"The fate of all life on Earth depends on a girl who doesn't know if she wants to live" is a solid elevator pitch. And there's a further hook in that this story of a kid having a tough time adjusting to life on the outside after a spell hospitalised with mental health issues, and the dad struggling to know what to do for the best, is written by a father-daughter team who've experienced the same situation. But while this can all make the book important, or valuable - particularly when paired with backmatter offering helpful links (well, at least if you're in America) and tips - sadly it can't guarantee it will be any cop when considered as art. Whatever their grounding in lived experience, the characters here feel like types (as lots of real people do, I suppose); the dialogue is prone to awkward exposition, and the art is flat, occasionally verging on comical. The notion that while Cleo has genuine issues, some of the horrors she's hallucinating are really there, might be audacious under the circumstances, but that doesn't make it original, and it doesn't help that it often reads as though the visions are trying to be jump scares when that's a trick that's incredibly tough to pull off in comics, and certainly not likely to work halfway down a page. I wish the Sacks family well coming through their troubles, and I'm happy for anyone who felt helped by reading this, but as a horror comic I don't think it's terribly good.

(Netgalley ARC)

"A Haunted Girl" juxtaposes a classic demonic horror tale with an equally horrific look at the impact of mental illness and suicidal ideation. The demonic horror angle works well, but the real focus and strength of this book is the touching and compelling story it tells about a young woman who overcomes darkness both within and without to grasp hold of her own destiny and chart her own course. The "saving the world " thing is a nice touch too !

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Image Comics for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

An intensely powerful story that will surely resonate with many. A Haunted Girl has incredibly stunning artwork that is both shocking and properly frightful. The messages and mental health representation is incredibly powerful. In this story Cleo, 16y/o girl is chosen to prevent an apocalypse from happening after she survives attempting to kill herself. I do wish the representation of depression and anxiety was explored a bit more as an actual disability instead of simply as a manifestation of ghosts but nonetheless it was a provoking book.

A chilling, captivating vision of mental illness and the demons that represent.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Haunted Girl. As someone who has struggled with mental illness their own life, I felt a sense of peace and closure by being able to put faces and pictures to some of the demons in my own head. Following Cleo throughout her journey to reintegrate into life, especially trying to confirm to the new "normal" she's faced with, is a fascinating take on how to cope with such illnesses. I'm excited for following works. The story is even more endearing, as each 'chapter' is separated by relevant hotlines numbers and insight into the making of the story.

Would highly recommend reading as a physical copy. The art is not done justice as an ebook.

A Haunted Girl is a great new graphic novel! The story, the artwork, and the characters are all excellent.

This book addresses serious themes in a way that is empathetic and understandable.

One of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time.

THIS BOOK IS SO IMPORTANT!

This book is for anyone who has ever suffered with their mental health. I flew through this story as I really felt for Cleo & her dad. I am so satisfied with the ending. The artwork was perfect & really helped me get drawn into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for giving me an eARC! This review is not influenced & is my honest thoughts & thank you to Ethan and his daughter Naomi for having the guts to share such an intimate but important story!

I went into reading A Haunted Girl completely blind. I had no real idea about the plot, the story, the characters. If you'd have asked me before what the book was about, you would've just been on the receiving end of a very blank look.

The main thing that drew me to requesting this book was the cover. It caught my attention so very quickly and I knew that I had to apply to request an e-ARC of this novel...and I'm so glad that I did.

A Haunted Girl is a graphic novel following sixteen year old named Cleo who suffers from a major depressive illness that led her to nearly taking her own life.

As she tries to reintegrate into her life as the old, happier version of herself, it seems like many people...many things have other ideas to keep her from seeming stable, but instead to make her seem like her mental health is far worse than it actually is.

Cleo becomes having these incredibly disturbing dreams of beings that can't possibly be real...could they?

But when the line between what's real and what's false begins to blur, it can only beg one question: what's the truth? And why on earth have they chosen a mentally ill sixteen year old to be their messenger?

Before I end this little review, I do just want to say that I adored about this book is that some parts were set in Japan, hence the characters using and speaking the Japanese language - but they also had very easy to locate and understand English translations on the same page. I've seldom ever seen that onto page and it translated so well.

If you're looking for a fun, at times, spooky and chilling graphic novel to read, I highly recommend A Haunted Girl! 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to a 4) ✨🌟

The premise of this comic series really hits home. You have to wonder, if the person that is meant to save all of humanity doesn’t want to save themselves, is the world doomed? I love how much the story mixes horror and mental health together. In a lot of the movies and books I’ve read lately it takes on a darker tone, but in this story it is hopeful, but still terrifying.

Although the time spent reading a comic book series is short, it still leave a lasting impact on the psyche. Cleo has to go through seeing the veil of the dead and the living thin and see the horrors that exist beyond, thinking that she is crazy and hallucinating. As the world proves to show that she was in fact not hallucinating, understanding that she has this whole new responsibility on her shoulders is so daunting.

