This is a great graphic novel about a girl who got mixed up and ended up at the wrong camp. She hits some bumps along the way but figures out who she is and how hard it can be to fit in. I loved this graphic novel. The plot moved along at a nice pace and the storyline is one anyone can relate to. Great graphic novel, one of my favorites to date.

4.5 stars

After a school year where she didn’t make many friends, Maya isn’t expecting a very exciting summer. Especially when she learns that her dad’s girlfriend is moving in with them. But when they offer her a chance at a summer cooking camp, maybe the summer won’t be so bad after all.

When leaving for camp, Maya accidentally gets on the wrong bus. Instead of cooking camp she finds herself at a camp for vampires! She’s got a lot to learn if she’s going to survive the summer with vampires. But maybe, she’ll make some friends along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Graphic for an advanced copy of Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim to review! Always on the lookout for fun middle grade graphic novels, and this one definitely fits the bill. It’ll be a perfect book to kick off your summer with for sure!

Maya is such a fantastic, well-rounded character at the center of this story. And the friends she makes at (the wrong) summer camp are so sweet as well. They show her that it’s not as hard to make friends as she might have thought, even if they don’t have the same likes or interests. They all form a bond by the end that I hope carries into the future!

I also loved the art style for this. It worked so well for the overall tone of the story. The little hints about vampires throughout were fun to see, and you’re on edge wondering if anyone is going to find out Maya isn’t a vampire. It makes for fun tension throughout the story.

All in all, if you love friendship themed, summer camp stories, definitely check this one out in May!

Summer Vamp is such a fun middle grade graphic novel! I am looking forward to reading more from Violet Chan Karim.

A cute summer camp mix up story, ending up at vampire camp instead of cooking camp. A good message about speaking up for yourself and being true to yourself.

Wow, I adored this book! And I know the kids at my library will too. It's funny, heartwarming, and super easy to read. I think it'll be a big hit with fans of manga/anime. This book has a sweet, feel-good vibe without ever becoming cheesy or boring. The main character is easy to root for, and I love how she finds friends. Also, I appreciate that the adults in this book are generally positive/supportive, too, instead of going for cookie-cutter villains. Overall, a fast and heartwarming read, and one I definitely recommend!

Summer Vamp is a fun, offbeat look at growing up, finding your place, and finding friends in unexpected places. I think we can all relate to Maya in different ways, whether it's feeling like we don't fit in, navigating new places or relationships or having a hobby or passion that we fear others will think is weird. At its heart this book is about acceptance, of others and mostly ourselves. I loved that this book pokes fun at tropes and stereotypes, but in a lighthearted way, even if the Midnight movie allusion was a little cheesy.

Maya is struggling with making friends and with accepting her dad's girlfriend. When they announce that his girlfriend is moving in, the blow is only lessened by the fact that they also tell her she will get to go to culinary camp. Obsessed with cooking and a chef she follows on social media, Maya can't wait to get to culinary camp. However, Maya gets on the wrong bus and finds she has accidentally joined a camp full of vampires! Though it seems like this summer is cursed, Maya ends up forming unlikely friendship and discovering that she can speak up for herself and handle changes.

I measure all middle-grade camp graphic novels by Vera Brosgol's amazing Be Prepared, and this definitely shares some fish-out-of-water elements, though in a more fantastical way. The nods to cooking could be a little stronger technically, but the feeling is there, and the most important elements--developing friendships and learning to speak for yourself as well as to be more empathetic--are strong. A feel-good expedition with the barest nod to romance, which should be a lot of fun for kids who gobble down the baby-sitter's club graphic novels and/or lumberjanes.

A fun twist on the fish-out-of-water story. I loved the way all the kids came together. A good combination of realistic kid fiction, tackling the general problems of belonging and friendship, with a supernatural veneer.

