Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

I absolutely love horror graphic novels and this one did not disappoint. I loved the stark artwork (so much so that I wish the cover was also black and white) and the stories within the book made it impossible to put down until I was finished.

Antoine Revoy is an award-winning French writer, artist and designer, raised in Tokyo, Japan and Mexico City, Mexico. Revoy has created illustrations for clients such as The New York Times, Der Spiegel and Harvard University. He teaches visual storytelling and comics-making courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and is a thesis mentor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Revoy lives in Providence, RI, with his wife, author-illustrator Kelly Murphy, and their many animal companions. His newest graphic novel is The Harrowing Game.

The rule of the game are simple. Three ghosts meet in a bathroom. They swap horror stories over three nights, and the one who tells the scariest story wins their freedom. The other two competitors are trapped to haunt the bathroom until they win the game. Two ghosts, an old woman who haunts a mirror and a young boy who haunts the bathtub, have played before. Tonight, a new character, with no memory of her death, arrives. Through it all, a mysterious god covered with itchy sores, haunts everyone.

This is a clever graphic novel. The framing device of the competition works to keep readers engaged, and allows for three smaller short stories to be told in an anthology format; however, the stories, as we learn, are linked. Furthermore, because they’re told out of time, the suspense is heightened. This tight writing, accompanied by very detailed and heavily stylized, showing influences from Tsutomu Nihei and Junji Ito, makes for a very stunning graphic novel. Horror fans, especially graphic novel fans, will thoroughly enjoy The Harrowing Game by Antoine Revoy.

I received an ARC from First Second Books via NetGalley. This creepy graphic novel has three interconnected stories with discussion around superstition. The black and white artwork was very alluring. The first story reminded me of Junji Ito’s stories, but the others didn’t live up to that. I wanted a little more depth in the ending, but still a decent creep factor for teens.

Not as scary or gruesome as I'd hoped--especially with a comparison to Junji Ito (though, can anyone really compete with him?). The artwork was great and the first story was very creepy and gross. But the other stories were more odd than scary. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

The stories in this were fun and drew me in. The illustrations are creepy. This is perfect for fans of manga and Junji Ito.

This graphic novel was very engaging - the stories drew me in and the artwork was creepy. It's perfect for fans of Junji Ito or other horror manga.

Netgalley graciously provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one that has appeal across different age groups - the stories are creepy enough for adults but not so creepy that will freak out teens or even slightly older kids. However, I think that is why I did not score it higher - it's only OK but not as scary as I was hoping for. I do, though, like the fun twist at the end!

“This is a story about a person’s death. It just hasn’t happened yet.” Those chilling words set the tone for The Harrowing Game, a striking graphic novel by author and illustrator Antoine Revoy. A young girl makes her way up the steps and into an unfamiliar bathroom, where she’s greeted by a boy in a clawfoot tub and an old woman peering out from the mirror. The boy explains that every night, a game with three players is played. Each takes a turn telling a story to the other two, and the scariest story wins. Each player is assigned a lump of sugar and the winner - who gets to leave the purgatorial bathroom - will be decided by a buzzing fly and which corresponding lump of sugar she feeds on. The three stories that follow are harrowing, indeed. In between each round, the girl remembers a little more about who she is, where she came from, and how she arrived here. And after the final story, a twist of fate delivers a fourth player and the prospect of long-delayed justice. Most unsettlingly, throughout it all an unsuspecting family plays a board game on the ground floor of the house while the game goes on upstairs. Revoy’s artwork is rendered in pencil, pen, and ink, setting an appropriately austere tone. While The Harrowing Game may not appeal to every reader, fans of graphic novels in the horror genre will love it.

What a creepy and confusing time. I think I liked this? But I’m not entirely sure I know what happened by the end. The concept was really interesting though!

I’m a big Junji Ito fan and this graphic novel had a lot of those vibes. I loved it and the layered storytelling. The illustrations were fantastic and wonderfully creepy. Highly recommend.

This graphic novel was such a pleasant surprise - as someone who is a manga enthusiast and really appreciates Junji Ito, I was smiling ear to ear while I read it.