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dembury's review
3.0
"Fake Blood" was a fun, fast graphic novel about friendship, vampires, and the first hints of romance in life. The art style was good in spots (such as room and character design) but I feel like the backgrounds especially could have used a little more detail and texture. I mostly picked this up because I adore Gardner's two YA contemporary novels and wanted to see her artwork more. I think this could have used a bit more pizzazz, but overall it was a good read!
jay_mack9712's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a really cute story!! I love how much it leaned into the vampire theme!! Really lovely illustrations as well!!
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Re-read 2021: This was fun!
------------------------------
Vampires, crushes, figuring out how things work in life, going to a new grade, friendship, and more!
First up, thank you a really big thank you to my fiance for giving me this book as a present for my birthday! It has been on my list for ages and I was hoping to read it one day, and now I finally had that chance!
This was a magnificent graphic novel about a boy who has a crush on a girl who LOVES vampires and decides to also act like a vampire. Reading all he can about vampires, watching shows left and right, rubbing fake blood on his teeth (which looked oh so disgusting), asking his friends for help, stealing his sisters make-up (too look more dead). I had a laugh, but I also found it enormously adorable. I can imagine that he would do all that for someone, especially around that age when you are still unsure about things, you want to impress the girl but you feel like you are boring. I know back then I was also trying to find my own style, to find somewhere to belong. And yes, to me it also felt as if my friends were all changing and doing awesome stuff while I was just reading books.
I did love his friends Ivy and Hunter were pretty nice characters, though I do wish they were a bit more kinder to AJ (and well, AJ to them). It just seems weird that they would brag so much even to their best friend. I did love their bets and their banter. How they tried to best each other at things. From height to eating cookies.
The story was great fun and I had fun rooting for AJ. And it got even better with each page.
Oh, and can I just say that I love the relationship between AJ and his older sister. At times they bicker but at times they also have just the sweetest brother/sister relationship ever.
What more? Ah yes, I also loved all the vampire stuff. Seeing things like Twilight pop up (and Ivy bringing along glitter for AJ when he wants to be more vampire) were just lovely.
The one thing I didn't like was Nia. Nia. I just couldn't understand why AJ was so in love with her, I guess love does make blind. I am sorry, but I found Nia wayyyyyy to obsessed with vampires (to the point that she would even kill someone if she only had the slightest hint they may be a vampire), plus she was really mean and rude. She kept glaring at AJ in a not nice way, and I just wasn't liking this girl.
Though I did love that she, of all people, didn't get
And sure, I also liked that at least she was prepared if there ever was a real vampire. Holy Water Supersoaker, garlic, all that stuff.
I have to say I did have my suspicions about Mr. Niles, but...
The art was also fabulous. The style was really nice and I really liked the character designs (though I kept wondering what was wrong with Hunter's nose).
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone. Such a fun coming of age graphic novel with something extra!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
------------------------------
Vampires, crushes, figuring out how things work in life, going to a new grade, friendship, and more!
First up, thank you a really big thank you to my fiance for giving me this book as a present for my birthday! It has been on my list for ages and I was hoping to read it one day, and now I finally had that chance!
This was a magnificent graphic novel about a boy who has a crush on a girl who LOVES vampires and decides to also act like a vampire. Reading all he can about vampires, watching shows left and right, rubbing fake blood on his teeth (which looked oh so disgusting), asking his friends for help, stealing his sisters make-up (too look more dead). I had a laugh, but I also found it enormously adorable. I can imagine that he would do all that for someone, especially around that age when you are still unsure about things, you want to impress the girl but you feel like you are boring. I know back then I was also trying to find my own style, to find somewhere to belong. And yes, to me it also felt as if my friends were all changing and doing awesome stuff while I was just reading books.
I did love his friends Ivy and Hunter were pretty nice characters, though I do wish they were a bit more kinder to AJ (and well, AJ to them). It just seems weird that they would brag so much even to their best friend. I did love their bets and their banter. How they tried to best each other at things. From height to eating cookies.
The story was great fun and I had fun rooting for AJ. And it got even better with each page.
Oh, and can I just say that I love the relationship between AJ and his older sister. At times they bicker but at times they also have just the sweetest brother/sister relationship ever.
