Blackwater - by Jeannette Arroyo & Ren Graham

About the Book

"Set in the haunted town of Blackwater, Maine, two boys fall for each other as they dig for clues to a paranormal mystery. Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad's attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more...) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama." --

Book Synopsis

Riverdale meets Stranger Things in this debut queer YA graphic novel, developed from a hit webcomic. Set in the haunted town of Blackwater, Maine, two boys fall for each other as they dig for clues to a paranormal mystery.

"For fans of Heartstopper and Teen Wolf." --School Library Journal

Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad's attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.

Co-illustrated by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham, who alternate drawing chapters in their own unique and dynamic styles, Blackwater combines the spookiness of Anya's Ghost with the irreverent humor of Nimona.

Review Quotes

"While werewolves and ghosts, bullies and family dynamics are all worthy subjects, Eli and Tony are just so darn shippable that the rest is all gravy. " --Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

"Together, the creators weave a compelling high school drama [and] a tender romance." --Publishers Weekly

" For fans of the Heartstopper series and Teen Wolf." --School Library Journal

"The co-creators weave together dread, drama and humor in a suspenseful, successful queer romantic mystery." --Shelf Awareness

About the Author

Jeannette Arroyo was born and raised in New Mexico but recently relocated to the rainier Seattle area. In addition to her first graphic novel, Blackwater, she has also done freelance in animation and children's book illustrations. A huge fan of the horror genre, Jeannette likes to mix in some lighthearted spooky elements in her work. Co-created with Ren Graham, Blackwater is her debut graphic novel.

Ren Graham is a fiction writer and illustrator currently residing in the rainy Pacific Northwest. They have B.A. in Art History and a graduate studies certificate in Science Illustration, so biology, world mythology, and natural elements tend to influence and reappear in their work. Ren is interested in spooky stories, chilly hikes in the woods, and the ways in which art and science intersect. Co-created with Jeannette Arroyo, Blackwater is their debut graphic novel.