In these comics you will find gorgeous art that tells the tale of a young woman dealing with horrors beyond her imagination. On Cleo’s face throughout the story you can see how much her emotional state weighs on her. She is struggling hard and it’s taking a lot out of her even to go back to school. The questioning glances and catty ness of high school being too much for her. With a single friend she’s avoiding and her dad doing his best to be there for her, Cleo still feels so alone.

It sucks to be suffering your own demons and not feel like you can reach out for help. To feel like so much a burden you don’t want to exist. Yet, we still watch Cleo try and that shows such great strength.

I highly recommend “A Haunted Girl”. It is the kind of comic that we need a lot more of in this life.

An ebook Arc from Netgalley for a honest review.

The start was slower but held a lot of feelings and brought you deep into the story. Things picked up fast, almost to fast. Seemed like we were building up the story then suddenly it was at the worst then over. I would of loved the story to be more drawn out with more detail behind it all. I loved the ending. It was the ending that was needed. Definitely will be a reread for me one day.

I really liked this! Follow along with Cleo who is recovering from a depressive episode as em she realizes that she is all that left of an ancient line of warriors created to stop an apocalypse from destroying the different realms!
The depiction of depression is heavy in this but still an enjoyable story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for an eARC of A Haunted Girl.

A Haunted Girl is about a 16 year old girl who suffers from depression and anxiety, tried to end her life...survives, then finds out she is the chosen one to stop the apocalypse from happening. With the help and support of her family and friends, she learns she is not alone and can survive her darkest moments.

Not only did this story have beautiful artwork, it was a beautiful story as well, despite the horror that is depression. The message was so extremely important as mental health is still not taken as seriously as it should be in today's world. This was terrifying and hopeful at the same time. I felt Cleo's journey and experiences to realize that she wanted to live and get better was so powerful for such a quick read. Highly recommend for everyone, whether you struggle with mental health or just want a better understanding of what someone with depression has to live with.

Really liked the idea behind this comic; was easy to follow, the story was intresting and the graphics were really good.

The story depicted here resonated with me so much. I suffer with major depression and it was so relatable to see it on paper. I think it’s an ingenious idea to add that mental health can be a struggle. I read that this story was based on the authors daughter own struggle. The supernatural elements are a great addition too.

I flew through this comic. I recommend it’s a read for all young adults and even adults. Who knows you might be able to relate to someone that has major depression.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was unexpectedly scary. I had goosebumps! Enchanting storytelling and a great story.

I appreciate comics with strong story lines and super artwork. An experience to lose yourself in. These are all here in spades. So get this comic, you will be impressed! But not only is the story about mental health, at the end of each chapter the comic champions this. Which added so much more depth to the story and my reading experience. Reading the authors comments I was encouraged that writing this work helped support real life recovery. Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Ethan Sacks is an amazing talent in the comics field, and I love the back story of this book, as well. Ethan combines his abilities with the creative vision of his daughter, Naomi, for a fantastic and atmospheric story. They are a wonderful creative team and this is one of the best original graphic novels I've read in a while.

When I read the synopsis for this comic on NetGalley, I didn’t hesitate about hitting that request button. We continue to live in a society where mental health/illness is greatly misunderstood or easily judged. I remember being a teenager and battling those dark demons, but didn’t know who to turn to or trust for help. I also remember feeling incredibly alone and broken.

A Haunted Girl is an eerie, dark, and emotional story about a 16-year-old girl battling anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The serious themes blended with a supernatural tale and stunning artwork will make this very accessible for the intended audience. Not only was this comic entertaining, but also an excellent depiction of mental health - I have zero doubt that the these pages will help many. Depression really is a horrifying demon, but finding the right support can make a world of difference. I love that they’ve partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - seeing a page dedicated to this in each comic issue, complete with resources is wonderful.

Thank you to Ethan and Naomi Sacks for writing this story and sharing something so personal.

And thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for the eARC of A Haunted Girl

This felt so powerful and I loved the artwork. When Cleo starts seeing ghosts, is it another symptom of possible mental illness related to an earlier attempt to self harm? It was so easy to relate to her struggle as she tried to go back to school after an inpatient stay, where she felt so down she cut off her own best friend. I thought it was really cool the author wrote this with his daughter.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this. I'm looking forward to reading more by these two

A new take on how mental health can affect us written by Ethan Sacks and his daughter. Sacks based this on his own feelings and struggles watching his daughter suffer suicidal thoughts and depression. After he wrote the first version of this, Naomi reviewed it and added her own influence to the story. While the plot of the story is a little strange, Gus, the dad is caring for his niece/daughter, Cleo, after what seems to be a suicide attempt. Cleo begins to "hallucinate" but we eventually find out that she is the last connection between the living and the dead. Also, you know, deal with the trauma of being in high school with all the pressures of teenage life. Her best friend Flora is trying to be supportive and help out, but having your best friend talk to a ghost about the upcoming supernatural apocalypse makes things difficult. There is a lot of talk about mental health, a lot of information for readers on various resources available, and an overwhelming message that no matter what, you are not alone. A heartfelt horror novel with great illustrations, though I wish it had gotten a little more fleshed out.

This was a story of depression in youths.


The comic drawing style was really good and represented the writing well.
However the story fell a touch flat and the depression could have been explored more in real life terms instead of overcoming ghosts