Thornhill Academy is this dark, atmospheric graphic novel by Pam Smy that totally hooked me with its eerie dual narrative. It follows two girls—Ella in the present day and Mary decades earlier—connected by the crumbling Thornhill Institute. Mary's story is told through diary entries, and man, her loneliness and bullying are heartbreaking. Ella's side is wordless illustrations, which somehow make the haunting vibe even stronger. I love how the art switches between gritty pencil sketches for Mary and lush, shadowy scenes for Ella. It's like the visuals are whispering secrets the text won't say outright.
The coolest part? The way it plays with ghost stories versus real trauma. You keep wondering if Mary's revenge is supernatural or just... human. That ending wrecked me for days—it's the kind of book where you flip back immediately to catch all the clues you missed. Perfect for fans of 'Coraline' or 'Through the Woods', but with its own gut-punch flavor.