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Fly by Night:
In this enviromental thriller graphic novel with a supernatural twist, Dee must find out what happened to her missing twin. An amazing mystery filled with strange creatures, high school drama, and family, this darkly illustrated book shows us that monsters are all around us.
There are monsters in the woods.
Something supernatural is lurking in the woods. While out searching for her missing sister and desperately trying to find any possible clues to her whereabouts, Dee discovers something . . . isn’t quite right . . . in the woods. Dee soon finds herself in the middle of a battle to save the pinelands, and she's finding more suspects, and more questions, than answers.
As time goes on, there is only one thing she knows for there are monsters among us. But they aren’t who you should be afraid of . . .
There are monsters in the woods.
Something supernatural is lurking in the woods. While out searching for her missing sister and desperately trying to find any possible clues to her whereabouts, Dee discovers something . . . isn’t quite right . . . in the woods. Dee soon finds herself in the middle of a battle to save the pinelands, and she's finding more suspects, and more questions, than answers.
As time goes on, there is only one thing she knows for there are monsters among us. But they aren’t who you should be afraid of . . .
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2021
36 people are currently reading
2170 people want to read
About the author
Tara O'Connor
19 books65 followersTara is a cartoonist currently residing in the New Jersey wilderness. When she's not drawing comics, she's teaching them. She drinks way too much tea and coffee, and on any given day there's a 90% chance that every meal she had was cereal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
November 30, 2021
Two completely barely unrelated plots collide in a very messy, boring mishmash that couldn't even be saved by beautiful art and some neato character designs. I finished it because I started and it was short, but wow, it was a struggle.
Highlights include MAGICAL FOREHEAD BEAM OF DEATH while standing in a random ring of fire that popped up out of nowhere. Just in time for the dramatic confrontation that I didn't care about!
Highlights include MAGICAL FOREHEAD BEAM OF DEATH while standing in a random ring of fire that popped up out of nowhere. Just in time for the dramatic confrontation that I didn't care about!
February 22, 2022
Without knowing it when I picked this book up on a whim (sometimes I judge by the cover, sue me) this was the story I needed in my life. I’ll admit the two plot lines didn’t seem to be connected through most of the story, but I was ok with it. Maybe since they both were about the main character Dee and her state of mine and grief is a disjointed thing. Dee and her twin sister split up one with each parent when they divorced years before. But Beth is missing and Dee insists on joining her father when he comes home to try to track her down. While looking for Beth and reminiscing she makes a discovery that will change her life. Parallel to this story is a good environmentalist story about a man determined to build a pipeline through some beautiful and until this point protected woods.
February 1, 2022
I don’t know if I’ve read any of Tara O’Connor’s other comics, and I’m not sure if I’ll seek them out after this one. The art in this book is AWESOME. Some very impressive facial expressions and really nice panel composition. But the story was 2 ideas mashed together and it didn’t really work. I definitely appreciated the “North Haverbrook” Simpsons reference, though.
October 22, 2024
an emotional eco thriller graphic novel featuring the jersey devil!! this book has a lot going for it, but ultimately it doesn't jive.
dee is searching for her missing twin sister, beth, whilst dealing with the tension and arguments of her divorced mom and dad, temporarily back under the same roof. meanwhile, a big bad corporation is threatening to decimate the local pinelands to build a pipeline. dee knows in her gut that beth's disappearance is connected to the pinelands, and we follow her as she and her friends try to save the protected land and find out what happened to beth. oh, and the jersey devil is lurking in the forest's depths, dark and mysterious.
these plot threads are linked, but they're muddled rather than cohesively connected. the pipeline plot feels much stronger than the beth plot. there are some crucial emotional scenes regarding dee's loss of beth, and i kept waiting them to resonate, but they feel hollow. i want a better understanding of their sibling bond, and a better understanding of dee's relationship with the book's resident cryptid! but as this graphic novel is already 300+ pages, i'm not sure if tacking on more would actually help. the pacing is also odd, never moving fast enough to build momentum.
despite issues with the plot and writing, i really enjoyed reading this! the art is dark and beautiful, and i especially adore the way the jersey devil is illustrated. she is monstrous and gorgeous.
also, i'm always in favor of YA and kidlit that makes activism seem accessible! dee and her friends are deeply invested in saving the pinelands, and it's inspiring.
