Instead of a breezy metamorphosis over a quick montage, here AJ becomes a vampire little by little. As he tries to prevent the love of his life from driving a stake through his heart, a true monster threat endangers AJ and his friends.ĪJ’s transformation from lovesick kid to wannabe vampire feels oddly believable. But AJ is shocked to learn that Nia is actually a vampire slayer, and AJ becomes her next target. His awkward charade is convincing enough that Nia finally notices him.

He goes full goth, with Halloween fangs and fake blood, and pretends to be a vampire. How can he get his crush, Nia, to notice him? In an act of creative desperation, AJ realizes that the key to Nia’s heart is her obsession with young adult vampire fiction. He just wants to be cool and interesting. Gardner’s protagonist, AJ, thinks he’s the most boring sixth grader at Spoons Middle School. It’s the kind of story that connects well with its intended audience - so well that my 11-year-old son pilfered my review copy and refused to return it until he was done. Her delightful tale juxtaposes a preteen crush, a tranquil, woodsy neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest, and vampires. Two new graphic novels spin enthralling tales of young heroes slaying those inner beasts - right along with the kind that suck your blood and try to kill you.įAKE BLOOD (Simon & Schuster, 336 pp., $14.99 ages 10 and up) is the third book and first graphic novel written and drawn by Whitney Gardner.

Fantasy writers have long asked us to imagine how tough that would be if supernatural forces were also in the mix. All adolescents face two monsters: insecurity about where they are now, and the stress of impending adulthood.

Fake blood by whitney gardner