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Northranger: A Modern Graphic Novel Retelling of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey
In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner’s mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret.
Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary—but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas—real life can be way scarier.
When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there—in particular, the ruggedly handsome and enigmatic Henry.
But as unexpected sparks begin to fly between Cade and Henry, things get…complicated. Henry is reluctant to share the details of his mother’s death, and Cade begins to wonder what else he might be hiding. Inspired by the gothic romance of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom comes a modern love story so romantic it’s scary.
Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary—but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas—real life can be way scarier.
When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there—in particular, the ruggedly handsome and enigmatic Henry.
But as unexpected sparks begin to fly between Cade and Henry, things get…complicated. Henry is reluctant to share the details of his mother’s death, and Cade begins to wonder what else he might be hiding. Inspired by the gothic romance of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom comes a modern love story so romantic it’s scary.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2023
309 people are currently reading
10162 people want to read
About the author
Rey Terciero
9 books163 followersRey Terciero is a penname of Rex Ogle.
REX OGLE is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children’s books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction.
Born and raised (mostly) in Texas, he moved to New York City after college to intern at Marvel Comics before moving over to DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. As an editor, he championed over a dozen NY Times Bestsellers and worked on (and often wrote) major brands such as X-Men, Justice League, Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Rex has written under a lot of pen names, including Trey King, Honest Lee, and Rey Terciero (a nickname given by his Abuela, being Español for “third king”, which is apt since Rex is Latin for “king”, and he is the third “Rex” in his family).
Now, Rex lives in Los Angeles where he writes in his spare time—that is, when he’s not outdoors hiking with his dog Toby, playing MarioKart with friends, or reading.
REX OGLE is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children’s books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction.
Born and raised (mostly) in Texas, he moved to New York City after college to intern at Marvel Comics before moving over to DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. As an editor, he championed over a dozen NY Times Bestsellers and worked on (and often wrote) major brands such as X-Men, Justice League, Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Rex has written under a lot of pen names, including Trey King, Honest Lee, and Rey Terciero (a nickname given by his Abuela, being Español for “third king”, which is apt since Rex is Latin for “king”, and he is the third “Rex” in his family).
Now, Rex lives in Los Angeles where he writes in his spare time—that is, when he’s not outdoors hiking with his dog Toby, playing MarioKart with friends, or reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 937 reviews
June 9, 2023
A gay main character who's obsessed with horror films, an ominous gothic mystery taking place in the ranch family's vacation home, and a syrupy sweet forbidden queer romance? Sign me up.
I absolutely loved this graphic novel! Cade is such a sweet little softie and I adored the Henries (especially Henrietta). I appreciated the content warnings in the author's note at the beginning of the book, as this book does involve a fair bit of the cruel realities that queer teens (especially in rural areas) are used to living through, and I thought it was all balanced really well with the fluffy bits to keep things from getting too sad.
I highly recommend this graphic novel and will most likely be grabbing a finished copy for my shelves, because this is the sort of story I could see myself revisiting for sure!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Cade is Latinx and gay, Henry is gay, Dale and Alice are Black
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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I absolutely loved this graphic novel! Cade is such a sweet little softie and I adored the Henries (especially Henrietta). I appreciated the content warnings in the author's note at the beginning of the book, as this book does involve a fair bit of the cruel realities that queer teens (especially in rural areas) are used to living through, and I thought it was all balanced really well with the fluffy bits to keep things from getting too sad.
I highly recommend this graphic novel and will most likely be grabbing a finished copy for my shelves, because this is the sort of story I could see myself revisiting for sure!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Cade is Latinx and gay, Henry is gay, Dale and Alice are Black
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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December 9, 2023
I read this as a part of a video challenge that I completed. If you’re interested in my thoughts on this one, check out my video: https://youtu.be/3sJ19mztK2U?si=mFuP8...
I really enjoyed it and appreciated the fact that not only was it a Northanger Abbey retelling, but it also captured the paralleling of the main characters obsession with horror movies to the horror of being queer in small conservative towns very well.
I really enjoyed it and appreciated the fact that not only was it a Northanger Abbey retelling, but it also captured the paralleling of the main characters obsession with horror movies to the horror of being queer in small conservative towns very well.