dee is searching for her missing twin sister, beth, whilst dealing with the tension and arguments of her divorced mom and dad, temporarily back under the same roof. meanwhile, a big bad corporation is threatening to decimate the local pinelands to build a pipeline. dee knows in her gut that beth's disappearance is connected to the pinelands, and we follow her as she and her friends try to save the protected land and find out what happened to beth. oh, and the jersey devil is lurking in the forest's depths, dark and mysterious.
these plot threads are linked, but they're muddled rather than cohesively connected. the pipeline plot feels much stronger than the beth plot. there are some crucial emotional scenes regarding dee's loss of beth, and i kept waiting them to resonate, but they feel hollow. i want a better understanding of their sibling bond, and a better understanding of dee's relationship with the book's resident cryptid! but as this graphic novel is already 300+ pages, i'm not sure if tacking on more would actually help. the pacing is also odd, never moving fast enough to build momentum.
despite issues with the plot and writing, i really enjoyed reading this! the art is dark and beautiful, and i especially adore the way the jersey devil is illustrated. she is monstrous and gorgeous.
also, i'm always in favor of YA and kidlit that makes activism seem accessible! dee and her friends are deeply invested in saving the pinelands, and it's inspiring.
February 8, 2023
It tried to do too much. This book couldn't find a way to balance the missing sister plot with the environmental plot, and often the latter overpowered the former.
The way it came together was... . big, fast, and flashy. Slowly putting pieces together may have been more effective.
I am okay with believing the magic of the jersey Devil by itself with no explanation as it is lore. However, once Dee starts experiencing powers of her own (especially the last bit), I just couldn't buy into it.
The explanation for Beth's disappearance was so disappointing, It was rushed. Made no sense.
The way it came together was... . big, fast, and flashy. Slowly putting pieces together may have been more effective.
I am okay with believing the magic of the jersey Devil by itself with no explanation as it is lore. However, once Dee starts experiencing powers of her own (especially the last bit), I just couldn't buy into it.
The explanation for Beth's disappearance was so disappointing, It was rushed. Made no sense.
December 10, 2021
I thought this was nice. A good mix of topics! I liked the ideas presented more than the story itself. I couldn’t figure out the relationship between Vera and Dee. I thought the ending was a bit messy too. Like there wasn’t much connection between Beth and the pipeline in the end? I wanted there to be more of something there. But I really liked the art and the idea of it! A dark story, for sure.
January 20, 2022
Lovely art with a bit of a muddled story. I love the cryptid aspects and didn't hate the mystery in the first half, but the environmental story that seemed to be trying to tie things together just left me a bit sour.
November 20, 2021
Meh. I wanted so much more from this. The premise was really interesting and had so much potential; instead, this fell flat for me.
With such a gorgeous cover, I expected more dynamic pages, not just black and white. This could be because I have an ARC, but I felt it made the storyline less effective. With such a focus on the environment and the pine lands, you’d think there would be a showcase of that environment. I also would’ve loved to see what Veradys looked like in full color.
The plot was also extremely predictable. I predicted a lot of what was coming and felt uninterested in our MC’s journey. The connection between her missing sister and the pine lands was not well done either. Her just stumbling into a tree, finding a creature, and then it makes a super random massive connection at the end? There wasn’t enough build in the middle to make it feel cohesive. Instead, there were a lot of fluffy plot lines thrown in that didn’t need to be there and just created noise for me.
I didn’t feel much of a connection to any of the characters either. Dee didn’t have much going for her. She felt like a bit of a throwaway character. I didn’t feel like I learned much about her through any of the story. She’s slightly edgy, but that’s about all I really know. Tobi was a little more dynamic, but not by much. She at least seemed to fit the story more. And the parents? Just a real weird tense relationship that’s explained out in like two pages and then just dropped to pop up whenever they need a tense, awkward moment.
I wanted to like this, but just left feeling like I didn’t get to take away much. It did have a diverse looking cast and a good idea, just poor execution all around, in my opinion.
Thank you to the publisher for supplying an advanced reader copy.
With such a gorgeous cover, I expected more dynamic pages, not just black and white. This could be because I have an ARC, but I felt it made the storyline less effective. With such a focus on the environment and the pine lands, you’d think there would be a showcase of that environment. I also would’ve loved to see what Veradys looked like in full color.
The plot was also extremely predictable. I predicted a lot of what was coming and felt uninterested in our MC’s journey. The connection between her missing sister and the pine lands was not well done either. Her just stumbling into a tree, finding a creature, and then it makes a super random massive connection at the end? There wasn’t enough build in the middle to make it feel cohesive. Instead, there were a lot of fluffy plot lines thrown in that didn’t need to be there and just created noise for me.
