Anna Meyer is an author, designer and comic artist living in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from the midwest, Anna went to a two-year design school in Lakewood, Ohio where she received her associate degree in graphic design. She has over eleven years of professional design experience as both a senior designer and a design manager. She has been drawing and making comics ever since she could hold a pencil. Anna’s debut graphic novel is Saint Catherine.

Saint Catherine focuses on Catherine, a 20-something woman who is caught up in the world of urban living. While she juggles friendships, life, work, relationships, and more, her certainty, her one faith, is that if she skips mass, something bad will happen to her. When she finally does skip mass for the first time, she is possessed by a demon. Not a guilt or shame demon, but a real-life, black oil slick of a demon that haunts her day and night.

Saint Catherine is an interesting novel. It very much reads like a coming-of-age story, but the fears involved with maturing and living on one’s own, separating oneself from one’s family and traditions, and simply wrestling with the complexities of the world are turned into actual horrors. While the demon may or may not be metaphorical, for our protagonist, it is quite real, quite visceral, and does quite a lot of damage to her life before she’s able to come to terms with it.

While this is certainly a graphic novel that adults will want to read, older YA audiences might find something here as well, so this could absolutely be a good intro novel into demon horror. There’s nothing too horrific that will scare audiences, but the demon is problematic and threatening, so the tension and fear are still high. Furthermore, anyone with a conservative religious background will be able to identify with the character and her internal struggles. This is a really strong debut graphic novel, and Meyer is a new author to keep an eye out for.

What a delight! Catherine is so relatable in so many ways as someone who also considers themselves a recovering Catholic. The Catholic guilt will get you even when you have stopped going to church for well over a decade! This graphic novel was fun and funny while also being deep. Catherine is flawed but she grows and that is what makes her feel real. Her inner demons being actual demons really works here and the art style is eye-catching. I highly recommend this one to people who were raised in organized religion and grew out of that belief and lifestyle. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

As someone who grew up in a religious household and has struggled with the same guilt and shame that Catherine expresses in this graphic novel, I felt so seen and understood. The artwork is beautiful and clever with its visual storytelling. The plot overall is engaging and clever, a lot of the dialogue actually had me chuckling as well.

I loved Saint Catherine! I loved the theme of religion being something that can cause distress and guilt over being "good". I loved the illustrations and the friends/side characters were believable.

Saint Catherine is a lovely graphic novel about a 20-something woman who is going about her normal life - she has beautiful friendships, a job she doesn't like, a caring boyfriend, a slightly overbearing mom, and a weekly ritual of going to mass on Sunday - until one Sunday she doesn't go.
After a series of seemingly inconsequential events, she becomes possessed by demons from hell.
This graphic novel is lovingly observant to real life - in both the artwork, which features details like earrings on the side table, and the writing, with moments like Catherine explaining how she wanted blonde highlights when she was thirteen. It's details like these that get you so invested in her story.
This story is about guilt, lies, and being a human with Catholicism inextricably woven into one's life.
Loved the character Manolo!
Some elements of the story feel slightly unresolved, but in that way it feels true to life.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Like Catherine, I grew up in a religious household. I struggled for years with that overwhelming/ all consuming guilt about every decision and thought I was making/having. Becoming an adult and determining what you want your life to look like outside of religion and the way you were raised can be tough— especially when that religion was used as a weapon to keep you quiet and obedient. Anna did a wonderful job of showing what some of that inner turmoil can be like— even manifesting that guilt etc into a demon.

Saint Catherine tells the story of Catherine, a recovering Catholic. She's an adult now, but one thing she hasn't been able to shake is going to Mass every Sunday, fearing something bad will happen if she skips it. Eventually, she reveals her secret to her boyfriend, who convinces her to go to the beach with him that Sunday instead. The two explore an abandoned church together and after falling off the altar, Catherine starts to be followed around by a demon, who claims to be a prince of hell. As time goes on and the demon stays with her, Catherine does everything she can to try to deal with the fear and the guilt that her upbringing has left her with.

I really loved this graphic novel. The artwork and colors were beautiful, the characters were all unique and interesting, and the demon was actually quite cute all things considered. I found the story really interesting, it obviously deals a lot with Catholic guilt, which I don't often read about. Even for nonreligious readers, I think they will be able to relate to Catherine's struggles. This is a great one for anyone looking for a new adult coming of age story with beautiful artwork.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

This graphic novel follows our main character, who skips Sunday mass for the first time. It explores guilt and faith. I like the book's art style. I completed it in one sitting.

🖤♦️Don't forget to go to mass♦️🖤

This was a fun, cozy horror and extremely relatable read that was beautifully illustrated!

