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The Ghoul Next Door #2
Up to No Ghoul: A Graphic Novel – A Spooky Horror-Humor Adventure About Vampires, Ghouls, and Unlikely Friendship
In this thrilling and spooky middle grade graphic novel companion to The Ghoul Next Door by New York Times bestselling author Cullen Bunn and Cat Ferris, Lavinia and Grey team up again to solve the town’s mystery.
Ever wake up in the middle of the night to awful nightmares about vampires?
When a mysterious blood bank rolls into town, Grey can’t help but get an eerie feeling. Could it be linked to his nightmares about vampires? After some investigating, Grey learns it’s something more sinister than he could ever imagine . . . and there’s only one creature who can help him—Lavinia.
Despite the fact they are forbidden to talk to one another again, this spooky mystery is bigger than any promises between the ghouls and humans.
This fun, lightly spooky adventure is a good Halloween read but is also the perfect graphic novel read all year round. It's a wonderful escape from everyday life, providing readers with a good scare and plenty of laughter.
The Ghoul Next Door was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. "This fast-paced blend of humor and horror is essentially an against-the-odds friendship story.," praised Kirkus.
Ever wake up in the middle of the night to awful nightmares about vampires?
When a mysterious blood bank rolls into town, Grey can’t help but get an eerie feeling. Could it be linked to his nightmares about vampires? After some investigating, Grey learns it’s something more sinister than he could ever imagine . . . and there’s only one creature who can help him—Lavinia.
Despite the fact they are forbidden to talk to one another again, this spooky mystery is bigger than any promises between the ghouls and humans.
This fun, lightly spooky adventure is a good Halloween read but is also the perfect graphic novel read all year round. It's a wonderful escape from everyday life, providing readers with a good scare and plenty of laughter.
The Ghoul Next Door was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. "This fast-paced blend of humor and horror is essentially an against-the-odds friendship story.," praised Kirkus.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2022
4 people are currently reading
2197 people want to read
About the author
Cullen Bunn
2,099 books1,062 followersCullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 9, 2023
This is book 2 in the Ghoul Next Door series. I read the first one and thought that overall It was fine. I had pretty much the same feelings twords this except it was a bit better. More of 3.5 but not rounding up. So we are back in town and something odd ifs going on. A rather odd blood drive bus has randomly appeared and everyone that donates seems out of it. Grey senses something is wrong abut he isn't sure what. He does know that Lavinia can help him. He just needs to find her!
August 8, 2022
I still like the artist's illustrations of otherworldly creatures better than her mundane people, but her art is growing on me a bit in this sequel. The story itself is outrageous, in a good way, as the boy and ghoul from the first volume have only partly kept their promise to stay away from each other. They are secretly still friends, if him picking up her selected comic books at the local comic shop counts.
In this story, a mysterious blood drive bus shows up in town, only it's not a normal one, and the blood drive isn't a normal one, either. Is there something sinister inside the bus? And why is the town suddenly suffering from earthquakes? And what's up with the comic shop guy?
This is becoming a quirky and interesting series that may appeal to middle school kids who like weird stories, but the whole "boy meets girl ghoul" part of it may still be too creepy for some.
In this story, a mysterious blood drive bus shows up in town, only it's not a normal one, and the blood drive isn't a normal one, either. Is there something sinister inside the bus? And why is the town suddenly suffering from earthquakes? And what's up with the comic shop guy?
This is becoming a quirky and interesting series that may appeal to middle school kids who like weird stories, but the whole "boy meets girl ghoul" part of it may still be too creepy for some.
August 16, 2023
I really like this series, and if anything, this book might just be even better than the first one. I'm psyched now for number 3.
September 22, 2022
What worked:
The author takes the time to establish a backstory, something readers don’t always see in graphic novels. The town was once a haven for witches escaping persecution but it’s assumed they still performed evil spells once they arrived. The arrival of a mysterious bloodmobile only adds to the aura as readers try to figure out why it’s come and who’s sponsoring it. Fittingly, much of the activity occurs at night only adding to the spookiness. The illustrations will help readers visualize the evil force attacking Ander’s Landing and the underground world where the ghouls can be found. The overall plot is well-developed with interesting, descriptive events and spooky twists sprinkled in.
