Northranger by Rey Terciero

Northranger Reviews

• 
  destiny ♡ howling libraries

  A gay main character who's obsessed with horror films, an ominous gothic mystery taking place in the ranch family's vacation home, and a syrupy sweet forbidden queer romance? Sign me up.
  
  I absolutely loved this graphic novel! Cade is such a sweet little softie and I adored the Henries (especially Henrietta). I appreciated the content warnings in the author's note at the beginning of the book, as this book does involve a fair bit of the cruel realities that queer teens (especially in rural areas) are used to living through, and I thought it was all balanced really well with the fluffy bits to keep things from getting too sad.
  
  I highly recommend this graphic novel and will most likely be grabbing a finished copy for my shelves, because this is the sort of story I could see myself revisiting for sure!
  
  Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
  
  ✨ Representation: Cade is Latinx and gay, Henry is gay, Dale and Alice are Black
  
  ✨ Content warnings for: homophobia, religious bigotry, racism (including slurs), dementia, grief, mentions of death and murder, mentions of cancer, misogyny, alcohol abuse, brief mention of suicidal thoughts
  
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• 
  TJ

  I can’t recommend this graphic novel enough! The characters and their relationships really moved me. It gets into some intense themes by the end, as a warning, but they were handled so well and really struck an emotional cord with me. 5/5 stars and a new favorite.
• 
  Anniek

  I loved the Little Women retelling by this author and illustrator, so I was excited to see they had a new graphic novel coming out. I've never read Northanger Abbey, so I can't judge if the retelling was done well, but I did really enjoy this.
  
  I absolutely ADORED the art style. The graphic novel was illustrated so beautifully, and combined with the colour scheme, it invoked a lot of emotion. I'm not a huge horror reader, but I love gothic stuff, and I loved the atmosphere of this.
  
  My one gripe is I felt like this would have been better had it been set in the 80s/90s. Throughout the book, I often felt confused about the time period, and the references to current technology felt jarring at times. In the author's note, I read that this was based on his own growing up in the 80s and 90s and that explained a lot for me, because that was the vibe the book had in large part. I think it would have made more sense to have committed to that.
• 
  kate

  A beautifully illustrated and gorgeously told coming-of-age romance. This was a heartfelt and deeply moving story about of first love, grief, mental health, self acceptance and being gay in a rural, religious town where being out could be dangerous. Whilst this was deeply painful at times, it was also incredibly sweet and moving and the illustrations bought so much life to this story and it’s characters.
  
  TW: homophobia, homophobic slurs, racism, discussion of suicide attempt, ableist language
• 
  Zimmy W

  This was such a delightful retelling of Northanger Abbey!
  
  (sidenote: this is me manifesting this year I'm gonna read this Jane Austen book, if only because this graphic novel is so convincing.)
  
  I love LGBT graphic novels and simply must consume them all, at this point.
  
  And I also love the Henries - I humbly request a sequel with Henri getting her own little gay story because she gives lesbian vibes.
• 
  mad mags

  (Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Content warning for depictions of homophobia, sexism, racism, and animal cruelty.)
  
  Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz loves horror movies. Not only are they a connection to a father who is no longer around, but they're an escape for a closeted queer kid growing up in rural Texas: a "safe space" wherein the entire audience shares the same sense of terror, if only for ninety minutes. All Cade wants to do with his summer vacation is retreat into the darkness of the theater and binge-watch his favorite movies from the comfort of his own home.
  
  But finances are tight, and when his stepdad Dale lands a job working at his former General's ranch for the summer, Cade is recruited to help. In between hauling hay and shoveling horse poop, Cade gets to know the Tyler kids: eighteen-year-old twins, Henry and Henrietta (Henri for short). Cade and Henry quickly bond over their affinity for horror films and, before long, Cade finds himself falling for this seemingly straight, white, rich, cis boy. But Henry is harboring a secret of his own - and possibly more than one.
  
  As the Muñoz-Jordan family is welcomed into the Tyler fold, Cade begins to suspect that something sinister lurks below the Tylers' picture-perfect surface - and that Henry might be at the center of a string of murders. Why else wouldn't the General want him creeping around the west wing of Northranger, the family's second home on the lake?
  
