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Flow
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Expected 10 Mar 26128 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 16, 2025
Representation: protagonist of colour, gay Indigenous secondary character, white secondary characters, Black secondary character, gay tertiary characters. Indigenous tertiary characters.
Content Warning: bullying, violence, blood, alcohol, homophobia, death.
Flow really surprised me! It was engaging and it flew so well.
Content Warning: bullying, violence, blood, alcohol, homophobia, death.
Flow really surprised me! It was engaging and it flew so well.
November 12, 2025
this was so good. it’s such an interesting take on a similar story to carrie, mixed with the perfect jawdropping ending. the art was stunning and added so much to this story alone.
November 8, 2025
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Flow, by Paula Sevenbergen
★★★★☆
128 Pages
I wasn't sure how this one would start – whether it would show you the entire summer camp events first, then jump ahead, but I actually really liked that it began in the present, where everyone was an adult, then trickled little flashbacks of the past when it became relevant. It was a really good way to find out all the facts about the past in a way that left space for lots of surprises and twists.
Girls being bullied or shamed for their periods – even by other girls – is a sad reality in the world, even now, but this story showed just how easily a 'prank' could get out of hand. In a group of bullies, there's always one person who enjoys humiliating and hurting others, who always takes it too far, and one person who knows it's wrong but is too afraid to stand up and speak up.
I feel like this was a solid story, but I;m a little disappointed in the ending. It was unrealistically forgiving – which I think is because this is billed as a YA horror – but it feels more like a “teaching” ending gears towards YA readers rather than something realistic. Most bullies tend to never change or regret what they did, but I can understand why they chose the ending they did for this comic.
I also have to question the absolute insistence of NO adults actually talking to Dara about what was happening to her. Knowing her mother had died when she was young, that she didn't have a female influence, just her father at home, you would hope – and expect – one of the females at the camp to step up and sit Dara down to tell her about periods, to help her understand what was happening to her body and protect her from the bullying. I know that would have eliminated the point for the book, but there were a lot of opportunities to speak to Dara about what was going on and none of the adults took that chance.
I do agree with some other reviewers that the blurb is misleading. The story is told by one of the bullies and her POV, all the way through. Never once do we get Dara's POV, which would have really changed this story into something far more emotional and meaningful, to see that ignorance and understand her thought processes when she allowed the girls to bully her. But we don't. We see the bully trying to rationalise and reason through everything they did.
I feel like there was A LOT of potential to the story, lots of other things they could have done to make this have more of an impact. However, I do see what they were trying to do with it and I think a lot of teenagers will see themselves in at least one character and may learn something good about how to treat people with more respect. I don't think the magic aspect was necessary, but that's just me.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Flow, by Paula Sevenbergen
★★★★☆
128 Pages
I wasn't sure how this one would start – whether it would show you the entire summer camp events first, then jump ahead, but I actually really liked that it began in the present, where everyone was an adult, then trickled little flashbacks of the past when it became relevant. It was a really good way to find out all the facts about the past in a way that left space for lots of surprises and twists.
Girls being bullied or shamed for their periods – even by other girls – is a sad reality in the world, even now, but this story showed just how easily a 'prank' could get out of hand. In a group of bullies, there's always one person who enjoys humiliating and hurting others, who always takes it too far, and one person who knows it's wrong but is too afraid to stand up and speak up.
I feel like this was a solid story, but I;m a little disappointed in the ending. It was unrealistically forgiving – which I think is because this is billed as a YA horror – but it feels more like a “teaching” ending gears towards YA readers rather than something realistic. Most bullies tend to never change or regret what they did, but I can understand why they chose the ending they did for this comic.
I also have to question the absolute insistence of NO adults actually talking to Dara about what was happening to her. Knowing her mother had died when she was young, that she didn't have a female influence, just her father at home, you would hope – and expect – one of the females at the camp to step up and sit Dara down to tell her about periods, to help her understand what was happening to her body and protect her from the bullying. I know that would have eliminated the point for the book, but there were a lot of opportunities to speak to Dara about what was going on and none of the adults took that chance.
