Wait Till Helen Comes

Wait Till Helen Comes

Mary Downing Hahn

Meredith Laxton, Illustrator

Clarion, September, 2022

160 pages

Grades 3-6

Graphic Horror

Molly Moves to the country for a fresh start with artist mother, fellow-artist stepfather, brother Michael and younger step-sister, Heather. Since Heather's mother passed away, she has never been quite right and she resents Heather and her family, to the point to lying to her father out of jealousy. When Heather starts hanging out in the neighboring graveyard, Molly is concerned. Heather appears to be talking to a ghost named Helen, who is buried in the graveyard and has Heather's same initials and is the same exact age. As the summer drags on Molly must babysit for Heather while the parents create art and Michael disappears on nature collecting missions. This task becomes increasingly difficult as Heather keeps giving Molly the slip and landing in dangerous situations. Heather seems to have befriended the ghost of Helen and spends time hanging out and talking with her new friend. Heather becomes even more resentful of Molly and warns her to "Wait till Helen comes". How can Molly keep Heather safe, find others to believe that there is really a ghost, and get to the bottom of the secret behind Helen?

I remember this ghost story from the 80's (though I read it as a young librarian in the early 90's) and it scared the pants off me even as a grown-up. Possessed/ghost children are super-scary to me, as I expect they are to young readers. Following the success of the conversion of Took (involving a creepy doll-also very scary) to the graphic format this past spring, a new title is now receiving the graphic treatment. Horror is continuing to trend and the Queen of Scream, Mary Downing Hahn, is having another day. This is the perfect time to present her creepy tales to a new audience. I found this graphic version close to the original, as I remember it. The story is plot-heavy and lends itself well to the graphic format. The illustrations are dark and atmospheric, enhancing the mood of the story. It felt a little dated in that there were, blessedly, no electronics and that the parents completely left the kids to their own devices. I felt sorry for Molly, having complete responsibility for Heather with no adult support. That said-that's the point of the story. Molly is stuck tackling Helen on her own and finds allies where she can. The kid's independence is what makes the story work and readers will love to watch take charge through the scary situation from the comforts of their own couches. A deliciously spine-tingling edition to the graphic novel shelves.