I actually requested this book because my students LOVE graphic novels and I am always looking for the next big thing to hook them. I don't think I even realized Svetlana Chmakova was the author until my daughter glanced over my shoulder and recognized the artwork.

It was a fun, quick read, the exact thing my reluctant readers are sure to get hooked on. Ailish and her family are weirns that live in a small town where they happen to have a night school for just such people! We get to learn about her and her family, their dynamics and all that goes on at a "night school". It's just the right amount of scary and suspenseful for my young middle grade students. A paper copy will be joining our classroom library in the fall, as soon as my 9 year old gets done with it!

This first volume in the Weirn books introduces us to a small town like any other, except shifters, vampires and weirns (witch born with a demon guardian spirit, aka astrals) walk the streets and live just like anyone else. Ailis and her cousin Na’ya are branded outcasts at their school, fun and competitive they strive to prove themselves (clumsily), especially against their nemesis (former friend) Patricia.
The story introduces us to a spooky mystery, on the outskirts of the town is an old mansion, that used to be a school. One day the headmistress and all the kids there disappeared without a trace. One day Ailis, Na’ya, and D’esh (Na’ya’s younger brother) walk past the mansion and see a light on again. Have the missing kids returned? Is the headmistress back to continue her terrible experiments? And what is with the creepy person in the woods that keeps popping up around them?
This book is full of heart. About family, friendship and just keep trying and doing your best.
The art is adorable and even without that ending I was looking forward to more of this. With that ending I definitely need more.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, I am excited to delve into a world created by the creative genius of Svetlana Chmakova. There is a sense of slice-of-life even in this supernatural version of small town Americana where weirns (witches who have companions called astrals tied to them for life) and vampires and werewolves and other night things make a cozy living, and I cannot get enough of it. In fact, if you blended the Berrybrook Middle School series with Supernatural, readers would get this book.

With charming characters like Allis, Na'ya, D'esh, Russ, and even Grandma Julia, readers will enjoy the mystery that's tied to the old run-down mansion near their Night School. The closeness of family and friends (even frenemies/nemeses) is a key part of most of Chmakova's works, and it's no different in <i>Be Wary of the Silent Woods</i>. Whether looking for a supernatural summer read or perhaps a perfect book to get into the Halloween spirit come fall, I think many readers both familiar and new to Chmakova's work will enjoy this start to a new series. I know I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Highly recommended!

My students already love books by Chmakova and I think they will enjoy this one too. The Weirn Books will be a great way for students to move towards fantasy fiction. I would love to see them compare the art in The Weirn Books with other books by Chmakova. Action, adventure, family, friendship and magic are all found in this book!

The Weirn Books: Be Wary of the Silent Woods is a great and somewhat scary comic book for kids. This is actually perfect, since hardly ever comics for kids are like this. The story is set in the Night Realm where human passing night things live, such as weirns. Weirns are witches that have a demon guardian spirit bound to them for life. This group of friends finds an old abandoned house and kids go missing too and it all links to the house that can transform. The old teacher wants to stay young by using the kids and our heroes need to save the day, but getting rid of evil and finding someone long lost isn't all. The plot is very interesting, there's humor and bickering in the comic too. The kids are very real and not friends as such, not all of them, so their interaction with each other changes.

Chmakova has gotten better throughout the years and this is a steady and solid comic. Somehow it reminded me of Stranger Things. The art looks wonky, which fits the world well and the soft colors work nicely with the otherwise dark atmosphere. I'm excited to see what happens next, since this felt like a ready piece. A good and different kind of series!

I received an ARC through NetGalley from Yen Press. I loved Svetlana Chmakova’s Berrybrook Middle School series that began with Awkward and this graphic novel didn’t disappoint either. Ailis is a weirn who goes to school in the Night Realm with other weirns, shifters, vampires and werewolves. When her and her friends see a light on in the creepy old school where children disappeared decades ago they feel like something bad is going to happen. Then one of Ailis’s cousins disappears and her and her friends set out to save the day. Weirns are witches born with a demon guardian that reminds me of The Golden Compass, but with all the great middle grade-ness of the Awkward books. The art was fantastic, both Thing and the astrals were so alluring, LOVED it all. Highly recommended for Chmakova fans.

There is a special school for children who are weirn, meaning she has a supernatural creature attached to her. Allis goes to a special school for those have supernatural abilities, during the evening, when the school for the mundane children turns into the night school.

Allis's grandmother once had a brother, but he is gone, and that is all Allis knows about him. Well, that, and that there is a weird house in the woods, where no one lives.

Or do they?

This is the first in who knows how many books, so some mysteries are solved, and others are hinted at. Like Svetlana's other books, there are very human, very full fledged characters in these books. Great fun, and good first story in what looks to be a fun series.

Give me a mean girl with a back story. Svetlana does, and makes you wonder what is going on there. I hope we learn more in the next volume.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

A group of friends stumble upon a mystery that has been brewing for decades. These ruff and tumble kids are not only dealing with magical mysteries but also trying to get through middle school. The characters are quirky and endearing while the plot keeps the reader engaged and wondering what will happen next. Looking forward to the next volumes!

