Groosham Grange: The Graphic Novel

There are shades of Harry Potter in this book, although it is more unsettling and the outcomes are less predictable. It has been adapted to graphic novel form from the original.

The main character is David, a 12 year-old boy who has just been expelled from his public school. Coincidentally, his overbearing father receives a letter from Groosham Grange, a school “for children who have proved themselves unsuited to modern teaching methods.” David’s father can’t believe his luck, and that same day David is on the train to Groosham Grange.

The cast of characters at the school is grotesque, and neither the reader nor David is sure of their agenda. The illustrations add to the spooky atmosphere and feeling of impending doom for David as students start to disappear and then reappear after a few days behaving differently.

By the end of the book, the reader is not sure what path David will take, will he succumb to the unsavoury influences at Groosham Grange or not.

Not surprisingly, this is the first book in the Groosham Grange series, and I will be keen to read the sequel. It is a beautifully produced book with wonderfully atmospheric illustrations with just the right amount of tension. The cover clearly shows that this is a spooky tale, so hopefully readers won’t be too alarmed by the graphic pictures.