School Bus Graveyard

by Red, Elia Maqueda López (Translator)

Bienvenido al mundo en que cada segundo es una lucha para volver a la luz. Llega el aclamado y esperado fenómeno de Webtoon School Bus Graveyard de Red.

Monstruos que solo ellos pueden ver…

Ashlyn siempre ha sido una chica solitaria… y para ella está bien así. Pero todo cambia cuando una excursión escolar sale terriblemente mal y no le queda otra que acercarse a sus compañeros. Junto a unos pocos, descubre una presencia monstruosa que nadie más puede ver. Al principio parece inofensiva…, hasta que llega la medianoche.

Cuando el sol se pone y el cielo se tiñe de rojo, Ashlyn se ve atrapada en un mundo plagado de entidades letales. Para sobrevivir, tendrá que confiar en personas que apenas conoce y que ni siquiera le caen bien. Trabajar en equipo es su única opción para entender qué está pasando…, pero ¿será suficiente para escapar de aquello que los persigue?

Este volumen recopila los episodios 1 al 32 del exitoso WEBTOON de terror School Bus Graveyard.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

High school was hard enough before Ashlyn got cursed on a field trip. Now, in this fast-paced graphic novel, she must lead a rag-tag group of classmates to survive murderous phantoms.

"This YA horror is perfect for fans of Stranger Things or the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.”—School Library Journal

Ashlyn has always been a loner, and she likes it that way. However, she’s forced to make allies fast when after a high school field trip goes horribly wrong. She and a few others now see a monstrous phantom invisible to everyone else. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be able to hurt them. Until midnight that is, when the skies turn red, and Ashlyn finds herself in a world of murderous ghosts. To survive, she’ll need to trust her classmates and uncover the secret of the curse, but can she survive long enough to do it?

This volume collects episodes 1-32 of the hit WEBTOON with over 250 million views, School Bus Graveyard.

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

272 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 19, 2027

Reviews

[Mal Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the entire first and second season on
Webtoons in less than a day. I love the premise of the story and so far I don’t feel like it hits the cliche wall that most webtoons follow. I love it so much I wish there were other books like it.

This is a story about a group of high schoolers who go on a school trip that changes their lives forever. Every night after they are in an alternate world with monsters. Soon realities start to blend.

You have to read this if you love horror and monsters. I wish there was more of it. Can’t wait for season 3!

[Freefall]

read as the webtoon version

one thing that i had the luxury of not experiencing are red's EVIL cliffhangers on her weekly updates, but now, as sbg is on a year-or-more-long hiatus, i miss it.

the chapters are sadly not very long, but i suppose that makes them digestible, with an easy-to-follow yet simultaneously complex storyline, and an iconic artstyle.

something that i genuinely appreciate so much is the close relationships between the characters, and how everyone's parents/guardians are informed, so the teens don't have to keep the secret as another thing on their plate. the friendships, trust, even relationships are well-formed and natural-ish.

except for the twins and their always-matching outfits.

[Si 🇵🇷 (✨💅Cardan Greenbriars v · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite webtoon guys. ITS SO GOOD. I can't wait for the physical copy

[Leila Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg the cliffhanger this book left off of got me FLABBERGASTED! This is a re-read and I’m noticing SO MUCH MORE than I didn’t the first time through. The physical copy gives a little extra at the end so if you read it on WEBTOON and really like the series, I would say get the physical copy to

[cheshmaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Webtoon is PEAK
Season 3 is coming out soon I’m literally shaking

[Roshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

season 3 when? i want more!

[Caitlin.Brookes. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved reading this! Ends on a HUGE cliffhanger thought and I don’t think it’s being continued? 10/10, had me on the edge of my seat the entire way start to finish.

[Savannah Hunter]

OMG OMG MY FAVORITE WEBTOON COMIC IS BEING PUBLISHED IN PRINT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!


excuse me while I go have a heart attack real quick

[elixir.beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

School Bus Graveyard Volume 1 Book Review
First off, thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Okay, to be honest this is my second time reading school bus graveyard and to tell you the truth it’s just as good as the first!
I’m all for friendships and adventure but when you pair it with danger and monsters in an inter dimensional setting what else can I ask for besides more.
I adored the suspense and plot and the monsters. The group with its banter felt like such a breath of fresh air to the scariness. It’s nicely balanced but also keeps you engaged, very much so.
I cannot wait to read more and it turns out I’ve been waiting for volume three for over a year now so I really need it like pronto!
Truly absolutely five stars! ⭐️

[Astra Shinestar]

AAAAAAAAAAAA I can't believe this is gonna be in print

[cheshmaan]