I do agree with some other reviewers that the blurb is misleading. The story is told by one of the bullies and her POV, all the way through. Never once do we get Dara's POV, which would have really changed this story into something far more emotional and meaningful, to see that ignorance and understand her thought processes when she allowed the girls to bully her. But we don't. We see the bully trying to rationalise and reason through everything they did.
I feel like there was A LOT of potential to the story, lots of other things they could have done to make this have more of an impact. However, I do see what they were trying to do with it and I think a lot of teenagers will see themselves in at least one character and may learn something good about how to treat people with more respect. I don't think the magic aspect was necessary, but that's just me.
November 14, 2025
Dara Lund is a girl whose mother worked at a chemical plant and was rumored to have started a fire using voodoo to cause the fatal explosion. Since her mother’s passing, Dara’s father has homeschooled her but she attends a summer nature/no-internet camp. She is bullied by fellow campers Conley, Moe and Alister when she has her first menstruation and believe she is dying. Rather than telling her she has her period, the bullies convince her that she is cursed. The bullies convince Dara can get rid of her curse by performing unforgiveable tasks such as swallowing a beetle, spend a night in the woods, eating dirt, run in the rain naked, drinking a foxglove potion, etc. Dara’s mother’s childhood friend Marg is a counselor at camp and tries to protect Dara at every opportunity. When trying to help Dara during her foxglove poisoning by inducing vomiting, Marg came into contact with it and died from poisoning. The bullies have no knowledge of Dara’s whereabouts since camp ended.
Fast forward ten years later the bullies continue to remain friends but are feeling guilty about the torture they instilled in Dara. They start to experience the same effects as Dara had during her hazing such as bleeding and vomiting for no reason. Have they become cursed? How is it possible?
This was an enjoyable mild horror graphic novel that provided the right amount of suspense and tension with an unexpected twist at the end. I enjoyed the story even though the subject of bullying always sets me off a bit (was a bullying victim in my youth). The target audience would be for ages somewhere between tweens and YA.
Warning: Mild horror (blood, vomit), menstruation
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
Fast forward ten years later the bullies continue to remain friends but are feeling guilty about the torture they instilled in Dara. They start to experience the same effects as Dara had during her hazing such as bleeding and vomiting for no reason. Have they become cursed? How is it possible?
This was an enjoyable mild horror graphic novel that provided the right amount of suspense and tension with an unexpected twist at the end. I enjoyed the story even though the subject of bullying always sets me off a bit (was a bullying victim in my youth). The target audience would be for ages somewhere between tweens and YA.
Warning: Mild horror (blood, vomit), menstruation
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
November 7, 2025
This book requires you to believe that a camp counselor wouldn’t tell a girl what her period was … out of respect for the girl’s father. Instead, she allows other children at camp to bully and mock Dara. Once you get past that ridiculousness, you’re left reading a book with no teeth, just cruelty, and no real ending. Reading the blurb it comments on exploring this rite of passage through the eyes of a sheltered young girl, which is incorrect because the narrator and POV character of the book is Moe, one of the tormentors.
The book mentions dealing with shame, which … if you squint, maybe, at Moe realizing she’s letting another girl bully Dara? Maybe. The horror and wonder of the human body? Nope, none of that here. The blurb mentions rage, compares this book to Carrie and Yellow Jackets, and that’s also wrong. There’s no rage here, no bite, no revenge, no catharsis.
Other than bullying, there isn’t really anything at all to this book. The book wants me to believe in a curse, and then does nothing to make that curse come to life. Sorry, this is a solid pass. If you want horror, there are so many other books out there. If you want female rage, look elsewhere. Maybe read Carrie or watch Yellow Jackets.
I do not recommend this book. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
The book mentions dealing with shame, which … if you squint, maybe, at Moe realizing she’s letting another girl bully Dara? Maybe. The horror and wonder of the human body? Nope, none of that here. The blurb mentions rage, compares this book to Carrie and Yellow Jackets, and that’s also wrong. There’s no rage here, no bite, no revenge, no catharsis.
