Author and artist Svetlana Chmakova is best known for her best selling Dramacon manga series. Her latest manga series is called Nightschool: The Weirn Books. Last night, I finished the first volume of this new manga series that seems like a sure hit for those who love paranormal and fantasy mangas. 


Description (from the back cover): Schools may lock up for the night, but class is in session for an entirely different set of students. In the Nightschool, vampires, werewolves, and weirns (a particular breed of witches) learn the fundamentals of everything from calculus to spell casting. Alex is a young weirn whose education has always been handled through homeschooling, but circumstances seem to be drawing her closer to the Nightschool. Will Alex manage to weather the dark forces gathering?


Review: I first saw Nightschool on ALA's list of great graphic novels for teens list a few years ago and had put the first two books in my to be read pile. Overall, I think this series has potential and will likely get a pretty decent following, however, I did have trouble reading it. In the first volume, there are many characters and multiple story lines involving the Hunters, evil monsters called Rippers, and other students that are not will introduced. Before my questions could be answered after finishing a chapter, I had more as I finished the volume. It was as if only the author and artist along with the characters knew what was going on. Needless to say, the various plotlines lead to a jumbled, confusing narrative. I was so confused that I didn't know how to describe the story. Chmakova's artistic skill is displayed very well in her black-and-white illustrations of creepy locations like the darkened school, cemetery, and the appearences of rogue vampires called Rippers. I will try the second volume of this series to see if any of my problems are resolved.


Rating: 3 stars


Words of Caution: There is mild language and the violence in the book is PG-13. Should be okay for 8th graders and up.


If you like this book try: Night School Volume 2