Month: July 2026

School Bus Graveyard, Volume 1 by RED

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Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Horror
Pages: 272 pages
Published Date: June 30, 2026
Publisher: Ink Pop
Series: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5

School Bus Graveyard immediately pulled me in with its creepy premise and kept me turning the pages until the very end. What starts as a simple school field trip quickly turns into something much darker as six teenagers find themselves trapped in a terrifying supernatural nightmare they can’t escape—even when they wake up.

The biggest strength of this first volume is its atmosphere. The phantom world is genuinely unsettling, and the creatures are creepy without relying on excessive gore. The artwork does an excellent job of shifting between everyday high school life and the creepy nightmare dimension, creating a constant awareness that something isn’t quite right.

I also enjoyed the cast more than I expected. Each member of the group has a distinct personality, and while we only scratch the surface of who they are, their interactions already feel natural. Ashlyn is an especially strong lead. She’s quiet and guarded, but she’s also resourceful and quickly becomes someone the others can rely on when things fall apart.

The mystery is what really kept me hooked. The book gives readers just enough information to understand what’s happening while leaving plenty of unanswered questions about the phantom world, the monsters, and why these six students have become connected. Instead of feeling frustrating, it made me excited to pick up the next volume.

My only real complaint is that this first installment feels very much like the beginning of a larger story. There are moments where I wish we’d spent a little more time exploring the supernatural elements instead of setting up future plotlines, and the ending arrives just as everything is really starting to escalate.

Overall, School Bus Graveyard is an excellent start to what looks like an exciting horror series. It blends suspense, mystery, humor, and strong character dynamics into a fast-paced read that never overstays its welcome. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers with a likable cast and just the right amount of creepy, this is definitely worth checking out. I’ll be picking up Volume 2 as soon as it’s available.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ink Pop for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

#SchoolBusGraveyardVolume1 #NetGalley

Hand-Me-Down: A Graphic Memoir by Damian Alexander

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Genre: Middle-Grade
Pages: 224 pages
Published Date: July 28, 2026
Publisher: First Second
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 out of 5

When I first saw Hand-Me-Down, I expected a story about growing up poor and relying on secondhand clothes. While that’s certainly part of Damian Alexander’s memoir, it’s really about something much deeper. It’s about grief, family, and how the experiences of one generation shape the next. I really liked how Alexander tells three stories at once: his own childhood, his mother’s, and his grandmother’s. It could have easily become confusing, but the artwork and color choices make each timeline easy to follow. Watching the similarities between their lives slowly come together gave the memoir a lot of emotional power.

The relationship between Damian and his grandmother is the heart of the book. She isn’t perfect, but it’s obvious how much she loves her grandsons and how much she wants to give them a better life than she had. Some of the quietest moments ended up being the most powerful, especially as Damian tries to understand the mother he never knew while slowly realizing that the person who raised him has constantly been the one directing him through life.

I also appreciated that this is a quieter coming-of-age story. There’s no huge twist or dramatic climax. Instead, it’s a series of memories and ideas that come across as genuine and honest. That approach won’t work for every reader, and there were a few places where the pacing appeared a little repetitive, but I never lost interest because the emotions were always sincere. The artwork fits the story well. It’s expressive without being detailed, and the changing color palettes between time periods add a further layer to the storytelling. I also loved the family photographs included at the end—they made the memoir feel even more personal.

Overall, Hand-Me-Down is a touching graphic memoir about loss, growing up, and finding connection with the people who came before us. It’s the kind of book that quietly stays with you after you finish it. I think it will especially hit home with certain middle-grade readers, but not all, who have experienced grief or are trying to figure out where they fit in.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

#Hand-Me-Down #NetGalley