A sweet little book about sentient fruits and veggies conquering fears and making unexpected friendships. I got a little confused about Count being outside at times, but suspension of disbelief, etc. etc. Loved the art & coloring. It was very expressive and cute. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. :)

Quirky story with beautiful illustrations! Anxious Garlic is faced with a quest that tests her bravery and self confidence.

<i>Materials used: “The artist used clip studio paint to create the (digital) illustrations for this book.” </i>

<i>Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

On paper, this sounds like a book I would love, but it just didn't grab me. I had to put it down and come back to it several times, because I just lost my enthusiasm for reading it. The art is gorgeous. I love the colors, and aesthetically I would easily give this book five stars. The story is cute, but it didn't have the right pacing for me. It never gripped me, which makes me sad, because the concept and the art are fantastic. I would still recommend this book to others looking for graphic novels, because I am sure a lot of people would like it. It's just not for me.

A sweet and cozy tale about a community of anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables (and their creator, the good witch Agnes) whose idyllic lives are briefly thrown into disarray when a vampire moves into town. Timid Garlic is sent to confront the new neighbor because, well, she's a walking and talking bulb of garlic. Garlic quickly discovers the vampire is not as nefarious as her fellow plant-people assume and instead of becoming a vampire hunter she becomes the bridge of friendship between the vampire and the broader community.

5 stars - I loved it!

This comic was ADORABLE!!!

Garlic & The Vampire is an adorable middle grade comic with a powerful message. It follows Garlic and her journey of self-confidence. From the very first page I was sucked in by Garlic and her wonderful town filled with vegetable shaped friends.

Garlic’s struggle with her self-confidence is easily relatable for anyone who has had the same issues. She has supportive friends but it still takes facing a vampire for her to realize her worth.She reluctantly braves a vampire home to save her friends and town but quickly realizes things are not what they seem.

This comic has a powerful message of not judging people by who they are, but by their actions. Because of Garlic’s actions and ability not to judge by looks, the town and her friends are all safe. I really loved the scenes with the vampire because they were all so adorable and you got a lot of emotions out of each panel.

The artwork for this comic was superb. It fit wonderfully with the story and conveyed so much action and emotion with each panel. I will be buying this book when it comes out in September because I loved it so much. I look forward to more comics by Bree Paulson now.

This was the cutest book!

Garlic is a little anthropomorphic garlic bulb who is such a hardworking and great friend. Her only problem is that on days where her and her vegetable buddies go to market, she sometimes sleeps in. But all is well and everyone heads back to witch Agnes's after.

Later, while working in the garden the other vegies notice smoke coming from the old castle. It must be a vampire! Who better to vanquish the foe than their very own Garlic! Join her on her adventure as she flies off to meet the count... And see what happens next.

The art was cute and the story and plot were warm and fuzzy. 10/10 would read again

In this adorable graphic novel, we meet a group of vegetables brought to life by a kindhearted witch. The vegetables, originally given life to merely garden, have since gained sentience and personalities. Our main character is Garlic, a perpetually late and nervous garlic bulb who’s responsible for the garlic plants in the Witch’s garden. The story begins at the farmers market where humans go to buy produce from the Witch and the Vegetables. Here we meet the quirky cast of Vegetables characters. The plot really starts moving, though, after the market when Potato notices smoke coming out of the distant abandoned castle. The Witch does some scrying and we learn there is a vampire living there. Of course, who should go and deal with this dangerous creature? Garlic of course! Everyone knows vampires hate garlic. But, Garlic’s not sure she’s up for the job…
The story is short and sweet with a great cast of characters. It’s fun and interesting enough to keep a readers attention with a nice moral to the story. I would definitely recommend this graphic novel for any readers who like a quirky story, some fantasy, and lovely illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Garlic and the Vampire was an absolute delight. In less than 200 pages, Bree Paulsen weaves a cute tale of friendship and magic. Readers follow Garlic, a somewhat shy, anxious, and curious anthropomorphic garlic bulb. as she navigates life among her fellow vegetable folk and the witch who brought her to life. But when the vegetables notice smoke rising from the once abandoned castle on the hill above their town, they piece together that it must be a vampire. And everyone agrees that someone must face the possible threat to their quiet lives. Thanks to lore claiming that vampires are weak against garlic, Garlic is elected to drive away the vampire.

Paulsen perfectly captures feelings of fear that often brew in small towns, and readers are taken along with Garlic's journey of self-discovery and fight to discover the truth about the town's new neighbor.

