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The Montague Twins #1
The Witch's Hand
Brothers. Detectives. Witches? Meet Pete and Alastair Montague in the first installment of a new graphic novel duology that is the Hardy Boys meets Paper Girls.
Pete and Alastair Montague are just a couple of mystery-solving twins, living an ordinary life. Or so they thought. After a strange storm erupts on a visit to the beach, they discover there is more to their detective skills than they had thought. Their guardian, David Faber, a once prominent professor, has been keeping secrets about their parents and what the boys are truly capable of.
At the same time, three girls go missing after casting a mysterious spell, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes their small town down an unexpected path. With the help of David's daughter, Charlie, they discover there are forces at work that they never could have imagined, which will impact their lives forever.
An exciting new graphic novel from innovative creators Nathan Page and Drew Shannon that is at once timely and thrilling.
Pete and Alastair Montague are just a couple of mystery-solving twins, living an ordinary life. Or so they thought. After a strange storm erupts on a visit to the beach, they discover there is more to their detective skills than they had thought. Their guardian, David Faber, a once prominent professor, has been keeping secrets about their parents and what the boys are truly capable of.
At the same time, three girls go missing after casting a mysterious spell, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes their small town down an unexpected path. With the help of David's daughter, Charlie, they discover there are forces at work that they never could have imagined, which will impact their lives forever.
An exciting new graphic novel from innovative creators Nathan Page and Drew Shannon that is at once timely and thrilling.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2020
51 people are currently reading
3879 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Page
3 books53 followersWriter of graphic novels and lover of 90s soundtracks, Nathan lives in Toronto, where the streets are never finished and the raccoons are definitely not messing around.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews
March 14, 2020
Teens, in particular, will dig this graphic novel about magical twins performing detective work in a 1960s small town. Shannon's atmospheric illustration (featuring both pompadours and XKEs) pairs with Page's often cheeky writing (banter for you! banter for you! banter for everyone!) to create an atmosphere both effectively recognizable and inclusive. The beginning is a bit lumpy as a heck-ton of named characters are introduced, but am I the author to complain about that? Probably not. Pot, meet kettle, you've heard of each other? By the end, the complex interpersonal relationships, particularly between the teens and their reluctant teacher, coalesce into something quite satisfying. And as someone who also has a graphic novel featuring magic and twins coming out this fall (Swamp Thing: Twin Branches), I enjoyed the synchronicity of the twinning.
All in all, The Witch's Hand, as they say, was pretty groovy.
All in all, The Witch's Hand, as they say, was pretty groovy.
February 7, 2024
Ohhh, I loved this one so so much! The characters were fantastic and it had so much great humor sprinkled throughout it. It's very much so the hardy boys, but with a fantastical element incorporated. The only downfall was the info dumpy nature of the magic! Other than that, a VERY solid graphic novel & I need the next book like yesterday.
November 25, 2020
"Mind yourselves most of all, because all of your problems that you thought would just go away if you had some 'special power' . . . they won't." -- Rowan the tutor, to his young charges
Take parts of the original literary versions of The Hardy Boys and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, then add a little of TV's The Mod Squad and Scooby-Doo, Where are You?! and you have some idea of what you're in for with Page's suspenseful The Montague Twins: The Witch's Hand. Set in a remote New England coastal town during the eventful summer of '69, the storyline centers on teenage brothers Pete and Al plus their extended 'family.' (The boys were orphaned at a young age, and are now being raised by an avuncular college professor and his resilient truck-driver wife who have a similarly-aged daughter, named Charlie, of their own.) Said three adolescent characters have all been exhibiting signs of burgeoning supernatural abilities - as the story opens, the boys have used their magic powers to locate a neighbor's missing dog - so the professor assigns one of his mature and trusted graduate students to be a 'big brother'-type, as it is obvious these 'meddling kids' will likely soon fall into a dangerous situation. Of course we know that it won't take very long for them at all . . .
The plot draws somewhat on the actual Salem witch trials - apropos given the setting - for part of its inspiration, but basically the main story is a standard murder-mystery and missing-person incident involving a local wealthy family with secrets! However, The Witch's Hand takes said old chestnut of a tune and makes it seem fresh by its presentation with a certain amount of style and sass. Pete, Al, and Charlie are a feisty bunch, each quietly determined to work their magic on this case - especially since it involves one of their classmates - and to have wrongs righted and the villain brought to justice. Additionally, there were many moments which signal that the book was written for an astute, modern-day YA audience -- the dialogue was briefly R-rated in spots, the teenage characters get involved in many potentially and/or increasingly life-threatening incidents, and there was a brief but a heartfelt 'coming out' scene which was handled in a thoughtful and understanding way. (That one illustrated, wordless panel consisting of the hug was perfection.) This initial volume was a great foundation, and I can foresee the sleuthing trio solving more mysteries in subsequent books.
