Member Reviews

The cutest, sweetest thing you'll read this year. Garlic is the hero we've always dreamed of and this story is the cozy, rainy day story that will find its way stuck in your heart.

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This is a really cute, fun graphic novel. Witch Agnes has a garden in which she enchanted different fruits and vegetables to be alive and human-like. These fruits and vegetables help in the garden and in the market where they sell produce. It was a little strange to get used to a carrot who talks growing other carrots to sell to people but I quickly got over that. The story centers around a vampire who's moved in and Garlic who is tasked with slaying it because, well, vampires hate garlic. The story is well-written and engaging. I really liked the art, which took on a lot of earth tones, which fit the theme well. A fun, quick read.

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Oh my god, this was the cutest thing I have ever read!! I love the idea of vegetables becoming sentient people, and the idea of a little garlic person facing a vampire alone!!! Like wow what an amazing genius idea!! Absolutely wonderful, 10/10.

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This was a quicker read than I was anticipating, but it was fun and cute and I enjoyed it immensely. Garlic is a vegetable charmed by a witch to help her in her garden. When the witch and her veggie helpers find out there's a vampire living in an abandoned castle nearby, Garlic is chosen to go and confront him. Garlic is anxious about her quest, because she feels she is being set up to fail; but when she arrives at the castle, she finds out the vampire isn't mean after all. The story is told in beautiful full-color spreads in warm shades of mostly green and brown, creating a cozy autumnal atmosphere which lends to the harvest themes in the book. An aspect of the book that really stuck out to me was the montage of images at the end, after the story's conclusion. I liked that Paulsen gave us a peek into the lives of the vegetables, the witch and the vampire after the main events of the story. This helped the ending avoid feeling overly preachy with its message of "don't judge a book by its cover." Bree Paulsen is an extremely talented storyteller and illustrator, and I look forward to reading more from her.

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For some reason I couldn't get the whole graphic novel pages to fit either my tablet or my computer. But what I did see of the story it was cute. The pictures and the girl were drawn beautifully. I look forward when it's published so I can read the whole thing!

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Garlic and the Vampire is in my opinion one of the best graphic novels written for younger readers to come out in the past decade. It tells the story of Garlic, who lives in a community of anthropomorphic vegetables created and cared for by Witch Agnes, a benevolent sorceress who teaches her vegetables the value of hard work and giving back to one’s community.

When we first meet Garlic, she is shy, passive, and timid. When a vampire is discovered to be living in the castle near their community, Garlic is decided to be the only one who can safely determine whether or not he is a threat to the humans who live in the village. She reluctantly decides to go despite her fears, knowing it’s the right thing to do.

Along the way she becomes braver, learning to rely on her own inner strength. When she finally confronts the count she learns that just because someone is different doesn’t always mean they’re to be feared, and that the best way to find out about someone else is to talk to them.

Garlic and the Vampire is due to be released on September 28th of this year and is now available to preorder wherever books are sold.

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A charming tale of bravery and of not judging others based on stereotypes. The art is gorgeous and very distinctive. I'm still a bit alarmed by the fact that anthropomorphic vegetables and fruits are helping to farm non-anthropomorphized versions of themselves to sell to villagers for food--enough so that it's lowering my score from a 5 to a 4.5, which I'm rounding down. That's a personal issue though, and I still very strongly recommend this book.

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Garlic has overslept again, and she’s late for her shift at Witch Agnes’s Market Day, where all of the local fruits and vegetables sell their harvest. Meanwhile, smoke drifts from the chimney of a distant castle, alerting the garden helpers that the spooky house isn’t vacant anymore. Witch Agnes reluctantly admits that the castle's new resident is very likely a vampire. Pointing out that garlic wards off vampires, Celery nominates timid Garlic to visit the castle and even Carrot (her father figure) agrees that she's the best one for the job. Hoping to prove her bravery – especially to herself – Garlic agrees to confront the vampire, and in the process discovers the beauty of an unexpected friendship. Author/illustrator Bree Paulsen’s digital artwork is rendered in earthy, woodsy tones that match the story’s setting. Each garden helper’s personality is delightfully distinctive: smug Celery, paternal Carrot, and of course endearingly nervous Garlic. This is a fun graphic novel for young readers who like their spooky stories with plenty of depth and heart.