I didn’t feel much of a connection to any of the characters either. Dee didn’t have much going for her. She felt like a bit of a throwaway character. I didn’t feel like I learned much about her through any of the story. She’s slightly edgy, but that’s about all I really know. Tobi was a little more dynamic, but not by much. She at least seemed to fit the story more. And the parents? Just a real weird tense relationship that’s explained out in like two pages and then just dropped to pop up whenever they need a tense, awkward moment.
I wanted to like this, but just left feeling like I didn’t get to take away much. It did have a diverse looking cast and a good idea, just poor execution all around, in my opinion.
Thank you to the publisher for supplying an advanced reader copy.
March 4, 2022
Good story, has a lot going on. We have the new jersey devil folklore, redline pipeline protests, missing sister, mystery, divorced family, and even new sibling! Lots going on but the author did a good job of connecting it all.
Dee is moving back to her old town with her Father. Dee's parents split up which caused her and her twin sister to be separated in the divorce. When her and her father come back, it really isn't a visit so much as trying to find Dee's missing sister! Dee's sister gets involved with protesting against the Pipeline and deforestation of their beloved forest. Could this be the reason she went missing? Dee tries to discovers the truth but runs into something in the woods she didn't expect.
Dee is moving back to her old town with her Father. Dee's parents split up which caused her and her twin sister to be separated in the divorce. When her and her father come back, it really isn't a visit so much as trying to find Dee's missing sister! Dee's sister gets involved with protesting against the Pipeline and deforestation of their beloved forest. Could this be the reason she went missing? Dee tries to discovers the truth but runs into something in the woods she didn't expect.
March 11, 2022
I don’t usually read a lot of YA graphic novels, but I love the way they look so I wanted to start getting into them. I chose this book at a cool little comic shop in SF. It had all the elements I was in the mood for- mystery, intrigue and supernatural, and in that I wasn’t disappointed.
I did love all the character designs and the art style was awesome, but I feel like I’ve read this type of story before, just without the depth i usually prefer. I was hoping to be pulled into something more twisting and dark, it was a bit more campy than I’d anticipated. It was just ok.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad read. I finished it in an hour and a half, and though the story won’t be sitting in my mind for days after, I don’t regret spending the time with it.
I did love all the character designs and the art style was awesome, but I feel like I’ve read this type of story before, just without the depth i usually prefer. I was hoping to be pulled into something more twisting and dark, it was a bit more campy than I’d anticipated. It was just ok.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad read. I finished it in an hour and a half, and though the story won’t be sitting in my mind for days after, I don’t regret spending the time with it.
January 2, 2023
There was a lot going on in this murder mystery. A mix of horror and magical realism with a hint of mystery where pieces are revealed as we go along. I think it would have been stronger if we had a better idea of the lore and why we needed to care about it and how the world interacts with it, but overall the plot line made sense. I think the world building was lacking a little bit. I also would have liked to explore the character relationships with a little more depth and clarity. The relationship between the two sisters was clear, but not with other side characters and their arcs as they interacted with Dee's. And not with the building of Dee's relationship with Vera, which seemed to need more clarity for the story to come to a clearer fulfillment.
July 6, 2022
Where to start???
This is one of the greatest graphic novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading and that's after Heartstopper. The art, the characters and the mysterious twists and turns throughout the story kept me hooked. I couldn't put it down.
Without talking about anything specific enough to have spoilers I just have to tell you that the back description doesn't ready you enough for the ride you're about to experience.
It left me with tears in my eyes until the very end, I was fighting right beside the characters.
This is one of the greatest graphic novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading and that's after Heartstopper. The art, the characters and the mysterious twists and turns throughout the story kept me hooked. I couldn't put it down.
Without talking about anything specific enough to have spoilers I just have to tell you that the back description doesn't ready you enough for the ride you're about to experience.
It left me with tears in my eyes until the very end, I was fighting right beside the characters.
October 19, 2022
Cool concept for a story. Little rushed at the end.
March 10, 2022
It started off pretty great but then it went all over the place. I think the timeline could've been a little more polished. To be honest I feel like Dee should've been a lot more upset that her twin was murdered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2021
The dark graphics and limited color palette go far in both sharing and exploring the darkness that is the story unfolding as well as the emotions swirling around our leading lady, Dee. She’s suffered a terrible loss, and I admire her courage in coming back “home” to try and lend a helping hand to the search for her twin. Her home life wasn’t a walk in the park, but once the adults stepped out of their heads and into their hearts, they were able to come together enough to assist rather than resist. Speaking of resistance, it’s pretty much EVERYWHERE in this small town, from the disappearances to the big company trying to take over the pinelands and the severe lack of support the townspeople have in fighting them; it’s a battlefield that once was a town. Add to that the strange disappearances, occurrences, and things that go bump in the night, and you’ve got a mystery you didn’t know you were taking on...with the potential for DIRE consequences!