WEBTOON IS PEAK

[Vik ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Me leí las dos temporadas publicadas hasta el momento de esta historia sin poder parar. Es un cómic súper adictivo y con una trama atrapante desde el minuto uno.
El concepto de las dimensiones me recordó a la serie de Stranger things, aunque es muy diferente.
Me gustó muchísimo. Ojalá salga pronto la tercera temporada

[Katies_bookish_adventure · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel mixed regarding School Bus Graveyard, the start of this graphic novel feels very, very slow. I wasn’t really into the plot or characters at first but the story sprinkled in a few horror/thriller moments that kept me engaged enough to keep going. When the story hits about the one hundred page mark or so it ramps up a bit and that kept my interest. I was very curious about these shadow creatures and the whole midnight/shadow realm, after that was introduced I was intrigued quite a bit. From there I was able to get a better feel for these characters, I like them but I wouldn’t really say I’m fond of them. School Bus Graveyard does a really good job horror wise, the shadow creatures and the overall situation that these characters are put in are downright horrifying. That creepy smile from those creatures is truly haunting however I don’t think this is a series I would continue, I just don’t feel much for these characters. It’s a nice series with some interesting elements it just wasn’t for me in particular. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my complimentary review copy.

[Little Batties · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Actually...I might be more scared of your mom."

School Bus Graveyard, Volume 1 is a graphic novel that's perfect for fans of Stay Alive and Nightmare on Elm Street.

Storyline

A group of unlikely teens find themselves paired together in a mystery they must solve, and these young adults are far from your average Scooby Gang. After a class field trip, the protagonists of this graphic novel find themselves plagued by phantom creatures. Every night, at the same time, they awake to the same place where they felt off, terrorized by this creatures in an alternate dimension they've named, the shadow dimension.

Their mission is to find a way to put a stop to their nightly experiences or risk being stuck in the shadow dimension for the rest of their lives. It would be all well and good if it was just a bad dream, but it appears that real world and the shadow world are connected, and it's imperatively they figure out what is happening and stop it before events escalate to something far worse.

Characters

Our pseudo Scooby gang consists of six characters: Ashlyn, Taylor, Logan, Adien, Ben, and Tyler. Each one is uniquely needed within this marry band of shadow dimension teenagers, but some are less likeable as characters overall.

Ashlyn is a a badass ballerina who can hear phantom noises, and she also happens to be the main character and the main perspective throughout the book. It's unsurprise that when the group begins to have all these experiences, she assumes the role as a leader, quickly doing whatever she can to protect herself and these other teenagers she's associated with. One look at her mother, and you know where Ashlyn gets her kickbutt attitude from, and it makes her feel like a more well-rounded character the longer the novel continues.

Adien is an instigating smartass that has a habit of not only inserting his foot into his mouth, but he appears to have no concept of boundaries. He has a knack for getting under Ashlyn's (and other characters' skins), and he has little to no impulse control compared to some of the other characters. However, he does have redeeming qualities, a big one being how he is there for his cousin, Ben. It shows a side to him that adds a layer of depth to the overall story when you understand more of why he's the way he is.

Ben is your stereotypical quiet, angry type with a tragic backstory that truly makes your heart go out to him. He is a protector in a way no one else within the story is, and it allows you to appreciate him more as a character when you learn what happened to him and what he lost because of it. quiet type. He is there to support those he's chosen to care about, and he's ready to defend everyone too.

Logan is the shy brainac of the group, constantly trying to figure out what is going on and how to fix it, even if he's too afraid to truly jump into the fight. He's also a tad clumsy, which is great for a bit of comic relief, but tragic at other times. Sadly, his lack of a backbone makes him a target in the real world and the shadow world, making him one of the more tragic characters of this story.

Taylor's a voice of reason in a hectic group dynamic, but she's also a little more timid than some of the other character's. She's a baseballer with some mad mechanic skills, but something that makes her a little more human is how she's her brother's keeper. She's the one that can reel him in, have him see reason, but she also knows how to support him so he can be the best that he can be.

Tyler is a problematic asshole, more so than Aiden. He is a mix of all the bad qualities you'd expect in someone of the jock stereotype, but he's easily tampered by his sister. Particularly, there are times he can add an alterative perspective to everything that's taking place. While he's a bit of a pain in the butt, he also adds another layer of realism in the group dynamic because not everyone always agrees with each other, and he demonstrates that on more than one occasion.

Illustrations

The illustrations within the story are interesting. They give off otherworldly vibes, which fits perfectly with the premise of the novel. The color choices were spot on, as they made the whole story feel dark and dreary, leaving a bit of a feeling of dread on the pages at times, just like the characters would be feeling.

