It’s genuinely embarrassing how much we love Whitney Gardner’s new graphic novel, Fake Blood. Almost as embarrassing as the lengths you’d go to impress your friends and crushes in middle school. That’s what Fake Blood is about, it’s an adorably relatable and uncomfortably real take on being an ordinary 11-year-old. Like a lot of you, AJ is headed back to school amongst changing friends, crushes, and growing up. You know how it always seems like your friends are growing so much faster than you are? AJ totally understands. He’s pretty much the same as he’s ever been. He spent his Summer at the library devouring books while his friends had real adventures climbing volcanoes and bungee jumping. Everyone seems to be different than last year in ways that AJ just isn’t.
When he gets paired up with his vampire obsessed crush for a project, he goes out of his way to impress her by dressing and acting like a vampire to impress her. (Sparkly skin included!) Unfortunately, it turns out she’s actually a slayer, and she starts giving him all the wrong kinds of attention! He’s forced to admit that it was all fake, but the two discover a real-life vampire in their midst. AJ and Nia must work together to save the school and uncover mysterious secrets. Fake Blood is so incredibly fresh, charming, and super funny – it’s definitely in the running for one of our favorite reads of the year! Most importantly, though, it’s such a great reminder for why it’s always best to be yourself.
We fangirled with such pride when Whitney Gardner agreed to share some Fake Blood Fun Facts with our readers. It’s the perfect read for anyone who’s ever felt unimpressive or a bit left behind and it pairs perfectly with the back to school and Halloween season. Get to know more about Whitney’s inspirations for the story and how it all came together.
Fake Blood is available today from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, so head to your favorite bookstore or Amazon and pick up a copy! Looking for more graphic novels to add to your collection? We think you’ll love Hex Vet: Witches in Training by Sam Davies.
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