November 9, 2023
I don’t know much about horror films as I haven’t seen that many of them, but it was easy to tell that this graphic novel was written by a true horror fan. I enjoyed learning about Cade and Henry’s favourite horror films, and really enjoyed how the references were woven into the plot.
The art was wonderful and the dark atmosphere really aided the horror elements of the story. I loved Henry’s character design. I really enjoyed when the characters went up to Northranger. That was when the story really started to grip me. The mystery surrounding the West Wing was engaging and I loved how everything unravelled. I also really enjoyed the exploration around Cade not feeling safe in a rural area as a closeted queer teen.
The conclusion of the story made me genuinely emotional. Henry is so precious and I’m so glad he got the happy ending he deserves.
Northranger is a really beautifully drawn graphic novel with a compelling coming of age story. I’d definitely recommend this graphic novel to fans of Heartstopper or darker stories like Breaks.
Thank you to Harper360YA for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
The art was wonderful and the dark atmosphere really aided the horror elements of the story. I loved Henry’s character design. I really enjoyed when the characters went up to Northranger. That was when the story really started to grip me. The mystery surrounding the West Wing was engaging and I loved how everything unravelled. I also really enjoyed the exploration around Cade not feeling safe in a rural area as a closeted queer teen.
The conclusion of the story made me genuinely emotional. Henry is so precious and I’m so glad he got the happy ending he deserves.
Northranger is a really beautifully drawn graphic novel with a compelling coming of age story. I’d definitely recommend this graphic novel to fans of Heartstopper or darker stories like Breaks.
Thank you to Harper360YA for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
April 5, 2023
I can’t recommend this graphic novel enough! The characters and their relationships really moved me. It gets into some intense themes by the end, as a warning, but they were handled so well and really struck an emotional cord with me. 5/5 stars and a new favorite.
March 12, 2023
I loved the Little Women retelling by this author and illustrator, so I was excited to see they had a new graphic novel coming out. I've never read Northanger Abbey, so I can't judge if the retelling was done well, but I did really enjoy this.
I absolutely ADORED the art style. The graphic novel was illustrated so beautifully, and combined with the colour scheme, it invoked a lot of emotion. I'm not a huge horror reader, but I love gothic stuff, and I loved the atmosphere of this.
My one gripe is I felt like this would have been better had it been set in the 80s/90s. Throughout the book, I often felt confused about the time period, and the references to current technology felt jarring at times. In the author's note, I read that this was based on his own growing up in the 80s and 90s and that explained a lot for me, because that was the vibe the book had in large part. I think it would have made more sense to have committed to that.
I absolutely ADORED the art style. The graphic novel was illustrated so beautifully, and combined with the colour scheme, it invoked a lot of emotion. I'm not a huge horror reader, but I love gothic stuff, and I loved the atmosphere of this.
My one gripe is I felt like this would have been better had it been set in the 80s/90s. Throughout the book, I often felt confused about the time period, and the references to current technology felt jarring at times. In the author's note, I read that this was based on his own growing up in the 80s and 90s and that explained a lot for me, because that was the vibe the book had in large part. I think it would have made more sense to have committed to that.
October 16, 2025
Kind of felt a bit odd reading a retelling before the original classic but after thoroughly enjoying the green gables retelling I just had to dive more into this author backlog and I couldn’t have been happier with the book and the time of year I stumbled upon it on. This book obviously tackles the concepts of Austen’s works in a similar but obviously different light, covering a modern day Texas landscape with queer youth as the protagonist instead of puffy sleeved Victorians. Nonetheless I’ve added the original book to my TBR since as a fellow lover of all things horror novels and films and the fact that this is supposedly some of Jane’s lightest works, just makes it feel like the perfect access point for my to hopefully start enjoying and experiencing her works. I also have to give huge kudos to the illustrator who killed the tone and the vibrant but muted tones felt unique but also perfectly set for this kind of story. I can definitely say I will be continuing on after this deeper into Rey’s back catalog because the more I read the more I enjoy.
July 4, 2024
Henry & Cade = precious, stunning, the cutest ever
July 27, 2023
I had no idea this was Rex Ogle! I was surprised by how much I was enjoying it, since I hadn't heard much about it, but now it all makes sense.
