- Graphic Novels
- Ages 9–12
- Fantasy
Sisters of the Mist
A haunting, atmospheric coming-of-age graphic novel in which nine-year-old Kyra must brave the Fog Furies of Frygea Forest to stop the mist from stealing her big sister into growing up.
- Best for9–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length136 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr5 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Literary
Tone
- Whimsical
- Suspenseful
- Warm
- Bittersweet
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Three sisters, Kyra, Margot and little Janna, are spending the summer at their grandmother's house on the edge of Frygea Forest. When twelve-year-old Margot starts changing, drawn towards the woods by strange figures in the mist, Kyra can feel her big sister slipping away from her. The mythical Fog Furies want to lure Margot into the trees and transform her into a young woman, and Kyra, terrified of losing the sister she loves, sabotages the magic and leaves Margot caught in an eerie limbo. Now Kyra must venture into the forest with only her small sister for company, facing goblins, hellhounds and the ultra-spooky Furies themselves to bring Margot safely home. Marlyn Spaaij's debut is beautiful, funny and unsettling by turns, using folklore and shadowy magic to capture something true about sibling love and the ache of watching someone you adore grow up faster than you.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A graphic novel that lands best with independent readers of 9-12, and works from around 8 for confident comic readers. The spooky forest peril and the theme of a sister growing up make it richer for the top of primary and into early secondary; it is not a bedtime read for sensitive younger children.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Patchy
Works well for
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Graphic novel fans
- Spooky stories
- Sibling stories
- Atmospheric fantasy
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Sensitive to scary
Particularly good for children who are…
- Moving to secondary school
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Kyra sneaking into a forest full of goblins, hellhounds and glowing Fog Furies, with only her little sister to help, is thrillingly spooky. Anyone with an older sibling knows exactly why she'd do something so reckless to stop Margot growing up and leaving her behind.
- Secret world
- Surviving danger
- The underdog winning
Why parents love it
Spaaij turns the ache of watching a sibling become a teenager into misty, atmospheric magic. The artwork is gorgeous and the emotional undertow is real, so it opens gentle conversations about change while still being a proper page-turning adventure that reluctant readers race through.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Indie gem discovery
- Conversation starter
About the author & illustrator
Marlyn Spaaij.
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