Shadowplay (Book 1): Midnight School

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW publishing for providing an ARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I'm not sure I can put into words just how much I loved this graphic novel, but I'll certainly try.

Shadowplay: midnight school follows the story of 3 students seemingly trapped in an endless cycle of school. Our lead, a wannabee composer who loves a children's cartoon, an inspiring author with a secret to hide, and a student striving for a scholarship for the best university. The bell rings to signal the end of the day and the students turn back around and go back to classes never leaving the premises. To make things worse this school has violent teachers, barbed wire fences, torture devices and gruesome suspensions, reminiscent of crucifixions. Can the trio escape?

It is difficult to talk much about the plot without spoiling it too much. The story and the artwork are masterfully blended together to create such an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. I read this in pitch black darkness and found myself genuinely creeped out and disturbed. Whilst nothing overtly gory is depicted on page the true horror is psychological.

"How can someone be so sure of the 'sunny days that will come again' when shadows endure?"

The main themes of the story are depression, anxiety, oppression, bullying, self doubt and endurance. All three of our main characters as well as a myriad of other faces in this graphic novel face these issues. The lead in particular constantly believing they are not good enough and seemingly having that confirmed by the 'school'.The book challenges the train of thought that academic intelligence and achievements are superior to creative pursuits. Why can't our lead be a good composer just because they're dyslexic?

"If I still believe in love it's 'cause I've got friends that pull me from the dark and together we stand"

Our 3 main characters friendship develops nicely during this book. Including flashbacks with previous interactions that really add to the characters and makes their relationships believable. Life truly is better with friends.

This book starts like a bit a fever dream, it takes a bit to really understand what is going on... But I would highly recommend to any lovers of horror and graphic novels.

"Stop being conducted and become a conductor"

*When I tried to read the ARC on my laptop (Adobe Digital Edition), the book wasn't displayed in full. However, the file has no problems in the NetGalley app and I was able to finish my reading*


This was such a pleasant surprise!

Honestly, based on the publisher’s description, I was expecting some mindless “torture p*rn” in a school—which sounds fun, ngl —but this book turned out to be something else (I'll try to avoid spolier territory by focusing on the technical side).

The pace and character development gave me major manga feels, but the mood was dreamy and surreal. I really liked how the author mixed these elements together. I also loved how some details are hinted at the beginning and take on unexpected proportions at the end.
The main characters (the power trio) are very likable and I rooted for them, but I did have some issues with the girl in the group.
Her backstory didn’t get as much attention as the guys’, which was a letdown. She clearly has a significant role and some secrets, but her development felt unfinished.

Then, I realized this book is the start of a series—I’d overlooked “book 1” in the title, and that might explain it. I hope the author dives deeper into the girl’s story in the sequel! (okay, maybe I'm a little obsessed with her).

Overall, I’m super impressed, especially since this is a debut. There's a lot to love here, and I wanted to know more about that world after finishing, which is certainly a good sign.

I'll keep an eye on this series.

Thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!