Review to be posted tomorrow on my blog/goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just LOVE Svetlana's work and when I saw this book on Netgalley I had to request it. A big thank you for the publisher for granting my request! *is so hyped*

Meet Allis a sweet girl with chaotic hair. She is a weirn. A witch with an astral (for life). Her town is full of people like her and other beings. There is even a special school for her and those like her. She goes to school during the evenings (and I loved how the building just POOF changed from normal to freaking fancy awesome and can I please please go there). We see her try to juggle with school, being a weirn, but there is something spooky going on as well.

I loved Allis family. Her grandmother was awesome, albeit a bit grumpy at times (and did she really lick the food o.o). I loved the cousins, especially Na'ya. Though girl, please watch out with those spells. :P

Throughout the book we learn of magic (and what spells do), we see lessons at school and the school itself and I just loved those parts. Often with books with an awesome school the school gets kind of forgotten when creepy/awesome/etc. things happen. But not here. We learn of the past things that happened (kids disappearing), we see someone is stalking Allis and her friends. I was definitely curious who it was (I was making a list) and what it's purpose is, plus it was just so creepy.

Then things get really spooky and awesome when the kids go to find one of their own and get kidnapped. We learn more of the history of the house, what happened to those missing kids, and also what that being is that helps that person. I just felt so sorry for the one with the mask, being stuck like this for so long.. :( I loved what the kids did for them, that was just the sweetest and so wonderful.

I had such a big laugh about Jasper and his astral who just liked to throw all the things no matter how big or small. I do hope that Jasper is able to control his astral because dang so much chaos and damage.

The ending was amazing and just one big rollercoaster of OMG, OMG, OMG. And I am delighted there is an epilogue, I always love it when authors add those to their books because it can really complete a story and give us some closure on what happened in a book. Though in this case we didn't just get some closure... we also got a cliffhanger. Oh yes. I cannot wait for the next book.

The art is, as expected, gorgeous and I love love love the style of it.

I would highly recommend this amazing graphic novel to all.

I can't wait for this book to be on the shelves at my library! It's going to check out like hotcakes, because tweens love Chmakova's Berrybrook Middle School Series, but they are going to love this just as much! I chose to reread Nightschool before reading The Weirn Books volume 1, but didn't need to in order to understand anything. I love all the main characters so much and need more of their story yesterday (though I certainly understand that writing and drawing an entire book is a time-consuming effort!).

Loved it! Need a sequel ASAP please! This is really going to be popular with tweens, it's so stinking cute and the story is really fun and exciting with great art! I look forward to reading more adventures with this super fun group of weirdos!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ailis is a young girl who is also a Weirn, a witch born with an Astral, or a demon guardian. Her life isn’t all that different from other kids though, as she struggles through school, bullies, and crushes. Ailis’s life gets turned upside down when she notices a light on in an old abandoned house.

An absolutely wonderful book, this story has an original and unique plot that is complemented with beautiful illustrations that will keep any reader entertained! From the characters to the world building, nothing was forgotten in this graphic novel.

I loved that the human world lived in harmony with the magical world, and that they shared buildings like the school. The magic was unique too, I’ve never seen anything like an astral before, and loved it. I literally want my own astral. The author created diverse characters that I sympathized with, even the bullies. It left me wanting to read more about everyone and everything, and I hope the author does write and illustrate more!

Thanks to Yen Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This is a fun little story set in the Night School universe. The art is lovely and the story well told. It should be a hit with teens and those looking for a nice light action series in the same vein as Spill Zone or Lumberjanes.

I haven't read Chmakova's Awkward series yet but my students can't get enough of it, so I was excited to try out her newest series, The Weirn Books. While the premise gave me major Witch Boy (by Molly Ostertag) vibes, I really enjoyed it! The artwork is great and the story was very fun and entertaining and made for a quick read. It had the perfect mix of spooky-ness and humor to it and I know my students will eat it up! I"m excited to see where the series goes and can't wait to purchase this title for my school's library!

This was fantastic! I love the world the author created -- a mix of fantasy and magic, and all of the characters are very relatable! I can't wait to read about what happens next!

Fans on Chmakova’s will love The Weirn Books. Even though this story is very different from her ABC graphic novel series, readers will be hooked right away from the amazing story with just the right amount of spookiness and the great artwork. Plus will be wanting to know when the next is coming out! We’ll be handing to graphic novel fans who come to the library.

The premise of The Golden Compass series meets the attitude of Stranger Things.

When I think about it, there wasn't necessarily anything too original about this story, but its strength lay in how well and satisfyingly it was put together (and how adorable the art was). It took all of the tropes it used and made them sing.

Suitable for middle graders, but sure to please urban fantasy readers of all ages and I can't wait for more.

I liked this well enough that when I saw she had a teen graphic novel series set in the same world I logged into iBooks and bought book one so I could read more!
Excellent older grade school kids fantasy graphic novel!

Sveltana Chmakova, best known for the Berrybrook Middle School series, once again creates a fantastic story for middle grade readers. Chmakova has an amazing knack for capturing the spirit of middle school students. Once again, she creates an immersive world and fun characters you can relate to. I also love her colorful and expressive art style. This book introduces middle grade readers to a world she first introduced in YA comics, and it is a perfect. I loved the start to this series and cannot wait for the rest to come out. Fans of her other books are sure to love this one too.