Other than bullying, there isn’t really anything at all to this book. The book wants me to believe in a curse, and then does nothing to make that curse come to life. Sorry, this is a solid pass. If you want horror, there are so many other books out there. If you want female rage, look elsewhere. Maybe read Carrie or watch Yellow Jackets.
I do not recommend this book. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
November 16, 2025
The drawings are frankly disastrous. I tried to make a detailed list, but I ended up giving up because there were so many ‘blunders’: the couple on page 8 (reused as is on page 9...), the hands still on page 8, the absurd spacing of the eyes at the bottom of page 10, and almost all the faces on page 16...
I even suspect that AI was used for some of the panels, or that they were drawn with total indifference by the artist. I don't understand how an artist can agree to publish this in its current state. We can easily do without ultra-detailed backgrounds or anatomical perfection, but here, a critical threshold has clearly been reached.
I ended up having to ignore the drawings to continue reading — otherwise, I would have simply given up.
As for the storyline, Flow is clearly in the vein of Carrie. Dara, the victim, is pitiful, Conley, the main bully, is abominable... But there are some inconsistencies that are hard to swallow. How is it possible that no one at the centre explains to her that she is simply having her period? spoiler/Also, it's understandable that the mother is in hiding, but the fact that she never tries to contact her daughter during this whole time is completely implausible. /spoiler
I even suspect that AI was used for some of the panels, or that they were drawn with total indifference by the artist. I don't understand how an artist can agree to publish this in its current state. We can easily do without ultra-detailed backgrounds or anatomical perfection, but here, a critical threshold has clearly been reached.
I ended up having to ignore the drawings to continue reading — otherwise, I would have simply given up.
As for the storyline, Flow is clearly in the vein of Carrie. Dara, the victim, is pitiful, Conley, the main bully, is abominable... But there are some inconsistencies that are hard to swallow. How is it possible that no one at the centre explains to her that she is simply having her period? spoiler/Also, it's understandable that the mother is in hiding, but the fact that she never tries to contact her daughter during this whole time is completely implausible. /spoiler
November 9, 2025
My Selling Pitch:
Aunt Flow meets Carrie.
Pre-reading:
It only feels right to read this while on my period.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Oh so this is a Carrie retelling.
I'm so not a good for her girly.
Post-reading:
This was cute. The art’s a little inconsistent. Some of the panels have pretty weird faces. It’s a predictable story, but still satisfying. I roll my eyes a bit at a good for her storyline, but I know plenty of people like the trope. It’s a fine graphic novel, but it didn't wow me.
Who should read this:
Good for her fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
Nah, grab it from your library.
Similar books:
* Mary by Nat Cassidy-Carrie retelling, horror, revenge, cults
* Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall-graphic novel, horror, highschool, revenge
* This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham-YA horror, revenge, queer
* Golden Rage by Chrissy Williams-graphic novel, dystopian, horror, revenge, queer
* The Lamb by Lucy Rose-horror, family drama, queer, revenge
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Aunt Flow meets Carrie.
Pre-reading:
It only feels right to read this while on my period.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Oh so this is a Carrie retelling.
I'm so not a good for her girly.
Post-reading:
This was cute. The art’s a little inconsistent. Some of the panels have pretty weird faces. It’s a predictable story, but still satisfying. I roll my eyes a bit at a good for her storyline, but I know plenty of people like the trope. It’s a fine graphic novel, but it didn't wow me.
Who should read this:
Good for her fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
Nah, grab it from your library.
Similar books:
* Mary by Nat Cassidy-Carrie retelling, horror, revenge, cults
* Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall-graphic novel, horror, highschool, revenge
* This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham-YA horror, revenge, queer
* Golden Rage by Chrissy Williams-graphic novel, dystopian, horror, revenge, queer
* The Lamb by Lucy Rose-horror, family drama, queer, revenge
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2025
"Flow" reminded me, as I'm sure it will remind lots of people, of "Carrie".
This ended up being a lot more YA than I expected, but I think that is a great thing. As the author's letter at the end mentioned, S. Ed. being censored or not taught properly, because the parents are dumb, uncomfortable or uneducated themselves about such themes, has serious consequences, particularly for young girls and women who find themselves completely unprepared for what is happening to them, and makes it so much easier to manipulate them.
