So fun to read with my child - he enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait to read the next volume in this series. We kept reading it to see what would happen so it was definitely suspenseful and also humorous. It wasn’t too scary but just spooky enough to be a fun Halloween season read too.

Title: Secrets of Camp Whatever Vol.1
Writer: Chris Grine
Genre- Comics
Year: 2020
Rating: 5/5 stars

Story: WIllow is going to attend a camp in the holidays with his parents. But the place where they are moving has some dark history. Many campers went missing there over the years. As they stopped at a diner to have something to eat, the waiter informs them that the place where they are going is haunted.

What will happen when willow join the other campers? Will she also become victim of the dark mysterious entity?

To get the answers, order the book right away.

Review:

I loved the way the author has presented the story. The story follows a proper pattern and runs in medium pace. There are many twists and turns which the readers going to enjoy very much. Also the elememt of suspense has been used beautifully by the author throughout the narrative. Overall, I have enjoyed going through the work.

I recommend this work to all the graphic novel lovers out there. Happy Reading.

Hear ye, hear ye! This is definitely a graphic novel you won't want to miss out on!

We start off this whimsical adventure by Willow's side, with only an eerie feeling in our gut and a flashlight in our hand to guide us through the wild ride that is 'Secrets of Camp Whatever'. Wil's parents have decided to move to (literally) Nowhere, a town where the fog has made itself a home and the forest owns every inch of land that hasn't been stolen by concrete and brick. While her family sorts out some paperwork, Wil will be spending a week at camp... Whatever? Nobody seems to be able to recall the place's name. But, as we soon get to discover, that's the least weird thing that's going on! Hairy hands that steal candy from underneath the bunks, a lake where swimming isn't allowed beyond knee-depth, a cook who is as pale as she is unarticulate in English, an elderly man whose cottage is filled with stone gnomes... Wil and her new friends Violet, Emma, and Molly, will have to find out what's really going on in Camp Whatever if they want to survive the week.

Every page of this sweet graphic novel was filled with a humming sense of forest magic, ancient lore, and thrill. Wil, the main character, is a brave and bold girl who won't stop looking for the truth until she finds it. And she was such a cheeky gal! I adored her from the moment I met her, and I really can't wait to sneak off with her again, seeking adventure, in the next volumes of this series. The storyline was cleverly put together, as well as intriguing, and there were a few plot-twist that I genuinely 'NO-YOU-DIDN'T!'-ed at.

But not even my hunger for more every time I turned a page could make me not stop to admire the artwork. Reminiscent of well-known TV shows such as Gravity Falls or Beyond The Garden Wall, Grine's style is as buzzing with energy as his mauve-haired main character. Eerie, but tender nonetheless, SoCW felt like a warm blanket around my shoulders. It's everything eleven-year-old me would've wanted, and more! Some dialogues had a few typos, mostly missing commas or misplaced fullstops. But, aside from that, there was nothing I didn't enjoy in this cute graphic novel.

This is such a fun read!

Willow’s family have just moved to Nowhere and while her parents are getting the ghosts out the cellar (maybe literally), she’s been sent to Camp … Whatever for a week. Willow isn’t thrilled about the move or camp, but at least she’ll be getting a week’s respite from Gryphin, her younger brother.

There’s more to Camp … Whatever than meets the eye, and it’s not just because of the thick fog that covers the island. There are the mysteries of the missing candy and missing children to solve, the cook is suspected of being a vampire and there are weird gnomes everywhere. The Camp Director has plenty of his own stories to tell and the island even has its very own spooky legend.

“When the blood of my blood is spilled from a star, and the shadows of elves return from afar, I will once again walk this plane bringing death in tow.”

Willow and her new friends, Violet, Emma and Molly, won’t have much times for arts and crafts at this camp. They’ve got too many secrets to uncover.

Eleven year old Willow is adventurous and smart, and she’s never short of ideas or plans, even if they defy the rules. She’s someone you’d have a lot of fun being friends with, if you didn’t mind getting into some trouble along the way. Willow has hearing aids and her ability to sign becomes an important part of the story.

I loved the illustrations and had no trouble following the story or getting to know the characters. The only thing that’s niggling at me is why, given the circumstances, <spoiler>Toast couldn’t have told Elric the names of the other gnomes and saved him nearly thirty years of trying to guess them</spoiler>.