What more? Ah yes, I also loved all the vampire stuff. Seeing things like Twilight pop up (and Ivy bringing along glitter for AJ when he wants to be more vampire) were just lovely.
The one thing I didn't like was Nia. Nia. I just couldn't understand why AJ was so in love with her, I guess love does make blind. I am sorry, but I found Nia wayyyyyy to obsessed with vampires (to the point that she would even kill someone if she only had the slightest hint they may be a vampire), plus she was really mean and rude. She kept glaring at AJ in a not nice way, and I just wasn't liking this girl.
Though I did love that she, of all people, didn't get
Spoiler
what Mr. Niles was. Instead she thought he was kind of like Rupert Giles from Buffy, a mentor type. *snorts*And sure, I also liked that at least she was prepared if there ever was a real vampire. Holy Water Supersoaker, garlic, all that stuff.
I have to say I did have my suspicions about Mr. Niles, but...
Spoiler
due to the direction the story went and how it seemed to go more in the way of realism, I didn't think he was truly a vampire. So it was interesting that we did go that route and I was happy with it. It did make the story even more exciting and also flipped our character's world that these creatures truly exist. I do wonder why Mr. Niles didn't understand that both AJ and Hunter were faking it. Come on, it is pretty obvious, at least to me, but I guess Mr. Niles needs to go out a bit more...The art was also fabulous. The style was really nice and I really liked the character designs (though I kept wondering what was wrong with Hunter's nose).
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone. Such a fun coming of age graphic novel with something extra!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
mogojojo1013's review
4.0
AJ is boring. At least he thinks he is in comparison to all his friends and his crush: Nia. All he ever does is read. And Nia only has eyes for vampires anyway. When they get partnered together for a project about Transylvania he decides to pretend to be a vampire to get her attention, but what he doesn't realize is there is an actual vampire right there in their middle school!
A very quick, light-hearted read. It is funny the whole way through, and the illustrations are very cute. It also has that touch of romance as well. Definitely if you are looking for an easy fantasy read, this is a great option.
A very quick, light-hearted read. It is funny the whole way through, and the illustrations are very cute. It also has that touch of romance as well. Definitely if you are looking for an easy fantasy read, this is a great option.
holdenkillfield's review against another edition
5.0
Adorbs. This graphic novel will be in my required fall/Halloween reads rotation each year.
First, representation matters cause I was thrilled to see that Nia was a Black girl and a SLAYER. All my high school Buffy dreams coming true.
Secondly, I really enjoyed the author's jokes about Portland, OR immensely.
All the characters were endearing and the artwork really brought the story alive. I'm a sucker (no pun intended) for thick, graphic novels and this one delivered. I could feel the angst and awkwardness of our main character, AJ, and was smiling and laughing along as he so desperately tried to be a vampire.
A++ on all the vampire, magic, and werewolf pop culture references. My millennial heart swooned at all of them.
Highly recommend.
First, representation matters cause I was thrilled to see that Nia was a Black girl and a SLAYER. All my high school Buffy dreams coming true.
Secondly, I really enjoyed the author's jokes about Portland, OR immensely.
All the characters were endearing and the artwork really brought the story alive. I'm a sucker (no pun intended) for thick, graphic novels and this one delivered. I could feel the angst and awkwardness of our main character, AJ, and was smiling and laughing along as he so desperately tried to be a vampire.
A++ on all the vampire, magic, and werewolf pop culture references. My millennial heart swooned at all of them.
Highly recommend.
papertraildiary's review
4.0
Technically this book is for a middle grade audience, but it’s got crossover. One of my favourite new authors – she’s the lovely mind behind Chaotic Good and You’re Welcome, Universe – has just released her first graphic novel, and it’s adorable. It’s about a boy named AJ who is crushin’ hard on a girl named Nia. Nia is obsessed with vampires, so AJ gets the genius idea that maybe Nia would notice him if he was a vampire. He’s right, she does notice him, but for looking like a sick, bloody kid rather than a brooding vampire. (Lolz.) But when she clues in that he could be a vampire, she’s gotta tell him the truth: she’s a slayer. Ba dum dum. You can tell how much fun Whitney had creating it, and there’s stuff in there for older readers like Harry Potter, Twilight, and Buffy references. Her use of colours was so satisfying and I loved gazing at each panel, as well as giggling through the story.