Haley is obsessed with Gothic romance novels. She knows the Brontë’ books by heart. Give her Castle Otranto and she’s there! While her English teacher tries her best to get Haley away from the subject, it seems to all be for naught. One dark and stormy night, Haley sees a stranger drowning in a river and dives in to rescue him. When she wakes up, she finds herself in the estate of Willowweep. Suddenly, all those Gothic novels make some serious sense. She’s got the stately manor, the sinister housekeeper, brooding siblings, a grey lady, and the evil ghost of a Friar. What seems like a super romantic adventure quickly becomes a fight to keep a great evil from breaking through the pocket universe of Willowweep and spilling into Haley’s world.
This graphic novel is so much fun for an English major who spent her teen years with Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor is intended for young readers and teenagers, but it is an absolute blast for adults as well. Shaenon K. Garrity’s writing is a blast, and Christopher Baldwin’s art ties it all together.
The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor is available July 11th from Simon and Schuster.