At times, some of the illustrations were a bit simplistic too. They kind of reminded me of early 90s horror games, where the graphics weren't great, but they could still instill the fear and jump scares they were setting out to do. The artist to a great job of channeling old-school vibes too, which I appreciated. It gave this story a unique perspective that I want to see more of.

Final Thoughts

The story is a little strange at times, and you have to pay close attention to the text so you know exactly who's talking, but it's still an interesting read. It makes me want to see, not only what happens next, but how these characters continue to grow and how their dynamic continues to change (for better or worse).

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Books / Ink Pop for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[˗ˏˋ amy liv ᯓ★ (lesbian sombr)]

my favorite webtoon is getting published as a graphic novel everyone cheered

[jdvm_92 · Rating 4 out of 5]

🫂 Gracias, @penguincomicses, por el envío del ejemplar.

🕛 Me llamó la atención por las vibras, por el dibujo y por la maravilla de reel que nos mostraron desde la cuenta de la editorial. Y hemos acertado.

📚 Tenemos a un grupo de chavales de instituto que viven una suerte de vidas paralelas. Una normal, donde van a clase y hacen sus cosas, y otra en un mundo de pesadilla con unos bichos malísimos que no paran de perseguirlos. Este primer tomo es introductorio, y nos permite conocer un poco a los personajes, la situación y sus pesquisas iniciales sobre lo que pasa.

🤔 Sé que originalmente se fue publicando como un Webtoon, y ahora que están tan de moda, tiene que ser chulísimo poder tener en papel algo que has ido siguiendo durante mucho tiempo. No es mi caso, pero sí que puedo llegar a entender el enganche.

✒️ Eso sí, se queda en un cliffhanger tocho y siento que la historia no ha avanzado demasiado, lo que por un lado me deja un poco frustrado y, por otro, deseando pillar el siguiente tomo. Espero que desde Penguin no tarden mucho en traerlo.

🎭 Los personajes son interesantes, y tenemos una suerte de representación de "discapacidad/neurodivergencia" sobrenatural que me ha parecido interesante. Esto por llamarlo de alguna manera, cuando lo leáis lo entenderéis.

🎨 El arte y los colores son una pasada, con un diseño de escenarios, personajes y monstruos muy fresco, mezclando algunos estilos en determinados momentos para hacer énfasis en el humor.

🎮 En algunos momentos da vibra de videojuego, rollo algo a caballo entre Persona y un tower defense. Es bastante gracioso pensar en las similitudes.

⌛ En definitiva, es un cómic que recomiendo, en general, a las personas que disfruten de las aventuras de misterio y que busquen una vibra stranger things pero más chill y con humor.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Maia Soria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terminando la temporada 1... esto es increíble. Me encanta, Ash, Aiden, Tyler, Taylor, Ben y Logan, personalidades totalmente distintas que se ayudan para sobrevivir este caos de energías alternativas. Ash es increíble, al inicio pense que era muy tipo de la vieja escuela de no tengo amigos porque soy demasiado para ellos y blah, blah, blah. La juzgue mal, adoro a esta chica, no tiene pelos en la lengua y ser así de directa funciona con Aiden quieeen realmente no sabe los límites. Un buen duo.
El pasado de Ben me shockeo, me dio mucha lastima ya que lo juzgaron POR SU ALTURA que bronca me da la gente.
Tyler y Taylor... ese final fue desgarrador, si no fuera porque CONFIO EN EL GUIÓN, estaría llorando.
Logan es fuerte a su manera, no todos somos iguales y lo demostró pudiendo apuntar A LA CABEZA sin una practica real con un arma. Cada uno tiene sus fuertes.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is indeed interesting and not falling into the usual storylines or repetitive nature. I am not trying to knock the art, but it felt a little more amateur but this is also probably the reason it is on webtoons first. I do feel that I felt the art improve as more pages progressed and the story is very interesting. I do feel that original stories have a place and this one stands out. I think they have the right level or horror and suspense and think this book begs readers who finished it to look out for volume 2!

[Bin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cool PlayStation 2 style art for a spooky story. I love nothing more than a dark figure with light eyes antagonist and a group of high schoolers hanging out trying to stop evildoers. Can’t wait to read volume 2

[pucklies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool place to hang out with friends

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay….I’m intrigued to see where this goes…

[Monika "Willow" Majewska · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading at the begining of 2024 on weebtoon and waited for it to be printed so long

[afk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished S1 in a couple of hours on Webtoon. So many things to love: the art style, the horror elements, the uniqueness of each character and ofcourse, the plot itself.

[Marcy Lewis Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC from NetGalley***

I love this novel and cannot wait for to read volume 2.

