The Hills of Estrella Roja
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
YALSA 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2024 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List
In this delightfully creepy and unapologetically queer horror romp of a graphic novel, sometimes dreams do come true. Nightmares are technically dreams, after all....
When college freshman Kat Fields receives a mysterious email urging her to visit a relatively unknown Texas town with a history of witchcraft, strange sightings, and “devil lights”—glowing red stars that appear above the town’s hills every night—she ditches her plans for spring break and takes a solo road trip to Estrella Roja to investigate for her podcast, Paranormal Texas, catchphrase: “Y’all stay spooky!”
Meanwhile, Marisol “Mari” Castillo is also headed for Estrella Roja, to attend the funeral for her abuela whom she hasn’t seen since childhood, when her mom cut ties with the family and left town. Feeling lost and bored, she decides to help Kat after a chance meeting at the local diner—and, okay, it doesn’t hurt that Kat is super cute.
As the two girls grow closer not only to each other but to uncovering the dark legacy that the town was built on, they discover that something hungry lurks beneath the strange stars and that in the hills of Estrella Roja, some secrets should stay buried.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eighteen-year-old Marisol Castillo abruptly wakes from a haunting dream—involving desperate cries for help from disembodied voices—to discover that something is wrong with her abuela, prompting her, her younger sister, and their mother to return to their Estrella Roja, Tex., hometown, which they haven't visited in years. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Kat Fields, a paranormal podcaster, is also making her way to Estrella Roja after receiving an anonymous tip about the town's supernatural secrets. The citizens aren't thrilled about either of these events: Mari's relatives give her a suspiciously wide berth, while residents staunchly avoid Kat's prying questions. When the two teens meet, Kat persuades Mari to join her investigation, in the process uncovering strange secrets about Mari's family with dangerous implications. Psychedelic full-color pages burst with intricate detail and dynamic panel configurations. Equally careful attention is paid to the arid Texas backdrop, the characters' expressions and gestures, and the pulse-pounding horror elements. Franklin (Fruiting Bodies, for adults) expertly captures the spirit of campy paranormal mysteries in this queer supernatural graphic novel interpretation of Latinx folklore. Mari is Latinx and Kat is portrayed with tan skin. Ages 14–up.