Maya is less than thrilled when her dad announces that his girlfriend (Charlotte) is moving in. The school year has not been the best and she was looking forward to summer. Instead, her dad’s girlfriend is sending her away to summer camp. But to be fair it’s a culinary summer camp. Maya is thrilled, she gets to spend all summer cooking! When she gets on the bus, she starts to see some oddities, sharp pointy teeth, pale skin, and a total ban of garlic. This isn’t culinary camp. What was Charlotte thinking? Is Charlotte a vampire? They are going to eat her alive. Now Maya must spend every moment hiding that she’s human. And to make things worse the food sucks! Can Maya survive and even maybe make a few friends?

The pictures are adorable yet simple and readers will love this graphic novel. A great addition to school and public libraries. A great match for readers who love humor and slightly awkward situations. 5 Stars, Grades 4-7.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🥰🫶
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OMG! I loved this one so much! I love anything to do with vampires and when I saw this, I knew I had to read it. It's such a sweet middle grade graphic novel about a girl who accidentally gets sent to a summer camp for vampires instead of culinary summer camp. It was so fun to see Maya realize that she was surrounded by vampires and then try to hide the fact that she's human. There were a lot of comedic moments with that. 😂 I just overall love the summer camp vibes and it reminds me a bit of Witches of Brooklyn, the Click series, and Secrets of Camp Whatever. I thought it was so sweet to see our Maya get this group of friends who don't care that she's a human and she ends up loving that she got sent to the wrong camp. ☺️ The vampires in this are fluffy and drink blood from apple juice boxes and have to apply sunscreen to go in the sun. I loved the illustrations and coloring as well! I will definitely be looking to buy this and reread in the future. I would love to see a sequel to this! 🫶

My kids loved this one! They've read it multiple times and can't wait to get a hard copy when it's published.

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

Maya is not super thrilled with the prospect of her dad's girlfriend moving in. She likes her well enough, but isn't Maya enough for her dad? As a peace offering, they offer to send Maya to a cooking summer camp, which is a dream come true for her. Maybe a new family dynamic isn't as bad as she thought. Except, when Maya gets to camp, she realizes it is not for cooking - it's for vampires! What will she do?
A very cute story about finding and making friends, appreciating people for who they are, and changing family structures.

Extremely, extremely cute. The characters are great--both deep and very silly. Our protagonist especially is the sweetest. I'm obsessed with the concept of vampire camp and I hope we get to go back for many more summers with Maya.

The art in this graphic novel seems a little bit too simple and maybe even flat at first, but as you read you see that it actually conveys action really well and the bright, colorful images go together well with the storyline.
The story is so wholesome and as it unfolds, it really comes alive with the art. Overall, this is an awesome read for tweens and teens who love graphic novels and who like reading about female main characters in their books.

This was honestly so stinkin' adorable. The artwork was bright and colorful. And the story was full of heart! It was mostly a story about making friends, but was also about sticking up for yourself. Additionally, it included topics about family dynamics and not being afraid to love the things you love. While there were lots of vampires, there was never anything scary or gruesome. Readers that enjoy Kayla Miller, Reina Telgemeier, Shannon Hale, Victoria Jamieson, and the like will find lots to enjoy about this graphic novel!

Hello Again!

I have a ton of reading I want to do! I am trying to go through my bookshelves and pull books to unhaul that I have read and did not enjoy, read and never would pick up again, or books I just do not want anymore. When doing that I decided to pull lots of books that have been hanging out for a while and tell myself it’s time to put them on the TBR cart. If I do not read them soon, it might be time to send them off. But I decided to take a short break from my book cleaning spree, to sit down and read a graphic novel that the publishers shared with me via E-ARC (thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read this graphic novel early in exchange for my honest opinions).

SPOILERS AHEAD

Maya is hoping to have a nice chill summer at home with her dad but all that changes very fast when she comes home from school and her dad’s girlfriend is having dinner at their house and they are going to share some special news with Maya. Maya is less than excited but agrees to the dinner and she is told that her dad’s girlfriend will be moving in. Maya is not happy about this and goes to her room to kind of cool off, eventually, her dad comes up and talks with her and mentions that his girlfriend bought her a trip to a cooking summer camp! Maya is over the moon about this camp as she loves cooking and feels bad for how she treated her father’s girlfriend. She intends to apologize and begins to pack all the pans, and other kitchen cooking items for camp. The day comes when she is dropped off for the camp bus and there are two different buses. Maya gets on the one she thinks that goes to her camp, however, she ends up at a completely different camp where all the kids and counselors are vampires!! Maya thinks this could be really bad but maybe she can hide that she is a human until camp is over?

