I received this book from TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange of an honest review!

I have had my eyes on this book for a while so I was definitely excited when I could be part of the Tour and review the book! I mean, that premise! Roller derby but darker because vampires! And witches!

In this one we start with Mina going to an audition/competition and things go all the way wrong (poor Mina, I just felt for her and I wish her mom would see that what she is doing is not OK) and then go even more wrong when Mina gets kidnapped! Yes! To vampires! Who apparently run a roller derby team to survive and need humans to complete their team (which I still don’t entirely get, but hey I will roll with it). I loved seeing how well Mina fitted with the team and how hard she worked to get over her fear of falling, getting kick-ass with each new page, getting more stamina (because roller derby is way more intense than ice skating it seems), befriend people in her team (not just the human player but also the vampires). Plus, I loved seeing Mina grow in other parts as well. We see her think back to how she started ice skating, how big her dreams were, but were they entirely her dreams? I loved seeing her discover a new love that still involves the skating that she likes but just without a lot of pressure and parenting hovering. Mina was really a fun character and I was just rooting for her to discover a new side of hers and to feel free after so many years of being thrown into practices, competitions, and more.

The roller derby was such a thrill! It is a sport I would definitely kinda like to check out. Not sure if it is as big as it is in the US, but who knows. Maybe I should check things out. Though without the vampires please. Haha.

I liked to meet all the teens on the roller derby and see their pronouns + so many being LGBT.

Oh, and I just love the dash of romance between Mina and Val! I loved seeing them get closer. They really were cute together and I found myself rooting for these two to get together!

Bonus points as well to the ending (which made me smile and now I need another book, I am happy that Mina decided for this, it fits so well with her and the development she went through in this book), the cute doggo (Bruise Wayne who was just the sweetest and well just a dash bit demonic, teehee), what happens before the ending and which was just drawn so epically, Val saying a Dutch saying/proverb just made me smile so much, oh and the referee ghosts at the derby were just fantastic and I love the diversity not just your normal standard ghost but even one with a hijab.

And of course, all the points to the art! I just love how the vampires were drawn and how the colours used fitted the right scenes and the vampires stuff so perfectly.

HOWEVER, I did NOT like how humans were kidnapped for the roller derby team. It just felt off/weird and not OK. I would have rather have them go to kids who are good at skating (either roller or ice) if they wanted to join a superduper fun team with danger and excitement. Let these kids themselves choose if they want to be part or not. Because hey, the roller derby team does contact the parents with some make-up excuse so I just don’t get why the kidnapping. I am sure there are kids enough who would LOVE to be part of something like this.

Oh, and I was so confused when Mina at one point had way shorter hair yet I didn’t see her doing any cutting of it. I think that would have been such a cool moment to add. See her cut it off, celebrate her freedom/celebrate that she found something new to love.

But all in all, I really enjoyed this one! There is action, excitement, great character development, a dash of romance, fab art, and roller derby!

This was so good! We have vampire roller derby, witches, ghost referees, queer characters, and so much more! We follow Mina who is an ice skater with Olympic dreams. But those dreams aren't really hers. After a pretty bad injury she is kidnapped by the vampire roller derby team, the Blood City Rollers, to jam for them. I loved the plot of this and I really enjoyed the artwork. I will 100% be reading the second book in this series as soon as it's released! I can't wait!

🖤 This was absolutely fangtastic! 🖤

Blood City Rollers is a wonderful journey of growing up, loosing your way, finding yourself and the power of friendship - all wrapped up in a mysterious undead roller derby competition!

🛼 Roller Derby
🧛🏻‍♀️ Vampires
🛍️ Abandoned Mall
🗺️ Finding Your Way
🫶 Friendship
👻 Paranormal
🐾 Adorable Companion
🥇 Competition
🔍 Mystery

From the amazing artwork to the compelling storyline, Blood City Rollers was a 🦇 bat-tastic 🦇 good time! I absolutely loved this graphic novel and can’t wait to see what happens in Vol. 2!

Thank you so much to @tbrbeyondtours for the advanced copy!

Mina has always had one goal: qualifying for the Olympics ice-skating team. During a big competition, she falls and seems to lose her big chance to move closer to her dream. Mina did not know she has been being watched, and after her epic fail, she is kidnapped by a vampire roller derby team looking to fill the requirement of a having one human on their team.

Good graphic novel edition to middle school collections; could be appropriate for upper elementary, but does contain some more mature themes.

Ok, this was super creative, fun to read, with awesome characters and the theme is a great niche. I was always in love with roller skating and ice skating competitions, and I love that the character loves it too. She doesn't feel happy in the ice skating world, the competition and the lack of friends make her feel unwelcome, but it's not the case among vampires who compete in Roller Derby. We're introduced to their rules and it's fun. The team is awesome and I love all the side stories as well. My favorite character is Val Halla the captain of the Vamps team, and my favorite human is Mina.
Very cool colors and artwork for this story. Congrats to the author and illustrator.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc.

