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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
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
c_dmckinney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
ereadinginmtl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
Graphic: Bullying and Racism