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A review by nicolemhewitt
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown
5.0
This review (and GIVEAWAY) and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Serwa Boateng is not your average kid. She has been training her whole life to fight adze, a Ghanian version of vampires, so when she has to face the woes of regular middle school, she isn’t sure she can handle it. The book brings Ghanian folklore to life, with gods, monsters, and a fascinating magic system based on adinkra symbols that can still be found in Ghanian art today. I knew nothing of any of this folklore, and I really enjoyed diving into it! Another highlight is the uneasy friendship between the kids who unwittingly end up being part of Serwa’s vampire hunting team. These kids don’t get along at all at first (I mean, they’re stuck together because of a detention that they blame Serwa for), but they begrudgingly learn to love and respect each other. This book tackles important topics like racism, micro-aggressions, immigration, and even slavery, but it never feels like an issue book. Instead, it stays focused on the adventure at hand while showing us the extra everyday obstacles that are thrown in black and brown kids’ paths. And then it also addresses the age-old question of where the line between good and evil truly lies, exploring all the shades of gray that lie in between. Kids will love this book for the fast-paced action and uniquely strange monsters, but they’ll learn a thing or two about the world while they’re at it. Highly recommend!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Serwa Boateng is not your average kid. She has been training her whole life to fight adze, a Ghanian version of vampires, so when she has to face the woes of regular middle school, she isn’t sure she can handle it. The book brings Ghanian folklore to life, with gods, monsters, and a fascinating magic system based on adinkra symbols that can still be found in Ghanian art today. I knew nothing of any of this folklore, and I really enjoyed diving into it! Another highlight is the uneasy friendship between the kids who unwittingly end up being part of Serwa’s vampire hunting team. These kids don’t get along at all at first (I mean, they’re stuck together because of a detention that they blame Serwa for), but they begrudgingly learn to love and respect each other. This book tackles important topics like racism, micro-aggressions, immigration, and even slavery, but it never feels like an issue book. Instead, it stays focused on the adventure at hand while showing us the extra everyday obstacles that are thrown in black and brown kids’ paths. And then it also addresses the age-old question of where the line between good and evil truly lies, exploring all the shades of gray that lie in between. Kids will love this book for the fast-paced action and uniquely strange monsters, but they’ll learn a thing or two about the world while they’re at it. Highly recommend!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***