Take parts of the original literary versions of The Hardy Boys and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, then add a little of TV's The Mod Squad and Scooby-Doo, Where are You?! and you have some idea of what you're in for with Page's suspenseful The Montague Twins: The Witch's Hand. Set in a remote New England coastal town during the eventful summer of '69, the storyline centers on teenage brothers Pete and Al plus their extended 'family.' (The boys were orphaned at a young age, and are now being raised by an avuncular college professor and his resilient truck-driver wife who have a similarly-aged daughter, named Charlie, of their own.) Said three adolescent characters have all been exhibiting signs of burgeoning supernatural abilities - as the story opens, the boys have used their magic powers to locate a neighbor's missing dog - so the professor assigns one of his mature and trusted graduate students to be a 'big brother'-type, as it is obvious these 'meddling kids' will likely soon fall into a dangerous situation. Of course we know that it won't take very long for them at all . . .
The plot draws somewhat on the actual Salem witch trials - apropos given the setting - for part of its inspiration, but basically the main story is a standard murder-mystery and missing-person incident involving a local wealthy family with secrets! However, The Witch's Hand takes said old chestnut of a tune and makes it seem fresh by its presentation with a certain amount of style and sass. Pete, Al, and Charlie are a feisty bunch, each quietly determined to work their magic on this case - especially since it involves one of their classmates - and to have wrongs righted and the villain brought to justice. Additionally, there were many moments which signal that the book was written for an astute, modern-day YA audience -- the dialogue was briefly R-rated in spots, the teenage characters get involved in many potentially and/or increasingly life-threatening incidents, and there was a brief but a heartfelt 'coming out' scene which was handled in a thoughtful and understanding way. (That one illustrated, wordless panel consisting of the hug was perfection.) This initial volume was a great foundation, and I can foresee the sleuthing trio solving more mysteries in subsequent books.
June 1, 2022
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The main reason why I read The Witch's Hand was Maggie Stiefvater's 5-star review for it (what can I say, I trust in Stiefvater). And I'm so glad I did! Way back when I had an *ahem* Scooby-Doo phase (not only did I watch 20+ Scooby-Doo animated films but I also ended up devouring the two Mystery Incorporated seasons...all over the course of one summer. I know, I had a problem.) so I was immediately drawn to The Witch's Hand: we have the small-town setting (with a, you guessed it, creepy lighthouse) + a bunch of kids trying to solve a mystery. We follow orphaned twins Pete and Alastair Montague who spend most of their time solving mysteries. Their latest case may be more complicated than their previous one as it may involve a witch and magic.
The retro art really suited the setting (1960s New England) and I liked the banter between the various characters. Yes, the bad guy was a bit too Disneyesque for my taste but I also appreciated the YA tone of the story (as opposed to middle-grade) and its atmosphere. I look forward to reading the next instalment as I would be happy to read more of the Montague twins and their antics.
The main reason why I read The Witch's Hand was Maggie Stiefvater's 5-star review for it (what can I say, I trust in Stiefvater). And I'm so glad I did! Way back when I had an *ahem* Scooby-Doo phase (not only did I watch 20+ Scooby-Doo animated films but I also ended up devouring the two Mystery Incorporated seasons...all over the course of one summer. I know, I had a problem.) so I was immediately drawn to The Witch's Hand: we have the small-town setting (with a, you guessed it, creepy lighthouse) + a bunch of kids trying to solve a mystery. We follow orphaned twins Pete and Alastair Montague who spend most of their time solving mysteries. Their latest case may be more complicated than their previous one as it may involve a witch and magic.
The retro art really suited the setting (1960s New England) and I liked the banter between the various characters. Yes, the bad guy was a bit too Disneyesque for my taste but I also appreciated the YA tone of the story (as opposed to middle-grade) and its atmosphere. I look forward to reading the next instalment as I would be happy to read more of the Montague twins and their antics.
September 15, 2020
A real slow burn, but patience will be rewarded as the character development and world building lead to a satisfying conclusion in this supernatural twist on the Hardy Boys set in the late 1960s. I look forward to a sequel.