The target audience mentioned on the Simon & Schuster website is 9 to 12 years but this adult loved it and is hooked! I can’t wait for the next volume!

While I definitely want to explore more of Camp … Whatever (I have to see some fog leeches!), I’m just as keen to find out what secrets are hiding in the town of Nowhere and I need to find out if there really are ghosts in the cellar of Willow’s new home.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

This was an excellent read! I’ve already started recommending it as an upcoming graphic novel to tweens who have enjoyed Amulet and Witch Boy. And everyone wants to read more about Bigfoot right now, especially tweens.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a graphic novel where a character was hard of hearing and several characters use sign language. Representation is so important.

This was an excellent read, and I fully expect it to be popular. I know I will be recommending it and also reading a volume two if it happens.

This is such a gorgeous comic and really suitable for all ages. It is primarily aimed at children but I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it even though I am way past childhood. A good graphic novel is a good graphic novel and this one is both engaging and excellent.

Eleven year-old Willow is packed off to summer camp even though she doesn't want to go. She would much rather help her parents move into their new house in the weirdly named town of Nowhere. As she later finds out, it is not only the town that is weird, the camp is also weird and eerie with shadows that seem to come alive, missing snacks, odd camp staff and missing children.

Undeterred Willow decides to get stuck in, make friends at camp and make the best of it. Soon, she and her friends are busy investigating the weird camp and the staff. Willow is suddenly aware that this camp is both strange and magical, and she wants to get to the bottom of things and so they have some adventures!

I loved this story. I really liked the way it was inclusive. Willow is partially hearing but she doesn't let this stop her from participating. She cringes at some of the attitudes of the camp leaders but she is welcomed by others and she can stand her ground with the best of them. As the children team up and investigate we get to see what it means to make friends and to be different, but still include others. We also get to see how to be courageous and stand for what is right and protect and help others.
This graphic novel manages to do all these things in a way that is subtle, allowing the reader to draw conclusions for themselves.

The artwork is lovely with clear drawings and great colouring. It is the kind of graphic novel that children and adults will read again and again. This is a lovely read. I was pleased to notice that this is only volume one and I am definitely looking forward to reading more about Willow, her friends and the mystery of the town of Nowhere!

Copy provided by Oni Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was so much fun! The art style was absolutely gorgeous and the plot was such fun. It gave a bit of a Lumberjanes vibe but less gay (sadly). I am so looking forward to more from this story. I can't wait to see what other creatures and characters Willow and her friends meet next!

What a great book for kids to read. The novel starts off creepy and forbidding. Willow is being sent off to camp where campers have gone missing in the past and monsters are said to live in the forest. Willow has a hard time adjusting to camp, but quickly starts to make friends and delves into the mysteries that are hidden at camp.

I'm excited for volume two and can't wait for more.

Full of whimsy and adventure and simply a good ol' fun time, this graphic novel is a newfound favourite for young and experienced readers alike. Reminiscent of LUMBERJANES and GRAVITY FALLS, it is a fantastic read from start to finish.

I enjoyed this graphic novel so much. First of all I appreciate the art, because I know how much work goes into the designs. Second of all I read it all in one setting as the story was so exciting. It really was the right amount of creepy and exciting. I also appreciated a main character who was hearing impaired. I’m definitely getting a physical version of it.

this is my new favourite graphic novel. It was so sweet and whimsical! I LOVED it there was one error tho when Elric was talking to the girls he mentioned that there was only 3 but there were actually 4 but that's the only issue I noticed! cannot wait to read more of this universe!!

I would like to thank you for the eARC of this book which was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel starts with 11 years girl named Willow and her parents with her brother moving to a new place to 'Nowhere'. Her parents do not want to have two children fighting during their first week in a new house, so they decide to send Willow to a 'Whatever' summer camp. I think the names says it all that this summer camp is not what children usually expect to have in a summer camp, as it involves lots of secrets and mysterious creatures.
First of all, I want to say straight away that I loved this graphic novel. The characters, the narrative and the art! It was a perfect read for Halloween month. I loved Willow character and the way she was represented. It was nice to find a character with a hearing aid and who used sign language. I can not wait for vol 2 to come out!

For fans of Gravity Falls (like myself) who are missing those strange, paranormal adventures, the Secrets of Camp Whatever is perfect!

I had so much fun reading this graphic novel! The atmosphere was so spooky and magical and I was drawn into the story by the first few pages! Witches, gnomes, vampires... it has it all! The mystery is intriguing, and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of plot twists I didn't see coming!