I was hooked from the very first page. The illustrations are vivid and bold, conveying not only the high energy/tension of the leads and the danger of the situations they find themselves in. And then it switches to normal everyday life. I love the characters and their arguments are laugh out loud funny.

Wonderful to see a teenage girl as the leader and how this motley crew of six becomes a team.

[Chelsea]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

School Bus Graveyard, vol. 1 by Red is a horror YA webtoon. Six high school classmates share the same nightmare every night, one where they have to run from monstrous phantoms and then make plans to keep surviving during the day. Ashlyn, a ballet dancer who keeps to herself and is uninterested in being social, wears earplugs because she can hear phantom noises in the daytime. When the six students become lost in an old house in Savannah, Georgia, Ashlyn’s abilities attract the phantoms to the whole group and lock them into their new reality.

While this was compared to Five Nights at Freddy’s and Stranger Things, I would put this more as being for fans of anime and manga. There are distinct facial expressions that read very anime (and the author is a fan of anime) that I know can make or break an art style for some people. The premise also feels like it would sit fairly comfortably with manga on the shelves and given how fast-paced it is, could help young anime fans get back into reading.

I was really surprised to hear that Red started publishing this shortly after graduating high school. All of the characters feel very distinct, not only visually, but also in terms of personality and what their biggest concerns are with their current predicament. Or, in the case of Aiden, their utter joy at being locked in a nightmare. Having six distinct characters as part of the core cast is a hard thing to pull off and I am curious to see how they all evolve in future installments.

I have not read School Bus Graveyard before, so I do not know how graphic the gore can get further in the story, but I didn’t think this volume was particularly graphic. The horror elements felt like something I would expect of the middle grade range and are not as graphic as what I have seen in a lot of shounen manga and anime. As such, I would say that at least this volume is appropriate for middle schoolers who want horror but want to read about people older than them.

Content warning for depictions of violence and bullying

I would recommend this to fans of shounen manga and young readers of horror who prefer graphic novels

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Netgalley review, possible plot points mentioned below (SPOILERS ARE POSSIBLE BELOW, you have been warned)


School Bus Graveyard had a plot that hooked me but personally the execution of it fell a bit short. 


I know that showing the interesting part of the book first gets the reader hooked quicker but I almost wish we weren't shown the monsters until the point the characters first meet them. It looses some of its build up and the thrill of not knowing what is coming.


The usage of a big emoji overlaying over the drawing at one point in the beginning really takes you out of the story for a brief moment. I'm personally not a fan of emojis, memes, and celebrity input in books I'm reading that are unnecessary to the story.


The art isn't super clean in the story as it is on the front cover and follows more of a webtoons esc style in facial expressions. I do like the overall style of the book and character designs.


What I did like was how injuries and cutting hair presented itself in the real world after happening in the other dimension. How the pain is perceived differently and how only certain people can tell the shadows are different. 


Overall the plot was very interesting but I don't think it was executed in a way that I will personally be coming back to.


I thank the authors and netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of the art style of this very popular webtoon. There were too many plot holes and inconsistencies with the characters. I won't be picking up the next volume.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike several other reviewers on Goodreads, I didn't read this on Webtoon but as a physical copy. I enjoyed the darkness of the plot and the garish, almost violent artwork and giggled and shivered by turns. As many high schoolers know, class field trips and group projects can be less than ideal. In the case of the six characters in this graphic novel, both of theirs turn into horror shows as they end up being cursed an haunted by mysterious phantoms while on the trip. Back home, they discover that they are safe until midnight. Naturally, this leads to several sleepless nights and attempts to save themselves by going on the defensive. Since no one else can see these phantoms, the adults in their lives are disconcerted by their behavior. The slow changes in new girl, Ashlyn, and the secrets revealed by the rest of the group add a layer of realism to this horror tale, much of it set on a school bus of all things. There are plenty of holes to be filled in the next installment of this spooky series.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ARC of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

3.6⭐️ out 5

I don't know how I feel about this book (in a good way). I'm very intrigued! A group of kids get mixed into a terror of a dreamland every night after a field to a museum. They are fighting to make everything go back to normal so they can just get goodnight's sleep. The book really just drops you into it all and you ARE learning along with the characters.

The art style is definitely different from what I have seen on webtoon. Its more comic book type style of art rather than the classic manhwa which I think works great from the thriller the book is. I will say that I feel a little catfished by the cover because it looks more polished than the art in the story, at times. Not a fault, but a preference.

I would recommend!

[Christy Massaad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVEEE THISSS…..!!! I READ IT ALL IN ONE SITTING. OBSESSED! YOU CAN FIND THIS ON WEB TOON. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEW SEASON TO COME OUT IN 2026!!!

(It took 6 hours in one sitting without stopping incase you are curious🥹)