February 17, 2023
Wow, I loved this! This graphic novel was a combination of a bunch of things that I love. It gave off aspects of Scooby-doo, Stranger Things, Goosebumps and Supernatural. Not to mention, the art is gorgeous and although the story takes place in the summer it gives off a beautiful autumn atmosphere.
August 3, 2020
If Buffy the Vampire Slayer met Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys - you would get this young adult graphic novel series. When three amateur detectives find a mysterious box - they know that this case is going to be like nothing else they've ever dealt with. Witches, missing teens, and an eccentric (and creepy) rich man lead the Montague twins (and Charlie - their bad-ass"sister") on their most unbelievable adventure yet. Great illustrations, a unique story-line, and some fun supernatural elements make this the first installment a very promising start. I can't wait to check out more in this series!
October 30, 2021
it was pretty boring and i dont think that i would remember this book for a very long time. the art looks amazing though and felt that theres actually a lot of potential for this one. unfortunately, its generally not to my liking.
March 15, 2021
Hardy Boys with a little magic and a lot of talking. The extensive dialogue slows the story, but offers welcome world-building. The twins, Charlie, and Rowan all feel like fully realized characters who I'd like to spend more time with. I'm especially intrigued by the magical elements - Nathan Page seems to be offering a fresh take on the "magical education" narrative, but it's not entirely fleshed out in The Witch's Hand.
The primary plot on offer in The Witch's Hand is the least interesting part of the book. A rich girl raises a dead witch and the Montague twins are on the case. There's a fair bit of action and a satisfying outcome, but this book is really about spending time with the characters. The simple, clear artwork with bright colors helps a lot. The Witch's Hand is a very appealing read and I'm absolutely looking forward to future adventures.
The primary plot on offer in The Witch's Hand is the least interesting part of the book. A rich girl raises a dead witch and the Montague twins are on the case. There's a fair bit of action and a satisfying outcome, but this book is really about spending time with the characters. The simple, clear artwork with bright colors helps a lot. The Witch's Hand is a very appealing read and I'm absolutely looking forward to future adventures.
October 4, 2020
4.5
Fun romp and great art! Just what I needed.
Points off for anachronistic language for 1969. Also it was nice to see LGBTQ and Black representation but the book made it seem like all the white/straight main characters in 1969 small town New England would be allies with no friction and I think it does history a disservice.
Fun romp and great art! Just what I needed.
Points off for anachronistic language for 1969. Also it was nice to see LGBTQ and Black representation but the book made it seem like all the white/straight main characters in 1969 small town New England would be allies with no friction and I think it does history a disservice.
May 11, 2022
Fun mystery set in the 60’s with magic. It took me awhile to warm up the characters, and there are some labels with awkward dialogue placement that caused me to have to re-read in order to understand what was going on, but it came together nicely. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
July 12, 2023
This is awesome!! Please ask Jones&thebooks for more great recommendations like this!
The characters are very likeable and their relationships are so healthy and wonderful. Especially the bond between the twins is amazing. And the story is very intriguing and keeps you on your toes!
The characters are very likeable and their relationships are so healthy and wonderful. Especially the bond between the twins is amazing. And the story is very intriguing and keeps you on your toes!
April 17, 2020
The Witch’s Hand by Nathan Page, 352 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2020. $18.
Language: R (63 swears, 1 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
After solving a case to find a missing dog, Al and Pete, with their adoptive sister Charlie, are told to take a day off cases and enjoy the summer like normal kids. And they do. Until a suspicious storm incites investigation, leading to magic and witches and a whole lot of trouble.
Like the Hardy boys, these twin brothers find ways to get into trouble and reveal secrets as amatuer sleuths -- Al and Pete just have more fanciful resources. Their story was interesting to read, though a little darker and more dire than I imagined with murder and a remorseless villian. The illustrations by Shannon do a marvelous job of conveying the sinister and foreboding vibe of the story and were my favorite part of this book.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
Language: R (63 swears, 1 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
After solving a case to find a missing dog, Al and Pete, with their adoptive sister Charlie, are told to take a day off cases and enjoy the summer like normal kids. And they do. Until a suspicious storm incites investigation, leading to magic and witches and a whole lot of trouble.
Like the Hardy boys, these twin brothers find ways to get into trouble and reveal secrets as amatuer sleuths -- Al and Pete just have more fanciful resources. Their story was interesting to read, though a little darker and more dire than I imagined with murder and a remorseless villian. The illustrations by Shannon do a marvelous job of conveying the sinister and foreboding vibe of the story and were my favorite part of this book.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
December 26, 2019
This YA graphic novel (coming out in July 2020) is the first of a series following twins Al and Pete, and their stepsister Charlie, amateur detectives who are just getting acquainted with their ability to practice Magic, set in a small New England town in 1969. I was immediately charmed by their family, and enjoyed the Hardy Boys-esque vibe of their mystery adventure. The beginnings of their Magic lessons were especially fun, and leave me very interested for more. Just overall a really delightful read with characters I look forward to seeing again!