  Based on Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY, NORTHRANGER is a gothic-flavored mystery wherein the protagonist's (overactive and reasonably anxious) imagination quickly spirals out of control, revealing danger and conspiracy around every corner. Of course, as a gay kid growing up in a red state ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre country"), Cade's suspicion isn't entirely unfounded - simply existing during a time of anti-LGBTQ fervor is in fact both dangerous and terrifying. Austen's fictional story and current political realities dovetail in a rather unsettling way.
  
  NORTHRANGER is an engaging, compelling graphic novel; I highly enjoyed the storytelling and artwork. The mystery is creepy enough, and I loved spending time with Cade, Henry, and Henri; they're all really complex and interesting characters. There's also some great representation to be found here.
  
  I'm writing this review on 2/14 (Valentines Day ugh), and I'm pretty confident in saying that NORTHRANGER will go down as one of my favorite reads of the year.
• 
  Steven

  Inspired by Jane Austen's
  Northanger Abbey and the author's childhood in Texas, this two-toned graphic novel combines a lot of great elements! An unexpected yet budding romance is subjected to a significant amount of suspicion and suspense, providing a new spin on the old "will they, won't they" trope. I found myself hooked!
  
  Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC! Coming June 2023.
• 
  H

  Graphic novels are my absolute favorite. Looking at pictures while a story unfolds will always make me happy. When I saw Northranger I immediately knew I was going to be in for a treat. And thankfully I was not disappointed.
  
  I was enthralled from start to finish. It had the dark elements while keeping it light and hopeful. It showed how sometimes nothing is okay but that doesn’t mean it’ll always be like that. Also, I’m usually very critical about how books will portray grief and mourning but I felt like this graphic did a really good job with it. Henry had a lot of issues and when you lose someone very close to you you tend to have a lot of issues. In my opinion I thought how Henry was portrayed was done really well. Cade definitely could’ve swung at Henry a few times and I would’ve cheered.
  
  Wasn’t a huge supporter of some of the characters but I did like the themes that were present. I thought it touched a lot of important topics that should be discussed and seen. This was an excellent graphic and I can’t wait for it to be published.
• 
  Louis Muñoz

  The main character's last name is Muñoz, the same as mine. OF COURSE I'm going to want to read this book when it comes out! Partly kidding; the book does sound really good.
• 
  LGBT Representation in Books

  Trigger Warnings: theft, financial struggles, military, homophobia, racism, dead animals, past death of a parent, cursing, misogyny, domestic violence, alcohol, violence, animal cruelty, cancer, coming out, depression, anxiety, grief, past suicide attempt
  
  Representation: Latino, Twins, Gay
  
  Northranger is a queer graphic novel set on a horse ranch in rural Texas. Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner's mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret.
  
  Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary--but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas--real life can be way scarier. When he is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, Cade is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there--in particular, the ruggedly handsome and enigmatic Henry. As unexpected sparks begin to fly between Cade and Henry, things get... complicated. Henry is reluctant to share the details of his mother's death, and Cade begins to wonder what else he might be hiding.
  
  I was very concerned this graphic novel was going to be scary!! I’m a huge baby so the main character loving scary movies and the location being a “haunted” ranch gave me the heebie jeebies! Luckily this was not actually the case! This story has some eerie moments but it’s not really “scary.” Plus having the love story go along with it, is a always a plus! There are definitely both light and heavy moments but the author does a great job balancing them. I really loved everything about it and am so happy to have found another queer graphic novel to recommend!
• 
  Ryan

  Cade Muñoz lives in central Texas with his mother, abuela, stepfather, and sister. Horror movies are his only escape from the terror of growing up a queer teen in Texas. To make money his stepfather takes him for the summer to the Tyler ranch to work for a his former general from the military. Cade and the General’s son, Henry, but the eighteen year old cowboy is hard to read. Henry is good at keeping secrets, especially about what happened to his mother at their lake house, Northranger.
  
  I really enjoyed this graphic novel inspired by Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen with a modern, queer twist. Even though this is a romance at heart, it explores the serious issues of mental health and physical health from several angles. The characters are really lovely and I loved the chemistry between Cade and Henry. The art is beautiful with a muted color palette and gorgeous illustrations that captures the gothic-ranch vibe perfectly.
  