I adored the art style! The color palette was wonderful, and there's no issues to be had here with "same face syndrome". So many details had me lingering on pages just to take it all in!

Representation is so important, especially in YA stories, so I was delighted to find that the main character, Willow, is hard of hearing! As a result, sign language is present through the entire story. I find that many stories featuring character who are HOH, legally blind, etc. like to highlight their characters as successful "despite" - but SoCW doesn't do that. Willow simply IS HOH, and that's that!

Each character has a super distinct personality that is apparent both in dialogue and in visuals! I adored all of them and was attached from the get-go. I also enjoyed that romance didn't have a place in this volume, but also... I would not be mad about some queer representation in the future!

I highly suggest this graphic novel if you're looking for some spooky summer camp vibes, and I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for the next volume!

I don't know what it is about summer camp that gets people so excited, because real ones are never as fun as ones like Camp... Whatever. Still I like how this presents itself like a traditional comedy. First things first, it starts kind of gloomy to outright scary. Besides a stubborn kid who hates the fact they're moving, people creep into a town with some likely nasty secrets. A kid at the summer camp disappears and we've got weird and obnoxious camp staff. But then as things develop the scariness subsides to something lighthearted as the larger than life stuff turns out to be pretty friendly. It's the human aspects that can get nasty. Pretty typical plot but one that creatively uses different techniques to set itself apart.

This is such a fun graphic novel! I know it is geared towards those who are younger, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! It was relaxing and fun! The graphics are great, and the story line keeps you on your toes, wondering what will happen next. Willow is being sent to summer camp for the first time, at the age of 11. Needless to say, she is none too pleased about this development. However, the longer she is there, the more interesting things become. Willow and her friends learn lots of interesting things and pick up a few valuable lessons along the way. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Hey, Hi, I hope we are all doing okay out there.

I know I said this the other day, but I can not believe we are already in December and somehow like almost 2021. I feel like it was just the other day I was putting out pumpkins for Halloween decorations and now I am decorating for the winter holidays. (I honestly, love both of these seasons so it is totally fine with me but still wow has time flown past me). I am still like twenty or thirty books from my Goodreads goal for the year (so even though I am having what might turn out to be my best reading month of the year, I do not think we are meeting the goal, and honestly that is okay, this year has been insane and I have accomplished a lot and read a lot, but we will hit that goal next year)! But in an effort to keep having the best reading month and just enjoying a bit of a slowed down month for me work wise, I picked up a new graphic novel series the other day (at least I really hope this is a series because I am hooked)!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Willow’s whole family is moving to a new place and her first week will not be spent in the new house, rather her family is sending her to summer camp in her new town. It’s the same summer camp her dad attended when he was her age and now Willow gets to head out onto this small island near their new home and go too! Except Willow is not at all excited about going to summer camp, in fact she would much rather help her parents and brother with the move then go to summer camp. However, once Willow arrives on the island she makes fast friends and even learns about some weird rules (like stay away from the fog). Willow is incredibly curious about the secrets and rumors surrounding her summer camp. But will Willow and her new friends solve any of these or will they just have a normal summer camp experience?

I loved this graphic novel so much! The art popped off the page and the colors were brilliant. The story was interesting and I was always guessing what Willow and the gang might find next and honestly always surprised. I could not find any information as to weather there would be another in the series but I am really crossing my fingers that there will be.

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

** Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delight to read! The artwork was cute and complemented the story's humorous and fun tone really well. There were some spooky parts at the beginning that helped draw me into the story. I loved the friendships that developed and the seamless inclusivity and diversity in the book. I can't wait to read more!

The Secrets of Camp Whatever starts off with a family moving to a small town with a colorful, quirky cast of characters who warn them of the dangers that await them in their new home and at the local summer camp, which the protagonist, Willow will be attending.

The story immediately made me feel nostalgic. I remember begging my parents to let me go to summer camp in hopes that I would make friends and have mysterious adventures with them. Although I never got to go, the Secrets of Camp Whatever is a good substitute. The characters feel familiar and instantly likable.

I genuinely appreciate the author's willingness include a variety of female characters, many of who are relatable or feel like people I’ve known. This story provides great representation and is inclusive. I applaud the positive female relationships depicted in this story, which is sadly still underrepresented in the media.