The muted color palette complemented the book's cozy tone well, and lettering was well integrated and non-intrusive to the rest of the art. Paulsen's attention to line captured complex emotions while still retaining a simple and easily readable style. Charming and full of heart, Paulsen's traditional debut was a wonderful read.

This was one of the most adorable and heartwarming graphic novels I have read in a long while. I love the quirkiness and the fun way in which the characters were written! The illustrations are absolutely perfect and whimsical. I would recommend this to everyone!

In a small village, a witch named Agnes has ensorcelled little fruit and veggie folk who assist her with gardening tasks and keep her company. Garlic is kind and wants to be helpful, but unintentionally causes blunders and is rather unreliable. When a vampire is suspected of inhabiting a long abandoned castle, it’s up to little garlic to confront him and determine whether he’s a friend or foe. Can she overcome her fear and face this challenge head-on?

I thought this short graphic novel was adorable. The illustrations perfectly capture the action of the plot and the personality and emotions of the characters. The story is easy to follow and is suitable for middle school and up. Universal themes such as believing in oneself, finding courage while facing adversity, and not judging others before you get to know them are explored. A great bedtime story that should entertain child and parent alike.

Creative, imaginative, and a lovely combination of words and image. Well worth sharing with young readers.

Filled with earthy colors and comforting imagery, Garlic and the Vampire is the tale of how a little bit of courage can invite big rewards. In this short graphic novel, we get a glimpse of the life of Garlic, an anxious and fearful enchanted vegetable living and working in Witch Agnes’ garden with the other enchanted vegetables. When a vampire moves into the abandoned castle nearby, Garlic must decide if they can face their fears to save the town. This book is suitable for middle readers, though fans of graphic novels of all ages will enjoy the charming tale. Highly recommended for libraries and home book collections, Garlic and the Vampire is sure to leave readers with a comforting feeling even after the story ends.

Super sweet and gentle story encouraging shy kids to be braver. A witch has animated vegetables into beings to tend her garden for her (but tells one if they want to do something else they should) and Garlic is selected despite being timid to go to a nearby castle to see if there is a vampire there. Garlic is not terribly impressed that. she got picked just because vampires are supposed to be repelled by garlic but goes anyway.
It would be a good story for a kid who is afraid of meeting new people. Also, the scene of the vegetable people selling vegetables in a farmer’s market is adorable!

This has to be the cutest graphic novel I have read in a long time! Not only is the art adorable, but the characters and story are super charming! Garlic’s anxious nature was relatable to someone, like myself, that suffers from severe anxiety. Not only does the story focus on friendship and not judging people, it was set in nature with gardening. It was a very unique take on witches and vampires, and I would love to see a sequel or more from this artist! I highly recommend this book for readers of many ages, primarily from juvenile and up.

This was a very cute, sweet, magical story about anxiety, bravery, community, and friendship told through a very imaginative lens. The art was very warm and lovely. I'm trying not to think too hard about any implications of magical humanoid vegetables growing and selling tiny versions of themselves for human people to consume. Like a planter's peanut situation. Let's just not dwell on that. 😂

When Witch Agnes’ village of veggies learns that a vampire has moved into the valley, they send timid Garlic to use her allium advantage to vanquish him. Garlic manages to muster up her courage, but her quest does not go as expected.

Garlic and the Vampire is a cozy adventure about friendship and courage. The artwork is bright and vivid, and the farmer veggies are just so cute. This is a sweet read that is sure to be appreciated by younger middle grade readers and fellow anxious folks.

A true gem of a graphic novel! Welcome to a beautiful fantasy world full of garlic, her vegetable friends, and a friendly witch. Little Miss Garlic is tasked with confronting a vampire that has moved into the neighborhood castle. Facing her fear with her friend celery turns out to be a life changing surprise. Great for all ages and very memorable!

I adored this interesting and engaging young graphic novel. A perfect message for young children about getting to know people before you judge them harshly.

I ADORED this book--it is so sweet, kind, and cozy, with great lessons (for all ages, really) about anxiety and acceptance. In some ways, it fits the semi-recent cottagecore aesthetic, and the artwork is consistently beautiful and cute, without being cloying. I'm definitely buying this when it's released (review based on an eARC via NetGalley.)

A cute, sweet, simple graphic novel about a humanoid bulb of garlic, her humanoid vegetable friends, the witch who brought them all to life, and their run-in with a vampire.

The premise is a little over the top, even for a middle-grade graphic novel, but the idea is cute enough and the illustrations are beautiful.