what is that sucking sound? vampires?

The lovely and talented Victoria Stapleton arranged for us to meet Svetlana Chmakova at the Texas Library Association and to get an advanced copy of her GN autographed (squee). NIGHTSCHOOL is certain to be a huge hit based on Book #1 of the series known as The Weirn Books (Yen Press, April 2009). Alex is a weirn. She has been home schooled thus far. Her sister is working at Nightschool, a normal school during the day but a place for vampires and other creatures to become educated in the evening hours. In this first book, Chmakova introduces readers to Alex and a range of characters from vampires to hunters to rippers. Dark forces are gathering; creatures of the nightschool are being injured. What role will Alex play in all this? Chmakova has fashioned an urban fantasy combined with a mystery. Her illustrations are singular. The characters are all distinct even the dreaded Rippers. Lots of angular lines, shrieks growing and expanding across a page to indicate terror, panels to segment important action, and dialog boxes that make it clear who or what is speaking. The resident of the back room has already picked this one up with interest and she is not much of a fan of GNs. Perhaps it is the whole vampire thing in a different format. I look forward to seeing what will happen in the next installment.