I loved this graphic novel so much. I think Maya’s reaction to the changes that would be happening at home are normal but the added surprise of camp helped her to realize that her dad’s girlfriend just wanted to be in the family. Maya’s camp experience while non-traditional was still awesome. It was interesting to see how she planned to handle things, seeing Maya make potentially new lifelong friends and even get to incorporate cooking. I really enjoyed my time with this story, and definitely recommend checking it out! This graphic novel hit shelves in May, I definitely recommend picking it up or checking it out when it does!

P.S. I really loved the vibrant colors and the art style in this graphic novel as well!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Maya is glad that the school year is over, because she has struggled to make friends, but the summer doesn't promise to be much better. Her father has been dating Charlotte, who seems perfectly nice, but when the two announce that Charlotte will be moving in with them, Maya is not pleased. She feels that she won't have quality time with her father and that he will ignore her to spend time with Charlotte, a feeling that is reinforced when she makes a lovely garlic pasta following her favorite YouTuber, Kiki Cooks, instructions and they pass this over in favor of pizza. When Charlotte arranges for Maya to go to culinary camp for the summer, she's thrilled. Unfortunately, she gets on the wrong bus, with her suitcase packed full of things like a crepe making set! Even worse is the fact that all of the campers heading to Camp Dracula are vampires, complete with pointy ears, fangs, and a decided need to use lots of sunscreen. Maya is angry at Charlotte, feeling that she scheduled the wrong camp, but tries to keep herself safe. She doesn't tell her cabin mates the truth, and eventually starts to develop friendships with them, even helping Nico steal his phone back from the counselors. Of course, part of this plot was meant to get her own phone back so that she could call her father and have him come and save her, but this falls through. Alex starts to be nice to her, Maya manages to work with the camp cook to get her culinary fix, and there's even an epic food fight in the cafeteria. When the others learn the truth (Maya doesn't drink any of the blood juice boxes, even though who wouldn't want a pork flavored one? Ew.), they try to sneak her across the lake to Camp Umami, which she was supposed to attend. Once there, Maya realizes that she has already made friends, and since she is no danger, she might as well stay at Camp Dracula.
Strengths: I loved that Maya realizes that Charlotte is not horrible, and that she actually misses her during the summer. Including more positive spins on blended families would be a good direction for middle grade literature in general, especially since blended families are far more common than parents passing away. The camp is fun, and the campers have a lot of freedom to do different projects. The characters are delightfully quirky, but kind to each other in the end. There is no threat from the vampires, although Maya is on her guard.
Weaknesses: This played a little fast and loose with vampire "rules". They can go out in the sun, but it's mildly uncomfortable without sunscreen. They don't have reflections, but they can go in the water, which would destroy the entire plot of Rees' classic Vampire High. (https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...) I'm all for readjusting the parameters of vampire behavior, but I like to see the spelled out more clearly. I've read a lot of vampire books!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the twists on vampire lore in Birchall's How Not to Be A Vampire Slayer or Murphy's graphic novel Camp Sylvania.

Maya is excited when her dads new girlfriend suggests she spend the summer at culinary camp!
However, when Maya arrives she finds this is actually a camp full of vampires!? Was this all a ploy by his dad's girlfriend to get rid of her? Hopefully forever?! Or just a hilarious misunderstanding!? Only time will tell!
I loved this, the characters were cute, the story was engaging and the message was wholesome.

This was such a cute read! Love the themes of friendship, growing in confidence, speaking up for yourself, and dealing with a parent’s new relationship. A feel good camp story with a small twist. I’d love to read more about Maya and her friends at Camp Dracula!