January 10, 2021
I really loved this mystery/paranormal graphic novel set in the ‘60s that deals with LGBTQ topic sensitively and has a POC as a sidekick character. This book melds Hardy Boys with Buffy the Vampire Slayer so well. I was engaged the entire time.
October 15, 2019
This was GREAT. I loved the art style, I loved the 60's setting, I love that it's Hardy Boys but with ghosts, GREAT, GREAT, GREAT. This one's a winner, through and through.
June 15, 2024
This was a fun take on the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys serial mysteries. Just add a little witchcraft, a seaside town, and some ghost dogs and you’ve got “The Montague Twins!”
July 20, 2022
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Pete and Alistair Montague are teenage detectives, who know a little bit of magic. A strange storm on the beach leads them to an old lighthouse that thrusts them into their next mystery when three girls suddenly go missing.
This was a quick and easy read. I like how this took place in the 1960's, and had small town vibes. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and that was a lot of fun. I thought the characters and their interactions were a lot of fun, and I liked their banter and how cheeky they were with one another. The mystery behind the disappearing girls was also well done, and I like how the story unfolded. I thought the art style and colours chosen were really great, and I was fully invested in the story all the way through, although some points dragged a little bit. The biggest complain for me would be the "villain" they just bored me and I wasn't intrigued by them whatsoever. I didn't care at all.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Pete and Alistair Montague are teenage detectives, who know a little bit of magic. A strange storm on the beach leads them to an old lighthouse that thrusts them into their next mystery when three girls suddenly go missing.
This was a quick and easy read. I like how this took place in the 1960's, and had small town vibes. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and that was a lot of fun. I thought the characters and their interactions were a lot of fun, and I liked their banter and how cheeky they were with one another. The mystery behind the disappearing girls was also well done, and I like how the story unfolded. I thought the art style and colours chosen were really great, and I was fully invested in the story all the way through, although some points dragged a little bit. The biggest complain for me would be the "villain" they just bored me and I wasn't intrigued by them whatsoever. I didn't care at all.
December 28, 2020
There seems to be a trend in YA stories right now with small towns that were founded olden times and the founders had to run the witches out of town and/or killed them. And the witches come back for revenge and reveal that they did nothing wrong and the town was founded on a lie.
It's like everyone went to the same writing workshop in Salem.
ANYWAY, despite all that, this was a fun story with interesting characters. I like how it just drops the reader into the story, rather than starting from " the beginning" of the Montague Twins lives. There is a lot of story to tell here, along with a town full of mysteries to solve, plus some magic thrown in. I'm looking forward to the next book to see if the story is more original and if the characters continue to grow with each new entry.
It's like everyone went to the same writing workshop in Salem.
ANYWAY, despite all that, this was a fun story with interesting characters. I like how it just drops the reader into the story, rather than starting from " the beginning" of the Montague Twins lives. There is a lot of story to tell here, along with a town full of mysteries to solve, plus some magic thrown in. I'm looking forward to the next book to see if the story is more original and if the characters continue to grow with each new entry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2022
this book is so cute
July 5, 2022
At first I kind of hesitated when I saw just how wordy this was. (Wordy books aren’t bad, it’s just not ideal for graphic novels) But like my god the characters really surprised me, the story was always 3 steps ahead of me, and I honest to god really liked it. I will absolutely be reading the next book. For sure.
October 28, 2021
When I first picked this up I thought it was going to be either a parody of the Hardy Boys or a contemporary homage to the Hardy Boys. I wasn’t expecting the Harry Potter angle or the references to the Stonewall Riots/Uprising (or the reference to the Apollo 11 moon landing at the end) and certainly wasn’t expecting that one of the brothers would be gay, but I was pleasantly surprised with all of these things. The art is beautifully done and compliments the narrative perfectly. I read this as a loan from the public library, but I’m definitely going to be buying a copy. This is just a wonderful story and I’m also looking forward to volume two, The Devil's Music.
