In a moonlit world, a girl contends with her own shadowy originsThe sun is nowhere to be seen, and the moon bathes a small riverside town in ominous gloom. Gravedigger and astronomer Barnabas Tock observes this phenomenon with increasing concern. His adopted daughter, Madeline, is plagued by whispers from the graveyard dead's whispers and by near-constant nightmares. Alternating between third-person narration and 12-year-old Madeline's perspective, the book deftly lays the groundwork for an intriguing legend: A Night Mother governs the lunar world and turns the souls of the departed into moonlight when the moon is full. In every generation, a new Night Mother is born, ascending at the age of 13. The current Night Mother is a tyrannical phantom, plunging the world into darkness so she can consume the souls of the living as well as the dead. She harbors a dark plan for her offspring-brave, hard-bitten Madeline. To save her father, her town, and the souls bound in moonlight, Madeline and new friend Nura must find a way to stop her mother. Galactic greens, blues, and purples evoke inky darkness, while the immense Night Mother feels inescapable-a horrifically elegant Victorian ghost who resembles a gothic twist on Maxfield Parrish–esque tableaux. Barnabas is tan-skinned with gray hair, Madeline is light-skinned with dark hair, and Nura is brown-skinned with blue-green hair.Myth-making with a majestic monster at its heart, laced with style and suspense.(Graphic fantasy. 9-15)

Gr 5–8— This eerie graphic novel for middle school and beyond will add range to collections. The moon is stuck in the sky and there has not been daylight for a long time. Barnubus Tock worries for his adopted daughter, Madeline, who helps her father dig graves, for she can hear the whispers of the dead. However, Madeline is less concerned. But when she spots an unknown person on their side of the island—someone who is alive—it reveals truths and mysteries that Madeline was not aware of. The artwork, with its dark and glowing colors, heightens the mysterious and spooky tone of the narrative. The story starts slowly but quickly picks up the pace, and then leaves readers with a cliff-hanger. VERDICT This gothic graphic novel will appeal to young readers who want to branch out from the popular tropes of middle grade stories.— Esther Keller