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laurenabayne's review
4.5
This might be in my top three Mark Twains for the year? And it's a FANTASY? With a cliffhanger that actually makes me want to read the second book, which would be another fantasy? Eleven year old Lauren is shaking in her Sperrys.
itss_kayy's review
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? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, and Racism
jacktardis's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
fast-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
4.25
kutsireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
queer_bookwyrm's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: bullying, racial micro aggressions, child abuse mentions
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown is book one in the Serwa Boateng series. This was sort of like a Ghanian folklore inspired Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This book was excellent, and by far my favorite MG novel I've read so far!
We follow Serwa Boateng, a 12 year old girl who has grown up training to be a Slayer for the Abomofuo, a group of hunters that kill adze (Firefly like vampires) and other black magic beings. When an abayifo (black magic witch) shows up and throws Serwa's life into chaos, her parents ship her off to live with her nonmagical cousin and aunt, where she has to go to middle school for the first time. Would honestly rather hunt vampires tbh.
Serwa struggles to adjust to normal life, having to endure the subtle racism of white teachers and students for the first time. Eventually she becomes part of a group of friends that band together to help save the town from a blood sucking adze. But there are secrets and twists Serwa isn't prepared for, and it further turns her world upside down.
Omg the twists in this book were unreal! The suspense was major. I was hooked the whole way through. Brown does not shy away from talking about the hard stuff like racism and child abuse. There were some great themes here about white-washing history and the importance of friendship. I like the make up of the friend group too: Eunju, the angry and stuck up Korean girl; Mateo, the anxious soft Latino boy with a stutter; Gavin, the jokester who uses humor as a defense mechanism; and Roxy, Serwa's cryptid loving cousin.
I love that Brown makes it clear that nothing is black and white or as it seems. Things we have been taught are bad, might not be evil. This was just so good, and I'm looking forward to book two!
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown is book one in the Serwa Boateng series. This was sort of like a Ghanian folklore inspired Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This book was excellent, and by far my favorite MG novel I've read so far!
We follow Serwa Boateng, a 12 year old girl who has grown up training to be a Slayer for the Abomofuo, a group of hunters that kill adze (Firefly like vampires) and other black magic beings. When an abayifo (black magic witch) shows up and throws Serwa's life into chaos, her parents ship her off to live with her nonmagical cousin and aunt, where she has to go to middle school for the first time. Would honestly rather hunt vampires tbh.
Serwa struggles to adjust to normal life, having to endure the subtle racism of white teachers and students for the first time. Eventually she becomes part of a group of friends that band together to help save the town from a blood sucking adze. But there are secrets and twists Serwa isn't prepared for, and it further turns her world upside down.
Omg the twists in this book were unreal! The suspense was major. I was hooked the whole way through. Brown does not shy away from talking about the hard stuff like racism and child abuse. There were some great themes here about white-washing history and the importance of friendship. I like the make up of the friend group too: Eunju, the angry and stuck up Korean girl; Mateo, the anxious soft Latino boy with a stutter; Gavin, the jokester who uses humor as a defense mechanism; and Roxy, Serwa's cryptid loving cousin.
I love that Brown makes it clear that nothing is black and white or as it seems. Things we have been taught are bad, might not be evil. This was just so good, and I'm looking forward to book two!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, and Racism
kateflegal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
fast-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
5.0
paradoxchild's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
erine's review
The first 95%: Serwa has been training to be a vampire hunter her whole life. Isolated, but close with her parents, they travel from mission to mission protecting civilians from creatures of black magic. When their safe house is breached by an old enemy, Serwa and her parents go their separate ways. Serwa to a normal, magicless middle school and her parents to defeat the enemy.
Unfortunately, Serwa finds herself awash in typical middle school challenges: bullying, rude teachers, disciplinary issues. None of which she is prepared for. And the elements of magic she thought she left behind start to appear right where they shouldn’t be. To navigate these challenges, Serwa must rely on friends both old and new, and on her own capacity for courage and strategy.
There are mini adventures within a larger mystery, all of which are fun. Detentions, run-ins with Ghanaian (NOT European) vampires, battle training, visits with an influencer god, a trip to an underworld rock concert with ghosts, and a very nasty teacher. Elements of racism, the legacy of slavery, the challenges of immigration all show up here, alongside more mundane tween struggles.
I really loved as Serwa gets to know her new friends, with all their flaws and strengths. Details of Ghanaian culture permeate the story, and Serwa is a main character I couldn’t help cheering for.
The last 5%: One of the most dynamically chaotic endings to a book that I’ve read in some time.
Unfortunately, Serwa finds herself awash in typical middle school challenges: bullying, rude teachers, disciplinary issues. None of which she is prepared for. And the elements of magic she thought she left behind start to appear right where they shouldn’t be. To navigate these challenges, Serwa must rely on friends both old and new, and on her own capacity for courage and strategy.
There are mini adventures within a larger mystery, all of which are fun. Detentions, run-ins with Ghanaian (NOT European) vampires, battle training, visits with an influencer god, a trip to an underworld rock concert with ghosts, and a very nasty teacher. Elements of racism, the legacy of slavery, the challenges of immigration all show up here, alongside more mundane tween struggles.
I really loved as Serwa gets to know her new friends, with all their flaws and strengths. Details of Ghanaian culture permeate the story, and Serwa is a main character I couldn’t help cheering for.
The last 5%:
Spoiler
in an absolutely ENORMOUS secret-keeping-leading-to-misunderstanding-or-conflict plot point, Serwa’s parents have not told her she has elements of black magic as well as divine wisdom in her heritage. The discovery of this is devastating for Serwa, but also for this reader, who could only watch as Serwa rages against her parents, erases her friendships, and runs away into the arms of everything she thought was evil. And then the book ends.kayladaila's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0