This book was a great read! The story had a great pace and the characters were well developed. It was very easy to get sucked into the story and in just a few sittings, I was done reading the book!

While the story of "Cemetery Kids Don't Die," Volume 1, follows four teenagers, Birdie is the true protagonist. Our progression through the story is guided by Birdie's internal monologue.

The character work in this story was done brilliantly. All four characters were well developed. They all acted in ways that one would expect from teenagers, I'm glad their actions didn't feel too old or too young. The way the characters acted in the story felt realistic both in terms of their ages and the situation they had found themselves in. However, I do think the story fell into the trap which many YA and Middle-Grade novels often fall into, where the authors need the young protagonists to be the ones to deal with certain situations so the adults are unrealistically absent. In this case, the authors had every parental figure show up as little as possible and when they did, their behaviour was odd. The parents were unconcerned or uninvolved not in the way absentee parents would be but in a way where they just weren't well written.

There was a scene in which a character states that Birdie prefers the game over real life because she has full mobility- which she no longer has in the real world due to an accident. I love how the author handled that situation. While I do not use a wheelchair or any mobility aid myself, I believe the response from Birdie was realistic and and well-done.

The story itself was interesting and while I didn't feel frightened reading this book, it was the type of Horror Story where readers can understand why the characters would be terrified and would expect them to be afraid of what they are living through.

Finally, the art style. I loved it! The characters were well-drawn and the art depicted movement in scenes quite well. The art done for the scenes that took place within the game was probably my favourite. While I wasn't horrified I feel comfortable describing the artwork as horrifying and even then I couldn't make myself look away.

This is a common complaint for me in books that involve an alternate reality or some kind of video-game storyline, but I wish we'd spent more time in that universe. That was what drew me into the book in the first place, and while the real-life scenes gave depth to the characters, I just didn't particularly like any of them. Also, making the child who recently survived a car accident that killed her mother APOLOGIZE to someone for her approach to grief was a weird choice.

This follows a group of friends, who play a game called "Nightmare Cemetery" while they sleep!

At first thought that might not be much, especially looking at a comic book. However, there is much more to be discovered. Cemetery Kids Don't Die deal with multiple topics such as family relations and trauma and grief. All this through a memorable and unique set of characters, who create a one of a kind cast.
Zac Thompson's artwork provides the perfect gory, horror atmosphere that I was looking for - clear cut, great color palette.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advanced readers copy.

The pitch for Cemetary Kids Don't Die reminded me a bit of the anime Goodnight World, which is why I initially picked it up. Both are about kids that escape their fraught family lives into a VR MMO that hides a dark secret, and I hoped that Cemetary Kids Don't Die would bring what I was missing from Goodnight World (namely, likeable characters and a good plot [because, look, while Goodnight World is fun garbage, I wouldn't call its plot particularly engaging or unique]).

Cemetary Kids Don't Die did, for the most part, deliver on that! Although sometimes shitty to one another in the way that teens are, the main characters were really quite likable, especially the main character Birdie. After a car crash that killed her mother, Birdie is disabled, and uses a wheelchair--my favorite moment comes when one of her friends accuses her of being obsessed with the game Nightmare Cemetary because it allows her the full mobility that she no longer has in her waking life, which Birdie shuts down immediately.

The setting was also really interesting. A la eXistenZ, there is a splash of bio-tech horror with the eerily fleshy Dreamwave, the gaming console that the kids put on at night. The game's visuals are delightfully busy, with gorgeous art and lush colors that really make it pop. I love the kid's avatars--they feel very accurate to what edgy teens would make for themselves--and while the mechanics of Nightmare Cemetary are a bit up in the air (is it an MMO or a multi-player game? How do the levels work?), the fact it doesn't really quite read like a functioning video game doesn't really matter much.

Ultimately, reading this novel really brought me back to books I loved as a teen: Discordia (which absolutely no one else has ever read or remembers) and Malice.

The main issue stopping me from giving this a full five stars is the end. It felt rushed, unfulfilling, and a little rote. I'm not going to knock the creators for it, since the vibe it gave me was that the series was suddenly canceled and they had to wrap the story up quick, but it still left me feeling disappointed.