I think the first two-thirds of this book are really great, but the end was a little flat for me. I think the spookiness could have been ramped up quite a bit, and the resolution was a little shallow. I'm also fresh off reading It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror, so I really wish Cade had explored the connection between queerness and the horror genre more deeply than "being afraid of coming out is like being afraid of monsters," as he says at the end of the story. The relationship is way more interesting and fluid and historical than that, and the book leans into that tradition without really naming it or honoring it, which I think is unfortunate.
I think the first two-thirds of this book are really great, but the end was a little flat for me. I think the spookiness could have been ramped up quite a bit, and the resolution was a little shallow. I'm also fresh off reading It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror, so I really wish Cade had explored the connection between queerness and the horror genre more deeply than "being afraid of coming out is like being afraid of monsters," as he says at the end of the story. The relationship is way more interesting and fluid and historical than that, and the book leans into that tradition without really naming it or honoring it, which I think is unfortunate.
December 16, 2024
Ah, we've entered yet another queer coming of age story, and it gets the job done, although it does have characters suffering from Deranged Conclusions Syndrome - the main character is much too eager to conclude that a couple of other characters might have murdered someone. I know young people's brains are still developing, and the main character enjoys watching horror movies, but it did feel ridiculous.
The art is okay, it's in a style I have started coining as Standard Middle Grade Style. There certainly are differences in how well SMGS is implemented, and here it's quite middle of the road, with some wonky faces.
Not bad, not great, but I'm also not the main audience.
(Thanks to HarperAlley for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
The art is okay, it's in a style I have started coining as Standard Middle Grade Style. There certainly are differences in how well SMGS is implemented, and here it's quite middle of the road, with some wonky faces.
Not bad, not great, but I'm also not the main audience.
(Thanks to HarperAlley for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
October 2, 2024
This is a cute story of a rural coming out. Some plot elements happened a bit quickly, while some obvious misunderstandings took too long to be questioned. I would like more from the fairly abrupt ending. But I was rooting for these boys from the moment they met. The writing feels quickly like you just know things will work out.
I did like how both boys, Cade and Henry, conveyed what loneliness and self-shame felt like. The teen reader audience (and more) can totally relate to their tight closet door. But they are dropping enough hints that other family members 'get it', which also happens IRL too.
There is a possible murder/mystery plot that gets started. Coupled with the graphic-book easy reading, I finished this book in about an hour as I wanted to get the answer. No spoiler.
3.75*
I did like how both boys, Cade and Henry, conveyed what loneliness and self-shame felt like. The teen reader audience (and more) can totally relate to their tight closet door. But they are dropping enough hints that other family members 'get it', which also happens IRL too.
There is a possible murder/mystery plot that gets started. Coupled with the graphic-book easy reading, I finished this book in about an hour as I wanted to get the answer. No spoiler.
3.75*
September 16, 2025
Rex Ogle, writing as Rey Terciero, takes some inspiration from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey for this young adult LGBTQIA+ graphic novel. Unfortunately, he decided to do a deadly serious retelling of the plot points that Austen played for laughs in her satire.
Cade Antonio Muñoz is spending the summer working at the Tyler ranch with his stepfather. Cade's love of horror movies and the conspiracy theories of a disgruntled fellow ranch hand soon have him wondering dark thoughts about the death of Mrs. Tyler even as he finds himself attracted to the younger Tyler son. Things come to a head when the Tyler family invites him to a couple of weekend getaways to their spooky old lake house, Northranger.
The humor of the original novel is missing, and Ogle heaps on homophobia, mental health issues, and other angsty stuff to really drive that home. While there are several good scenes and terrific points made in the book, I was put off by the distance from the original source material. Ogle was much more effective at catching the spirit of the original book in his Dan in Green Gables: A Graphic Novel retelling of Anne of Green Gables, and I think I set my expectations for this book too high based on that one.
Cade Antonio Muñoz is spending the summer working at the Tyler ranch with his stepfather. Cade's love of horror movies and the conspiracy theories of a disgruntled fellow ranch hand soon have him wondering dark thoughts about the death of Mrs. Tyler even as he finds himself attracted to the younger Tyler son. Things come to a head when the Tyler family invites him to a couple of weekend getaways to their spooky old lake house, Northranger.