I was taken aback by the strong environmental messages that ran right alongside the story because they made clear the changes that needed to be made while at the same time nature (and something darker) was whispering the same message for change. I was befuddled as to the motives of those involved because money is one thing, but I just knew there was something more sinister lurking right before our eyes. I appreciated the myth/lore brought to life with a greater purpose, as well as the yin and the yang represented. I agree with the tag line on the book...monsters aren’t always who or what they appear to be. The SCARIEST of them all can be sitting right beside you and you may never even know it...
**copy received for review; opinions are my own
I was taken aback by the strong environmental messages that ran right alongside the story because they made clear the changes that needed to be made while at the same time nature (and something darker) was whispering the same message for change. I was befuddled as to the motives of those involved because money is one thing, but I just knew there was something more sinister lurking right before our eyes. I appreciated the myth/lore brought to life with a greater purpose, as well as the yin and the yang represented. I agree with the tag line on the book...monsters aren’t always who or what they appear to be. The SCARIEST of them all can be sitting right beside you and you may never even know it...
**copy received for review; opinions are my own
February 3, 2022
Very cute short read.
October 23, 2021
Fly By Night tackles the important environmental issue of pipelines and their dangers while incorporating both real-world and fantasy elements. Several genres collide in this graphic novel: realistic fiction/activism, supernatural/fantasy, and mystery/thriller.
Dee moved away from her hometown with her father when her parents divorced; when her sister, who stayed with their mother, disappears, she returns with her father and is desperate to find out what happened to her. She becomes involved with an activist group at her school that is trying to stop a corporation from building a pipeline that will go through their town and disrupt the local environment. Meanwhile, she heads into the woods to try to find her sister - and finds a strange creature there.
There were a few points during this story when I was a little confused about what was happening in the images, and I needed the later text to help clear it up. I’m not sure if this was intentional, since Dee was also confused and shocked by some of the events in the book. It was off putting at times, but for the most part everything was explained and ended up making sense.
Otherwise, the illustrations were great; the ARC had black and white images, but based on the first copy pages I assume it will be full color. I’d love to flip through a finished copy, since I think it will be a different experience and beautiful in color!
Overall, an interesting read which brings up important aspects of pipelines and activism while also incorporating unique elements.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
Dee moved away from her hometown with her father when her parents divorced; when her sister, who stayed with their mother, disappears, she returns with her father and is desperate to find out what happened to her. She becomes involved with an activist group at her school that is trying to stop a corporation from building a pipeline that will go through their town and disrupt the local environment. Meanwhile, she heads into the woods to try to find her sister - and finds a strange creature there.
There were a few points during this story when I was a little confused about what was happening in the images, and I needed the later text to help clear it up. I’m not sure if this was intentional, since Dee was also confused and shocked by some of the events in the book. It was off putting at times, but for the most part everything was explained and ended up making sense.
Otherwise, the illustrations were great; the ARC had black and white images, but based on the first copy pages I assume it will be full color. I’d love to flip through a finished copy, since I think it will be a different experience and beautiful in color!
Overall, an interesting read which brings up important aspects of pipelines and activism while also incorporating unique elements.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
December 8, 2021
Once again, I'm going to say the best thing about this was probably the art. Throughout, there are just some absolutely gorgeous panels, and they really fit the whole theme/tone of the book overall. And while it is an environmental thriller, I wanted the two main storylines to connect a bit more. I thought Beth's disappearance was going to have more of an impact on what actually happened with the pipeline.
The characterization overall was also fine, nothing about it really stood out to me. There is a lot of great visual diversity, but none of this is really acknowledged in the story itself. We get some of Dee's family story, but I think maybe that could have been expanded on as well.
All in all, even though the art style is fantastic, the story itself was a little all over the place to me.
The characterization overall was also fine, nothing about it really stood out to me. There is a lot of great visual diversity, but none of this is really acknowledged in the story itself. We get some of Dee's family story, but I think maybe that could have been expanded on as well.
All in all, even though the art style is fantastic, the story itself was a little all over the place to me.
