SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING

Serwa Boateng’s parents are a big deal in the Abomofuo, a secret organization of hunters of dangerous, magical creatures of Ghanaian lore like the adze—dangerous, vampiric shape-shifters.

Serwa, who comes from an Akan immigrant family, has trained to be a Slayer, a magical hunter imbued with power directly from the gods. When an adze attack leads to a near-fatal confrontation with her parents’ longtime black magic rival, Serwa is hurried away to live with her aunt in idyllic Rocky Gorge, Maryland, and enter nonmagical middle school while her Slayer parents pursue the perpetrator. Rocky Gorge, however, has a history of supernatural secrets that are directly tied to Serwa and her parents in ways that can’t remain hidden much longer, especially as an adze threat starts wreaking havoc upon her arrival. Luckily, Serwa makes friends and immediately enlists an army of four charming, complicated 12-year-olds into her battle against the adze, who could be masquerading as anyone. Roxy, Mateo, Eunju, Gavin, and Serwa—alongside mmoatia Boulder, a plucky, gnomelike Slayer partner—form a powerful team thanks to their quintessentially middle school bond based on bad jokes, fun sleepovers, and much-needed emotional support. It’s a bond so impressive the gods take notice, and although there are some unforeseen obstacles to defeating the adze, Serwa discovers more about herself than she could’ve imagined. This textured, richly mythological story will keep the pages turning as readers are drawn into Serwa’s world.

A superb, action-packed series starter.