A cozy paranormal romance that’s full of heart and humor.
In Maine, a newly diagnosed diabetic and a newly turned vampire form an unlikely connection.
Perley and Amandine both missed weeks of school during their junior year. Perley had a health crisis that led to the discovery that he has Type 1 diabetes. After Amandine was in a serious car accident, she received a blood transfusion that turned her into a vampire but saved her life. The teens bond as they catch up on missed schoolwork and reflect on how different their lives have become: Perley lives on a family farm and needs to be more mindful about physical labor, while Amandine loves field hockey, but her photosensitivity prevents her from playing. After Amandine attends a first aid course and discovers her ability to accurately taste blood glucose levels, the friends decide this is the perfect solution: The vegan Amandine could use the energy boost from real blood, while Perley can save money on testing strips and stay on top of his readings. A sweet romance blossoms between them. Both teens have concerned and supportive parents and friends. Importantly, the book also discusses the various ways that chronic illness has an impact on daily life. Clear dialogue bubbles make for an easy reading experience, and the soft color palette adds an appealing warmth, as do the adorably fluffy farm animals. Perley is Jewish and reads white, while brown-skinned, black-haired Amandine is from a multiethnic Cajun family.
A cozy paranormal romance that’s full of heart and humor. (minicomics, character sketches) (Graphic paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024
ISBN: 9781250863195
Page Count: 240
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
This high-suspense thriller hits all the marks with its slow reveal and cross-genre appeal.
Creepy supernatural executioners roam the woods at night in Dennard’s latest.
On the cusp of the year 2000, Freddie Gellar, a high school senior and self-proclaimed Answer Finder, untangles a plot worthy of a professional detective. After she reports hearing screaming in the woods and accidentally gets students from rival school Fortin Prep arrested, Freddie becomes a member of the Berm High Prank Squad. Suddenly, popular classmates—like the attractive Kyle Friedman and class president Laina Steward—notice her. With her best friend, Divya Srivastava, by her side, Freddie navigates teen life and her unexpected physical attraction to Theo Porter, who’s Fortin’s prank master. Meanwhile, grisly goings-on ensue as murdered bodies with deep ties to village lore appear in the woods. Freddie, a fan of The X-Files, channels her inner Scully and Mulder to solve the mystery—but as she seeks answers, she finds more than she bargained for. Allusions to the ’90s, including Nokia phones and boy bands, realistically frame the gory content within the setting. Sensual scenes add romantic appeal, and Freddie’s narrative voice echoes the emotionally intense refrains of adolescence as she navigates coming-of-age themes. Freddie and Theo are cued white, and the supporting cast contains broad ethnic diversity as well as queer representation.
This high-suspense thriller hits all the marks with its slow reveal and cross-genre appeal. (map) (Supernatural thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781250334664
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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