Review by Booklist Review
Three eerie tales focused on Latine characters comprise this graphic novel counterpart to Nickelodeon's horror anthology television series, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, which aired in the 1990s but has been recently revived. In the bridge tale, Alicia joins the Midnight Society--children who meet in the woods to tell horror stories by firelight--as a hopeful initiate. She has three tries to tell a story scary enough to become a member. Her first follows a lonely teen whose anger catches the attention of the Lechuza, the vengeful spirit of a wronged woman appearing as an owl with red eyes. In her second story, a girl fleeing her parents' endless fighting rides a haunted bus trapped in its own destructive cycle. In Alicia's most chilling story, siblings rescue a stray dog that is slowly revealed to be not of this world. Mejia's storytelling is compelling, with natural dialogue and well-paced scares that carry seamlessly through the different styles of each illustrator, which range from bold lines and limited color palettes to expressively quirky character designs and lurid colors. An excellent creepy collection perfect for Halloween.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--8--A new Midnight Society convenes in this graphic novel horror series based on Nickelodeon's 1990s show Are You Afraid of the Dark? Gathering around the campfire, the group shares three stories in this first volume, all based on Hispanic urban legends and folktales. A young boy meets a witch in "The Tale of the Witch's Wings," a girl rides a ghostly bus in "The Tale of the Haunting of Bus #13," and siblings rescue a stray dog who appears to have a penchant for eldritch language in "The Tale of the Stray Comet." Mejia's storytelling is on-point with deliciously chilling moments and brilliant pacing. The illustrators bring definitive styles to their stories using dramatic reds, eerie purples, and spooky greens. VERDICT Readers will return for repeat thrills and chills. A recommended first purchase.--Rosemary Kiladitis
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Latine folklore takes center stage in this graphic-novel adaptation of a spooky kids show from the 1990s. Like all members of the Midnight Society--a group of diverse kids who gather by a campfire in the woods to tell scary stories--newcomer Alicia must prove herself worthy of inclusion by giving them something better than the same old ghost stories they've heard lately. Alicia tells three tales; the first is about a boy who finds himself on the wrong side of the Lechuza, a vengeful owl-witch. In Alicia's second story, a girl discovers herself aboard a haunted bus, and finally Alicia tells a hair-raising tale about an adopted stray dog with horrifying powers. Inspired by Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark?,this work maximizes the creep factor with disturbing imagery. The illustrators' art varies in style (some are more free form, while others rely on sharp angles), but each artist's work (or pair of artists, in the case of the Hernandezes) is well paired with the emotional depth and action level of their respective pieces. Mejia's writing maintains a fast, cohesive flow through the different art styles, and Wu's illustrations for the final tale are tied together with the frame story for a seamless and exciting ending. Alicia is brown-skinned; she and the characters in her stories are cued Latine. A quick, compelling, and creepy collection that's sure to be a reader favorite. (Graphic paranormal. 10-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
