Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hilarious Gothic parody has mad monk, ghost, plucky heroine.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As THE DIRE DAYS OF WEEPWILLOW MANOR begins, high school student Haley finds herself in an alternate universe, one patterned after the Gothic romances she loves so much. Aided by three brothers, she combats the Bile, a caustic chemical that wants to overflow the Manor.
Is It Any Good?
This hilarious spoof of Gothic romances has an an over-the-top plot involving a gear-driven universe, an adventurous newcomer, a suspicious housekeeper, an invisible ghost, and a mad monk. Books like Jane Eyre are classics for a reason, and this funny takeoff on Wuthering Heights and its ilk lovingly parodies the Romantic genre. Author Shaenon Garrity concocts an action-packed, wild plot, and artist Christopher Baldwin brings it to life with a cartoony style that approaches the heights of the Warner Brothers. Recommended for future English majors.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Dire Days of Willlowweep Manor makes fun of Gothic novels. What other famous books have been parodied in literature or film?
Haley loves Gothic novels. Do you think she should try reading and writing about something else?
Why are comics and graphic novels so popular? What tools does the medium offer that prose alone cannot match?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Christopher Baldwin
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : History , Fantasy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry
- Publication date : December 29, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 17
- Number of pages : 244
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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