Northranger

Gr 6 Up–A creative retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, this graphic novel follows queer Latinx teen Cade Muñoz as he is forced to spend his summer working at a ranch in rural Texas to help support his family. Cade dreads being away from his only oasis, the movie theater in his hometown of Abilene. However, he finds an instant connection with the ranch owner’s son, Henry Tyler, who shares his interest in horror movies. The two begin spending time away from the ranch in the evenings, and Cade begins to develop feelings for Henry. But amid their newfound romance, he still can’t help but wonder about the dark rumors surrounding the Tyler family. Will his summer come to resemble the horror movies he loves so much? Terciero captures the experience of growing up queer in rural America. Cade faces homophobia, ignorance, and racism, and both he and Henry question how to come out to their families. Henry’s struggles with grief, depression, and suicidal ideation are handled with compassion. Pages drawn entirely in sepia tones contribute to the eerie tone of the story. Overall, this is a great read whether readers are familiar with the source material or not.