Being raised in the Catholic church, with nearly mirror beliefs, I could see myself in Cat's shoes when navigating the modern world, when your own personal beliefs and values are pinned against the expectations that your parents had for you, and although my demons and Cat's demons are no where near the same, I resonated with them.

I devour this one in one sitting. It kept me engaged and entertained, wishing there were more.

I recommend this to anyone who has struggled between living the life they created for themselves vs. the life your parents wanted for yourself. (I know a little too intense, but in a cozy horror kinda way)

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Saint Catherine is a graphic novel about overcoming religious trauma. Catherine is feeling guilty for missing her first mass and winds up possessed by demons. We get to know her friends, boyfriend, and ex, and see the fracture between her childhood and adult life. I really enjoyed the art style, and how the story resolved as well as its commentary on the catholic church. Thanks to First Second and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

I've been on a weird graphic novel kick lately, so I thought I'd give this a shot! It wasn't quite what I expected, as the cover makes it seem more horror-leaning than it actually is, but I had a good time with it. It was an interesting take on Catholic guilt.

Three-and-a-half stars to Saint Catherine!

Saint Catherine is a unique graphic novel about catholic guilt and recognizing the difference between making a bad decision and being a bad person. I really enjoyed the art style and art work. I wish we got more of a conclusion to one aspect of the story- the ending is the only area where this graphic novel fell a little flat for me. Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Saint Catherine!

Excellent and a little heartbreaking. I like that most ages could read this book and take something from it. Not what I was expecting, but not in a bad way- this story makes you think more than it scares you.

I received this ARC for free and I’m leaving a review of my own volition.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This graphic novel was a great look at a young woman’s journey to forgiveness and finding herself. It deals a lot with faith and understanding that you can be a good person even if you live a different lifestyle. Catherine is flawed and she does some messed up stuff, but we follow her guilt and self doubt and I still wanted her to be ok in the end. There’s an interesting twist here that I didn’t really see coming. The end was also very bittersweet and I really enjoyed the art. I felt myself a lot in Catherine and she mirrored thoughts I’ve had when I was younger and questioning who I am with and without religion. Love books that explore this concept!

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of Saint Catherine!
5 / 5 ⭐

“The only thing the church ever made me feel is scared, guilty, and alone.”
Saint Catherine is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about religious trauma, Catholic guilt, overbearing parents, and coming to terms with your inner demons.

CWs: failed suicide attempt, cheating

I loved this. The color scheme was simple yet striking, the art similar. The story was right up my alley in terms of the "twist." We have a lot of exvangelicals and people who are struggling to move away from their religious upbringing (or religious trauma) so I can see this fitting quite a few needs in our audience especially among young adults.

This was so incredibly interesting, and I REALLY enjoyed the art style, as well! I like how it dealt with religious upbringings and trauma, but in its own way. I would really like to see more from this artist in the future!

Thank you for the ARC!

The linework and coloring were simple, yet incredibly effective. I loved the way scenes and people were blocked through the book. This is a personal thing of mine, but I don't tend to read books that have cheating tropes, which this one does, and it honestly surprised me. I would've loved to see the storyline been her messing things up and intentionally hurting people, and then having to deal with the fallout of that, instead.

I loved the bridge scene, 10/10.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

this was a fantastic graphic novel from start to finish. i loved the art style, and especially loved the color palette.

saint catherine is extremely multifaceted and will probably hit close to home to those raised in a religious catholic household. there is fear of god, hell, and being a bad person, as well as weaponizing that guilt/fear. while this graphic novel is very religious-centric, there are also a lot of non-religious aspects that many readers can relate to such as uncertainty of the future, indecisiveness about careers, cheating partners, suicidal ideologies, and overbearing family members. BUT! there is also a lot of positivity: platonic love, caring friends, and the love of mothers.

i am very interested to see what anna meyer creates next!

Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer is a coming-of-age tale of a young woman who is convinced she is possessed after skipping Sunday mass for the first time in her life. This event, while seemingly harmless to Catherine and she loves, actually is the catalyst for Catherine confront the things she has been avoiding. This was a page-turner; every situation Catherine ever tried to avoid snowballed into an avalanche Catherine couldn't outrun--which made me forget a very important event that happened early in the story. I appreciated the natural meeting the supernatural, and the function of the two aspects combined—and the study of Saint Catherine herself as a last resort for learning to "be good" as well as to deter her internal demon from ruining her life.

The art was great, and the boyfriend is hot. I recommend.

Thanks, NetGalley and First Second Books/23rd St., for the opportunity to read this work!!