The humor of the original novel is missing, and Ogle heaps on homophobia, mental health issues, and other angsty stuff to really drive that home. While there are several good scenes and terrific points made in the book, I was put off by the distance from the original source material. Ogle was much more effective at catching the spirit of the original book in his Dan in Green Gables: A Graphic Novel retelling of Anne of Green Gables, and I think I set my expectations for this book too high based on that one.
December 26, 2023
uhh *scratches* turns out i belong to the minority who didn't like this book but worry not, i am about to explain the reasons why!
1. i initially started reading this bc i was promised a queer graphic novel inspired by jane austen's northanger abbey. well! this premise sadly did not live up to my expectations... what can i say, i have ms. austen on a pedestal...
2. it was VERY long. it dragged at quite a few moments. in other words, it could've been shorter and more concise.
3. some dialogues / character development moments felt forced idk they simply didn't flow as smoothly as i wanted and, for one thing, i wasn't very much convinced...
4. the plot twist at the end didn't really match the momentum in austen's respective scene? idk how to explain it but it ended up looking a little bit silly to me... but again, i am only making these comparisons bc it was explicitly marketed as being inspired by THE northanger abbey!!
all in all, the art style was amazing, the original idea was fantastic but it fell short in terms of realisation / execution...
1. i initially started reading this bc i was promised a queer graphic novel inspired by jane austen's northanger abbey. well! this premise sadly did not live up to my expectations... what can i say, i have ms. austen on a pedestal...
2. it was VERY long. it dragged at quite a few moments. in other words, it could've been shorter and more concise.
3. some dialogues / character development moments felt forced idk they simply didn't flow as smoothly as i wanted and, for one thing, i wasn't very much convinced...
4. the plot twist at the end didn't really match the momentum in austen's respective scene? idk how to explain it but it ended up looking a little bit silly to me... but again, i am only making these comparisons bc it was explicitly marketed as being inspired by THE northanger abbey!!
all in all, the art style was amazing, the original idea was fantastic but it fell short in terms of realisation / execution...
April 25, 2023
A beautifully illustrated and gorgeously told coming-of-age romance. This was a heartfelt and deeply moving story about of first love, grief, mental health, self acceptance and being gay in a rural, religious town where being out could be dangerous. Whilst this was deeply painful at times, it was also incredibly sweet and moving and the illustrations bought so much life to this story and it’s characters.
TW: homophobia, homophobic slurs, racism, discussion of suicide attempt, ableist language
TW: homophobia, homophobic slurs, racism, discussion of suicide attempt, ableist language
January 18, 2024
Quando eu vi a capa dessa hq me trouxe uma vibe meio gays com bolsonaro kkkkkk acho que por ser meio agro é pop country agroboys etc
E é uma hq que se passa na area rural do Texas nos USA entao tem toda essa vibe agronegocio sim kkkk por causa do ambiente que eles estao os personagens enfrentam bastante homofobia, racismo e xenofobia tambem.
Achei que foi meio longo, algumas partes podiam ter sido cortadas/adiantadas pra historia ficar mais concisa. Mas ate que gostei.
E é uma hq que se passa na area rural do Texas nos USA entao tem toda essa vibe agronegocio sim kkkk por causa do ambiente que eles estao os personagens enfrentam bastante homofobia, racismo e xenofobia tambem.
Achei que foi meio longo, algumas partes podiam ter sido cortadas/adiantadas pra historia ficar mais concisa. Mas ate que gostei.
April 9, 2024
Beautiful and sweet!
Northranger captures what it means to be gay in a non-accepting place (rural Texas), first love, butterflies in your stomach, stereotypes, prejudice, abusive family, supportive family with a flavor of horror and a mystery vibe!
A heartwarming (and a bit heartbreaking too) graphic novel not to be missed!
Northranger captures what it means to be gay in a non-accepting place (rural Texas), first love, butterflies in your stomach, stereotypes, prejudice, abusive family, supportive family with a flavor of horror and a mystery vibe!