The story-telling and art have a very cinematic quality. Every panel flows naturally to the next like a storyboard, and all of the characters have a distinct voice. The clarity of this story makes it very easy to imagine it adapted to the screen.

If you are a fan of Lumberjanes, Gravity Falls, or just the general allure of the mystical pacific northwest pastiche, then Secrets of Camp Whatever is right up your alley.

This book was wonderfully magical. Following the story of a Wil, an adventurous girl who needs a hearing aid, and her journey through a week long summer camp after moving to a new town. It's amazing how the author uses sign language to help some of the characters communicate with Wil and normalizes it within the story. This book is very reminiscent of the whimsical experience of going to camp as a child and meeting new friends while also including mystical creatures. This book was very fun to read and I would defintely recommend it.

I have a soft spot for cartoony supernatural and amazing art. This was it.

First of all, I loved the art, second of all, I really enjoyed the story. It was fun and easy, and it reminded me so much of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1865718/">Gravity Falls</a> and a little bit of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/43889-the-spiderwick-chronicles">The Spiderwick Chronicles Series</a>. I missed a crazy little person like Mabel, tho.

I also like that we have a deaf character for once instead of gay character (not that it has anything to do with the story but...). We all like to shit about inclusion, but everywhere you turn you can see only gay relationships, and I'm honestly getting tired of that kid of partial inclusion.

I liked Willow - she was brave and she didn't take anyone's shit. She knew what was supposed to be done and what was right, so she worked towards it. I also liked how she's not the one to see herself as disabled because of the fact she is deaf. She's like "I don't hear on my own, but I can do everything you bunch can!" and I love her for that. (I have no experience with deafness, but I do like her attitude.)
And I like her sidekicks. The friendships are built quickly, but they all stand together!

All in all, it was a really cute story and the art was just AMAZING. I honestly can't wait to read the next volume.

When Willow’s family moves to Nowhere, her dad insists on dropping her off at his old summer camp. The last thing Willow wants to do is attend camp Whatever, which is plagued with rumors of supernatural creatures on top of being surrounded by an eerie fog. Once Willow arrives, she discovers that camp Whatever isn’t so bad. In fact, she’s determined to get to the bottom of its secrets, especially mysterious supernatural creature that broke in and stole everyone’s snacks along with the batteries to her hearing aids.

This is such a fun graphic novel following Willow and her new group of friends at camp Whatever. I was excited to see Willow as the main character because representation matters, and it’s not often that I see deaf or hard of hearing characters represented in books. Willow goes back and forth between speaking and using sign language, and other characters show interest in learning sign language as they get to know her. Of course, there’s also some prejudiced characters who yell as loud as they can when talking to her and ignore what she has to say. I’m not deaf or hard of hearing myself, but this rings true based on what I know one of my friends often experiences.

I initially thought that Willow was a bit pushy and abrasive, but I grew to love her as the story continued. Once she gets comfortable at the camp, she and her group of new friends really shine. Each of her friends are wonderful on top of the supernatural characters we meet and learn about, which was pretty exciting.

I love how the supernatural world and its risk of being exposed to those who are not friendly is slowly revealed to Willow and company. It reveals a whole new world of interesting and funny characters that I quickly grew to love. I’m really interested in seeing how this aspect continues to expand as well as who they have to go up against to protect everyone in future volumes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was stunningly illustrated and amazingly written. The worldbuilding was pretty ok, and it was an adorable graphic novel. It was a bit childish, but it's a fun read for budding horror fans and of any age that enjoys kid-friendly horror/monster/fantasy books.

So fun! I can’t get over how enjoyable this read was. The art is friendly and warm and the story was compelling and unpredictable. I didn’t see so many twists and turns and I can’t wait for volume 2!!

I got a e-copy from Netgalley's "Read Now"

Oh wow this comic/GN grabbed my attention right from the cover design itself. I love anything creepy in summer cabin :)

I loved that the story started out very quickly, right from the second page we already have creepy vibes and eccentric town people already building up mystery and suspense. I like that we didn't have to wait for the mystery to start halfway through the story line.