June 23, 2020
A hefty chunk of graphic novel for the tweenage years, this is a decent stand-alone adventure. It's very much Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, except the Boys are fostered by the professorial father of the girl, and it's firmly in the real world of the late 1960s, so the local record joint has got a countdown to Woodstock in the window, and Stonewall riots are on the radio. Oh, and everything concerns magic, so there's a kind of 'we know that he knows that we know that he knows that we use magic in our investigations' thought from the lads, and it's kind of an unhidden, unspoken secret that the old man is actually a magecraft professor. But nobody can really know what is going to come out of the small town woodwork when a local bigwig's daughter vanishes.
The end result is good fun, but a little easy to pick holes in from the adult reader's perspective. I did like the fact that we get a drip-feed of detail about everyone's previous history to the missing girl, but that does count as quite a bit of exposition, and the more of it there is then the less we get of the current story played out in front of us. Also, the ending – while quite good fun, still – doesn't really have a lot of agency. Too many people are doing too little, and it's not as dramatic as it might need to be. Still, we're promised this is a diptych of books, and the idea we can count on there only being one sequel and not an endless chain of diminishing returns is a fine one. This offering gets three and a half stars from me, but the target reader will rate it more highly.
The end result is good fun, but a little easy to pick holes in from the adult reader's perspective. I did like the fact that we get a drip-feed of detail about everyone's previous history to the missing girl, but that does count as quite a bit of exposition, and the more of it there is then the less we get of the current story played out in front of us. Also, the ending – while quite good fun, still – doesn't really have a lot of agency. Too many people are doing too little, and it's not as dramatic as it might need to be. Still, we're promised this is a diptych of books, and the idea we can count on there only being one sequel and not an endless chain of diminishing returns is a fine one. This offering gets three and a half stars from me, but the target reader will rate it more highly.
February 26, 2022
“Who’s up for something a little… sinister?”
I'd like to thank Penguin Teen Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
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Content Warnings: parental abuse, violence, death
I had a great time reading this graphic novel! First off I have to say I adore the art style. It fits the tone of the book beautifully and is so much fun to look at. Speaking of tone, I loved the overall mysterious but heart warming vibe of the book. Even though there were many tense and action packed scenes, there was a lot of humour and happy moments. I was never bored and it kept me flipping the pages. I enjoyed all of the characters, my favourite being Al. The prominent found family trope was a great addition to the story and connected me to the characters more. The dialogue made for a realistic sounding read and was well written.
I'm excited to read the 2nd book!
I'd like to thank Penguin Teen Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: parental abuse, violence, death
I had a great time reading this graphic novel! First off I have to say I adore the art style. It fits the tone of the book beautifully and is so much fun to look at. Speaking of tone, I loved the overall mysterious but heart warming vibe of the book. Even though there were many tense and action packed scenes, there was a lot of humour and happy moments. I was never bored and it kept me flipping the pages. I enjoyed all of the characters, my favourite being Al. The prominent found family trope was a great addition to the story and connected me to the characters more. The dialogue made for a realistic sounding read and was well written.
I'm excited to read the 2nd book!
January 30, 2022
3.5. I did not read closely enough about this before starting, so I had no idea fantastical elements awaited me. The main qualm I had with this story is how you are plopped into it without any sense of who these characters are. Whenever books do this as a choice, I don't usually like it. I stuck with it and it really got me caring about these characters about 50% of the way through. I enjoy the art style and time period. The case was okay. I am considering picking up the second volume but not entirely sure!
April 18, 2022
This was definitely a fun, unique and enjoyable graphic novel. Full of magic, ghosts, curses and teenagers this was a fast paced, twisty read. Recommend, especially for those unfamiliar with this genre. Well worth the read.
March 17, 2024
5 stars!
i ended up liking this a lot more than i thought i would have! the historical setting really worked well, especially the references to stonewall and the moon landing. i liked the story, the dialogue, and the art style. what else is there to say?
i ended up liking this a lot more than i thought i would have! the historical setting really worked well, especially the references to stonewall and the moon landing. i liked the story, the dialogue, and the art style. what else is there to say?
May 4, 2024
While I’m not usually into graphic novels, this particular one captivated me the whole way through. Amongst the twists and unexpected turns, I felt like I was right beside Charlie and the twins navigating the mystery the whole way through. What a fun read, I’m eager to start the next!
September 26, 2020
2.5
I was perhaps so largely disappointed because I felt this would be right up my alley—while it turned out to be anything but, and I found myself bored. The art style was lovely, though.
I was perhaps so largely disappointed because I felt this would be right up my alley—while it turned out to be anything but, and I found myself bored. The art style was lovely, though.
December 11, 2020
LOVED this. Think Hardy Boys but with Supernatural thrown in with a bit of Scooby Doo. I cannot wait until the next story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews