books_plan_create's review
2.0
It has been eons since I first read the book, so I was definitely intrigued by the graphic novel adaption. It was decent enough and I think middle school or younger age kids will enjoy the spooks and thrills of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the book early.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the book early.
ladykatka's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid graphic novel, good middle grade book for kids who like ghost stories or need low level and high interest.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Gaslighting, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Death of parent
debzemanlms's review
4.0
Creepy haunted House, an old cemetery and a ghost named Helen. What more could you want in a middle school graphic novel adaptation. This was one of my first books by this author and I really enjoyed it. The illustrations were very well done and went along nicely with the story. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.
mckenzierichardson's review
4.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
Delightfully spooky and surprisingly heartwarming. I never read Mary Downing Hahn's novels growing up, but I just might after finishing this graphic novel adaptation. An interesting way to revive an older tale and make it more appealing to a modern audience.
A new house, a blended family, and sinister secrets. This story had me hooked. The ghost elements were fascinating. A nice blend of creepy and intriguing. There's a bit of a mystery element worked into the spooky bits that makes the reader want to read more.
For a graphic novel, it's fairly wordy with a good chunk of the dialogue pulled from the original book. That means some of the speech is pretty dated. However, I liked the connection to its roots instead of modernizing the dialogue. All in all, I think it worked just fine.
To be honest, the parents are pretty awful though, especially Dave. It made for a very frustrating reading experience at times. However, by the end when all the pieces fit into place, the story was so satisfying.
The book deals with some heavy topics including grief, guilt, death of a parent, and the fear of being alone and unloved. It has some great messages worked in, which was a nice surprise.
Definitely want to go read the original now and explore more of Mary Downing Hahn's spooky tales. What a great read.
Delightfully spooky and surprisingly heartwarming. I never read Mary Downing Hahn's novels growing up, but I just might after finishing this graphic novel adaptation. An interesting way to revive an older tale and make it more appealing to a modern audience.
A new house, a blended family, and sinister secrets. This story had me hooked. The ghost elements were fascinating. A nice blend of creepy and intriguing. There's a bit of a mystery element worked into the spooky bits that makes the reader want to read more.
For a graphic novel, it's fairly wordy with a good chunk of the dialogue pulled from the original book. That means some of the speech is pretty dated. However, I liked the connection to its roots instead of modernizing the dialogue. All in all, I think it worked just fine.
To be honest, the parents are pretty awful though, especially Dave. It made for a very frustrating reading experience at times. However, by the end when all the pieces fit into place, the story was so satisfying.
The book deals with some heavy topics including grief, guilt, death of a parent, and the fear of being alone and unloved. It has some great messages worked in, which was a nice surprise.
Definitely want to go read the original now and explore more of Mary Downing Hahn's spooky tales. What a great read.
meaganmart's review
4.0
We have several paperback copies of "Wait Till Helen Comes" in our middle school media center that are so well-loved that they have been stapled, taped, and glued back together. When I saw that this creepy classic had been adapted as a graphic novel I could not request a copy fast enough.
"Wait Till Helen Comes" sees a newly blended family moving into a renovated church in the middle of nowhere. The property includes a small cemetery where Molly, Michael, and Heather find a small grave that had been lost to time. Instead of the discovery drawing the three stepsiblings together as their parents had hoped, Heather becomes preoccupied with the grave and the spirit of a young girl named Helen that she claims to see there. The tension between the two families continues to ratchet up as Heather's behavior becomes more and more erratic and she seeks to blame her unhappiness on her new stepsiblings. Will her skeptical parents believe their youngest has been interacting with a ghost? Or will Heather be the newest addition to Helen's group of eternal playmates?
This adaptation does not disappoint. It is true to the original story with illustrations that are visually arresting and spooky enough to haunt the nightmares of a whole new generation of children. Older horror fans will delight in seeing one of their childhood favorites brought to life in a new way, and the newer generation will fall in love all over again with a true classic of the genre. A must-have for every school library collection!
Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Clarion Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
"Wait Till Helen Comes" sees a newly blended family moving into a renovated church in the middle of nowhere. The property includes a small cemetery where Molly, Michael, and Heather find a small grave that had been lost to time. Instead of the discovery drawing the three stepsiblings together as their parents had hoped, Heather becomes preoccupied with the grave and the spirit of a young girl named Helen that she claims to see there. The tension between the two families continues to ratchet up as Heather's behavior becomes more and more erratic and she seeks to blame her unhappiness on her new stepsiblings. Will her skeptical parents believe their youngest has been interacting with a ghost? Or will Heather be the newest addition to Helen's group of eternal playmates?
This adaptation does not disappoint. It is true to the original story with illustrations that are visually arresting and spooky enough to haunt the nightmares of a whole new generation of children. Older horror fans will delight in seeing one of their childhood favorites brought to life in a new way, and the newer generation will fall in love all over again with a true classic of the genre. A must-have for every school library collection!
Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Clarion Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
radclyffe_uhaul's review
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/10/harpercollins-union-strike-publishing
https://bookshop.org/shop/hcpunion
https://bookshop.org/shop/hcpunion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
destdest's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I thought the story was well-written. But be prepared: the levels of gaslighting the main character Molly went through were frustrating. You can imagine how isolating it would feel to be a child whose parents actively ignore their feelings. That was scarier than the ghosts or the little demon child Heather. That parental neglection will be relatable to some children though.
bimenace's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Child death
mrsscottisreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75