Oh gosh a creepy clown is standing by the viking boat waiting to take children to a creepy island camp ......NOPE NOPE NOOPPY NOPE!! I mean, even Willow's parents started to have doubts it but they still insisted Willow to go on this creepy Camp Whatever. When did adults become so in denial of their own instinct ? Camp Whatever in Nowhere Town...wow just wow

The story follows our main protagonist, Willow. She is a deaf and she is my favorite character so far. I find her personality and character to be totally intriguing. She is very brave, curious and driven in everything she does. I like that she didn't take any bullying from anyone and I find that extremely refreshing to read. She quickly make friends with Violet, Emma and Molly, who also ended up in the same cabin bunk with her. Each of them are unique in their own way.

I really like this island and it's peculiar town and of course their equally mysterious people. I'm not going to review the entire plot as it will totally give away the mystery and plot twists. The story pace was timely and didn't lag around. It was quite straight forward with unexpected discoveries. Once you figure out a creature existence, you'll start wondering just how many people the girls met are truly human. The story concluded with enough questions answer but opens more questions for reader to discover in the next issue.

This is only the first volume and I can't wait to follow up on their next adventure !! Now, I'm starting to wonder about Emma's bite and Willow's new home. Willow's new scar? Is her grandma somehow related to secretive Mr. Farat ? Is anyone else in that island/town people another mystical creature ? This is so riveting!!.

To be honest this camp is wayyyy cool!! I mean, all those creepy elements and weirdos counselor. With the right group of friends this place can be epic summer camp adventure!

The artwork for this comic is phenomenal.
The design may be simple but the artwork itself was very colorful and very appealing to readers.
The dialogue box and comic panels are neatly presented for easy reading flow.
Even though, this comic might side to the creepy and dark elements, the ambiance of this comic is not dark and gloomy, rather the elements used is quite sprightly except when there is a need to empathize enigma!
Character designs, colors and lighting concept used is also very eye catching and could also appeal to non horror/supernatural readers.

I really enjoyed reading this issue and would like to continue to read more.

This week I’m catching up with some reads from NetGalley and today’s pick is Secrets of Whatever Camp Vol 1 by Chris Grine.

I received an ARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story opens up with Willow, an eleven year-old complaining to her family to spend a summer at a summer camp, her father went to as a young boy. The fun part is her family is also moving to the town, where the camp is located. Soon after Willow arrives to Camp Whatever, she finds herself in the middle of legendary tales about creatures.

The story evolved on its own and was brilliant in every way, I am sure as a reader that some will find something to relate to in this story even though it is filed with magical creatures. It felt extremely realistic with how each character have developed themselves in a few pages, which is hard to achieve in a short amount of time. We learn early on that Willow is in need of hearing aids to hear as part of the deaf community. It might be even the first time I am reading about a deaf character in a children and young audience targeted book.

Perhaps, the talk about being deaf was what I really appreciated due to not being seen in a lot of books. Willow does not like being treated as if she is a special case and just wants to be a normal child living her adventurous summer.

The character choices were very diverse to include a bit of everything and the character development was the bit I enjoyed the most. Willow and her friends Violet, Emma, and Molly show a strong bond regardless of their differences. What bonds them is the strangeness of this seemingly normal camp but the more they search, the weirder it gets.

The Camp director, Mr Tooter, has a lot of stories about “dangerous monsters” but soon they’ll all discover these monsters are not the monsters they think. The illustrations are beautiful and fits this vibrant story and perfect for the readers of adventure stories like Luberjanes. There is a child in all of us wanting to read monsters and adventure stories.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it had everything! Drama, love, friendship, adventure and a bit of a spooky vibe. I also really loved the supernatural part of this book.

Willow, Emma, Molly & Violet are the four characters that we get to follow the most and I seriously love their little friend group. They’re not very much alike personality vise which I enjoyed, it really shows that people doesn’t have to be the same or enjoy the exact same things to be good friend.

I also really liked the fact that the main character Willow or Wil, was hard of hearing. I’ve only read one book before where one of the main characters had hearing loss and I think it’s so important that everyone gets to see themselves in the book they read. More diversity the better. Therefor I found it really great that the author choose to make Wil have hearing loss. She uses a hearing aid and hears with it but also uses sign language.

The art was really great! The colors were beautiful & the characters were pretty diverse which I enjoyed. I also liked the fact that this graphic novel could be read by both an younger audience (even kids?) and adults! Books that work for all ages always got that little special something.

I can’t wait to follow Willow and her friends in the upcoming books!

⭐️ “Secrete of Camp Whatever Vol 1” by Chris Grine get 5/5 stars from me.


ARC sent from NetGalley but my opinions are still my own! Thanks for the awesome review copy 😊