A heartwarming (and a bit heartbreaking too) graphic novel not to be missed!
October 2, 2024
Ehh? So the premise is basically Northanger Abbey in graphic novel form, but make it 2 gay teen boys in Texas, with horror movies in place of gothic novels. Sadly, it didn’t really work for me.
Cade is cute, despite his inexplicable taste in entertainment. But jamming the plot of a novel into two-hundred and thirty-some pages of graphic novel is a dubious prospect to begin with, the parallels are pretty thin, and honestly, does anyone read Austen for the plot? I feel like almost everything that I would read Austen for would be lost in even a 100% faithful adaptation, but Hey! it’s gay! so I gave it a shot.
Northanger Abbey is structurally not the greatest, and that is echoed here, with the earlier parts feeling out of balance with the rushed and disjointed feeling climax. Cade’s situation at the end feels ok, but the problems of other boy, whose name I’ve already forgotten, are just kind of brushed under the rug.
Not sure what else to say, really. I didn’t hate it. I just found the execution disappointing.
ETA: Ok, one other thing to say, just FYI. It's not the everything's peachy, accepting friends and family kind of situation you see, (and I like) in a lot of gay YA. There's racism and homophobia, and idk how old the author is, but it feels like something someone my age, (gen X) might have written.
Cade is cute, despite his inexplicable taste in entertainment. But jamming the plot of a novel into two-hundred and thirty-some pages of graphic novel is a dubious prospect to begin with, the parallels are pretty thin, and honestly, does anyone read Austen for the plot? I feel like almost everything that I would read Austen for would be lost in even a 100% faithful adaptation, but Hey! it’s gay! so I gave it a shot.
Northanger Abbey is structurally not the greatest, and that is echoed here, with the earlier parts feeling out of balance with the rushed and disjointed feeling climax. Cade’s situation at the end feels ok, but the problems of other boy, whose name I’ve already forgotten, are just kind of brushed under the rug.
Not sure what else to say, really. I didn’t hate it. I just found the execution disappointing.
ETA: Ok, one other thing to say, just FYI. It's not the everything's peachy, accepting friends and family kind of situation you see, (and I like) in a lot of gay YA. There's racism and homophobia, and idk how old the author is, but it feels like something someone my age, (gen X) might have written.
no-thank-you
July 9, 2023DNF on page 90 due to the bi/pan erasure. Disappointed because I'd been really looking forward to this one. :(
December 31, 2023
i cant believe texas is a real place
June 24, 2024
oh my god someone please tell me to stop volunteering to be on the battle of the books team so i don't have to keep reading YA
June 9, 2023
The fault may mainly lie with me for picking up a graphic novel when I know I haven't been super compelled by them before, but a Northanger Abbey retelling? So fun! Catherine's adventures made one of the most fun Austen novels, so I was excited to see the novel retold as a queer story in a Texas ranch setting.
What I liked: replacing Catherine's love for Gothic novels with Cade's love for horror movies was cute, and there's a thoughtful scene at the end where Cade compares a horror movie to having to live as a gay person in a very unaccepting society (pervasive loneliness, paranoia and fear, etc. etc.). And of course, the artwork was lovely. Honestly, I could take more landscape shots.
What I didn't like: another review I saw brought up how this novel includes a lot of "issues" but then doesn't do much about them, which I would mostly agree with. I wish we would see some more resolution—which doesn't mean the issue is "fixed," but that it's at least acknowledged in closing. I think the graphic novel did a lot of pointing out problems within its setting (racism, homophobia, mental struggles, cancer, sexism, addiction) and then either tidying them away or not acknowledging them further after their corresponding plot beat. It's not like each issue needs its own storyline—and I'm sure most of those issues are realistic and accurate—but it was a lot to fit into under 250 pages. Additionally, I'm not sure the main character, who seemed pretty immature throughout the story, had the right gravity to make these problems hit home with the way he navigated them. The tone of the characters, the romance/other relationships, and overall story were all more juvenile than the issues that were brought up.
The romance was also not a strong suit. I have no idea why either character cares about the other beyond the fact that they find each other attractive and both like horror, and sort of because they're the only gay kid the other knows (which could have been an interesting storyline in itself if given room to grow!). I just was not rooting for them as a couple because I saw no reason to, except in the general sense of "I hope these kids make it in their unaccepting circumstances."