January 4, 2022
This was pretty poorly plotted. There were two separate plots that were barely held together, and characters had a tendency to just appear and disappear without much notice. The story would have been *fine* without the superfluous mystical element.
November 30, 2022
The art in this was beautiful! The story was hopeful and heartbreaking and I loved every second of it. I’d never read a story about the Jersey Devil before and this one was a wonderful place to start. Absolutely a 5 star read!
April 16, 2025
4.5. Was actually really really good, I liked the story a lot but just wish there were a couple less slow spots.
August 18, 2022
*2.5
What is it with me reading so many graphic novels lately that have too much going on?
This book opens with the MC, Dee, returning to her hometown in search of her missing twin sister, Beth. But the book rapidly tries to take on a variety of different plots, from environmentalism to the supernatural. These are linked, somewhat, but at the book's climax all I could think was "how on Earth did we get here?"
The art style wasn't bad, but the occasional use of a dramatic font in text bubbles felt a little out of place. And I suppose the ending was good, but I felt like we took way too many messy turns to get here. The magic system is nigh impossible to understand.
2.5/5 stars.
What is it with me reading so many graphic novels lately that have too much going on?
This book opens with the MC, Dee, returning to her hometown in search of her missing twin sister, Beth. But the book rapidly tries to take on a variety of different plots, from environmentalism to the supernatural. These are linked, somewhat, but at the book's climax all I could think was "how on Earth did we get here?"
The art style wasn't bad, but the occasional use of a dramatic font in text bubbles felt a little out of place. And I suppose the ending was good, but I felt like we took way too many messy turns to get here. The magic system is nigh impossible to understand.
2.5/5 stars.
June 28, 2022
Let me start by saying that I went into this knowing nothing, and I think that's how someone should go into this book. However, stretch your imagination while reading this.
The concept was well thought out and had a complete character arc. I was plesantly suprised at the attention to detail and the little hints throughout the book--the hints were so subtle that I couldn't catch them.
My only "ehh" was the ending. It seemed like a cheap out surrounding the mystery, and I didn't see the development of events. It felt as if we were originally following this storyline, but then we pivoted and started following something else. So, when the mystery was wrapped up, it left me wanting more. More knowledge, more insight, just more.
There are a few other graphic novels by Tara O'Connor that I'd like to read, and I'm going to take a look because I enjoyed this pleasently.
The concept was well thought out and had a complete character arc. I was plesantly suprised at the attention to detail and the little hints throughout the book--the hints were so subtle that I couldn't catch them.
My only "ehh" was the ending. It seemed like a cheap out surrounding the mystery, and I didn't see the development of events. It felt as if we were originally following this storyline, but then we pivoted and started following something else. So, when the mystery was wrapped up, it left me wanting more. More knowledge, more insight, just more.
There are a few other graphic novels by Tara O'Connor that I'd like to read, and I'm going to take a look because I enjoyed this pleasently.
August 14, 2025
judged this one by its cover when i picked it out. very beautiful coloring work, compelling compositions and character designs
the story itself felt kind of disjointed - i had sort of hoped towards the end that the environmental plot and the beth plot wouldn't get intertwined? idk i just didn't really enjoy the way the loose strings got tied up
still a 4 star book tho. character interactions are well written, i think it's really impressive that the author was able to combine a disappearance mystery plot, an environmental crisis plot, and a plot on american folklore in the first place (especially in a graphic novel)
the story itself felt kind of disjointed - i had sort of hoped towards the end that the environmental plot and the beth plot wouldn't get intertwined? idk i just didn't really enjoy the way the loose strings got tied up
still a 4 star book tho. character interactions are well written, i think it's really impressive that the author was able to combine a disappearance mystery plot, an environmental crisis plot, and a plot on american folklore in the first place (especially in a graphic novel)
May 19, 2022
The story was a little messy, true, but I still loved the “Jersey Devil” parts and wish that had been the entire story
July 31, 2022
2.5 stars
Style was cute and the supernatural twin aspect was cool but I couldn't get into it.
Style was cute and the supernatural twin aspect was cool but I couldn't get into it.
October 2, 2023
The story was predictable but the art was good. 2.5 ⭐ generously rounded up.
October 6, 2023
Don't read this to be happy
January 6, 2024
2.5 stars - The story was interesting, but I did not really like the art style. The facial expressions were very over-exaggerated and made me squeamish sometimes.
June 4, 2024
stunning artwork and overall atmosphere. cared about the characters a lot. did not care however for the messy plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews