Took: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

by Mary Downing Hahn (Author) Jen Vaughn (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Daniel doesn't believe the woods behind his new home are haunted by an evil witch and her terrifying beast. But then his little sister disappears . . . and it's up to him to find her. This chilling graphic-novel version of Mary Downing Hahn's popular page-turner will thrill readers who love spooky stories.

They say that a ghost witch lives in the woods, up on the hill. They say her companion has a pig skull for a face and stands taller than a man, his skeleton gleaming in the moonlight. They say that the witch takes young girls, and no one ever sees them again. Daniel doesn't believe the stories. He figures the kids on the bus are just trying to scare him since he's new. Still, he wishes his family had never moved here--their house is a wreck, Mom and Dad keep fighting, and his little sister, Erica, spends most of her time talking to her creepy doll. But when Erica disappears into the woods one day, Daniel knows something is terribly wrong. Has she been "took"?
Select format:
Paperback
$12.99

School Library Journal

This eerie graphic novel adaptation brings to life a tale of terror. When Daniel's family moves from Fairfield, CT, to Woodville, WV, they realize there is something off about the small rural town. The residents are a little rough around the edges, and the family's new house is in shambles. In addition to the decay, the property also has a dark past—the previous family's daughter vanished 50 years ago, and some townspeople say she was "took." Rumors of a long-deceased ghost witch (or "conjure woman") named Old Auntie and her devilish partner Bloody Bones frighten Daniel, yet his parents deny any mention of the tall tales. His younger sister Erica begins to hear voices beckoning her to the woods, and she takes to wandering off with her doll Little Erica. The stories say that Old Auntie kidnaps a child every 50 years, and one evening after a fight with Daniel, Erica goes missing. The narrative flows easily, and text and illustrations work together, resulting in a suspenseful read. Despite the overly digital quality to the artwork, it pairs well with the book, providing dreamlike, haunting, and at times horrifying qualities. Daniel and his family are white. VERDICT Middle grade readers will be thoroughly engaged by this terrifying graphic novel that blends folklore and mystery to create a moody treat for horror fans.—Claire Moore

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Mary Downing Hahn
Mary Downing Hahn's novels include the beloved ghost stories Wait Till Helen Comes and All the Lovely Bad Ones. She lives in Columbia, Maryland.

Scott Peterson wrote the graphic novel Truckus Maximus. He lives in Portland, Oregon. Twitter: theotherscottpeterson.blogspot.com, @petersonscott

Jen Vaughn's work includes the Goosebumps: Download and Die! comics series. She lives in Seattle. hauntedvaultstudios.com, Twitter: @TheJenya, Instagram: @thejenya

Hank Jones is a graduate of SCAD and lives in Atlanta. Instagram: hank-jones.format.com, @hankjonescomics

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780358536888
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
March 20, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV058000 - Juvenile Fiction | Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
JUV008100 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Horror
JUV008130 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Paranormal
Library of Congress categories
Missing children
Witches
Graphic novels
Kidnapping
Horror fiction
Horror tales

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!