The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor

Willowweep Manor #1

by Shaenon K. Garrity, Christopher J. Baldwin (Illustrator)

A graphic novel about a teenager who is swept up in a strange new universe governed by the rules of Gothic romances and must save it from an all-consuming evil in order to return home.

One dark and stormy night, Haley sees a stranger drowning in the river. Since her greatest passion is Gothic romance novels, she knows her moment has come. But when Haley leaps into the water to rescue the stranger, she awakens in Willowweep. It certainly looks like the setting of one of her favorite books: A stately manor. A sinister housekeeper. Three brooding brothers. There’s even a ghost.

Except Willowweep is not what it seems. Its romantic exterior hides the workings of a pocket universe—the only protection our world has against a great force of penultimate evil, and its defenses are crumbling. Could cruel fate make Haley the heroine that Willowweep needs?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Comics, Gothic, Humor, Science Fiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2021

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Gothic Heroine. And I've read a heck of a lot of books.

When Haley tries to rescue a drowning man she slips through a crack into a strange, yet familiar world - a world filled with gothic tropes: moody gentlemen, ghosts, and iron-willed housekeepers.



But, there's an evil presence that threatens to destroy this delightful place, and Haley's book-smart knowledge of dusty old novels may just come in handy when it comes to saving the world.

This was an immensely enjoyable romp that kept me laughing.
Highly recommended to those with the right sense of humor.

This fun title releases on July 20th. It is S-O-O-O worth the wait.

A huge amount of thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher for letting me read this entertaining book. I can't wait to buy my own copy.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best alternate universe portal fantasy gothic romance graphic novel that I have ever read. Sure it hasn't had much competition in that category, but Willowweep manor has deep deadpan humor, Garrity is at her enthusiastically nerdy best here, and Baldwin's art is both more cartoonish than his work in Little Dee and SpaceTrawler and also captures the irony and humor of the story so well. The Save the Universe Big Bad plot is pretty standard, but it mostly functions as a vehicle for humor and loving satire of Gothic romances. Two great creators combining to make something supremely entertaining.

**Thanks to the author, artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, this book with the brothers were hilarious. Especially their attempts at poetry. The serious brother gifted the maiden his lock of hair as a way to woo her! The youngest brother seems childish. It would have been great if readers were informed of their individual age. The illustrations made the story extra funny, with characters looking surprise with their extra wide open mouths. I liked the housekeeper with her perching up on the tip top of the chair just to see outside of the tall window. The ghost and the Bile’s true form was definitely unexpected. Yes, like Haley, I would prefer their former body. The tool to catch the Bile was clever and took me by surprise.

This book followed Haley. Her teacher just told her to pick a new topic for her book report because she did it again on gothic romance. On her way home, she saw someone in the water under the bridge. She jumped in to rescue him. They were washed up on the rocks and the next day some men found Haley and brought her to Willowweep Manor. The oldest brother, Laurence wanted to send Haley home but she wanted to stay to explore and recognized that the guy she rescued the night before was the middle brother. Laurence warned Haley that Willowweep Manor wasn’t safe for visitors. Haley soon found out that there’s this Bile that was trying to destroy Willowweep and she decided to stay to help rid of it.

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor was an interesting read. I haven’t read anything like it so I enjoyed the unique story line. The brooding oldest brother and his dare to make his day any worse was a scene to be adored. The illustrations for his face was just right! There’s a bit of LGBT love at the end that I was not expecting, so despite the recommended reading age to be 12, I would say this book is for teens instead of middle grade like I originally thought. I liked that Haley decided for herself what she was instead of settling on the title given to her by the brothers. Also she alone decided what she can and can’t do instead of letting others decide for her. It’s inspiring for young readers to have strong characters to look up to. I recommend everyone to read this book!

xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.com for more details

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

[La Crosse County Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful modernization and play on gothic novels.

Haley is a teen obsessed with gothic romances. "This is your fourth essay on Wuthering Heights," her teacher complains.

On her way home from school, Haley notices a man drowning, and when she jumps in to save him, they end up in a magical world right out of one of her gothic inspired books. At first, she loves the clothes and the castle, but things aren't exactly as they seem. The characters are a little two dimensional, and there's a manor ghost only Haley can see, and an evil force called The Bile is creeping its way across Willowweep!

As the lone outsider, it's up to Haley and her newfound friends to save the world of Willowweep and inspire a new story.

