Secrets of Camp Whatever Vol. 2: The Doors to Nowhere

by Chris Grine

Overview

Full of thrills and chills, Willow and her summer camp friends have more mysteries to solve in this sequel to the hit graphic novel, Secrets of Camp Whatever!

When twelve-year-old Willow went to her weird new town's even weirder summer camp, she didn't expect to get caught up in an ancient mystery involving forest-dwelling vampires, living garden gnomes, and other completely bonkers creatures most people would never believe exist. Now she's not only involved, she's marked—too close to the heart of an ages-old quest for power and control than she should be, and too concerned about her new friends and the dangers they face to let them go it alone. With the help of a spell book and her scrappy crew of camp friends, Willow is about to step through a doorway to magic and discovery that will change her world forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637150368
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	06/07/2022
Series:	Secrets of Camp Whatever , #2
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	636,296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

A graduate of Ringling School of Art & Design and once-upon-a-time greeting card artist, Chris Grine spends most of his time these days writing and illustrating graphic novels. He is the creator of the Eisner-nominated series Chickenhare, as well as Time Shifters, and Secrets of Camp Whatever. Other titles Chris has worked on include The Witch Finder General, Alien Bones, as well as adapting the Animorphs book series into graphic novels.

Chris lives with his wife and kids and spends most of his time being tired and drinking coffee in an attempt to not be so tired.

Editorial Reviews

"A cute and creepy comic ideal for middle-graders hungry for breezy scares."

Booklist

05/01/2022

Gr 4–6—On Willow's 13th birthday, she reunites with the enigmatic and vampiric Elric to follow magical clues toward a dark prophecy about to be fulfilled. Her hair is now blue (by design), and she has developed a sudden ability to read Gnomish runes. She enjoys spending time with her friends Violet, Emma, and Rand, but cannot help but suspect the local Mr. Person's connections to gnomes and magic, also called "spelling." The vast majority of scenes in this contemporary fantasy story consist of talking heads either delivering exposition dumps, responding to them, or explaining them to other characters. The execution lacks style, with similar facial expressions and bland backgrounds and underwhelming layouts. Some magical creatures and a brief final act showdown provide some much-needed conflict and stakes. New readers may miss that Willow is deaf and wearing hearing aids until she uses her deafness to her advantage in the latter half of the story. VERDICT Start with book one, if you must, or take the character Violet's advice and read other books.—Thomas Maluck

School Library Journal

2022-07-27
Things take a dark turn for a tween in a magical world.

Willow and her friends from summer camp return in this sequel to Secrets of Camp Whatever (2021), and the stakes are even higher. With a new enemy, a spell book, and a revealed connection to a family lineage, Willow has much more on her plate in this installment. Picking up after her otherworldly experiences at camp, readers meet blue-haired Willow as she is pulled even further into the paranormal world of Nowhere thanks to a century-old prophecy. Along the way, she comes face to face with supernatural creatures, some of whom turn out to be friendly, while others are foes. Thankfully, her friends, each with their own powers and passions, become a major help to Willow as she tries to unravel the mysteries. Grine’s dialogue is as accessible as before, with panels and speech bubbles that are easy for readers to follow while maintaining interest through pleasing variety. The illustrations are clean, vibrantly colorful, and appealing. Though there is a more menacing tone this time around, it is balanced by touches of humor and the soft pastel color palette. Willow is deaf and uses hearing aids; the first volume cued her as White and Latine. Most characters read White, and one of Willow’s friends is Black.

An engaging, spooky adventure for existing fans and new readers alike. (Graphic paranormal mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews