Fake Blood

Gardner’s quasi-satirical graphic novel begins with the bookish AJ on the first day of sixth grade. Wrestling with feelings of insecurity (“Because I’m me. I’m boring”), AJ is particularly uncertain about letting his crush, the vampire-obessed Nia, know how he feels. After being paired for a research project, AJ and Nia select Transylvania as their topic, prompting AJ to read Moonlight, a (fictional) popular work of campy vampire fiction. AJ soon convinces himself that a new vampire-inspired persona will impress Nia, so he gradually transforms his look and behavior. AJ’s act works all too well, convincing Nia that he actually is a vampire. Readers discover, in a grandly theatrical double-page spread, that Nia is a vampire hunter determined to slay the undead. After a close call with one of Nia’s wooden stakes, AJ admits to his attention-seeking, and the pair soon realizes that their peculiar teacher, Mr. Niles, is the real vampire. A wild series of events then occurs, including kidnapping, cellphone hacking, threats with holy water, and a truce between Mr. Niles and his students. Although Gardner’s plotting occasionally wavers, her digitally rendered, full-color cartooning remains cogent and consistent throughout. Smooth shifts from double-page spreads to complex multi-panel pages of nearly every configuration imaginable keep the story fresh and flowing. An enjoyable romp, even if it lacks a bit of bite. patrick gall

Copyright 2018 Hornbook, LLC Used with permission.

Think vampires have had their day? Gardner’s debut graphic novel proves the vein is not completely tapped. Eleven-year-old AJ feels utterly unremarkable. He spent the summer before sixth grade reading and at the library, while his ultracompetitive besties, Ivy and Hunter, spent theirs scaling volcanoes and bungee jumping. AJ harbors an adorable middle school crush on Nia, a fellow bookworm obsessed with vampires. Trying to catch Nia’s eye, AJ decides to impersonate a bloodsucker, sprinkling himself with glitter, painting dark circles under his eyes, and slathering his gums with fake blood. However, things do not go as planned when Nia does suspect him as the undead. When AJ’s deception is revealed, he and Nia discover an actual vampire in their midst believed his ruse—and that more than one person in his life has secrets of their own. While many might say the vampire genre bled out years ago, Gardner has imbued it with new life, poking fun at well-known tropes—especially Twilight—in a manner sure to inspire hearty belly laughs. Her full-color illustrations are eye-catching, and her plotting is tightly wrought; think Raina Telgemeier with a Noelle Stevenson slant. At a hefty but highly enjoyable 336 pages, Gardner’s middle school romp is a magnum opus; here’s hoping all her work is as wonderful. Main character AJ is white, as is Ivy, but Hunter and Nia have brown skin, and Nia wears her hair in cornrows. A dazzling debut from a new author to watch. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

Copyright 2018 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.

Gardner offers a slightly new take on the perennial vampire love story: boy meets girl, boy feigns vampirism to get girl's attention, and girl pursues boy-in order to slay him. AJ's fanged approach has its drawbacks, but when he and Nia work together on a report about Transylvania, they soon realize that there is a real vampire in their Northwest U.S. community, and only they are prepared to confront it. Gardner's tale, which includes a share of lighthearted pokes at the Twilight series, is a fun romp through sixth grade that's made all the more amusing by AJ's cool sister and hyper-competitive friends, Hunter and Ivy. Quirky visual details, such as refrigerator magnets and characters' unusually shaped noses, and fantasy elements, such as the hearts and rainbows that flow from the drinking fountain when AJ sees Nia use it, balance Gardner's simple drawing style and minimal backgrounds. The result focuses the eye on the action and keeps the story moving swiftly. Ages 10-up. Agent: Brent Taylor, TriadaUS. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2018 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.