✨ Review ✨ Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson; illustrated by Tatiana Hill

Thanks to TBR and Beyond, Random House Children's, Labyrinth Road and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

✅ Middle Grades graphic novel with strong female characters
✅ Queer representation via diverse pronouns and f/f crushes
✅ Vampires
✅ Roller Derby

This was such a fun mix of elements as 13-year-old Mina is swept up by a team a vampire roller derby to be their jammer (which has to be held by a human). She goes to live with them in an old abandoned mall, while the team helps her convert her ice skating skills into roller derby skills.

I loved the boldly colorful illustrations, the human-vampire friendships/found family elements, and the subtle but present queer representation. All-in-all this was a super fun middle grades graphic novel that preteens through adults can enjoy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: middle grades graphic novel
Pub Date: April 9, 2024

✨Playlist for Blood City Rollers✨
1. Flowers by Miley Cyrus
2. Maneater by Lady Gaga
3. Independent Women by Destiny’s Child
4. Blank Space by Taylor Swift
5. Run the World (Girls) by Beyoncé
6. Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo

I think students will like the paranormal aspects of the story. I like the premise and messaging and the artwork is very appealing--the plot has a few holes and confusing instances that unfortunately would need to be remedied before I considered purchasing.

One thing that confused me was if Mina bitten or not. This part was very unclear--while there is a panel that shows Mina's arm against the mouth of the monster that grabs her, It's still not quite clear who or what the monster is. Is it a vampire? Or some other monster? She falls and Val seems to save her, but then has to bite her? That part isn't clear--obviously they wiped her mind in some way, yet she still remembers her time with the team. The story as a whole feels unfinished and could benefit from filling in some gaps. I hope that there is a second volume that fills in information about the Blood City Rollers and their abilities.

This was a decent first book in a series. I think that there is more that can be answered and explored in the later issues and I can not wait for that. I think that this has the potential to be a favorite of all time.

I think that the characters had flaws but that is what made them feel real because of their flaws and that were showcased throughout this book. I do love the potential that the characters have to grow. Especially the main character. I really enjoyed her story the most of all and where it is going. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next with the story.

I enjoyed the non binary rep in this story and think that it was something that I enjoy reading about. Especially when it seems like it is represented accurately. I do think that is what I enjoy reading books by author(s) that are non-binary because of the fact that the community can have an accurate representation of what non binary is even if its not the same for everyone who is non binary. Non Binaries can read this and possibly feel seen.

Wasnt the biggest fan of vampires kidnapping humans but I think that they were just trying to do what was best for them so that way they wouldnt get caught by the humans.

Oh my goodness, this graphic novel is so fun!!! When an injury crushes Mina’s hard work ice-skating and her Olympic sized goals, she is kidnapped by a Vampire gang of roller derby gals (who identify with their proper pronouns, nice job)! Amidst the normal middle school pressures, Mina pushes her strength and herself in this paranormal league to learn a new sport with new friends. The graphics are stellar and so bright!!! The story is one that will captivate readers of all ages!

Review is posted on Goodreads. Instagram post is scheduled for April 12th with a mood board for book tour with tbr and beyond.

I feel bad giving this one 3 stars because at the end of the day it just wasn’t meant for me. I enjoy middle grade books, I enjoy graphic novels, but maybe middle grade graphic novels just aren’t for me. The writing and humor were super juvenile (which hello, that’s the point of middle grade) but not in a way that was enjoyable for me as an adult reader. I think this would obviously be better for an actual middle grade reader. The art was beautiful though and I appreciate the diverse cast of characters.

3.5 for the writing, 5 for the COLORS & some killer panels

Mina (I see you, Dracula reference) gets plucked from the dismal death of her ice skating career dreams to be the human jammer on a paranormal roller derby team of femme and nonbinary vampires. Why is she picked as “the one”, after two paranormal scouts saw her ice routine? We have no idea, and it’s not terribly convincing. But, as Mina thinks in one panel, “So…when life gives you vampire roller derby…I guess…roll with it?” I got hung up on some of the plot holes (or lack of explanations) the first time through and appreciated it more the second, for things like

*the abandoned Romania Mall where the team lives, for having stores named ‘Cots, Clocks, and Socks’, ‘Shoe Canoe’, and ‘Big Fuss’

*player derby names Val Halla, Lilith Fair, Meta Fizzick, Queen of Wands. Player pronouns listed on their lineup

*queer aesthetic; something feels queer about the camaraderie and way the players care for each other. Representation of different kinds of bodies. And haircuts.

*the COLORS; they will drench you

*the practical description of how roller derby works, moves, positions, almost manual-like in the midst of the action

*the chemistry between Val Halla and Mina, as told by the illustrations and not the text

*some real talk about belonging, confidence, living out someone else’s dream for you and leaving it

————————interestingly, this is (at least) the third middlegrade graphic novel out this spring with a girl protagonist who cracks under and breaks free of the yoke of her mother’s career ambitions for her (Curveball, Prodigy Camp) I enjoyed this far more than the other two, but it’s still not one I’ll go out of my way to recommend (outside of to fellow queers who might be able to overlook its shortcomings for the queer treats)

Thanks due to #netgalley for the digital ARC.

(Also posted to Goodreads)

As always, thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy !

This took me some time to get through. I enjoyed the premise of it though there were times where it felt like an info dump, and then lore dump and then just minor confusion with character relationships.

Blood City Rollers follows 13 year old Mina as she gets sucked into roller derby with vampires! Mina’s goal is to be an Olympic gold medalist for ice skating, after breaking her arm during an important competition, she gets kidnapped by vampires on roller skates and used to fill their human player spot.

The book itself was enjoyable and I loved watching Mina grow and realize what she wants and come into herself more. There was a lot of representation as well on all kind of fronts. Something I enjoyed is that it showed how to still excel at something even when you’re not full good at it. Mina was great when it came to skating in general but still had a hard time keeping up with her teammates. This didn’t then become some magical “omg I can do it” moment and I really enjoyed that.

Blood City Rollers is a fun middle grade graphic novel about a vampire roller derby team and the human they recruit to be their jammer. Lots of bold colors in the illustrations and the promise of a sequel. Purchase where paranormal middle grade graphic novels are popular.

The concept of roller derby vampires will draw middle grade readers in, but the plot holes and lack of distinctive character illustrations could leave some readers of this graphic novel confused. The beginning of the book was compelling as we meet Mina, an Olympic-level figure skater who catches the attention of a group of roller derby vampires. The rule of their roller derby league requires a human jammer; this prompts the kidnapping of Mina, who is scared, but not terrified and who (too?) easily agrees to be a part of the team. Once Mina is with the vamps, many issues are touched upon: Mina's feelings of alienation from her figure-skating teammates as she is pushed to be the best, jealousy, crushes, fear of rejection. Roller derby is explained though for those unfamiliar with the sport, it might be too little due to all of the roller derby lingo used throughout the book. Mina's absence from home is covered with a phone call from a "camp" - a thin explanation for a family that has invested so much in a child. I was never really invested in the interpersonal relationships on the team and found the style of having Mina's internal thoughts set into rectangular boxes unclear. Readers with strong inference skills and who appreciate supernatural characters will appreciate this one. The ending promises more to come.

Fun middle grade with interesting illustrations - lots of bold color - but I found some of the story elements confusing. It wasn't bad, there was a just a lot going on and I wasn't sure why it was happening.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review though Netgalley.)

-- 3.5 stars --

"Friends come and go. But teammates are forever ... Especially if most of them are undead."

Romanian tween Mina is under immense pressure from her parents to qualify for the Olympics. But, when she wipes out in a most spectacular fashion during a competition, her dreams are shattered - along with her arm. Mina's identity has been wrapped up in ice skating for as long as she can remember; who is she without it?

Mina has precious little time for self-reflection before she's kidnapped and conscripted into the Vamps - just one of many teams competing in the Blood City Paranormal Roller Derby. Each team is comprised of one human jammer, who plays alongside her extra-human teammates. Led by their hundreds-year-old captain Val, the Vamps are - you guessed it - vampires. With ghost judges looking on, they go up against all manner of supernatural foes, from witches to werewolves.

But this seemingly fun game has a much darker underbelly - the teams are literally playing for their lives, since getting dropped from the ranking makes you a nomad without union protection. Can Mina learn to trust her teammates and play nice with others, after a lifetime spent viewing other athletes as competitors?

BLOOD CITY ROLLERS is a fun middle-grade graphic novel about vampires, roller derby, self-confidence, and letting go - with a sapphic romance thrown in for good measure. (This is an all-girls' team, after all!) Think: ROLLERGIRLS meets BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER with a dash of VIKINGS. (What can I say, Val is giving strong teenage Lagertha vibes.) Overall I enjoyed it but it did start to drag a little in the middle - I feel like it could have been ~30 pages shorter. The messages sometimes feel a bit heavy-handed but are admittedly age-appropriate (at 45 years young, I'm not quite in the target audience lol).

I was surprised to find that the story ended with a cliffhanger - I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series.

Sort of Jamieson's Roller Girl or Rosewaters' Kenzie Kick Starts a Team mixed with Pauley's Sucks to Be Me or Rees' Vampire High. Interesting concept, and definitely unusual!

This book is a fabulous middle grade graphic novel giving Roller Girl mixed with Beetle & the Hollowbones. It’s spooky and brimming with femme and them energy with positive messages of perseverance, community, and identity. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

I absolutely loved this one! The concept was so fun, the illustrations were really dynamic and overall it was just super queer, all around good vibes! I loved the cliffhanger and can't wait for the next volume in this bloody fun series!

A spirited tale of finding one's self with vampires and roller derby, oh my!

When vampires "recruit" Mina to skate for their roller derby team, she is thrust into a nightly world she never knew existed. The vampires don't need Mina's blood, rather, they need her talented skating skills to win their championship match to keep their paranormal safety status. Mina is an excellent student, learning the rules of roller derby and about the vampires she comes to see as friends, as family. Characters are wildly vibrant and are inclusively introduced with their pronouns. The colors of the graphic novel are darker shades of pinks and purple that highlight the darkness of the mall, where they stay, and the action-packed scenes.

This is a fun and informational read (I didn't know much about roller derby) that folks who love reading about sports and the paranormal will enjoy!