The switching of artists between the real world and the dream/game world was very clever, and I always enjoy cleverness in a comic. It is probably a failing of mine more than of this comic, but I found the action hard to follow and found it hard to understand what was happening when, and that really affected my interest in and enjoyment of this volume.

Artwork is important and I could not get into this particular style. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

"Cemetery Kids Don't Die" is a horror graphic novel written by Zac Thompson and illustrated by Daniel Irizarri and Gegê Schall. A group of teens use the Dreamwave machine (a blobby bit of headgear that seems to put tentacles into your head when you sleep) to play a VR online role-playing game called "Nightmare Cemetery." They use this game to escape reality. When Birdie's brother Pik ends up in a coma, but still online playing the game, she tries to get her friends to go back for him, but they discover other physical injuries that the game can cause in the real world. An interesting premise with lots of gory and colorful illustrations, readers will be sucked in too. A suggested purchase for horror graphic novel collections.

This was a interesting graphic novel. I thought that the game system that they were using was a very interesting concept. I am honestly surprised that I liked this as much as I did. When I saw that is was a video game concept I wasn't expecting to like it as much. But I could definitely see myself reading a second volume if they release one. I loved the horror vibe it had which was the whole reason I picked this book up. I will be looking to see if the author has any other books because I did enjoy the writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this.

The way that the gaming system worked reminded me of Alien and a Doctor Who Christmas special, but with this being the first volume, I found the lead up to the cliffhanger a little odd. Even though the pacing itself seemed to be a little wonky throughout the whole story, it just didn't help the setting of this horror event feel more eerie.

There is a new online multi-participant game “Nightmare Cemetery”, that you can play while you sleep – so in theory it doesn’t take up time during your day, i.e. doesn’t interfere with school etc. The game is safe, you are automatically thrown out after 4 hours. If you ‘die’ in the game, you wake up. That is the theory. But the title might indicate otherwise. Perhaps it needs a question mark at the end? Or an exclamation mark – as in Cemetery Kids will not/refuse to die!
There may be problems other than actual death – like being trapped in the game, not waking up – slipping into a coma. No physical damage incurred in the game should affect you on waking – but children are waking up with broken bones and other injuries.
We follow four teenager players: Pik, his sister Birdie, and their friends Enid and Wilson. They all have problems. Real life is not good for them, and ‘Nightmare Cemetery’ offers a much-needed escape. That doesn’t mean they want out of real life – just some occasional respite.
Pik is the first to be absorbed by the game – the others go in to try to find/save him. They must battle with the King of Sleep, who seems to be reading their minds, focussing on their worst fears. Can they confront their fears and defeat him?
The scenes inside the game are drawn in dark, melting graphics – nightmare enough to scare anyone. Reality is clear cut lines, bright colours. You always know where you are.
I really liked this graphic novel – it reminded me of the Tad Williams ‘Otherland’ series books (which I also really enjoyed), where people are likewise being trapped in a VR game.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing a copy for review. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5 rounded down

I came for the art style and I stayed for the story.

Cemetery kids don't die follows a group of 4 friends who play a video game in their sleep and one of them gets trapped inside the game, seemingly in a coma. It is an intriguing blend of fantasy, sci-fi and horror. I can't say it is the most unique story but it is one of the better examples of this idea I have seen.

"Nothing scares me anymore. My worst nightmare has already happened"

I don't often put a lot of weight onto opening lines in books, especially not in graphic novels/comics but that is truly a great opener and made me intrigued from the onset.

The design of the Dreamwave technology used to enter them into the game reminded me a little of facehuggers. Overall I really enjoyed the art style of this graphic novel, I feel like it fit the story very well. Every page was beautiful to look, the illustrater did an amazing job.

I liked the idea of the horror game exploiting the characters worst fears and memories against them to keep them in the game. The story tackles heavy topics of grief and depression well.

The ending leaves it open to sequels and if there are any I look forward to reading them in the future!

In a world where you play video games while you sleep, sometimes if you die in the game, you die in life. This book was interesting and I’m not 100% sure I understood the end of volume one. So I would be interested in checking out volume two. We start with the brother and his sister and who they are in this game. You wear this game at night while you sleep. The older brother is withdrawn and kind of going crazy and gets stuck in the game, but his sister is like no you’re not stuck in the game even though you’re at the hospital and still playing the game and I’m going to save you. They enlist their friends to see if they can’t win and figure out why they fall asleep then wake up with injuries. The storytelling this is quite interesting, and the illustrations are beautiful. Volume one leaves one questioning and wanting volume two to figure out if what they thought was the end is the end.

