Read At Your Own Risk

By Remi Lai

Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray

Read At Your Own Risk is the latest middle grade graphic novel from Ghost Book creator Remi Lai. It’s creepy and kooky, and likely to displease some children’s literature gatekeepers as it plays around with horror tropes like urban legends, a haunted diary and a makeshift Ouija board. For the right readers, however, this will be hugely entertaining and a welcome gearshift from the wholesome content often levelled at the 8+ market.

Meet Hannah, our diarist, who shares the story of a terrible week at school. Bored at the prospect of an author talk in the school library, Hannah and her gang sneak up to the school’s attic for a game of Spirit of the Coin. When the game goes wrong, they unwittingly awaken a malevolent force and Hannah begins experiencing strange accidents. She is cursed! And her diary is now speaking to her. She will meet her ultimate doom on the 8^th day, apparently. Hannah embarks on a quest to break the curse, with calamitous daily complications.

The design style of the book could be compared to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, with its ruled pages and faux-childlike illustrations. In this case, though, the horror element is enhanced by characters with wide, blackened eyes, loosened teeth and stitched scars – think of Coraline or The Corpse Bride. In the spirit of a tween diary, the writing swings from chaotic to carefully constructed prose, dripping (sometimes literally) with big feelings.

At the risk (so to speak) of spoiling the ending, we learn that this diary is, itself, part of a game in which Hannah tags the reader to go out and create their own wild and wonderful story. So, on first read, this is a middle grade thriller with gross-out illustrations. On further reading, this opens up lots of potential for discussion about unreliable narrators, fake news, urban legends, memes, and autobiography. There’s a reading of this, too, that looks at managing anxiety, as many of Hannah’s cursed accidents – falling over, losing teeth, spilling drinks – are actually pretty routine for 8 year olds.

Look closely at the cover and you’ll see one of the assembled eerie skulls winking at the reader. This clue sums up the spirit in which this book is best enjoyed.

Allen & Unwin 2024 (includes Teachers’ Notes)

Remy Lai – Author-Illustrator

Lara Cain Gray’s book The Grown Up’s Guide To Picture Books is being published in September this year.