The Night Mother (The Night Mother #1)

Lambert (Dark Spaces, for adults) fuses ancient myth with modern anxieties to conjure an unsettling world in this dark and atmospheric graphic novel fairy tale. Twelve-year-old Madeline Tock, who can hear the whispers of the dead, lives next to a graveyard with her father in a world of perpetual night. Her life changes dramatically when she learns about the Night Mother, an otherworldly being who gathers the souls of the dead during each full moon. When the Night Mother’s growing hunger for power drives her to start harvesting the spirits of the living, Madeline endeavors to confront her. Evocative compositions by Sharpe highlight the story’s grotesque supernatural elements to complement Madeline’s resilience in the face of darkness, which forms the emotional core of this eerie narrative. The illustrator’s use of light and shadow enhances the thematic tension between hope, fear, love, and loss. The author similarly adds depth and pathos to the adventure’s thrilling elements by exploring family dynamics and personal demons through Madeline’s struggle to overcome her past and protect her loved ones. It’s a haunting yet poignant story with a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers hungry for more. Characters are rendered with varying skin tones. Ages 9–up. (Oct.)