Four teenagers play the videogame Nightmare Cemetery in their sleep every night. A great escape from their not-always-so-great reality. Until one of them gets stuck in the game, and reality and game seem to blend together more and more.

"Nothing scares me anymore. My worst nightmare has already happened."

This comic surprised me in the best way possible. The story starts off very strong and keeps evolving throughout by constantly raising the stakes. It's amazing how the authors take you on an incredible journey in just 112 pages.

They've taken a premise we've seen before, and still created a wholly original story. This comic made me feel a range of emotions. It handles among other things: friendship, family, grief, trauma, disability, escapism, addiction, and substance abuse. All with the gravitas and sensitivity these topics deserve.

Besides this Cemetery Kids Don't Die instills a genuine sense of terror in its reader through a wonderful combination of story and art. The art style is visceral and perfectly fits the horror and gore.

I adore so many aspects of this comic, but I especially love the characters. The characters are unique, diverse and memorable. As a disabled person it's rare to see this aspect of myself represented in media, and it is even rarer to see it done with the sensitivity the topic demands. The authors absolutely nail true to life representation.

"Contrary to what you may think, my chair is my body! It is my life!"

Cemetery Kids Don't Die is perfect for fans of horror and gore, who love layered storylines and diverse characters.

When I saw this pop up on my Netvalley feed it looked perfect for spooky season and it is!
This story is basically The Midnight Club meets Ready Player One, or Die. A group of terminally ill kids that bond together over a videogame that is their escape from reality. It has some real life challenges these kids face, aside from losing themself in the game. The art and colors are really cool and vibrant.

I was not ready for the chaos of this. I love a complex sibling relationship and disability representation is also a big win in my eyes.

Seeing a wheel chair user be a prominent part of the story and not have her disability be a focal point was an amazing factor.

The art was phenomenal!

This was weird and not in a good way. I liked the idea of the plot but I don't think the execution was that great. I also don't think the characters acted very believably.

"Cemetery Kids Don't Die" is a recommended read for those interested in horror + mild video game aspects (not the focus at all though) + some dark themes. A dark world with an interesting "twist" to the video game aspects to it (no spoilers).

Admittedly, the cover and designs of the game character models are what initially drew me into this story. Then stayed for the unique twists, character conflicts, and how the video game turns from an escapism for many into a horrifying prison and takes more than it gives.

The grungy art style is faithful to the dark, morbid setting and story. It's not super gory, but still has gruesome scenes that still come across as unsettling in occasional instances. Again, not for the faith of heart and not recommended for those new to the horror/dark manga genre. Not an R-rated as I feel other stories like the Walking Dead graphic novels would be. I apologize though if others may disagree.

The cliffhanger almost tricked me into a bad ending, but thankfully, this is Volume 1 and I hope volume 2 helps save some characters from this mess. Will the game continue to greedily take the freedoms......and more.....of various characters? Could hope arise to reverse the fates of certain doomed characters now (albeit with a probable cost?) Who knows until Vol. 2. I'm definitely intrigued.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy to put a new series on my personal watch list.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was a very interesting graphic novel. I enjoyed the art inside of it and the overall plot but it didn't sit right with me that the POC characters (Wilson and then and young asian girl I can't remember her name but she was very minimal to the plot) were the ones who were shown like being killed or viciously changed. It also happened to Eri too but nothing as bad as what happened with Wilson. The ambiguous ending was very chilling though so I enjoyed that part of it. I wonder if there will be more to this story.

I really enjoyed Cemetery Kids. The art style was so vibrant and interesting and the story had me hooked from the get go.

The art could tell the story itself with how detailed it is drawn, it is so terrifying and the body horror is done spectacularly that I thought I might throw up at one point 😂

I really loved how relatable the characters felt and they were compelling to watch as they experience a horrific virtual reality game and its real-life consequences.

Overall, it was grotesque and cool at the same time and I can't wait to see more volumes produced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the e-arc in exchange for a free, voluntary review