Summer Vamp (Tour Post & Review)

Book Title: Summer Vamp
Author: Violet Chan Karim
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy (Graphic Novel)
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I am so excited to be participating in the Summer Vamp Tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours! If you’re interested in following the rest of the tour, be sure to check out the tour schedule, which I’ve linked to at the bottom of this post.

Synopsis:

What happens when a very human kid ends up at the wrong summer camp—FOR VAMPIRES?! This quirky and heart warming graphic novel about making friends and getting in trouble is perfect for fans of Witches of Brooklyn.

After a lackluster school year, Maya anticipates an even more disappointing summer. The only thing she’s looking forward to is cooking and mixing ingredients in the kitchen, which these days brings her more joy than mingling with her peers . . . that is until her dad’s girlfriend registers her for culinary summer camp! Maya’s summer is saved! . . . or not.

What was meant to be a summer filled with baking pastries and cooking pasta is suddenly looking a lot . . . paler?! Why do all of the kids have pointy fangs? And hate garlic? Turns out that Maya isn’t at culinary camp—she’s at a camp for VAMPIRES! Maya has a lot to learn if she’s going to survive this summer . . . and if she’s lucky, she might even make some friends along the way.

My Review:

Summer Vamp was such a cute and wholesome graphic novel about a human girl who accidentally ends up at a summer camp for vampires. Ironically, Maya thought she was going to culinary camp, so imagine her surprise when she realizes she’s surrounded by vampires!

I started cracking up about this because forgetting which bus to get on is absolutely something I would do, and the fact that it lead to this situation was so hilarious. The comedy in this graphic novel was excellent! It wasn’t too overdone, but there were plenty of laugh out loud moments that were emphasized by the art that went along with it.

Two of my favorite things about Summer Vamp wrre the character development and friendships. In the beginning, Maya has a hard time fitting in anywhere and making friends, but throughout the book we really see her come out of her shell and believe in herself more. Additionally, the friend group she made at Camp Dracula was amazing. The dynamic was both amusing and wholesome and I loved watching their adventures.

I really loved the graphic novel’s art style. It wasn’t incredibly detailed, but there was so much character to it that it brought the scenes to life. The story in and of itself was great, but it wouldn’t have had nearly as much of an impact without the art style.

Overall, I really loved this book, and if you enjoy fun stories, especially with vampires, I definitely recommend it!

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55858582

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593425235

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-vamp-violet-chan-karim/1144275697

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/summer-vamp-a-graphic-novel-violet-chan-karim/20593862

About the Author:

Violet Chan Karim is a comic artist and writer from Boston, Massachusetts. Her love for cartoons, books, and movies as a child led to her pursuing a career in writing and illustration as an adult. She graduated with a BFA in Sequential Art from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020. Violet’s debut graphic novel, Summer Vamp, will be published in 2024 with Random House Graphic. She also creates the webcomic, Death of a Pop Star, with Webtoon.