Cute YA about differences, family pressure and relationships. The vampire twist was cute and the turning of a dog was super cute.

This was a cute one! Pepper reminds me a bit of Mavis from Hotel Transylvania if Mavis could skateboard. Shroom and Moss are the cutest vampire doggies and from the first few pages which were colored this will be amazing when the whole thing is done up this way. Overall a solid read perfect for some light frights and daydreaming about spooky season.
Thanks NetGalley and McElderry Books for the arc!

We follow vampire Pepper, except she isn't a full vampire just yet. At the ceremony intended for her to find a partner to turn, she meet an unlikely friend in the human Ana, a starving artist.

A endearing coming of age story of sorts.

We deal with Pepper struggles with her identity as a skateboarder that want to be known as more than a vampire. Going so far as too for all intent and purposes starve herself to stay on equal playing grounds with human skateboarders.

It explored complicated mother-daughter relationships as well as sibling relationships.

It was a cozy and friendly read that I would suggest for younger audiences.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi is a YA cozy paranormal graphic novel. Pepper and her younger brother Jeb still haven't had their Turning, the process that makes them into full-fledged vampires by taking a bride, a human that they also turn into a vampire. When Pepper meets Ana, a human artist working at a vampire event, it starts Pepper off on her journey to figure out what she really wants for herself.

There’s some fun new spins on vampire lore here. This is the first time I’ve seen individuals born to two vampires needing to turn someone else before fully becoming a vampire themselves. What makes this interesting to me is that it takes a different approach to the half-vampire concept and those who haven’t Turned can technically choose to never do so. The implication is that vampire society would view it as bizarre and that most people don’t wait that long so they can be young forever, but Balazs Lorinczi uses that to make a point that things we do that impact our lives significantly should be done at our pace and not someone else’s.

Ana and Pepper have a somewhat buddying Sapphic relationship that never fully develops into a romance. It stays a friendship over the course of the book, but I could see something possibly coming forward into the future. I don’t think the story would change significantly if it did become a romance, but I do love the choice of centering a book on female friendship with Sapphic undertones. We need more stories about female friendship.

The copy I received was in grayscale for the majority of the graphic novel with the first roughly ten pages being in full color. I’m not sure if the final edition is going to be completely in color or not, but the pages we did get in color were in beautiful pastels and helped convey a soft, dreamy cozy quality. The art style is more round with nice details in the physical features but the backgrounds are a bit on the minimalist side. It works well with the tone.

I would recommend this to fans of YA stories about vampires and readers of graphic novels looking for a cozier pick.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy to review. This comes out in August

This was a fun little YA graphic novel about a gay skateboarding vampire. What more could you need in a book?

Although the art style was incredibly cute and I loved the color palette, I had a hard time liking any of the characters. Pepper was a little too angsty and defensive for my personal taste, but I did love her development in the last 30-ish pages where she reconciles with the other main characters.
The mom and Jeb didn't resonate with me either, there were a few scenes I didn't agree with their actions. Ana was the most likable for me.
Also loved that there were vampire dogs with bat wings! That was my favorite part. What cuties!

This was a great read, the art was absolutely beautiful, the story was drawing and i couldn't put it down. One thing about me is i absolutely love a YA paranormal sapphic graphic novel and this filled me with such joy, Thank you so much Simon Teen for this e-arc! all opinions are my own

This is a fun and inclusive graphic novel set in a world where vampires are real and live openly among humans. Pepper Mint is a young naturally-born vampire (she seems like a teenager, but given the rest of the cast I'd guess she's probably actually supposed to be in her early 20s?) who is in constant conflict with her vampiress mother, who wants her to take a vampire bride (the term used to describe a mortal who consents to being turned into a vampire). This process will freeze Pepper at the age she is for immortality, and Pepper has reservations both because she wants to continue growing and changing and because she is worried that the immense physical powers that come with being a true vampire will make her skateboarding hobby less interesting. Enter Ana, a mortal artist who stumbles upon Pepper and, encouraged both by her art instructor and Pepper's brother, co-develops a skating lifestyle brand around Pepper's vampire-skateboarder vibe. However in order to secure funding either Pepper or her (also a vampire) brother need to become full vampires and Ana is willing to be turned in order to make this happen, which causes Pepper to spin and bail emotionally. I enjoyed the story overall, although I have to admit that Pepper herself was possibly the least interesting character of the lot (possibly because, again, she seemed like a young teen interacting with an otherwise all adult cast). I'd be interested in reading more about these characters or even just this world in the future.

A cute queer romance between a human and a vampire. I loved the discussion between Ana and Pepper about how being a vampire crystalizes you vs Ana wanting to be a vampire because she has nothing else. It was a very sweet book.

