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Children of the Night

(When Monsters Wake: Book 1)

A thrilling, spine-chilling YA graphic novel from debut author Victoria Setian and Bloom artist Savanna Ganucheau—a modern spin on the classic horror novel Dracula

Mina Murray is followed by death—at least, that’s the rumor in her small town of New Whitby. An aspiring photojournalist, she has a knack for finding herself in unsettling situations to find interesting shots, like on the deck of the recently crashed boat the Demeter. While exploring the wreckage, Mina comes across large cases of dirt and debris—and the decaying body of the ship’s captain.

Intrigued by the ghastly scene, Mina tries to unearth more information about the abandoned ship, the captain, and the missing crew. Instead, she finds herself roped into her high school’s newspaper club covering the big school dance her BFF, Lucy, is coordinating. It’s a major bummer, but all might not be too bad if it gets her closer to Jon, her crush and guitarist for the local punk band the Romeros.

But instead of catching Jon’s eye, Mina enters the orbit of Raf, the brooding (and frankly, hot) transfer student who has everyone under his thrall. As Raf’s popularity grows and the dance draws near, sinister events begin to shake the core of the school: The head of the newspaper club gains an unseemly appetite for flies. Jon is getting close to Raf. And Lucy falls ill . . . with strange puncture wounds on her neck. Mina starts to suspect that new student is hiding a dark and terrible secret . . . but will she be able to figure it out before it’s too late?

A book cover showing a young woman in a red hat. Behind her blood drips from a fanged mouth.

PRAISE

Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 YA Comics for Fall ’25
“A compelling and atmospheric modern take on a classic horror story.”Kirkus Reviews
“A new vampire era springs to eternal afterlife in Setian’s clever graphic novel debut, inspired by Dracula.”Publisher’s Weekly
“This series starter will have readers excited to see what’s ­coming next: the flow of story and art make it a real ­page-turner…This modern ­reimagination of Dracula ­allows a new ­generation to relate to the classic tale.”School Library Journal
“This riveting debut graphic novel from a video game developer delivers a modern take on Dracula starring an endearing group of friends. One rainy night, high school student Mina witnesses a mysterious ship crash into the coast of her small town. Armed with her grandmother’s old mechanical camera and an insatiable curiosity for the unknown and abandoned, she steps aboard. But Mina can’t forget the body she sees on the ship or ignore the unsettling charisma of Raf, the new red-eyed student from Romania. This graphic novel pulls double duty, not only offering gruesome yet stunning illustrations of wide-mouthed, fanged creatures from classic gothic literature but also tying everything into a heartwarming story of teens navigating the highs and lows of their own friendships, crushes, and identities. These well rounded and lovable characters, along with a promise of further mysteries to unravel, will have readers ravenous for the next installment. For fans of all things horror and readers seeking a more inclusive cast of characters.”Booklist