Grey is the main character and the author and illustrator team up to present his complicated life. It seems he has a friend, a ghoul named Lavinia, who lives in the graveyard. It’s not clear how they met (it obviously happened in the previous book), but Lavinia and Grey have become close friends despite the efforts of the ghoul leadership. Pictures and text reveal Grey’s nightmares of mixed-up events, ignited by the presence of the bloodmobile parked in front of the school. He suspects vampires are behind the blood collection and his bad dreams but the truth is far worse than that. Grey and Lavinia are determined to protect each other, the ghouls, and the townspeople, and his best friend Marshall will be there to support them.
Featuring ghouls in a story makes this book a great read for the Halloween season. The author and illustrator are able to develop tension as Grey slowly discovers the dangers emerging in his town. Action scenes full of chasing and fighting spice up the narrative and more reflective scenes provide a balance. The author includes a bit of humor, especially playful banter between Grey and Lavinia. After Lavinia shares a story about the danger they’ll be facing, Grey manages to repeatedly mess up the pronunciation until Lavinia realizes it’s just to annoy her. The drama, suspense, and levity offer young readers a wonderful blend of entertainment.
What didn’t work as well:
The transitions between scenes early in the book aren’t always clearly defined which sometimes creates some momentary confusion. However, it’s not a big deal and readers should easily be able to follow the action. The rest of the book flows very nicely.
The Final Verdict:
This book is a fun, supernatural adventure with unlikely friendships and spookiness mixed in. Grey’s loyalty to Lavinia is unwavering and the duo presents a formidable force to anyone messing with the citizens of Ander’s Landing. For a graphic novel, the author and illustrator have created a compelling, entertaining story that I can highly recommend to young readers. Despite being a sequel to The Ghoul Next Door, this book can be read independently without any problem.
The author takes the time to establish a backstory, something readers don’t always see in graphic novels. The town was once a haven for witches escaping persecution but it’s assumed they still performed evil spells once they arrived. The arrival of a mysterious bloodmobile only adds to the aura as readers try to figure out why it’s come and who’s sponsoring it. Fittingly, much of the activity occurs at night only adding to the spookiness. The illustrations will help readers visualize the evil force attacking Ander’s Landing and the underground world where the ghouls can be found. The overall plot is well-developed with interesting, descriptive events and spooky twists sprinkled in.
Grey is the main character and the author and illustrator team up to present his complicated life. It seems he has a friend, a ghoul named Lavinia, who lives in the graveyard. It’s not clear how they met (it obviously happened in the previous book), but Lavinia and Grey have become close friends despite the efforts of the ghoul leadership. Pictures and text reveal Grey’s nightmares of mixed-up events, ignited by the presence of the bloodmobile parked in front of the school. He suspects vampires are behind the blood collection and his bad dreams but the truth is far worse than that. Grey and Lavinia are determined to protect each other, the ghouls, and the townspeople, and his best friend Marshall will be there to support them.
Featuring ghouls in a story makes this book a great read for the Halloween season. The author and illustrator are able to develop tension as Grey slowly discovers the dangers emerging in his town. Action scenes full of chasing and fighting spice up the narrative and more reflective scenes provide a balance. The author includes a bit of humor, especially playful banter between Grey and Lavinia. After Lavinia shares a story about the danger they’ll be facing, Grey manages to repeatedly mess up the pronunciation until Lavinia realizes it’s just to annoy her. The drama, suspense, and levity offer young readers a wonderful blend of entertainment.
What didn’t work as well:
The transitions between scenes early in the book aren’t always clearly defined which sometimes creates some momentary confusion. However, it’s not a big deal and readers should easily be able to follow the action. The rest of the book flows very nicely.
The Final Verdict:
This book is a fun, supernatural adventure with unlikely friendships and spookiness mixed in. Grey’s loyalty to Lavinia is unwavering and the duo presents a formidable force to anyone messing with the citizens of Ander’s Landing. For a graphic novel, the author and illustrator have created a compelling, entertaining story that I can highly recommend to young readers. Despite being a sequel to The Ghoul Next Door, this book can be read independently without any problem.
October 12, 2024
A satisfying sequel to The Ghoul Next Door, this one ends with a huge cliff-hanger.
It is near the end of the school year when a mysterious bus with "Blood Is the Seed of Life" written on its sides rolls into town. At the same time, Grey and his friend Marshall are listening to the doomsday ravings of the young man who runs the local comic book store. Grey begins to have strange nightmares and is creeped out by the presence of the bus that seems to draw adults in a zombie-like trance to it every evening. Grey notes they had all recently donated blood at the bus. The two friends have another conversation with the man at the comic book store, who threatens the ghouls of the town. That night, Grey and Marshall discover that the bus is a ruse to cover the need for blood to give life to a mysterious plant that feasts on ghouls. It is there to destroy the ghouls, including Grey's friend Lavinia. Lavinia and Grey do battle against the plant creature, ultimately destroying it. But that's not the end of this story...