  Thank you @netgalley and @harperalley for the advance copy. This graphic novel comes out at the beginning of Pride month and I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate by sharing this book with all the teens and queens in your life.▪️
  
  ⚠️ Suicide, mental health, homophobia, addiction
• 
  Jennifer

  I was given advance copy by NetGalley for an honestly review
  
  This is a modern retelling of Northanger Abbey and I think it did well keeping the original themes but updated, the gothic novels playing on the overactive imagination of the protagonist to the horror movies playing on the overactive imagination of the protagonist. Cade and his sister have a cute relationship that I enjoyed seeing.
  
  The art style of this book is gorgeous, I kept going back to look at different parts over again.
  
  Read the trigger warnings in the beginning since this place in a small town in Texas full of homophobia (and that’s just one of them). I wish it had been longer but I guess rereading this and will have to do. You should go grab it if you’re looking for a gorgeous coming of age story that deals with grief and first love.
• 
  Kerry

  This Graphic Novel was so well done, the art style is gorgeous and I absolutely love all the reference to horror movies and how Cade's feelings towards horror movies match his own in life and situation.
  I also love that this deals with anxiety and self doubt, issues with anger and covering our true selves. Beware, we cross into miscommunication at times so if that's something that turns you off just be aware but by all means don't avoid as you will be missing out.
  This graphic novel is heart warming but completely realistic, it deals with, illness, homophobia and racism but don't expect the outcome to be picture perfect, this is hard hitting making it superbly pitched for YA audiences.
  
  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
  
  Huge thank you to Harper 360YA who seem to time and time again deem me worthy of proof copies of their new releases. This one, as usual was spot on!
• 
  jessica

  i am pretty disappointed with this. i don't know the plot of northanger abbey, so i don't know if this is a good adaptation/retelling/inspired-by-story. i will say that this had a lot of "reveals" that i didn't like.
  
  it was underwhelming. i won't say any more than that because my complaints are just personal preferences, i think.
  
  thank you to rey terciero and harper collins for the arc
• 
  Tessa

  5/5 stars! I loved this so much.
  
  Short and sweet, Northranger takes us on a journey of love and heartbreak as we follow Cade, a gay Mexican boy navigating life in rural Texas as he goes to work on the Tyler Ranch to help his family finances, and Henry, the sweet but mysterious Tyler son who's obviously hiding something.
  
  I really enjoyed this and finished it in about an hour. I loved the character designs; there was an innate sweetness to them and the setting that didn't distract from the overall themes. Cade and Henry were absolutely adorable, but also so messy and utterly human. My heart broke and mended right along with them. Their struggles are so familiar to any of us who have navigated being queer in the world.
  
  I have no complaints except that it was so short. I would definitely read more of all of these characters anytime. Just lovely.
• 
  Jenna

  Probs closer to four stars, but I cried so I’ll bump it up. I was very pleasantly surprised by this graphic novel; I thought it was very interesting and I mean it in a good way! I felt very invested in the story and I think the setting grounded in rural Texas really made the story work. I sometimes forget, because I existed in an ~unaware state~ about my own sexuality until I was an adult, that so many queer kids know who they are and understand that the world doesn’t always welcome them at very young ages. While my (un)awareness of queerness as a kid stemmed from the lack of visible queerness in my rural, Midwestern hometown—for me that environment translated to never questioning, never understanding myself and kind of ended there. That said, I never experienced what it was like to know you were hated as a high schooler, as a middle schooler, or even younger. I think this novel handled that sensitively and with care. Especially given recent laws rolling out throughout the US and especially in the South this was honestly a really heartbreaking read to me. A side aspect to this was that the incorporation of horror, and specifically queer connection to the horror genre was suuuuch a good part of the storyline. Queer as monster, and monster as not understood—specifically in this setting and context?! I just felt that for a YA graphic novel they were able to pack a lot into barely 200 pages. A fun retelling (even if I haven’t read the original), and though I didn’t love every individual part of this—there are some points I wish got wrapped up more and perhaps some behaviors by the Dad and farmhand that I didn’t want to be excused or glossed over as much—the overall graphic novel really will stick with me for a minute. In conclusion I wanna go give every queer kid in the world a big hug and also kick the shit out of every bigot trying to make queer lives harder.
• 
  Dani

