The Ghost In Cabin 13 by J.C. Phillipps

Is it just me or is the horror genre having a major resurgence this year? Perhaps it’s related to the growing phenomenon of Summerween and the accompanying marketing opportunities: it just feels like horror titles are making a bigger splash than usual lately. I, personally, have mixed feelings on the genre, even as I acknowledge that I’ve very much enjoyed most of the recent titles I’ve read that fall more squarely under the label than into my general preferences of mystery and sci-fi/fantasy. I think it’s fair to say that horror has done a terrific job of incorporating more of those other genres lately, with an accompanying improvement in literary quality (see also the growth of the term “speculative fiction” to encompass the blurring of the lines between sci-fi, fantasy and horror.)

This improvement is exemplified in JC Phillipps’ recently published Middle Grade graphic novel, The Ghost In Cabin 13. It’s a sweet and funny coming-of-age tale with a seriously scary backbone. Essentially, twelve and a half year-old Leah is being sent to sleepaway camp for a week. Her parents have asked for her to be roomed with slightly older teenagers, in large part due to wanting her to set aside childish things (e.g. her doll Beverly) and embrace the next step to adulthood. Parents can be so dumb sometimes, lol.

Anyway, Cabin Four isn’t super thrilled to be saddled with a twelve and a half year-old, especially one who still carries around a doll. On the first night, the oldest campers decide to have a seance at the forbidden Cabin 13, a dilapidated building that Reese, the storyteller, insists is haunted by the ghost of a dead woman. When Reese discovers that Leah snuck Beverly into the proceedings, Reese makes fun of the younger girl… until the doll is snatched out of her hands by unseen forces. The rest of the campers panic and flee, but Leah scrambles to recover her doll before she leaves. Unsurprisingly, she gets lost on the way back to Cabin Four, and spills the beans to the counsellor she finally comes across. Even tho Reese convinces Connie that Leah was just having a bad dream, thus allowing the older girls to escape any punishment, Cabin 4 unsurprisingly turns against Leah for being a snitch.

Crushed, Leah decides to just have fun by herself with Beverly. But when she discovers that the ghost in Cabin 13 is very real, and that the ghost has more than a passing interest in Beverly, everything changes. Will her strange experiences at camp finally help Leah embrace growing up and allow her to leave her doll behind? Or will her haunted doll have very different plans for both their futures?

This graphic novel was both fun and spooky, with Leah’s trials contrasting well with the seductive voice of the ghost and with the generally wholesome nature of Camp Cottontail. Ms Phillipps does a masterful job of showing how simultaneously tough yet easy it can be to establish friendships, as well as what a challenge it is to chart the constantly shifting sands of adolescent relationships. I also loved the little snippets of background she gave to other minor characters, including the beleaguered Connie.

The art is also phenomenal! The cartoony nature blunts the fear factor, even as the dialog deals with some pretty heavy themes. Ms Phillips differentiates easily between the characters, doing excellent work with perspective and color to further underscore emotion, expression and action. Is it bad that I kinda want a Beverly doll now? She was honestly so cute (and yes, I kept all my childhood dolls for way longer than was probably necessary.)

I’m really excited that this is the first book in a series. It’s a terrific way to kick off a line of graphic novels that will hopefully all be as excellent as this one!

The Ghost In Cabin 13 by J.C. Phillipps was published April 21 2026 by Penguin Workshop and is available from all good booksellers, including