Ghoul

A grieving teen teams up with an enigmatic entity to unravel her neighbor’s allegedly dark past in Iris’s paranormal graphic novel debut. Following her best friend’s death by suicide, 15-year-old Lyn and her Filipino immigrant parents move to Ashwood for a fresh start. While carrying boxes into her new apartment, Lyn bumps into grumpy neighbor Mr. Cho, sending hers and Mr. Cho’s own belongings tumbling. She later hears rumors that Mr. Cho killed his wife and that his son has been missing for two years. That night, Lyn discovers that she accidentally picked up some of Mr. Cho’s items, including an ancient-looking pendant and a comic featuring an inky-black bipedal ghoul. The next morning, Lyn is shocked to find that the ghoul, having somehow exited the comic, has taken up residence in her room. Though Lyn is unsure if the ghoul is real or a hallucination, she befriends the unexpectedly exuberant creature, with whom she begins investigating Mr. Cho’s family. Softly shaded red- and purple-hued illustrations often spill over rounded borderless paneling, amplifying emotional moments steeped in surreal, dreamlike ambiance. Dynamic page layouts and dramatic lettering energize frenetically-paced plotting, which aptly reflects Lyn’s difficulty navigating tumultuous life shifts and supernatural phenomena. Ages 13–17. (May)