This has as much action and as many chase scenes as the first book in the series. Character development takes backseat to action here. Since his parents are not shown, readers may not be aware that Grey is biracial in a very white town. Cat Farris' illustrations are appropriately dark, as much of the action here takes place underground. She makes excellent use of frame shaping to break up boredom, including several 2-page spreads that readers will want to pore over the details.
Because Lavinia's presence is explained in the first book, this one is best enjoyed after reading it.
Buy if you have the first book. Recommended for grades 5-8.
S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
It is near the end of the school year when a mysterious bus with "Blood Is the Seed of Life" written on its sides rolls into town. At the same time, Grey and his friend Marshall are listening to the doomsday ravings of the young man who runs the local comic book store. Grey begins to have strange nightmares and is creeped out by the presence of the bus that seems to draw adults in a zombie-like trance to it every evening. Grey notes they had all recently donated blood at the bus. The two friends have another conversation with the man at the comic book store, who threatens the ghouls of the town. That night, Grey and Marshall discover that the bus is a ruse to cover the need for blood to give life to a mysterious plant that feasts on ghouls. It is there to destroy the ghouls, including Grey's friend Lavinia. Lavinia and Grey do battle against the plant creature, ultimately destroying it. But that's not the end of this story...
This has as much action and as many chase scenes as the first book in the series. Character development takes backseat to action here. Since his parents are not shown, readers may not be aware that Grey is biracial in a very white town. Cat Farris' illustrations are appropriately dark, as much of the action here takes place underground. She makes excellent use of frame shaping to break up boredom, including several 2-page spreads that readers will want to pore over the details.
Because Lavinia's presence is explained in the first book, this one is best enjoyed after reading it.
Buy if you have the first book. Recommended for grades 5-8.
S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
October 22, 2022
A satisfying sequel to The Ghoul Next Door, this one ends with a huge cliff-hanger.
It is near the end of the school year when a mysterious bus with "Blood Is the Seed of Life" written on its sides rolls into town. At the same time, Grey and his friend Marshall are listening to the doomsday ravings of the young man who runs the local comic book store. Grey begins to have strange nightmares and is creeped out by the presence of the bus that seems to draw adults in a zombie-like trance to it every evening. Grey notes they had all recently donated blood at the bus. The two friends have another conversation with the man at the comic book store, who threatens the ghouls of the town. That night, Grey and Marshall discover that the bus is a ruse to cover the need for blood to give life to a mysterious plant that feasts on ghouls. It is there to destroy the ghouls, including Grey's friend Lavinia. Lavinia and Grey do battle against the plant creature, ultimately destroying it. But that's not the end of this story...
This has as much action and as many chase scenes as the first book in the series. Character development takes backseat to action here. Since his parents are not shown, readers may not be aware that Grey is biracial in a very white town. Cat Farris' illustrations are appropriately dark, as much of the action here takes place underground. She makes excellent use of frame shaping to break up boredom, including several 2-page spreads that readers will want to pore over the details.
Because Lavinia's presence is explained in the first book, this one is best enjoyed after reading it. Buy if you have the first book.
Recommended for grades 5-8.
It is near the end of the school year when a mysterious bus with "Blood Is the Seed of Life" written on its sides rolls into town. At the same time, Grey and his friend Marshall are listening to the doomsday ravings of the young man who runs the local comic book store. Grey begins to have strange nightmares and is creeped out by the presence of the bus that seems to draw adults in a zombie-like trance to it every evening. Grey notes they had all recently donated blood at the bus. The two friends have another conversation with the man at the comic book store, who threatens the ghouls of the town. That night, Grey and Marshall discover that the bus is a ruse to cover the need for blood to give life to a mysterious plant that feasts on ghouls. It is there to destroy the ghouls, including Grey's friend Lavinia. Lavinia and Grey do battle against the plant creature, ultimately destroying it. But that's not the end of this story...
This has as much action and as many chase scenes as the first book in the series. Character development takes backseat to action here. Since his parents are not shown, readers may not be aware that Grey is biracial in a very white town. Cat Farris' illustrations are appropriately dark, as much of the action here takes place underground. She makes excellent use of frame shaping to break up boredom, including several 2-page spreads that readers will want to pore over the details.
