown against evil all around it? Absolutely fantastic.

I loved this book. A sweet slow-burn queer romance and cryptids, what more could you want? The art was so emotive and the characters were fun to get to know.

Colorful imagery and a great love story underneath all the horror. A must read for
those that like ghost stories and a quick jumpy read.

Interesting, cute fun read! I enjoyed the plot and characters and reccommend this for those looking for a lil queer paranormal. The main POV was a lil difficult to follow at times, but not bad for a quick paced graphic novel

The Hills of Estrella Roja is such a sweet (yes, sweet), mysterious and spooky graphic novel. I really enjoyed it and the artwork is fantastic. I always like when the illustrator adds additional information in the back - I like to see how their art progresses. Even though this is geared towards young adult, I think it would interest middle grade readers as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advance copy!

I really enjoyed "The Hills of Estrella Roja". Ashley Robin Franklin's writing and illustrations maintained a satisfying atmosphere and mystery throughout that had me quickly turning to the next page. Panels were easy to read and they took full advantage of the medium to communicate their story through both visuals and dialogue. The queer romance between the main characters Kat and Mari was very cute and brought some nice humor to the otherwise spooky story. Teen and adult readers who enjoy horror, mystery, or cryptids will have a good time reading this novel. This was a strong debut and I look forward to reading the author's future work!

The story is good. A little confusing at the beginning, I wasn’t sure if the character was dreaming or not. The art is not my cup of tea, but it is beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for providing me with a digital ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!

I've been reading more graphic novels this year, and the premise for this one sounded right up my alley! It's a queer, YA horror story following a podcaster, Kat, who receives an email advising her to check out the small Texas town of Estrella Roja, which has a history of disappearances and witchcraft, along with mysterious red lights that appear every night. Kat visits over her college's spring break, and she quickly realizes that no one living in the town is willing to speak with her about the unusual happenings. She finds solace in Mari, who is visiting for her abuela's funeral and is also feeling like an outsider. Together, the two team up to figure out what's really going on (and maybe to fall for one another along the way). It's a surprisingly cozy and sweet horror book (with a solid dash of creepiness, as well). I really enjoyed it!

The art is beautiful in this graphic novel; I loved the color palette. This book features a lot of great diversity (including queer representation, as well as diverse ethnicity, body types, gender identities, and more!), and it's neat to see it included so seamlessly through the imagery. I've never been to Texas, but it also looked like the setting was represented well, with little details illustrated throughout the story. I imagine the physical book will be gorgeous!

The story is strong, too. The mystery pushes the plot forward at a comfortable pace. It's a classic small town mystery, but I was still pulled in - I needed to know what everyone was hiding. The inclusion of Mexican folklore is interesting to read about. I also really liked the dynamic between Kat and Mari, and I was rooting for them to get together. Between the pretty images and the interesting story, reading through The Hills of Estrella Roja is such a fun journey.

The cast of characters are all intriguing. Kat's brave and chaotic personality contrasts nicely with Mari's gentleness. I found both of the main women to be very likable. I was also interested in Mari's family and their backstories. You can tell there is more under the surface with the characters who are cold to Kat, and it's rewarding to see that pay off later. The conclusion wraps everything up nicely.

The reason I can't give this five stars, though, is because I think the horror element of the story was resolved too quickly. There is a really nice build up throughout the first 270 pages or so, only for the mystery to be revealed, some action to happen, and then everything to be wrapped up in way too short of a time frame. I noticed a few good opportunities during the climax where the story could have been expanded more and the horror element could have been further developed. The story and atmosphere are still fine with the current ending... I just wish there had been 100 pages more to flesh everything out.

I did still very much enjoy this graphic novel, though. If you're looking for a quick, spooky read with some heart, then you should definitely pick this up! I'd recommend it to fans of horror, queer romance, supernatural graphic novels, and more. There are a couple of chilling moments, but I would say the horror itself is fairly tame compared to other books I've read. If horror isn't your usual genre, but you're looking for something charming and a little strange, you might still want to give this a try!

4 stars out of 5 stars. I'm not sure how Ashley Robin Franklin was able to strike such a good balance between suspenseful and adorable, but she did a wonderful job with this graphic novel.