  Cade’s story is surprisingly deep for a graphic novel, especially one that leaves you feeling hopeful by the end. Also being a queer kid from Texas with a dead dad, I felt for Cade during his journey through grief, navigating family dynamics, queerness in Texas, first dates, and discrimination.
  I loved that Cade and Henry bonded over horror movies, it really set them apart from other couples I’ve read about.
  Bre Indigo is a killer illustrator and the way they brought Abilene, the ranch, and particularly the firefly scene was beautiful and captivating. The firefly scene specifically captured the magic of a Texas summer in a way that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before.
• 
  Lauren Goff

  (thanks to Netgalley for providing me a digital arc for review!)
  
  I have never read the book this is based off, but after reading Northranger, I want to give Northanger Abbey a try!
  
  The story follows Cade Muñoz during his summer working at a ranch with his stepfather. While there, he meets the mysterious family who own the ranch, which includes the handsome and troubled Henry, who seems to be holding onto a possibly dangerous family secret. Cade has to navigate his feelings of isolation coming from being a closeted queer Latino in Texas, but also his feelings for Henry.
  
  Having grown up in a small town in the Bible belt, I understand a little of what some of the characters are going through. I feel the tough subjects were handled very well and offer a good picture into how it can feel growing up in a town that doesn't understand or accept you. I loved the story and the characters, and felt they were pretty well fleshed out. The character of Cade specifically resonated with me, as I am also a huge horror fan.
  
  The art style is beautiful and expressive. The soft tones really give a warm, summery feeling to the book. The characters all have a very distinct look and feel to them.
  
  Though I can't speak to how well of a retelling this is, I do feel that this reads more as an exploration of characters. It feels a little like the story wanders away from the mystery aspect- only for the reader and the character to be reminded of it by the ravings of one of side characters. I do wish there had been a little more exploration of some of the characters' motivations and more resolution for some of the characters, but all in all, I really enjoyed this book.
  
  I can't wait to recommend it to the patrons that come into the library looking for a good, creepy summer read!
• 
  Isaiah

  To read a full review check it out
  here
  
  I am a bit disappointed that all of the horror mentioned was old or Stephen King. I wish there were references to openly queer horror. The horror plot read as more thriller, so I was less invested than I was expecting. Not a bad book, but eh.
• 
  Drakoulis

  Beautiful and sweet!
  
  Northranger captures what it means to be gay in a non-accepting place (rural Texas), first love, butterflies in your stomach, stereotypes, prejudice, abusive family, supportive family with a flavor of horror and a mystery vibe!
  
  A heartwarming (and a bit heartbreaking too) graphic novel not to be missed!
• 
  Mimi

  2.5
• 
  Bailey

  This was such a fun northanger abbey retelling! I loved the way this talks about the closet, repression, and the queerness of horror films and loved our main characters. I love a summer setting and gay cowboys <3
• 
  Ray

  Thanks to netgalley for an e-arc.
  
  This was a really cute story. I relate alot to it having grown up being gay in the south, i saw a lot of my experiences portrayed in it. I thought the main character was really lovable. My only problem was how some of the dialogue just felt more preachy of some subjects and not natural. I havent read the work that this story is based on, but I'm intrigued to pick it up after this. I liked the suspense in the story and the pay off it had. Plus the art was really cute and i enjoyed the style.
• 
  Jennifer

  I was given advance copy by NetGalley for an honestly review
  
  This is a modern retelling of Northanger Abbey and I think it did well keeping the original themes but updated, the gothic novels playing on the overactive imagination of the protagonist to the horror movies playing on the overactive imagination of the protagonist. Cade and his sister have a cute relationship that I enjoyed seeing.
  
  The art style of this book is gorgeous, I kept going back to look at different parts over again.
  
  Read the trigger warnings in the beginning since this place in a small town in Texas full of homophobia (and that’s just one of them). I wish it had been longer but I guess rereading this and will have to do. You should go grab it if you’re looking for a gorgeous coming of age story that deals with grief and first love.
• 
  Vanessa

  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC!
  
  Where do I start... Well. let's start by saying that I really, really liked this book.
  
