Graphic Novel Review: A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

Posted on July 2, 2024 at 6:30 am by Gene Ambaum

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll. First Second, 2023. 9781250255525. 250pp.

Carroll’s graphic novel is the best kind of creeps-up-on-you horror adult horror, one of those the-less-you-know-the-better type books. (Apologies if you hate hyphens.) It’s about a bad marriage and a controlling husband. At the center is Abby, a quiet woman trying to help raise her stepdaughter, Crystal, and the story of what really happened to her husband’s first wife. There’s a ghost, fantasy imagery, and a creepy use of color that is pure Carroll.

If you’re an adult and you’ve never read one of her books, this is the perfect place to start.