The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods

by Svetlana Chmakova

Overview

In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets... but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears—It’s time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods! Join the acclaimed author of Awkward, Svetlana Chmakova, for an outing into her favorite fantastical world full of magic and adventure!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781975311223
Publisher:	Yen Press
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Series:	Weirn Books Series , #1
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	267,070
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Svetlana Chmakova was born and raised in Russia until the age of 16, when her family emigrated to Canada. She quickly made a name for herself with works like Dramacon, Nightschool, the manga adaptation of James Patterson's Witch & Wizard, and the webcomic Chasing Rainbows. She graduated from Sheridan College with a three-year Classical Animation Diploma. Her latest work for middle grade readers, Awkward, has been a runaway critical success and was named one of YALSA's 2016 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens!

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2020

Weirns, or witches “born with a demon guardian spirit bound to them for life,” star in this engaging series starter. In the small New England town of Laitham, weirn-in-training Ailis Maeve Thornton lives with her grandma, who runs a magic shop. Ailis attends night school alongside her dragon-obsessed, fellow-weirn biracial cousin Na’ya; their neighbor-frenemy weirn Jasper; and Russ, a werewolf neighbor Ailis is crushing on. Taking a shortcut through the Silent Woods, Ailis, Na’ya, and Na’ya’s younger brother D’esh are confronted near the Woods’ central haunted mansion by a Night Thing who’s been following Ailis. Home to events that left a generation of weirn children missing, the mansion’s lurking darkness almost captures D’esh and subsequently succeeds in capturing Patricia Chow, Ailis and Na’ya’s weirn nemesis. As the cousins investigate, family history comes to light, complicating matters. Classic manga visuals enrich Chmakova’s charming, full-color art: sweeping magic amid serene concentration, shadows accentuating fear-inspiring retorts from authority figures, and facial contortions add humor to life-and-death stakes. Though the graphic novel is packed with disparate elements, it’s accessible: Chmakova smartly keeps the focus on family, friendship, and the relatable struggles of fitting in. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (June)

Publishers Weekly

06/26/2020

Gr 4–8—Ailis Thornton and her cousin Na'ya live in the small New England town of Laitham, home to night things like vampires, werewolves, and weirns (witches born with an astral, a lifelong bound demon guardian). A mysterious new being starts appearing near the old all-weirn school whose students went missing 70 years ago. When the mysterious creature shows up more often, sometimes getting uncomfortably close to others, and a mean classmate acts uncharacteristically kind, Ailis and Na'ya know that trouble lies ahead. Chmakova returns to the supernatural Nightschool world, first seen in her 2008–10 high school manga series, in this first of a related but standalone new middle grade series. Although centered on nonhuman characters, the story focuses on typical adolescent experiences: having a crush, growing apart from friends, and wanting to fit in. The children are empowered and join forces to fight for themselves, but are never left without the support of their loved ones. Background characters vary by supernatural species but of the human-passing, there is some diverse representation—Na'ya is multiracial, and main antagonist Patricia Chong presents as Asian. Chmakova maintains her signature anime-influenced style, as seen in the "Berrybrook Middle School" series, and adds a touch of whimsy through visual worldbuilding around the eerie, desolate woods. The purples, blues, and grays hint at a perpetual dusk, while the characters embrace cheery colors and strong emotions. VERDICT Relationships take center stage in this sweet, not-too-scary coming-of-age story that feels like a young read-alike to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.—Alea Perez, Elmhurst P.L., IL

School Library Journal