  I was not sure what to expect. I am not familiar with the book that served as an inspiration for this story (Austen's "Northanger Abbey"), and as such, I was expecting more... traditional... Austen vibes. Now. I don't dislike Austen. But she's not my typical fare. Little did I know that "Northanger Abbey" wasn't her typical fare either...
  
  The trigger warning that starts off the book is a welcome sight, but also an excellent list of all the things this book touches on: homophobia, misogyny, racism, domestic violence, animal cruelty, and death. While all theses topics are heavy, I think Terciero does an excellent job of addressing these topics in a realistic (especially for teens) manner. My heart broke for these characters.
  
  I also feel like the explanation of the appeal of horror films was A++. I know that not all people love horror, and not all people love horror for the same reason. But wow. This explanation was lovely, if not heart breaking.
• 
  Christine Reads

  4.5 rounded up to 5
  
  Sometimes I just hate how short graphic novels are because i want more! Closure is hard to grasp within the confines of what, 150 pages? The romance though? So cute and great buildup.
• 
  Peter

  I kinda waffled back and forth about whether to give this one 3 or 4 stars. Again, I really wish these rating systems did half stars too. Anyway, there were some great parts to this book. The teenage angst was on point, I loved Cade's interest in horror movies which I can identify with, but especially loved how he later on in the book related horror movies to the feeling of being a a queer teen in Texas. I had never thought of that before. There were some characters I didn't love. The little sister was beyond annoying, Cade's mom was utterly unfair, and trigger warning for Cade's stepdad for homophobic speaking. I liked Henry and was annoyed at him for being hot and cold so much but his later explanations helped. Other characters were okay. The "mystery" was like a red herring, but reading the author's explanation helped with my confusion. While this wasn't a horror story per se, it was still interesting and relevant. 3.5!
• 
  Cody James

  Graphic novels aren’t usually my thing, but a gay coming of age graphic novel with a horror twist? I had to sign up for this review! This is adorable. Quick, but packs a punch. I will say, for a fast read, the romance aspect was a bit slow for me, but when we get there it’s heartwarming and adorable. I quite enjoyed the art in this as well. This is a very niche book, which could either help or hurt the author. You have to like graphic novels, romance, ya, and a splash of horror for this to work for you. Thankfully it did for me
• 
  Lizzy (reviewsshewrote)

  I liked it but I kind of wish it were longer? The finished graphics are going to be gorgeous though, and I loved the mix of romance and mystery. The end felt super unresolved to me, especially between Henry and his dad.
• 
  Zoe

  The fault may mainly lie with me for picking up a graphic novel when I know I haven't been super compelled by them before, but a Northanger Abbey retelling? So fun! Catherine's adventures made one of the most fun Austen novels, so I was excited to see the novel retold as a queer story in a Texas ranch setting.
  
  What I liked: replacing Catherine's love for Gothic novels with Cade's love for horror movies was cute, and there's a thoughtful scene at the end where Cade compares a horror movie to having to live as a gay person in a very unaccepting society (pervasive loneliness, paranoia and fear, etc. etc.). And of course, the artwork was lovely. Honestly, I could take more landscape shots.
  
  What I didn't like: another review I saw brought up how this novel includes a lot of "issues" but then doesn't do much about them, which I would mostly agree with. I wish we would see some more resolution—which doesn't mean the issue is "fixed," but that it's at least acknowledged in closing. I think the graphic novel did a lot of pointing out problems within its setting (racism, homophobia, mental struggles, cancer, sexism, addiction) and then either tidying them away or not acknowledging them further after their corresponding plot beat. It's not like each issue needs its own storyline—and I'm sure most of those issues are realistic and accurate—but it was a lot to fit into under 250 pages. Additionally, I'm not sure the main character, who seemed pretty immature throughout the story, had the right gravity to make these problems hit home with the way he navigated them. The tone of the characters, the romance/other relationships, and overall story were all more juvenile than the issues that were brought up.
  
  The romance was also not a strong suit. I have no idea why either character cares about the other beyond the fact that they find each other attractive and both like horror, and sort of because they're the only gay kid the other knows (which could have been an interesting storyline in itself if given room to grow!). I just was not rooting for them as a couple because I saw no reason to, except in the general sense of "I hope these kids make it in their unaccepting circumstances."
  
  Maybe I should go on a graphic novel moratorium.