Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

by Scott E. Peterson (Adapted By), Meredith Laxton (Adapted by), Russ Badget (Adapted by)

In this graphic novel adaptation of master horror storyteller Mary Downing Hahn's spookiest and most popular tale, two siblings must save their stepsister from the clutches of a vengeful ghost.

When their mom remarries, Molly and her brother, Michael, try to make friends with their new stepsister, Heather. But Heather only wants to make trouble for them. She lies and tattles and misbehaves, and somehow they always get the blame. They know she's trying to drive a wedge between her father and their mother so she can have her father all to herself--and it seems to be working.

Then, Heather starts playing in the graveyard behind their new house. She claims she can talk to a ghost named Helen, and her behavior gets even stranger. Michael doesn't believe in ghosts and thinks their new little sister is just looking for more attention. But Molly isn't so certain, especially when Heather threatens that Helen is going to come for them and make them sorry.

It seems as though things can't get any worse--but they do.

When Helen comes.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Middle Grade, Comics, Ghosts, Fiction, Paranormal

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2022

About the author

Scott Peterson got his start in comics as an editor on the Batman line of comics, working with the legendary Dennis O’Neil. He edited DC’s flagship title, Detective Comics, and launched the first of the the Adventures sub-genre of comics, The Batman Adventures. He later went on to edit for WildStorm, where he oversaw such titles as WildCats, Midnighter, A God Somewhere and North 40, as well as Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes. As a writer, he has been published by Disney, Scholastic, Golden Books, HarperCollins, and DC Comics, including a four-year run as the regular writer of The Gotham Adventures. He is the author of Batman: Kings of Fear with art legendary artist Kelley Jones, and the original graphic novel Truckus Maximus.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel adaptation brought back memeories of my early years of teaching. My students enjoyed this ghost story as much as I did. The illustrations of this revamped version add an extra layer to the already spooky tale of a lonely ghost befriending a lonely girl. Together they make a malevolent pair full of sadness and regret. I highly recommend this new adaptaion. This graphic novel is entertaining with the perfect amount of horror that will keep readers of all ages engaged. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for my copy.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Your mother is a witch and she makes daddy unhappy. I wish she were dead... and you and Michael, too!"

I remember reading this novel when I was a kid. I was a Goosebumps, ghost, horror-loving kid who thought that they weren't afraid of anything. That these monsters lurking in the dark should be afraid of me. When I saw that they turned a classic ghostly tale into a graphic novel, I was ready to travel back in time. I wanted to slap on a bracelet, put a scrunchie in my hair, grab some dunkaroos, and a squeezit and read this with all the lights out.

This story made me fascinated with cemeteries more than I already was. There was something about going on an adventure with a spirit just as Heather did that always made me excited to visit the graves in a cemetery. Now as an adult I'm glad that none of that has happened. My love of cemeteries is still going strong.

The graphic novel adaptation was a great addition to the ghostly horror tales of Hahn. It caught everything so perfectly and paired with great illustrations made it well worth the read. The new generation of horror fans will love this.

[Janie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It ended nicely enough, but boy were so many of the characters deeply unlikeable for 90% of the book. The mother seemed inefficient and didn’t even talk over moving with her children, Dave was AWFUL to the kids and calling them monsters and constantly taking his daughter’s side? If I were a mother and someone talked about and treated my children the way Dave did in the book I’d lose my shit. I was both deeply frustrated with the fact that Heather has clear trauma that nobody was really acknowledging besides Dave saying she’s “sensitive” and the fact that she’s absolutely insufferable for most of the book. Molly was okay - even though I really couldn’t figure out how old she was supposed to be - but this just felt like a family that should have like…talked to each other at any point before they got married.

I did like the old school children’s horror vibe though, even if the dialogue involved felt a bit dated. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Brea Lanae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wtf kind of mother is she? Telling her kids it’s their responsibility to watch Heather all day and ensure she’s safe. “We count on you and Michael to take care of Heather.” Like no ma’am, that’s the parent’s job, not your children’s. Then allowing Dave to talk to her children the way he does. Shitty parents all around. Why marry a man who doesn’t even like your kids? And why marry a woman with children if you seem to hate her kids?!

Heather, although traumatized and needs therapy, is a horrendous little shit. Even with her trauma and guilt, I still couldn’t stand her or her crappy dad. No redemption arc granted because I despised every character even at the end. 😹

This is a marriage that shouldn’t have existed tbh and since the entire story revolved around unlikeable characters, it just made for a miserable and frustrating read. It’s just complaint after complaint literally the entire book. I know I’m not the target audience, but sheesh.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the original when it came out and am thrilled that they made this into a graphic novel. This allows reluctant readers to read a wonderful book. Great Middle School graphic novel!

Thanks to HarperCollins Children Books for an advanced copy via NetGalley.

[Brittni | semi-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also here!

Outside of Holwell, Maryland stands the ruins of an old house with a dark secret and a lingering presence.

What I loved 😍
I loved the art throughout this graphic novel. It has such a great, clean, classic comic book style. It brings the story to life and is a beautiful adaptation of the original novel, which is a 1980s young adult introduction to horror. Look at this peak 80s cover…amazing.

The story is a great introduction to gothic horror. It’s a classic ghost story, told within the framework of a blended family dealing with tension between the children. It’s interesting, because the parents are completely unlikable and one of the children, Heather, is a little monster (as she’s called often). This is effective though, because the primary narrator is Molly, the eldest daughter, who is in turn told to take care of her mean little step-sister Heather and also berated for talking about ghosts and trying to tell the truth.

What could have been better 🤔
The pacing was overall good, but the graphic novel could have used some chaptering to help. Most of the cuts between days and nights were abrupt, where a chapter heading page would have helped smooth them out.

Let’s Talk About Scares! 👻
There are definitely some creepy moments here, particularly around Heather and her behavior. Like, I do not want a little child to be sneaking out to graveyards in the dark and whispering threats to me in my sleep…yikes!

Beyond the Boo! 🧠
Wait Till Helen Comes is a really lovely introduction to gothic horror for younger readers. As such, it explores typical themes of death, loss, and grief and how they leave a lasting impact on the people who experience them and the world around them.

There’s also an interesting exploration of the difficulties of blended families and being an eldest daughter, which resonated with me. Molly and Michael struggle to get along with their step-sister Heather, who is dealing with her own trauma but in an unhealthy, lashing-out, manipulative way. The parents are totally awful and rely on Molly to parent and watch over the other children. In my experience, these are all real things that can happen with families blending together, and they really do suck (with or without the lurking doom of a ghost!).

[♡ retrovvitches ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

spooky little graphic novel where no one wants to tell the truth or believe each other LOL. it had its scary moments, but it was mostly just trauma and sadness behind all the spooks

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoo boy. This one just made me want to throat punch some people. Honestly most of the characters. I loved the art in this, and the overall story arc. But my gosh. These parents. Let me move you out into the country so I can work on my art and you can watch your step sister so I don’t have to parent 🙃 🤡 and don’t even get me started on the father figure. If you don’t mind literally rolling your eyes at the parents and the behavior of the main character’s sister, you will love this creepy little graphic novel adaption.

[Jurnee Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little middle grade ghost story

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up on Mary Downing Hahn's books and loved them as a kid, so I had to give this adaptation a try!

The artwork was nice and the storytelling is decent, but the thing that surprised me the most about this adaptation is how aged the dialogue feels! Wait Till Helen Comes is a book that released in the 80s originally, so I assumed the adaptation would be modernized a bit (as is the case with most graphic adaptations I've read of older kids' books), but that wasn't the case here.

I struggle to imagine the average kid today being able to connect to the characters or dialogue. It also felt like the spooky elements were tamed down to be more of a paranormal fantasy story, which is disappointing when you think about how few horror graphic novels there are for kids! I'd recommend this for kids who like ghost stories but are very easily frightened, but I wouldn't recommend it for the more committed horror-loving kids in your life.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Content warnings for: mentions of dead children, dead parents, grief, death by fire, death by drowning

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[McKenzey JoLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly is a better person than I am lol. Truly the scariest part of this book is all the gaslighting

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait Till Helen Comes is the first horror novel I read back in elementary school, and to this day the book scares me so badly that I have to keep it tucked away on a shelf with the cover hidden. So why did I request this ARC? Because the original novel also formed a major part of my early reading experience, and it so perfectly captured the fear of forgotten places and unknown beings that it helped to shape my tastes for years to come. I still read every new novel that Mary Downing Hahn puts out.

The graphic novel does a very good job of adapting Hahn's original novel from the 1980s, and part of what works is the way the time is largely left ambiguous - there's one mention of the 21st century and Molly wears a helmet when she's riding her bike, but beyond that it could take place anywhere from 1970 on up. This nebulous time placement helps to enhance the creepiness of the story while highlighting the fact that Helen and Heather's experiences are simply human. Both of them are scared little girls who blame themselves for things that are not their faults, and when Molly finally understands that, she's able to help both of them. This isn't an experience unique to the 1880s or the 1980s; it's human, and that's something that the art of the graphic novel gets across very well, particularly in its use of color.

The original Wait Till Helen Comes means a lot to me, even forty years after I read it. I think that this new version of it will do the same for elementary-age readers today, and hopefully also encourage them to check out the original novel and some of Hahn's other books. I'd love to see The Old Willis Place from the same creative team.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect title for the Halloween season!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this junior graphic novel. It was like a walk down memory lane of the ghost/scary story books I read by the metric ton in grade school. The main character's frustration with her younger sister and her ghostly "imaginary friend" was palpable throughout the story, creating a compelling, race-against-time read. I also greatly appreciated that the story engages kids without talking down to them, offering some genuine shuddery moments--and that no aspects of the book try too hard to be hip, resulting in a timeless feel.

Note: After searching this book title, I realize there's a reason WAIT reminded me of a book I would have read as a kid...it's the graphic novelization of a junior novel published in the 1980s, and I'm almost positive I did! But I'm so glad the creators didn't try to "update" it with modern technology/slang...aside from an offhand remark about how we shouldn't believe in ghosts in the 21st century...there is no indication that this story takes place any time later than the '90s at the latest.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4 Stars*

CW:Child death, death by fire, toxic family relationships, themes of death, dying, and grief in general

It's hard to find a truly creepy juvenile graphic novel, usually because they have to pull their punches to some extent to make it age appropriate. This was pretty good! Definitely going to sit on this one and possibly rotate it in for my tween book club during spooky season next year. It's a thin book, but the text is dense enough that I still think there's plenty to keep them going, and most of my readers prefer to be scared as much as possible. Would absolutely recommend to fans of Goosebumps, since this is a re-publication of a 1980's Goosebumps-esque story.

I don't mind complicated family dynamics in a children's book (I actually prefer seeing it!), but I'm disappointed that there was no family resolution at the end of the book. Perhaps an apology from both parents for so dramatically letting all of their children down in different ways? The storytelling method was modernized, but the story itself was not, and I'm deducting one star for the unaddressed parental toxicity.

[Krystl Louwagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK. Overall themes/messaging are great, but execution felt fumbled. I read (and loved) this novel as a young human and I think the story is solid. But the graphic novel came a crossed as something that was clearly adapted from something else and not envisioned very well for this medium. The text is HEAVY and I'm guessing word-for-word to some of the novel. The same things are said over and over with too many words and not enough expressive pictures. The pictures feel like a simple accompaniment to this story, but not an integral part, and that's what graphic novels ARE. The story shouldn't even make sense without the pictures, but I feel like the text beats you over the head on this one. It's OK, but too wordy to be efficient/elegant/succinct, and the tiny text being crammed into bubbles is distracting and obvious. The art is fine, but also feels pretty sterile, not alive.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait Until Helen Comes

What a spooky story, perfect for middle school students! The story and illustrations are right on point! I will be looking for more work from Mary Downing Hahn.

[Candace · Rating 2 out of 5]

A frustrating read. The kind where no one uses their better judgment. Staple of the genre, I guess. I liked the art. Repetitive in some places. Dave can go kick rocks in his bare feet.

[McKenzy Hupke · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great middle grade graphic novel! Almost dark elements enough for me to believe that Wait till Helen Comes should really be YA truly.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. Not shocking, but the perfect October spooky read.

[Corrie Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork was good, but the story was lacking. Relied *heavily* on the parents being completely disengaged from their children's well-being without actually addressing how ridiculous it was to expect their children to spend their entire days watching over a traumatized 7-year old who hates them.
The actual ghost storyline wrapped up without an earned ending.
Yes, it's a Junior Graphic novel intended for children, but that doesn't mean it has to be lazy.

[HL · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading “Wait Till Helen Comes” it immediately put me in the mind of Goosebumps. I wish I would have known about it when I was in my whole RL Stine phase it would have really added to my TBR stack (as if I needed any help in that department). But it seems to be a great adaptation of the in print novel. Maybe I even give it a read.

[Bobbie Bomber · Rating 4 out of 5]

True rating 3.5

First off I'd like to think the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for a honest review.

Okay first off I will be honest I had never heard of this the book that this graphic novel is based off of so I went into this pretty blind but the cover really drew me in.

I really did like the graphic novel format for this book it worked really well I am interested in reading the original story at some point the artwork was great I can imagine that it's going to look wonderful in full color this advanced copy only had a few pages in full color the rest were black and white but it didn't take away anything from the story but I will imagine that the full coloring will really add to it.

Okay now on to the actual story I'm going to have a really hard time reading this one I am going with a 3.5 because while I did like it there was just so many frustrating points in this I have a feeling if I would have read this when I was in the age range this is more for I'd probably like it more but as an adult I won't lie I got kind of frustrated throughout it especially with the parents especially with the stepfather he was just too terrible of a person to really care about I believe his name was Dave and he was just awful and it felt a little too over the top awful like I said like you don't like him same goes for the mom she's very frustrating and unlikable too and like I said I think it's just because I'm older that they just come off really irresponsible.

The story though is very creepy I really liked it the artwork was great I would love to read the full story to see if anything was really cut out the ending felt a little rushed and the middle track a little bit I was really my only complaint for the actual likes story I loved that we did get to see other people in the town learn more about everything that was kind of going on it had a very Victorian Gothic Horror story fell to this which was really great and I think is really awesome to get younger kids into that genre since it can be a little slower for people I always feel like a lot of people don't appreciate the gothic horror genre for the fact that it can be seen as slower but I really thought it worked wonderful in here.

[Dione Basseri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I finished this book and IMMEDIATELY put the author+artist's other book, "Took," on hold at my library! AND checked out all Hahn's audiobooks from my library. Just wow!

The tweens and early teens this book is aimed at will be absolutely terrified, but even as an adult, I was a bit chilled! The pacing of this book is really great. It's got that standard horror beginning, a family moving to a new house, ready for a new start, with just that little bit of spooky phenomenon to draw you in. A bit of a gap of supernatural stuff, to establish characters and setting. And then a steady feed of encounters, each increasing the stakes and the horror, until a great resolution.

The artwork is moody and fills the page well. No blank backgrounds to save time, each space feels consistent and real. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the artists made maps of each space before they got to work. For such a short story, the characters in the family are given a good amount of development, and even the few extra background characters steer WELL clear of being tropey or stereotypes.

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic comic book adaptation of a classic kids’ ghost story from the 80s that I missed somehow. The cover of the original paperback looks like it came right out of Grady Hendrix’ Paperbacks from Hell. It’s quite the hoot and discovering it via Thriftbooks is possibly my favorite part of this afternoon.

The story is kind of nasty-lots of family tension from the get-go. I think the stepdad would probably would be a nicer dude if written today. 80s kids were tougher I guess! Haha. Again, classic comic book treatment. Good if not imaginative art, good cinematic pacing. Lettering looks like Blambot. Solid effort.

[Bri · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5? not even a mildly interesting ghost story could save this tbh. the characters are either insufferable or incredibly bland. it took forever for the ghost story to start ghosting. the horror lacked personality or anything unique to it. this is also a really text heavy graphic novel which i think contributed to the artwork not being especially memorable. because a lot was told to us, there wasn’t a need to show us, so the art felt really repetitive sometimes. I think what helped were a few scenes of truly very pretty art and the potential the ghost story aspect had, but i just couldn’t get into this

[Caroline Phipps · Rating 3 out of 5]

This family dynamic was so toxic Jesus Christ

An entertaining ghost story though, although a bit repetitive at times especially in the last third of the book. Lovely illustrations by Meredith Laxton. But every time the family argued made my head hurt. Have they ever heard of a baby sitter or day care or something?? I get wanting your older kids to watch the younger kids but neither parent did not even LISTEN to their children. They all need therapy

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good! Heather and Helen were so creepy throughout the whole thing. I really loved the artwork - it was so detailed but it didn't get bogged down by all of those details. This was a fantastic spooky story with a mix of family drama thrown in.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The graphic novel version of this story is a faithful adaptation of the original novel that was beloved to me as a child. I'm glad to see that 36 years later, Helen has returned to haunt a new generation of kids.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great ghost story. The right kind of spooky with a well-developed plot.

I'm on a roll reading, short reviews it is for now. Lol

[Felicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

These parents are assholes.