I loved the artwork and how jam-packed the book is with humor and genre tropes. It's a gothic lovers sci-fi spinoff. And the clothes ARE great. And so are the characters, with three ridiculously cliché brothers you can't help but adore. But watch out for the bunnies with glowing eyes!

Find this book and other titles within our catalog.

~Jess, Youth Services

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I have any criticism, it's that this is very *simple* -- the emotions, the characters, and especially the art. However, it mostly works fine for what the story is doing, and it an adorable, super fun, fast read. Extra amusing if you're familiar with Gothic Romance tropes, but not essential.

[aarya · Rating 3 out of 5]

As promised by the marketing, this is a satirical and meta take on the gothic romance novel (plus sci-fi alternate universe shenanigans!). I think the worldbuilding is the best part (really glad they didn’t go with the “and it was all a dream” route) but I wasn’t in love with the humor. Don’t get me wrong, some of it did make me smile. But the jokes got a bit repetitive by the middle and I became less enthused. Definitely a “it’s me, not the graphic novel” issue, and I think your reaction will vary on how much you like the meta humor. The art is cute.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A farcical tweaking of gothic romance and steampunk that amused me with its nonsense and silliness. Amongst the many characters who become endearing despite their annoying personalities, the housekeeper is one to watch.


It sort of reminded me of Don Rosa's Uncle Scrooge books in looks and tone.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a very long time since any book has made me literally laugh out loud as many times as this witty, hilarious sendup of gothic romance novels. I adored the smart gothaholic heroine (who is perfectly suited to land in a pocket universe created during the Earth's Romantic era, since she totally understands the rules of gothic novels) and I adored every single character in the pocket universe. They all manage to be perfectly on-point for Gothic tropes while also being adorably unique and themselves - and I particularly loved Garrity's twist on the traditional Gothic housekeeper!

The artwork (by Christopher Baldwin) adds a whole extra level of hilarity through so many fabulous wordless moments. I raced through this book like a delicious slice of chocolate cake - and I already know I'll be re-reading it many times in the future!

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightful. Definitely a must read if you have read some gothic romance.

Full RTC.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

[Lena Lanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

pretty freakin cute. i’m definitely the cuthbert of a gothic romance novel #candy

[verbava · Rating 4 out of 5]

— what do people in your universe do when reality starts springing leaks?
— i'm not sure. look at cat pictures until we feel better?

читати метакомікси про порятунок світу від передостаннього зла теж трооошечки допомагає.

одного дня головна героїня прокидається в антуражі готичного роману, дізнається, що в цих декораціях їй доведеться рятувати світ, — і розуміє, що все життя до цього готувалася. боротьба з міжпланетним (міжусесвітним?) злом, у якій готичні кліше стають безцінною зброєю, ensues.

[Nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of gothic references, this is a witty and entertaining read.

[Sana · Rating 3 out of 5]

'What do people in your universe do when reality starts springing leaks?'
'I'm not sure. Look at cat pictures until we feel better?'

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor is a hilariously meta and a satirical take on the typical gothic romances complete with random attire changes and characters randomly jumping around from place to place.

I loved Haley from page 1. She's Black, a total book nerd, and probably the only character that's developed realistically and not just playing their designated roles re: Laurence the broody oldest brother who's immediately wary of Haley, Cuthbert the very ridiculous comic relief, and Montague the shy love interest. The manor ghost and housekeeper definitely had me laughing the most and I loved the little queer moment at the end.

The artwork is also very appreciable as there are a lot of visual jokes and I loved how they added an extra layer of hilarity to it all. Will recommend for anyone looking for a light-hearted and quick read.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this, but it fell flat for me. I thought that this graphic novel would be a fun pastiche of classic gothic romances, but instead, it was a baffling, chaotic, frenetic science fiction tale with smug dialogue references to gothic tropes.

This is so light on plot that I was able to skim through a lot of it without missing anything, and I was annoyed by the random relationship reveal at the end, which served no purpose other than the author virtue signaling. Two highly undeveloped female side characters kiss during some of the climactic chaos. There is no foreshadowing for this, especially since one of the characters had just recently appeared and had never been mentioned before then. I won't call this checklist diversity, because it doesn't even reach that level. It was just abrupt, out-of-place, and had nothing to do with anything.

[Valisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how to describe this graphic novel but it was so much fun! It had gothic romance, humor, science fiction & a touch of contemporary and I loved it so much! Our leading girl Haley was the best and the three brothers were hilarious. The pacing was perfect and easy to follow along with. The humor was never awkward to me even though there were some slapstick like jokes. So glad I decided to pick up this graphic novel!

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved how this poked fun of the gothic romance tropes but I didn’t quite follow the multiverse aspect of the story.

[Kaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun - I laughed aloud many times, and I loved the main character. If you are familiar with gothic novels, I think it is especially funny because it (lovingly) pokes fun at many of the common tropes and character types.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's hear it for the heroines. Let's hear it for the books that bring humor and fun. This is as delightful as Lumberjanes with its lighthearted magical realism and entertainment value as our heroine who loves her gothic romances ends up in a river and transported-- but not back in time, not forward in time, in this meta version of gothic romance atmosphere and adventure with some science fiction slime and a healthy dose of rolling with it.

Not only do you learn about tropes and story elements but you also have fun doing it.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I'm a heroine. I've read a lot of books. I have an umbrella. That's what I really am."

This was pretty cute! A young black bibliophile with an intense love of gothic romances ends up in a universe where she encounters Willowweep Manor. There, she meets 3 brothers tasked with keeping another universe from seeping in. The humor is pretty good, I love that the MC is a young black book nerd, and the premise was enough to keep me going.

Pretty quick read if you're in the mood for something light.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It moves along at least, but it's not really that great plot wise. If you've read a bunch of gothic romances there is some blatant poking fun at them, but the humor didn't win me over with such a lackluster tale.

[J MaK · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.0) I like that the main character is a young black woman who considers herself a gothic heroine. But the side stories are filled with excessive and descriptive information. I was really distracted from the actual plot because I wasn’t able to fill in some details with my imagination.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions)]

Cute, fast-paced graphic novel about a gothic novel obsessed teen who finds her knowledge of tropes coming to good use when she's somehow transported to mysterious Willowweep Manor. The concepts are fun and thoroughly absurd. Light on development but in a way that feels rather intentionally comedic. Definitely worth a read.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable and hilarious and so much fun.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, but a bit to repetitive. Honestly, I was just happy that The Castle of Otranto got a shout out.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was fun. A lover of gothic romances falls into a world that looks like it comes right out of one. But what if you don't follow the rules about what is expected of your character? Do things turn out differently? Good story, fun characters, good drawings. Definitely enjoyed it!

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Caroline | caro.library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA graphic novel was very humorous and enjoyable. Haley, a high school student obsessed with classic Gothic romance novels, finds herself transported to a world that resembles her favorite books after saving a stranger from drowning in a river. I do think that readers need to be familiar with novels like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre in order to fully appreciate the satire and jokes in the story.

I wish the plot was a bit more tight and focused. In addition to playing with Gothic tropes, the story also includes a sci-fi element with pocket universes and threats from another dimension. These different elements did not always come together cohesively. While many of the jokes had me laughing out loud, sometimes these humorous or melodramatic moments interrupted the pacing of the story.

I enjoyed this story and it kept me laughing from beginning to end, but I was left with a lot of questions about the internal logic of this story.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

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[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 review:

I fully stand by my 2021 review of this book. It's an absolute blast to read and I had a great time rereading it. I decided to give it a second read to refresh my memory before reading the brand-new sequel, The Nefarious Nights of Willowweep Manor, which I have on hold with the library.

2021 review:

I grabbed a library copy of The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor because I thought the premise sounded fun and the cover was delightful. I basically expected a good time, but ended up falling in love with this story? The plot is fun, the characters are hilarious, and the ways the book plays with gothic tropes delighted me. Haley was super relatable to me as a bookworm with a love for the dramatic. The direct Kate Bush reference three pages in was definitely a selling feature for this devoted Kate Bush fan. Basically, I felt a little bit like this book was written for me? I wish it had been a little longer, but ultimately I loved it and whether or not they ever do a sequel won't change that. Recommended for sure!

[Rebecca Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I adored this story! It was so nice to see a main character who was passionate about gothic romance, and who was “nerdy” like how I was at her age (and still am). I would’ve loved to read this book when I was younger and feel less alone. As for the actual events of the book, it was so much fun! I really enjoyed the characters at the manor, Cicely and Montague were some of my favorites in particular. The rest of the ensemble - Lawerence, Cuthbert, and Wilhelmina - helped round out the world and make it feel like a fun twist on different universes. I enjoyed the lore of the “gasket universes” and learning how the inner workings were tied into the main problem of the story. I really enjoyed the climatic scenes toward the end, and I loved the end itself and how open ended it was. I hope we get more of Haley and Willowweep Manor in the future!

[Mariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my this was delightful. Doctor Who meets Jane Eyre?? An all around treasure.