I really loved this! I loved the art (I'm a huge fan of Sarah Winifred Searle's art work, so that's not a surprise!!), the story and the whole vibe. I loved getting little vampire lore drops without the book feeling exposition heavy or like it was slowing down the story. I loved the relationship between the main characters and that they were able to recognize when they needed a breather (and also that the little exchange they had set up was probably not a super healthy basis for a relationship). Honestly, I just really, really enjoyed this whole story. The cover and description had me a tiny bit worried that this was going to be a dark story, maybe exploring toxic relationships, but it really isn't that at all! It's a soft, sweet love story and I just enjoyed the whole thing!

The Sweetness Between US by Sarah Winifred Searle
🧛‍♀️🧛‍♀️🧛‍♀️/5
Want something vampy, but more sweet than spooky for your next Halloween read? Check out this new release!

If you like a graphic novel with the pacing of a slice-of-life, themes of self-aceptance, friendship, and grief, you should check this one out. I personally didn’t love the pacing, but if you’re more of a journey-over-destination reader, it might be for you. I really adored the exploration of friendship and love, and the side characters (esp. Grumble) fully have my heart. There were also some really lovely scrapbook vibes at the end, which were adorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked the premise of this one: a diabetic with dyscalculia, and on a budget, and a vegan vampire that loves sports and being outside in general. I found it interesting how they could benefit from each other but also needed to see if there was more to their relationship. I love everything that SW Searle has written and this was another unique story with beautiful art.

3.5 stars

Perley and Amandine find themselves starting junior year behind their classmates, due to separate health problems. Perley was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and Amandine was recently turned into a vampire. As the two start to grow closer, they realize maybe they can help each other, since Amandine can taste Perley’s blood sugar levels. When their friendship starts to turn into a romance, things start to get complicated. Will their lives ever get back to normal?

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for an advanced copy of The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle to review! I loved her first graphic novel, The Greatest Thing, and the premise of this one intrigued me. You don’t see a lot of YA featuring a protagonist with diabetes, so I’m glad this book exists! Especially with some of the topics it brings up about affording healthcare in the US.

The beginning is a bit slow, and I think some of the world needed fleshing out at the beginning. Especially the fact that vampires are an accepted thing in this world. Made me wonder if there are other magical creatures as well? I don’t think this is outlined anywhere else, and that would have helped with the clarity. Adding some of that right at the beginning would have cleared up some confusion.

However, this does have an interesting cast of characters that covers a whole spectrum of things. Even though there is a supernatural element, Perley and Amandine’s relationship reflects teen relationships in general, especially ones that might get too serious too quickly. I liked the way that was spelled out, but with the whole vampire/blood sucking thing instead. Made for an interesting read!

The art style wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t poorly done, either. The colors really pop, and there are some moments I’d be interested in seeing in the final version.

All in all, not a bad YA graphic novel, especially if you like new takes on vampires!

*reviewed through uncorrected eARC via netgalley

teen graphic novel (publisher suggested age range 14-18) - 11th graders Perley Culpepper (Jewish boy who knits and lives on a farm with a mini pony, newly diagnosed with diabetes) and Amandine "Mandy" Lavigne (a vegan newly converted to a vampire by her family after nearly dying from a car accident) return to school after a long absence and become close friends during their shared "catch up" period. Set in the fictional small progressive town of Wohoa, Maine; author is nonbinary (they/them).

This was fun--I loved seeing vampires, werewolves, nonbinary people, POCs, etc. all be accepted and welcomed by their peers without fuss (though vampire harassment, typically men approaching females on the street, is certainly an issue in this story). And I loved that Mandy's special vampire first aid training lets her be a reliable gauge for Perley's insulin when he worries about the costs of his dwindling supply of strips. Every turn of the page seemed to bring a fun new surprise--Perley wants to knit his own promwear! Mandy feels self-conscious in her sungear, but also completely rocks it!

Tons of positive vibes from this, I loved that the teens are able to find support groups with other young people to help them get through the separate challenges they struggle with, and Perley and Mandy make a cute (and yes, sweet) couple to ship. 🤩❤️❤️❤️

I love this premise- a newly made vampire and newly diagnose diabetic get placed in a study group together to catch up on the school work they missed while recovering from their new conditions. The pair quickly become friends and explore their new normal through romance, blood tastes, and more.

I was really curious to read the synopsis for this, and I have to say bravo. This is such a fun, clever spin on the vampire story. Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for giving me an Advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This new YA graphic novel by Sarah Winifred Searle that is releasing in October this year is about a boy dealing with a chronic illness who forms a fast friendship with a girl who was turned into a vampire. They both are struggling with school due to their newly developed conditions, and since they are struggling, they have found new ways to help each other, and maybe school won’t be so bad after all with each other by their sides.

This graphic novel really was adorable. Perley and Amandine are deemed “not normal” but together they end up trying to find out how this new normal with their chronic illnesses will look. They discover new friendships, new classes, new hobbies, and overall just trying to figure out how to fit in with what they have going on with themselves (and each other). I think that this graphic novel definitely had some good representation for those trying to discover who they are as a person (whether it be self identity, chronic illness, sexuality, and etc) and how they can have life changing things happen but also know how to deal with it in a good and healthy way, and who they can reach out to in their times of need.
It was a very sweet and cute novel, and I am giving it 4 stars ⭐️

Perley was out of school due to diabetes which he's having a hard time managing both from the math aspect of tracking blood sugar to the costs. Amandine was turned into a vampire and while she's aware she is having a second chance at life, it comes with a cost and she's barely managing. Both Perley and Amandine meet in tutoring to catch them up as they were both out at the same time for health issues that threatened them. When Perley and Amandine find that their experiences are relatable,they connect. Then they experiment with her tracking his blood sugar and getting a little blood, their relationship blooms even more.