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One of my favorite kinds of graphic novels are the ones that just make you feel deep emotions the entire time. I just felt so soft for Garlic and their attempts to just be the best they could be with deep anxiety. I laughed and cheered and “root”ed (pardon the pun) for Garlic until the last page!

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Garlic is an insecure little bulb who is picked by his vegetable friends (mainly celery) to go off to a once abandoned castle where a vampire now resides.

The artistry is excellent. I love the touch of whimsy in each character. Though the book is short, the character development is on point. You know the exact personality of each major character and you feel for little Garlic as she was trying so hard to be brave and go on her journey. This book was overall adorable and I will definitely recommend it to families.

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Garlic is an anthropomorphic bulb of garlic with an overwhelming amount of anxiety. She is late to work more often than she is on time and the work of socializing with the people around her is exhausting. She seems most at home in her garden, where she raises non-anthropomorphic bulbs of garlic to sell at market. She, along with other choice fruits and veggies, have been brought to life by the local witch to help farming, but as time has gone by, they have grown into individuals. When a vampire moves into an old abandoned house nearby, Garlic is chosen to prove her worth beyond her original utility and confront him.

The art is beautiful in this graphic novel and Garlic's anxiety is palpable. I loved the idea that once she has something to focus on other than herself, Garlic is able to function on a higher level than she thought was possible before, but I'm not sure that this was communicated as effectively as it could have been. It is a great little book for younger kids who are not ready for something really scary, but need something more than an easy reader.

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Oh! My! Goodness!!!! This was literally the cutest Graphic Novel EVER!

All the Characters from the Fruits & Veggies Flock were brought to life by Witch Agnes and grown from her very own garden to help her tend the crops. They all have different personalities and are Oh! So Adorable!

I loved Garlic & Carrot. You can definitely see a relationship heading their way in the future.

I need more in this story and more artwork from Bree Paulson, because the entire book is so beautiful!

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Garlic and the Vampire was one of the most adorable graphic novels I have ever read! The concept of a green witch who gave life to veggies so they could help grow in the garden literally had my inner fangirl squealing. I don’t normally squeal! The illustrations were beautiful and simple. Garlic and the Vampire is categorized as a children’s middle level story but I honestly think anybody would love it! It was such a feel good read!

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Cute little book teaching kids about bravery, friendship, and not judging others.
Local witch has created vegetables that farm their own type of veggie-hence Garlic. She is a scaredy cat who is worried about letting Witch down. Then a vampire moves in, and all the other veggies volunteer Garlic to go stake him since well, garlic is bad to vampires! But lo and behold, things don't go as planned and it becomes super cute and sweet.

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What a cute story! This was our first book to read by this author and we will definitely look for more! The characters are well developed and the storyline is amazing. Cannot recommend this story enough!

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A cute story about exploration and growing as a person. The artwork is cute, and very reminiscent of Over the Garden Wall.

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"World domination? Why would anyone ever think that’d be a good idea?"

The book is exactly like the cover. It's so cute and I love it. A village of vegetables, a blood-thirsty vampire who just moved to the village, and an anxious little Garlic who just wants to sleep in late and tend to her garden. Tell me that's not the cutest thing ever!

Garlic is the sweetest and most adorable little character. Yes, she has her fears but she doesn't let that stop her from putting on a brave face. Garlic might be small but she packs a powerful punch behind her strong message. She is my new hero!

Garlic and the Vampire was amazing with fantastic and colorful illustrations. You'll instantly fall in love with this mighty little garlic as she faces her fears, puts her anxiety aside, and puts on her big girl pants to help save her friends. This little garlic has a lot of heart and it makes the story that much more amazing. Everyone should read this tale!

Garlic can sit with us but Celery can't. He doesn't even go to this school!

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I really enjoyed this graphic novel and how the story progressed. The illustrations did a great job of telling the story. I liked the twist and the way the characters had the conflict. The character of Celery had so much nerve! I would love to hear kids perspective on this book. I think they would enjoy it and the drama.

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As someone with an anxiety disorder I truly loved this cute little tale. Though it is written for children, its illustrations can be enjoyed by all. I was little confused but entrained by the premise however the author managed to answer any questions I had about the plot. A quick read and I imagine it is even better to read during autumn and especially during October with our vampire theme.

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I wanted to read this graphic novel because I was intrigued by the title and the cover art. I was not expecting a sweet story offering an important lesson about getting to know someone before judging them. I like the story, and I think it is best suited for upper elementary and middle school students.

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