No one spiked the punch at this YA Night Worms book party. Cat Scully graciously sent us the YA book, JENNIFER STRANGE. This half novel/ half graphic novel is book one in a trilogy that, after reading all of our reviews, all of the Night Worms will gladly read the rest of.
The following are blurbs from the Night Worms review team’s reviews and some photos that we posted on social media.
“JENNIFER STRANGE is a mix of novel and graphic novel with a side of journal entries. The illustrations really help make the story come to life so that was a sweet surprise I wasn’t expecting. This is a super duper fun YA book, and lucky for us, it’s the first book in a series!” -@shereadswithcats
"Jennifer Strange is an intriguing first book setting high expectations for the rest of the series but also with room to grow, which I find exciting. I could see this being a full-on franchise." @mother.horror
“I'm usually not a fan of young adult fiction but Jennifer Strange by Cat Scully is a testament to how magic and supernatural abilities work best in the YA horror genre. It's fun, it moves quickly without being confusing and teenage relationships, or basically the awkwardness of high school is completely relatable to just about everyone. If you enjoyed The Babysitters Coven, I think you will thoroughly enjoy this, they have a similar premise but Jennifer Strange puts less emphasis on teenage fashion and gives more attention to the relationship between two sisters.” -@keelyfuse85
“This book has those dark fantasy elements where it lingers on the tightrope of fantasy and horror. I think that’s where my love for books lay.” -@shereadshorror
“This is a great read for those who prefer their demon summoning to be done by teenage girls with supernatural powers rather than a Ouija board or seance. Plus the story moves quickly, the demons our heroines face are pretty nasty, and nothing would be better than a Netflix series adaptation of this plot in the future—I mean how cool would that be?! As a bonus, the reader also has access to Jennifer’s father’s how-to journal on ways to summon/ banish/ identify paranormal entities! There’s also awesome illustrations between chapters which I enjoyed and felt added to the reading experience.” -@the_wandering_reader
“Fans of These Witches Won’t Burn and The Babysitter’s Coven: This is for you!” -@spookishmommy
“I totally flew through this story and I think anyone could do the same! There were some wild action scenes, emotional sisterly bonding scenes, and some intense family secrets and past that come to haunt the present.
I am definitely looking forward to more in this series (fingers crossed!) and recommend this to any YA horror fan!” -@findingmontauk1
“I was charmed by JENNIFER STRANGE, a supernatural YA offering by Cat Scully. From the illustrations to the quickly paced plot in a southern setting, this was a great change of pace from some of the heavier novels I’ve consumed over the past few months.” -@thehorrorhypothesis
”Jennifer strange” by cat scully is a YA horror book that has great illustrations and a refreshingly relatable main character. Jennifer is queer, but that is not the main struggle or situation the book focuses on. The author did an outstanding job normalizing a queer character and I would like to commend her for that.” -@mrsbeverlygibbs
“What sets this book apart from other 'magical teenager' books that exist is that author Cat Scully is not afraid of the darkness. There's scares, blood, demons, and gore while still maintaining its YA-iness. I recommend this one to teenagers and adults alike but definitely if you have a teenager in your life that likes the dark stuff, look no further than 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. ” -@teamredmon
“Overall, this was a quick and fun romp of a read. Easily devoured in one sitting and full of supernatural, monstry goodness. Perfect for the young adult audience who enjoys horror.” -@wherethereadergrows
“Don’t let the YA category keep you away. Although this doesn’t have full on gore it does have bits and pieces of blood and guts, but not too much. I think it’s done just right for the YA audience. It’s a great book for someone who wants to dip their toes in the horror genre but don’t want anything too scary or gory, IMO.
Cat, you outdid yourself with your first novel and I can’t wait to read more from you!” -@marcyreads
“I normally like to read books that I would never, in a million years, let a teenager read. But Jennifer Strange by Cat Scully has become the dark horse that I will let my kids read as soon as they show an interest in reading horror lit (fingers crossed). It is the perfect example of YA horror. Plenty of occult action and just a bit of blood and guts.” -@pageandparlorbooks
“Wow, I had SO much fun with this book! It reads like a typical YA book, so I was actually caught off guard (in the best way) by the brutality and pulse-pounding suspense of the first major paranormal encounter. It’s violent, memorable, and instantly hooked me into the book.” -@reading.vicariously
“Part Chilling Adventures of Sabrina mixed with Buffy, I really enjoyed this much more than I expected! I'm here for YA horror novels that are as gore filled as adult Horror! It was nice to see some queer representation too. I'm glad it's going to be a series because Jennifer is definitely a character I'd like to see again!” -@readswithdogs
“This is the first in a trilogy but I honestly wish our author wouldn’t put a cap on this series. I feel this is a cast of characters that we could really enjoy watching them come of age and go on many adventures. If you’re a fan of BVS you’ll definitely wanna give this a go! Also if you’re into supernatural demons and monsters this will fill all your ghoulish delights!” -@kamis_korner
