4.5 Stars

"An Outbreak of Witchcraft: A Graphic Novel of the Salem Witch Trials" by Deborah Noyes offers a gripping and immersive journey into the harrowing events that unfolded in Salem, Massachusetts, during 1692-1693. Noyes expertly captures the atmosphere of fear and paranoia that gripped the small village, delving into the complexities of human nature as lies multiplied, turning friends into foes and loved ones into enemies.

The artwork in this graphic novel is truly captivating. Each panel is rendered with meticulous detail, bringing to life the stark landscapes of Salem and the haunting faces of its inhabitants. The illustrations skillfully convey the emotional intensity of the witch trials, from the despair of the accused to the righteous fervor of the accusers. Through a combination of bold lines and subtle shading, Noyes creates a visual narrative that is both evocative and haunting.

What sets "An Outbreak of Witchcraft" apart is its commitment to historical accuracy. Noyes deftly weaves together historical fact and fiction, offering readers a nuanced understanding of the events that transpired in Salem. By exploring the motivations of both the accusers and the accused, the graphic novel invites readers to confront the complexities of truth and justice in a time of mass hysteria.

"An Outbreak of Witchcraft" is a masterfully crafted graphic novel that sheds light on one of America's darkest chapters. With its compelling storytelling and stunning artwork, it is sure to captivate readers of all ages.

“An Outbreak of Witchcraft” by Deborah Noyes was an interesting new examination of the infamous Salem Witch Trials in graphic novel form. The illustrations by Melissa Duffy do well in communicating the fear that was part of the events. I appreciated the short essays between sections giving context to the era and individuals. Focus is mainly given to the victims and circumstances of the hysteria and does not sensationalize. I’d recommend this graphic novel to young adult readers who are interested in this era of early American history.

A well told story, just one that's difficult to read. Over 20 people were murdered basically on the say so of tween girls with no evidence other than the testimony of those who thought they'd be called out too if they didn't comply. People were just making up nonsense stories as "spiritual evidence" and it was taken as fact. (Kind of like stories on the internet.) The prejudices and demagoguery actually remind me of people now and that's difficult to put to paper that that many people could be so stupid and myopic. If you don't know anything about the Salem Witch Trials, this is actually a pretty good way to learn about them.

I think this is a good educational tool for young people learning about the Salem Witch Trials.
I liked the way the different sections started with some writing before getting into the graphic novel part.
I did find it kind of tedious to read. I got bored as it seemed to drag on. I understand that there were a lot of people involved, but it seemed to bounce around a lot.
Part of the problem may have been that the digital copy was difficult to view in its current formatting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy to review.

Even knowing the history of The Salem Witch Trials, I was still so angry reading this and I think that goes to show how well done this graphic novel is. A good book makes the reader feel some kind of emotion, and being able to pull anger and sadness from me on a topic I already knew most of the history on makes it a good book in my opinion. The information isn't new but the way it's presented gives it something new to add to the history of the topic. The artwork felt right for the time it was portraying and I liked that there were a few pages of just text with more detailed information rather than leaving that out or trying to make it fit in with the artwork of the other pages. The Salem Witch Trials will always be a sad thing to read about but having the art portray the accused and their supporters really pulls at the heartstrings. The fact that so many people were put to death for "witchcraft" based on spectral evidence and claims made by impressionable young girls who had no power in that time period is outrageous and the justifications for it made by the men in charge is awful but not surprising for the time. I also liked that this book is educational but focuses on some of the innocents who were put to death due to mass hysteria, prejudice, and the manipulations of men in power and girls who were manipulated and given power they had never had before by having a say in who lives or dies. I think this graphic novel is a great place to start for young people looking for information on The Salem Witch Trials or for supplemental information on the people who died.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a digital ARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Little, Brown Ink via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I'll just start by saying that the quality of the review copy wasn't great, making some of it difficult to read.

This was OK. I didn't love the art. Some of the illustrated pages were too wordy, which made them tedious and boring. Other scenes were depicted really well. Overall, I thought the flow of the story could have been better. I know the author wanted to touch on all the different people involved, but that just made it so you couldn't get invested in any of them. It was a good premise, and maybe this would be easier for children to get through than a textbook. But as a comicbook, I think it fell short. I don't think it conveyed the full weight of the emotions, whether that be panic, hysterics, despair, or otherwise. 2.5 stars.

The history of the Salem Witch Trials are a fascinating and terrifying part of American history. This graphic novel provided a brief introduction that younger readers would find interesting, but overall I was a bit disappointed by the quickness of the telling and the art style, personally for me, did not suit the story and seemed a bit uneven in portrayal. A quick read, but not necessarily a satisfying one if you want a deeper in thought look at the history.