Maybe I should go on a graphic novel moratorium.
What I liked: replacing Catherine's love for Gothic novels with Cade's love for horror movies was cute, and there's a thoughtful scene at the end where Cade compares a horror movie to having to live as a gay person in a very unaccepting society (pervasive loneliness, paranoia and fear, etc. etc.). And of course, the artwork was lovely. Honestly, I could take more landscape shots.
What I didn't like: another review I saw brought up how this novel includes a lot of "issues" but then doesn't do much about them, which I would mostly agree with. I wish we would see some more resolution—which doesn't mean the issue is "fixed," but that it's at least acknowledged in closing. I think the graphic novel did a lot of pointing out problems within its setting (racism, homophobia, mental struggles, cancer, sexism, addiction) and then either tidying them away or not acknowledging them further after their corresponding plot beat. It's not like each issue needs its own storyline—and I'm sure most of those issues are realistic and accurate—but it was a lot to fit into under 250 pages. Additionally, I'm not sure the main character, who seemed pretty immature throughout the story, had the right gravity to make these problems hit home with the way he navigated them. The tone of the characters, the romance/other relationships, and overall story were all more juvenile than the issues that were brought up.
The romance was also not a strong suit. I have no idea why either character cares about the other beyond the fact that they find each other attractive and both like horror, and sort of because they're the only gay kid the other knows (which could have been an interesting storyline in itself if given room to grow!). I just was not rooting for them as a couple because I saw no reason to, except in the general sense of "I hope these kids make it in their unaccepting circumstances."
Maybe I should go on a graphic novel moratorium.
November 8, 2023
'Not everyone has to love us... ...but we can love ourselves.
Northranger is so good, it got me wanting to read the book it's inspired by AKA Watermelon Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. 🥲 (I say that because I'm not a fan of anything Austen related).
Apart from some unpleasant moments involving homophobia and misogyny, Northranger is an amazing queer love story with some very well-executed horror aspects. Plus, all their conversations about horror movies was my fave, heh.
The journey Cade goes on in Northranger is written so well that I was fully immersed and was having a hard time guessing just what the mystery could be. The entire cast of characters are fleshed out well. I loved the twins, Henry and Henri, and Terciero really nailed the sibling relationship re: Alice and Cade. Heartwarming and funny at times, I'd honestly recommend Northranger to anyone looking for a queer love story mostly set on a ranch (and a little bit in a creepy lake house).
The art is sepia toned throughout and Indigo did a great job with it! I'm a fan.
Northranger is so good, it got me wanting to read the book it's inspired by AKA Watermelon Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. 🥲 (I say that because I'm not a fan of anything Austen related).
Apart from some unpleasant moments involving homophobia and misogyny, Northranger is an amazing queer love story with some very well-executed horror aspects. Plus, all their conversations about horror movies was my fave, heh.
The journey Cade goes on in Northranger is written so well that I was fully immersed and was having a hard time guessing just what the mystery could be. The entire cast of characters are fleshed out well. I loved the twins, Henry and Henri, and Terciero really nailed the sibling relationship re: Alice and Cade. Heartwarming and funny at times, I'd honestly recommend Northranger to anyone looking for a queer love story mostly set on a ranch (and a little bit in a creepy lake house).
The art is sepia toned throughout and Indigo did a great job with it! I'm a fan.
February 6, 2023
This was such a delightful retelling of Northanger Abbey!
(sidenote: this is me manifesting this year I'm gonna read this Jane Austen book, if only because this graphic novel is so convincing.)
I love LGBT graphic novels and simply must consume them all, at this point.
And I also love the Henries - I humbly request a sequel with Henri getting her own little gay story because she gives lesbian vibes.
(sidenote: this is me manifesting this year I'm gonna read this Jane Austen book, if only because this graphic novel is so convincing.)
I love LGBT graphic novels and simply must consume them all, at this point.
And I also love the Henries - I humbly request a sequel with Henri getting her own little gay story because she gives lesbian vibes.