This is sweet love story between a teen vampire (with a whole set of laws and rules to follow) and a knitting, hippie farming boy with diabetes. Both are struggling to figure out their new realities. As they work things out together, they find that maybe they need something more and have to turn to the adults in their lives. It's a great story about finding out who we are after a diagnosed chronic illness as well as exploring who we can be. The story was fluid. The art fantastic (I've been a follower of Sarah Winifred Searle for a while). Teen readers will find something to relate to in this work and it'll give them a moment's pause as they determine who they are. Absolutely recommend. Must have.

I liked parts of this, especially the diverse representation of race, gender and sexuality, and disability. There were also some little jokes I enjoyed. Overall, though, it just didn't grab me, and it wasn't really my art style. Not for me, but I'm sure it's for someone!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I think that the story is very sweet and the character growth and relationships are great. My only issue is that a lot of pages are really text-heavy, which kind of took me out of the graphic novel aspect of the book and into more of a grown-up picture book. Overall I really really liked this book.

It's Sarah Winifred Searle, of course I loved this graphic novel. The Sweetness Between Us is a unique paranormal romance between teen vampire Amandine and Perley, a recently diagnosed diabetic. who is struggling with the financial impact his medication causes. As the two catch up on missed classwork together, they build a bond on their otherness and difficulties resuming normal teen lives after massive life events. After a car accident, Amandine's vampire relatives decided to turn her much earlier than is accepted in society. Even though she's alive, she's had to give up so many things she loves and feels isolated. Perley is burdened with guilt as his family struggles with the cost of his hospital bills and ongoing medical costs for diabetic supplies. The Sweetness Between Us beautifully depicts the realities of disability, the tinge of darkness that comes with young love after tragedy, and the joy of rediscovering yourself and building a new future.

What happens when a newly made vampire and a newly diabetic teen get stuck in make up class together. You get this book. Two teenagers coming back from a medical absence in school are required to work together in a special class until they’re ready to be back in the main class. And while they suffer from two very different things, they find friendship and kinship in their abilities and disabilities. This book was, almost too sweet. It ran a little long. Also in the beginning, there was a bit of confusion. The art is OK, but the artist draws almost all their men like women, so I went in thinking I was getting a novel and it’s not. I’m not just saying the main character I mean almost all the men are drawn feminine. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it did make things a little confusing in the beginning when the story relied more on the pictures in the words. This book was good but not will be talking about in 20 years.

This was such a cute take on a vampire x human relationship! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

In my time of reading vampire stories, I think I’ve rarely read about female vampires, especially black female vampires so I was stoked when I saw the artwork. Also, having a character with a chronic illness was a refreshing take. I adored watching the two of them grow close while also cheering one another on. I thought the break they took was needed and only served to make them stronger in the end.

The backstory into the vampires and the history of the location the story took place in was super cool and made me feel even more immersed in the story. While the story as a whole isn’t a complex tale at all, I thought it was a cute slice of life comic that I’d highly recommend. I loved every bit of this story and adored the art and colors.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. I think it would made a great addition to anyone's graphic novel collection.

I quite enjoyed this book. As someone who is also chronicly ill I am always glad to see representation in media. I will say I do not have the illness depicted in this book so please check out reviews by reviews who have more knowledge about this illness. I also must say I was born with my condition so I have no idea what it feels like to have an illness develope later and completely change your life.
Now I have enjoyed seeing the change in "monster" media where we are using these creatures as metaphors for chronic illness as I sometimes find its more acceptable to others. This book did an excellent job of doing this having the vampire character having chronic exhaustion as well as being a vampire.
I also loved how diverse this book was in general. So many characters were queer and we see multiple disabled characters and characters of different races as well. Overall this was a really bright and uplifting book. I definitely enjoyed it and would love to see more by this author.

I LOVED this read. I really wasn't expecting more than a romance, but the depth that came with dealing with diabetes while also dealing with vampirism in a similar way was really really cool. It was a comforting read.

This is an awesome YA graphic novel about vampires, romance, and fitting in (or becoming comfortable with NOT fitting in) as a teenager. I loved the vampire stuff, to be sure, but the diabetes rep and the discussions of the US healthcare system and how horrific it is were an unexpected pleasure to discover here. It's certainly not a fluffy read, but that's always true for Searle's books. The darker depth is well-balanced with joy and fun, though.

This was a cute premise - a boy recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes befriends a newly turned vampire and eventually the two fall in love. While the cover is gorgeous, I wasn't a huge fan of the interior artwork. I actually thought the MMC was a girl for the longest time! Great disability rep and story but mediocre art for my tastes. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A boy dealing with chronic illness finds a new friend in a vampire classmate... and together a sweet romance blooms. Perley has had to take time off school because he was diagnosed with diabetes over the summer and now has to catch up with school. When he's joined by another student, Amandine, a vampire, together they begin to sweet friendship that begins to turn into something more. Amandine is dealing with the struggles of being a recently turned vampire and what it means for her to adjust to a new lifestyle. Both of them are going through new struggles but together they'll get through it. This was a really cute read and I enjoyed the characters' journeys and how they fell in love. It's an overall really sweet read and I had fun with it. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a cute paranormal romance with a bit of coming of age and fun family and friends characters. The artwork is really cute too!

*Thanks Netgalley and First Second Books, First Second for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*