Graphic Novel Review: The Weirn Books – Be Wary of the Silent Woods by Svetlana Chmakova

Hey all, Dani here.

I am so excited for our upcoming “vacation”! Would it be more appropriate to call it a staycation? See, I’m unsure, because we’re going to a hotel…but then we’re just staying in the hotel for a virtual convention. The hotel as a location will just give us access to reliable internet and air conditioning, which will be nice, because it has been quite hot lately.

But before we can enjoy our vacation, we have to get through this weekend, and then two more days of work.

Today I have a super special review to bring you, and I’m just overall super excited to be able to say something like this. I contacted a Yen Press publicist in response to a new manga release (review coming on Monday) and he asked me if I was interested in this title as well…and then he sent me actual physical copies to read and review. I can’t even begin to describe just how excited I am about this. All of my collaborations with publishers and blog tours and everything have been digital only. This feels like a majorly exciting step forward.

So a huge thank you to Yen Press for sending me these books. I really really appreciate it. Of course, I also need to say that while I am grateful to have been sent physical books, this did not affect my rating or review in any way.

All right, let’s jump into the review.

Book Details

Format: Paperback

Pages: 244

Publisher: JY

Publication Date: June 16, 2020

ISBN: 1975311221 (ISBN13: 9781975311223)

Summary

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! Ailish 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!

My Thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

This is a Middle Grade graphic novel, and it was so cute. I read it quite quickly, but not just because it was fun and easy to read. It was also an entertaining and engrossing read. I felt compelled to keep reading, ignoring all of my boring adult responsibilities until after I had finished the story.

And now I can definitely say that I want to read the other books set in the Weirn world. This is the first of the middle grade graphic novel series, but there’s apparently also another series set at Nightschool, following different characters, so I’m curious to see if any of the two sets of stories overlap…aside from the existence of Nightschool and Weirns.

Basically, at night the normal kid schools transform into the Nightschool, where weres and vamps and Weirns (basically witches with bonded spirit beings) go to learn at night.

The art was cute, and the characters were each unique and distinct. There are the standard plots of not-quite fitting in, and schoolyard taunts and bullying, and family drama, but then there’s also learning magic and the struggles that come with that.

At the heart of this first book in this Weirn Book series, there is also a mystery of an abandoned mansion in the middle of the Silent Woods. I won’t say any more about this major plot point because I don’t want to risk spoilers, but it made for an intriguing story.

I will say that the story was a bit simple, but overall it had a good heart to it and I enjoyed the experience.

Where to Get a Copy

You can pick up your own copy of this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or from your local indie bookstore through IndieBound.