Thank you Balazs Lorinczi, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Super cute graphic novel but also love how c it went into a lot more depth than most graphic novels. I loved how much heart and the different lore of the vampires in this graphic novel.

I read this in one sitting, it was so fantastic and cute. It has such a unique take on the vampire lore and it brings it to the twenty first century. Full of modern aspects, you’ll absolutely devour this as well.

We meet Pepper, she hasn’t fully turned vampire yet, so she’s trying to please her mom by attending these special events to try to look for a bride. When Pepper sees her half brother bothering a young beauty girl named Ana, she saves her by leaving the event together. Everyone’s lives will change when they start getting to know each other. The story has such a wonderful ending and the color choices are absolutely perfect for this book. Definitely a must read if you love a cute and quick pick me up story.

A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi is a fun Queer YA graphic novel about a fledgling vampire skateboarder and a human art student. Pepper, our almost vamp, doesn't see the appeal of fully turning into a vampire. She thinks it will over shadow her hard worked skills at skateboarding. However our human Anna can see the appeal and the found family and stability that being a vampire could bring her. Add in a meddling younger brother, a well meaning mother, an adorable vampire puppy, and a bit of drama and you have a well rounded graphic novel.

2 words.
Lesbian. Vampire.

Okay now that you’re here, I seriously cannot recommend this graphic novel enough. It’s exactly what I expected from Lorinda’s; cute but quirky with the most charming artwork. I loved the storyline, the queer normative world, and the ever relatable theme of being crushed by the weight of parental expectations.

A Bite of Pepper is a fun, offbeat take on vampire coming-of-age stories, mixing teen angst, queer romance, and supernatural lore with a refreshingly modern voice. Pepper is a relatable and charming protagonist—just trying to enjoy her dog and her skateboard while navigating immortality, romance, and a pushy vampire mom. Her chemistry with Ana is sweet and creative, though their relationship raises thoughtful questions about identity, desire, and self-worth. While the plot sometimes feels a bit light or meandering, the emotional themes are grounded and sincere. It’s a quirky, heartfelt story for fans of sapphic slow burns with a gothic twist.

A YA paranormal sapphic graphic novel from the author of Doughnuts and Doom.
🛹
Pepper Mint was born a vampire, but she can’t become fully immortal until she finds her mate. In the meantime she spends her time hanging with her vampire bat dog and skateboarding. When her overbearing mother makes her go to gala, Pepper meets Ana, a part-time waitress who ends up working for Pepper’s mom when she gets fired. Ana creates art with inspiration from Pepper and Pepper’s brother who wants to make a profit off of it. Pepper feels pressure to find her mate and become immortal. Can Ana be the key to that?
🧛🏻‍♀️
This was so cute! The color palette was my absolute favorite and I loved the coming-of-age storyline. This is going to be a hit in my school library when it releases August 25.

This was such a fun graphic novel about a teen who is half vampire and will later become a vampire after her turning. I like that it gave a different perspective not usually seen when it comes to vampires. My oldest child will definitely like reading this graphic novel and I can't wait to get it for her

The colors of A BITE OF PEPPER by Balazs Lorinczi put me in such a good mood! I'm happy we were given the chance to see them at the beginning of the arc. I think it will be a gorgeous graphic novel in full color.

The storyline was cute yet angsty, just how I like my graphic novels. Plus, I loved how Pepper and Ana flirted with each other!

It's a fun standalone, but I hope we get a series because I quickly became attached to all the characters. I'd like to see how their lives and relationships progress.

Most importantly, I'm head over heels for Shroom. I need more details about him and a t-shirt!

It was easy to read, and I read it in one sitting. I wasn't devastated that I was done; I was just a bit sad knowing that it was the end. So, fingers crossed, we get more of Pepper Mint, Ana, and Shroom.

Thanks, SimonTeen, for the arc!

3.75 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 7
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 7

In this lightly paranormal coming-of-age graphic novel, Pepper Mint—a skateboarding vampire teen—falls for Ana, a human artist who pulls Pepper into the world of creative collaboration and emotional confusion. As they team up to build a skating brand, Pepper must navigate her mom’s pressure to fully embrace immortality and her growing uncertainty about whether Ana likes her for who she is… or just how she looks on paper.

This was such a fun read, and I can absolutely see a lot of people loving it. I truly enjoy seeing traditional lore turned on its head, and this story did that perfectly. There were definitely moments when I was mad at everyone in this book—but honestly, it was still totally worth the ride. If this ever became a series (and it totally could), I’d be all in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I thought this was so cute. I loved the concept of the vampires and skateboarding. The puppies were my favorite and the fact that the turning could be from saving a dog. Such a unique concept.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Such an interesting story and love the graphics! Obsessed with dog Shroom, so cute!