June 24, 2023
This was great! I loved the illustration style and story. It was a sweet, coming-of-age, queer romance. There was a little bit of an underlying mystery plot line throughout the book that made things interesting. There was also a lot of emotional pull with different family dynamics and the harsh truths of homophobia. This was such a good story and the art really helped to convey its message.
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September 4, 2023
A closeted city kid goes to work on a ranch with his stepfather in Texas—meets a boy, and finds out the boy has skeletons in his own closet. Since city kid is a horror fan, his mind immediately goes into the deepest, darkest places of possibilities, spurred on by the jealous alcoholic ranch hand who works there with them. When faced with the possibility of murder, does city kid:
a. Ask skeleton boy's twin sister about the mysterious deaths of her mother and grandmother?
b. Ask his stepdad?
c. Try to get cell reception to look online?
d. Suppress his worries and date skeleton boy?
Yes, the answer is D.
It all works out well in the end, and I'm making a little light of the situation since Cade wasn't too far off base in his suspicions as a Latinx boy surrounded by white folk in the middle of rural Texas. But I love how Tercierco so aptly captured the teenage dichotomy of rushing to the worst case scenario while also falling hard for the cute cowboy.
a. Ask skeleton boy's twin sister about the mysterious deaths of her mother and grandmother?
b. Ask his stepdad?
c. Try to get cell reception to look online?
d. Suppress his worries and date skeleton boy?
Yes, the answer is D.
It all works out well in the end, and I'm making a little light of the situation since Cade wasn't too far off base in his suspicions as a Latinx boy surrounded by white folk in the middle of rural Texas. But I love how Tercierco so aptly captured the teenage dichotomy of rushing to the worst case scenario while also falling hard for the cute cowboy.
January 15, 2025
Super adorable love the characters and the plot would definitely recommend if you love cow boys who are gay
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August 29, 2025Had such a fun time with this! It's the perfect end of August read, spooky in a very particularly summer way. Beautiful illustrations and a really meaningful message. Definitely recommend.
February 17, 2023
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss. Content warning for depictions of homophobia, sexism, racism, and animal cruelty.)
Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz loves horror movies. Not only are they a connection to a father who is no longer around, but they're an escape for a closeted queer kid growing up in rural Texas: a "safe space" wherein the entire audience shares the same sense of terror, if only for ninety minutes. All Cade wants to do with his summer vacation is retreat into the darkness of the theater and binge-watch his favorite movies from the comfort of his own home.
But finances are tight, and when his stepdad Dale lands a job working at his former General's ranch for the summer, Cade is recruited to help. In between hauling hay and shoveling horse poop, Cade gets to know the Tyler kids: eighteen-year-old twins, Henry and Henrietta (Henri for short). Cade and Henry quickly bond over their affinity for horror films and, before long, Cade finds himself falling for this seemingly straight, white, rich, cis boy. But Henry is harboring a secret of his own - and possibly more than one.
As the Muñoz-Jordan family is welcomed into the Tyler fold, Cade begins to suspect that something sinister lurks below the Tylers' picture-perfect surface - and that Henry might be at the center of a string of murders. Why else wouldn't the General want him creeping around the west wing of Northranger, the family's second home on the lake?
Based on Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY, NORTHRANGER is a gothic-flavored mystery wherein the protagonist's (overactive and reasonably anxious) imagination quickly spirals out of control, revealing danger and conspiracy around every corner. Of course, as a gay kid growing up in a red state ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre country"), Cade's suspicion isn't entirely unfounded - simply existing during a time of anti-LGBTQ fervor is in fact both dangerous and terrifying. Austen's fictional story and current political realities dovetail in a rather unsettling way.
NORTHRANGER is an engaging, compelling graphic novel; I highly enjoyed the storytelling and artwork. The mystery is creepy enough, and I loved spending time with Cade, Henry, and Henri; they're all really complex and interesting characters. There's also some great representation to be found here.
I'm writing this review on 2/14 (Valentines Day ugh), and I'm pretty confident in saying that NORTHRANGER will go down as one of my favorite reads of the year.
Sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz loves horror movies. Not only are they a connection to a father who is no longer around, but they're an escape for a closeted queer kid growing up in rural Texas: a "safe space" wherein the entire audience shares the same sense of terror, if only for ninety minutes. All Cade wants to do with his summer vacation is retreat into the darkness of the theater and binge-watch his favorite movies from the comfort of his own home.
But finances are tight, and when his stepdad Dale lands a job working at his former General's ranch for the summer, Cade is recruited to help. In between hauling hay and shoveling horse poop, Cade gets to know the Tyler kids: eighteen-year-old twins, Henry and Henrietta (Henri for short). Cade and Henry quickly bond over their affinity for horror films and, before long, Cade finds himself falling for this seemingly straight, white, rich, cis boy. But Henry is harboring a secret of his own - and possibly more than one.
As the Muñoz-Jordan family is welcomed into the Tyler fold, Cade begins to suspect that something sinister lurks below the Tylers' picture-perfect surface - and that Henry might be at the center of a string of murders. Why else wouldn't the General want him creeping around the west wing of Northranger, the family's second home on the lake?
Based on Jane Austen's NORTHANGER ABBEY, NORTHRANGER is a gothic-flavored mystery wherein the protagonist's (overactive and reasonably anxious) imagination quickly spirals out of control, revealing danger and conspiracy around every corner. Of course, as a gay kid growing up in a red state ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre country"), Cade's suspicion isn't entirely unfounded - simply existing during a time of anti-LGBTQ fervor is in fact both dangerous and terrifying. Austen's fictional story and current political realities dovetail in a rather unsettling way.
NORTHRANGER is an engaging, compelling graphic novel; I highly enjoyed the storytelling and artwork. The mystery is creepy enough, and I loved spending time with Cade, Henry, and Henri; they're all really complex and interesting characters. There's also some great representation to be found here.
I'm writing this review on 2/14 (Valentines Day ugh), and I'm pretty confident in saying that NORTHRANGER will go down as one of my favorite reads of the year.
November 19, 2025
5 stars ☆ tell me why i was laughing, crying, scared, giddy, and all of the above while reading this.
because it's frickin awesome, that's why 🤷♀️
i always love this author's modern retellings of classic books - but THIS one takes the cake 🍰
a thrilling mystery + a budding romance = perfection
not only that, i felt so connected to these characters - the book mentions so many real-life social and personal issues that they face (including homophobia, sexism, racism, death, cancer, depression & suic!de, and more)
after reading this, i feel so grateful to live in a largely inclusive and accepting area, while Cade and Henry face discrimination and feel like "monsters" in their everyday life :(
and the mystery!! i was so hooked on the drama, and when everything was revealed, it felt just perfect.
i've never read the Jane Austen book that this was inspired by, Northanger Abbey (i'm not a classics reader), but now I want to! seems intriguing based on the info in the author's note.
i just loved the ending and everything tying together.
this was so heartwarming ♡
because it's frickin awesome, that's why 🤷♀️
i always love this author's modern retellings of classic books - but THIS one takes the cake 🍰
a thrilling mystery + a budding romance = perfection
not only that, i felt so connected to these characters - the book mentions so many real-life social and personal issues that they face (including homophobia, sexism, racism, death, cancer, depression & suic!de, and more)
after reading this, i feel so grateful to live in a largely inclusive and accepting area, while Cade and Henry face discrimination and feel like "monsters" in their everyday life :(
and the mystery!! i was so hooked on the drama, and when everything was revealed, it felt just perfect.
i've never read the Jane Austen book that this was inspired by, Northanger Abbey (i'm not a classics reader), but now I want to! seems intriguing based on the info in the author's note.
i just loved the ending and everything tying together.
this was so heartwarming ♡
March 9, 2023
i am pretty disappointed with this. i don't know the plot of northanger abbey, so i don't know if this is a good adaptation/retelling/inspired-by-story. i will say that this had a lot of "reveals" that i didn't like.
it was underwhelming. i won't say any more than that because my complaints are just personal preferences, i think.
thank you to rey terciero and harper collins for the arc
it was underwhelming. i won't say any more than that because my complaints are just personal preferences, i think.
thank you to rey terciero and harper collins for the arc
February 3, 2024
Oh my heart. This spoke to me. Highly recommend. So emotionally affecting.
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