Because Lavinia's presence is explained in the first book, this one is best enjoyed after reading it. Buy if you have the first book.
Recommended for grades 5-8.
October 5, 2023
A sequel to The Ghoul Next Door that turns the focus from the (very) unlikely friendship between normal human boy Grey and ghoul Lavinia to a totally different horror invading their town. You don't necessarily need to have read the first book to follow this one, because the important points of Grey and Lavinia's friendship are conveyed early on. And because the focus is less on the ghouls and more on the new threat, you don't have to spend nearly as much time suspending your disbelief that Grey genuinely doesn't seem to care that his good friend eats human bodies. The new threat is mysterious and surprising, unexpectedly referencing one of my favorite semi-obscure movies. The action level is turned way up in this book, and there's a cliffhanger that indicates more nefarious villains may be coming to Grey and Lavinia's town. Probably even more fun than the original.
February 4, 2023
For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle
A fantastic follow-up to the wonderfully creepy The Ghoul Next Door. This one picks up right where the last one left off, with Grey and Lavinia forced apart. But when a new threat rolls in to Ander's Landing, they must break the rules to save the town.
Same eerie vibe as the first book with a deeper look at the town's history, an all-new spooky mystery, a hidden conspiracy, and the promise of more to come.
The book ends with a nice resolution of the current adventure with a bit of a cliffhanger to set up a third book.
A great series for readers looking for some darkness. Nice blend of humor and macabre, with an adorable friendship as well. Really hoping this series continues, because I've been enjoying it so much!
A fantastic follow-up to the wonderfully creepy The Ghoul Next Door. This one picks up right where the last one left off, with Grey and Lavinia forced apart. But when a new threat rolls in to Ander's Landing, they must break the rules to save the town.
Same eerie vibe as the first book with a deeper look at the town's history, an all-new spooky mystery, a hidden conspiracy, and the promise of more to come.
The book ends with a nice resolution of the current adventure with a bit of a cliffhanger to set up a third book.
A great series for readers looking for some darkness. Nice blend of humor and macabre, with an adorable friendship as well. Really hoping this series continues, because I've been enjoying it so much!
August 19, 2023
Grey has been having some intense nightmares lately, and wishes he could talk to Lavinia about them, but he’s been forbidden from seeing her again by the other ghouls. Then a weird blood bank comes to town, and all the adults are really tired after they donate, though they can’t remember why. Grey is convinced it’s vampires, but Lavinia comes to him for help because it’s something much worse than vampires and it’s threatening the underground ghoul city too. Can they stop it before it overtakes both towns?
A good continuation of this fun and spooky mid-grade graphic novel series. It’s very spooky, but a very fun adventure.
A good continuation of this fun and spooky mid-grade graphic novel series. It’s very spooky, but a very fun adventure.
October 4, 2025
A fun middle grade graphic novel perfect for Halloween. Grey and his ghoul friend Livinia are back. The town gets into trouble when a strange blood drive starts up in town and people start acting strange. I do like how it takes a turn from what you expect part way through. A fun, quick read.
August 11, 2022
It leaves you wanting the next right away!
October 1, 2022
4.5 stars
October 5, 2022
Monsters are not always evil.
This is book 2 … I missed book 1.
This is book 2 … I missed book 1.
October 26, 2022
This sequel is darker and more action-packed than the first one. I also really enjoy Grey and Lavinia's friendship. Can't wait for the next one.
December 23, 2022
Great follow up, can't wait for #3!
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March 21, 2023I love this graphic novel especially the relationship they have and the monsters they battle.
August 10, 2023
We get a little Lovecraft and Body snatchers action in the latest tale of a boy and his friend the ghoul. Tense at times but not too bad.
January 18, 2024
This was a solid sequel to The Ghoul Next Door. I just adore Grey and Lavinia’s friendship. What a great duo!
May 1, 2024
Bit of a twist in the middle, definitely sets up for another installment. Still creepy-ish, but no objections.
March 1, 2025
In which our heroes battle carnivorous alien plants, save the day, and set up volume three.
March 26, 2025
MPA ratings:
PG-13 for scary images
PG for fear & violence
PG-13 for scary images
PG for fear & violence
May 15, 2025
Read a message on msn: Elderly should read children's books. I like them so far.
November 10, 2025
A fun read, even if the main character is a bit of a goof.
February 15, 2024
A stellar follow-up setting the stage for, I hope, a third and possibly final installment. I so hope to revisit this world soon!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews