Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist

Davie just wants to hang around with his pal Geordie and watch his crush as she plays blistering rounds of tennis. But he just can’t get Joe Quinn’s latest tall tale out of his head. Joe claims a poltergeist is haunting the home he shares with his single mom, and strangely enough, Davie believes him.

Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist is one of those rare collaborations where both voices bring the best out of each other. Almond’s patient, thoughtful, poignant storytelling is beautifully complimented by McKean’s singular mixed-media art that grants vibrant thematic color to each scene. (The moment on the soccer pitch with the lads is a wonderful, transformative, heartbreaking example.) Both work in tandem to create a sense of possibility in Davie’s world, the idea that maybe something like a poltergeist could be real.

And what really sells this book is that the teen angst feels genuine. When you’re a teenager and everything seems uncertain, that knife’s edge of understanding, confusion, and evolution that you walk on. Factor in the death of Davie’s sister, his questions about God and faith, and a touch of the supernatural, and you’ve got a recipe for a marvelous jaunt through an unsettled time in Davie’s life.

Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist is far more than the spooky tale it appears to be at first glance.