Unfortunately, not all representation is good representation. The decision to have an Indigenous character with an alcoholic father, having a bloody handprint appear on him, over helping to torment a white, blond girl was not a good idea. Not only was his family situation a stereotype, but a symbol for missing Indigenous girls and women was appropriated, when the entire reason the symbol exists is that their lives are never taken as seriously as those of white people.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for this DRC.
This ended up being a lot more YA than I expected, but I think that is a great thing. As the author's letter at the end mentioned, S. Ed. being censored or not taught properly, because the parents are dumb, uncomfortable or uneducated themselves about such themes, has serious consequences, particularly for young girls and women who find themselves completely unprepared for what is happening to them, and makes it so much easier to manipulate them.
Unfortunately, not all representation is good representation. The decision to have an Indigenous character with an alcoholic father, having a bloody handprint appear on him, over helping to torment a white, blond girl was not a good idea. Not only was his family situation a stereotype, but a symbol for missing Indigenous girls and women was appropriated, when the entire reason the symbol exists is that their lives are never taken as seriously as those of white people.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for this DRC.
September 17, 2025
Great start to the series. Super sad and a bit confusing. It's about kids on a camping trip. One girl is homeschooled and has her first period. She's scared and confused. Yet the teacher won't let anyone tell her about periods. I don't understand why. I think it's something they should talk about. One of the other girls thinks it's a good idea to bully her and tell her she's cursed. So she has to do specific tasks everyday to lift the curse. It's awful and sad to watch this poor girl get bullied into doing terrible things. I have a feeling I know where it's going. Excited to see. Might get the trade.
November 11, 2025
Woodland Magic & Carrie!
Flow is an important story! This was a unique read and such a vivid storytelling experience. Following Dara through the eyes of assorted cast of bullies, readers can expect to watch a girl hit her period for the first time. However, flashing forward years, a curse has been afflicted to those who teased Dara. And it’s starting to get deadly. This was a wild ride and certainly fast paced. Just when the plot needed a push, a time shift happened or a new character took the spotlight! This kept a fast paced adventure with an important message for the world! Don’t miss this graphic novel - share it around!
Flow is an important story! This was a unique read and such a vivid storytelling experience. Following Dara through the eyes of assorted cast of bullies, readers can expect to watch a girl hit her period for the first time. However, flashing forward years, a curse has been afflicted to those who teased Dara. And it’s starting to get deadly. This was a wild ride and certainly fast paced. Just when the plot needed a push, a time shift happened or a new character took the spotlight! This kept a fast paced adventure with an important message for the world! Don’t miss this graphic novel - share it around!
November 11, 2025
Thank you to netgalley and Mad cave for sending me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The concept is what first drew me to this work. I love a Carrie style story of the girl bullied for being weird getting her revenge. But this fell apart. The reasoning for the timing of the revenge felt incredibly random and the reveal twist was honestly a damage to the story. Like the mom being suddenly alive and gasp so long as everyone apologies and means it its okay!!! Was just ew. If your gonna give me girl getting revenge let's go all the way. This was a very mid graphic novel. Fun concept needs better execution.
The concept is what first drew me to this work. I love a Carrie style story of the girl bullied for being weird getting her revenge. But this fell apart. The reasoning for the timing of the revenge felt incredibly random and the reveal twist was honestly a damage to the story. Like the mom being suddenly alive and gasp so long as everyone apologies and means it its okay!!! Was just ew. If your gonna give me girl getting revenge let's go all the way. This was a very mid graphic novel. Fun concept needs better execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2025
Not a bad read. I quite enjoyed the storyline. It interesting.
The story shows a lot about people personalities.
I didn't expect the slight twist at the end.
It a great read~
.
.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book in advanced!
The story shows a lot about people personalities.
I didn't expect the slight twist at the end.
It a great read~
.
.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book in advanced!
November 12, 2025
I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, I enjoyed the premise of this book and the writer vjt unfortunately the ending fell a little flat for me. Overall still a good read.
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