I think this is a great educational tool, especially for those who are more visual learners. The illustrations are very to the time, again making it a great source of information on the history of Salem Witch Trials. I do wish the language was a little more modern for fluidity and ease of reading, but it does aide in the historical setting. I think this would be a great companion when learning about the witch trials for both adults and younger.

Absolutely heartbreaking to read, but it holds stories that are SO important to tell. The Salem Witch Trials are such an important part of American (Seller) History, and more folks should have the opportunity to learn more about them.

Thank you NetGalley And Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this eARC.

I really loved the opening little chapter that gives some background and history of the witch trials. I was REALLY excited for this graphic novel, however due to formatting issues (on both the Kindle and phone/ Netgalley app) I could not read it. On the Kindle the pages were turned horizontally and were cut in half with some of the page missing entirely, the words were also way too blurry to read. On the phone/ NetGalley app I was able to read the first 11 pages just fine. But after page 11 the words are way too blurry to be able to read it. So I'm not able to give a review of this unfortunately. I would love to read this graphic novel eventually, I like the concept and the art.

I gave this two stars because I am interested in this graphic novel, I enjoyed the art style and what I did manage to read was good. However the formatting issues just made it next to impossible to read.

I think the information and how the story of the with trial was told was done amazingly. I hate that the history of this boils down to false accusations and men holding the power to do whatever they want because they simple said it was so is beyond frustrating. I think this made learning about the trials very easy.
I do wish I could do a half star because it does sit between the 3 and 4 but leans more towards 4

My problem in reading it may have nothing to do with the book itself but I received it as an Arc through NetGalley and the formatting made it very hard to read and follow some areas. It may just be how it was displayed here but it did take me out of the reading some.

Being from northeastern Massachusetts, the Salem Witch trials are not a historical event in the far past. 80% of my hometown was involved with a number of people executed by their neighbors. This graphic novel is a useful early book for teens and those who have not had as much exposure to the story of the accused. I like the style of drawing, not too cluttered but generally authentic clothing. The resources in the back are all good, excellent authors of long form books on witchcraft and the trials.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before publication.

Telling part of the story of the Salem Witch Trials in the form of a graphic novel was genius. It’s easy to disassociate while reading and attempt to stay away from the trials characters are put through. With a graphic novel, however, the images are there in front of you, so it’s close to impossible to separate yourself from the story. Add in that this really happened in the United States and this book becomes a devastating reminder of the cruelty and indifference humanity is capable of, especially against neighbors and family.

I went into this book already knowing what the Salem Witch Trials were, but I had not had a visual accounting of it. I appreciate the author using what they knew of the characters in their research to help tell their stories. I felt invested in the complicated and complex relationships of the townspeople and the total lack of checks and balances during Puritan rule.

Hello Fellow Readers,

An Outbreak of Witchcraft was such an interesting take on the Salem witch trials, but also horrifying when you remember halfway through that this isn't a fictional tale. The dialogue in some parts may be embellished but these were real people. This was a real event that happened in our history. Noyes must be an amazing researcher because they did an amazing job at recounting incidents. I will admit that history has never been my strong suit and I don't typically search it out but Noyes made me pay attention. Duffy also did a great job bringing life to each character. I could almost feel the hysteria and fear roll off the pages.

Overall, I can't wait to see what else these two have in store.

This is a great addition to any junior high or high school library. The Salem Witch Trials has always been a topic I am aware of but in the barest sense. I found the art to be accessible but not too scary or intimidatingly given the subject material. I do not recall seeing any vulgarity in the book and personally feel it is good for Junior High and High School. I would caution against elementary as the book has a higher vocabulary.

I received this ARC from Netgalley. This is a great way to help teach about the Salem Witch trials. Being from MA and visiting Salem, I have learned a lot about this subject. This would be much more appealing to those who don't get bored with the more traditional history books, as this is a more immersive reading experience in the graphic novel format.

I’m really interested in this story especially because its about the Salem witch trials, but the texts are blurry and hard to read:( I’ll try reading it again using the final finished ebook.

This was a fantastic read! I cannot wait to add this to my classroom library. We cover this topic in history lessons so having this information accessible in a graphic novel is ideal. Students can gain a better understanding about an important event in history. Plus, the illustrations were great!

Thank you, NetGalley!

I really liked this Graphic Novel. It was informative and I really liked the art style. I did have some problems with the format of this graphic novel. But hopefully, it gets fixed for publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I absolutely loved the way this book was illustrated. To be 100% honest, I wish they had this medium of storytelling when I was in school. I know the Salem Witch Trials fairly well as it is one of my favorite subjects, but I was curious what a graphic novel telling would look like. The arts is beautiful and it is such an easily digestible version of these historical events and I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to learn about these events.