2025
WISE Score
Amazon
Puberty is weird enough without losing your fangs; this graphic novel nails the awkwardness of growing up—even for the undead.
4.9
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Marker Snyder delivers a graphic novel that actually gets what it's like to be a 'weird' kid. It uses the vampire thing as a smart lens for puberty and self-acceptance without being preachy.
It’s funny, a bit bloody (in a cartoon way), and totally sincere. If your kid is currently navigating the 'everything is awkward' phase of life, they'll find a lot to like here. It's a quick, high-quality read that feels modern and relevant.
This is a bullseye for the 9-13 crowd. It hits all the middle-school milestones—crushes, body changes, and friendship drama—with just enough vampire flair to keep it interesting.
It handles the messy reality of middle-school emotions with a lot of heart. The focus is on self-acceptance and navigating family pressure rather than just supernatural tropes.
Using a vampire losing his fangs as a dead-on metaphor for the awkwardness of puberty is a clever, relatable spin on the genre.
It's a middle-grade graphic novel. While there's mention of blood—he is a vampire, after all—it's handled in a way that's appropriate for the target age group without being scary or gory.
The story leans hard into identity and the struggle of meeting family expectations, providing great mirror moments for kids who feel like they don't quite fit the mold.
Most vampire stories focus on the thirst for blood, but Marker Snyder is more interested in the thirst for belonging. By the time kids hit middle school, their bodies are essentially betraying them in real time. Teeth fall out, voices crack, and suddenly everyone has an opinion on how you should act. Ivan, our protagonist, just happens to be going through this while navigating a family of "traditional" vampires who expect him to be way more menacing than he actually is.
We see a lot of coming-of-age stories that try to use magic as a stand-in for growing up, but they often feel forced. First Kiss with Fangs succeeds because it leans into the physicality of the change. Losing "baby fangs" is a genius move. It’s a literal loss of power and identity that mirrors how clumsy and toothless—sometimes literally—the 11-to-13-year-old window feels.
The conflict isn't about world-ending stakes or ancient prophecies. It’s about the friction between Ivan’s "human-loving" nature and the rigid expectations of his family. That’s a universal tension for any kid who feels like they’re the "weird" one in the house.
The art here isn't trying to be a dark, moody DC comic. It’s wholesome and funky, using a color palette that makes the "vampire" elements feel like a style choice rather than a threat. Critics have pointed out how the dark tones make the red spots—like fruit and, yes, a little blood—stand out on the page. It’s a smart way to keep the book feeling modern without losing that gothic flair.
If your kid is already deep into the middle grade graphic novel explosion, they’ll recognize this vibe immediately. It sits comfortably next to titles like Fake Blood or the Raina Telgemeier books, offering a gateway for readers who want something a little edgier than a school-bus drama but aren't ready for full-blown horror.
An Amazon score of 4.9 is rare for a graphic novel in this genre. Usually, you see parents or critics dinging these books for being too "simple" or having "rude" humor. The high marks here suggest that Snyder found the sweet spot. It’s a story that respects the reader's intelligence. It handles the "first crush" angle with actual sincerity instead of making it a punchline.
It’s also a great pick for "reluctant readers." The panels are clean and the pacing is fast, which is exactly what you want when you’re trying to compete with a phone for a 12-year-old’s attention. It’s a quick win that actually leaves them with something to think about regarding identity and self-acceptance.
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