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A review by caylieratzlaff
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown
5.0
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 5/5 stars.
Look, I haven't read a whole lot of the "Rick Riordan Presents" mostly because they're LOW middle grade -- like PJO started with them being 12. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm at a point where 1) my students won't be interested at first to read a 12 year old protagonist in HS and 2) that's just SO young for me. BUT I do think I need to pick up more of them.
Even with this not being written by Riordan, Brown holds true to Riordan's humor in the novel that is seen in PJO. The chapter titles are GOLDEN too, and the little one liners here and there made this novel super enjoyable in overall readability. I finished it quickly, and I can't believe the CLIFF HANGER? LIKE HOW DARE YOU? WHAT EVEN?
Serwa is a sorta not really average 12 year old. She's from Ghana and hails from a line of legendary vampire -- Adze -- hunters...or so she thinks so. Her parents have to leave her in Royal Gorge, Maryland, while they go on a hunt for one of the world's most dangerous obifayo's -- a witch. Serwa, in true 12 year old fashion, ignores all of the advice her parents gave her about staying out of trouble and assembles a ragtag band of BIPOC 12 year olds who find themselves discriminated against which leads them to being forced into a club sort of restorative justice thing...and they all hate each other until an adze nearly kills them, they have no idea what it is, and Serwa assembles them into a vampire hunting squad.
Seriously, this book was beautiful with Serwa finally experiencing friendship and learning more about herself. I really also like the Ghanian folklore and the emphasis the novel also had on social justice issues and discussions and implications of enslaved populations.
I wasn't planning on reading this, and I saw Riordan tweet about it and knew I wanted to read it -- so thank goodness I was autoapproved for Disney. This one is GOOD.
Look, I haven't read a whole lot of the "Rick Riordan Presents" mostly because they're LOW middle grade -- like PJO started with them being 12. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm at a point where 1) my students won't be interested at first to read a 12 year old protagonist in HS and 2) that's just SO young for me. BUT I do think I need to pick up more of them.
Even with this not being written by Riordan, Brown holds true to Riordan's humor in the novel that is seen in PJO. The chapter titles are GOLDEN too, and the little one liners here and there made this novel super enjoyable in overall readability. I finished it quickly, and I can't believe the CLIFF HANGER? LIKE HOW DARE YOU? WHAT EVEN?
Serwa is a sorta not really average 12 year old. She's from Ghana and hails from a line of legendary vampire -- Adze -- hunters...or so she thinks so. Her parents have to leave her in Royal Gorge, Maryland, while they go on a hunt for one of the world's most dangerous obifayo's -- a witch. Serwa, in true 12 year old fashion, ignores all of the advice her parents gave her about staying out of trouble and assembles a ragtag band of BIPOC 12 year olds who find themselves discriminated against which leads them to being forced into a club sort of restorative justice thing...and they all hate each other until an adze nearly kills them, they have no idea what it is, and Serwa assembles them into a vampire hunting squad.
Seriously, this book was beautiful with Serwa finally experiencing friendship and learning more about herself. I really also like the Ghanian folklore and the emphasis the novel also had on social justice issues and discussions and implications of enslaved populations.
I wasn't planning on reading this, and I saw Riordan tweet about it and knew I wanted to read it -- so thank goodness I was autoapproved for Disney. This one is GOOD.