Children of the Night (When Monsters Wake Book 1) - by Victoria Setian

Book Synopsis

One of Publisher's Weekly Top 10 Comics for Fall 2025!

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?

Review Quotes

"Ganucheau's illustrations flow well, with art that is appealing yet suitable to the horror story...This modern Dracula retelling is packed with plenty of mystery for readers to sink their fangs into."

-- "School Library Journal"

"[R]iveting debut...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."

-- "Booklist"

"[C]lever graphic novel debut...Movement-filled illustrations with moody color palettes by Ganucheau (Turtle in Paradise) amplify tonal plot shifts between dark vampiric intrigue and low-stakes interpersonal drama."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Setian's debut is well-paced and fun...The story realistically portrays high school crushes and drama, delightfully updating Bram Stoker's characters as modern teens. Ganucheau's moody artwork is visceral and evocative, making strong use of the natural setting. A compelling and atmospheric modern take on a classic horror story."

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

About the Author

Victoria Setian started her career in Gotham City, specifically the third floor of DC Comics in the heart of New York City. Her writing chops eventually landed her a role on the DC interactive team, and since then she's continued her crossover work with credits including the Batman: Arkham series, Mortal Kombat X, and Just Cause 4. She's a game developer conference speaker and NYU Game Center Incubator advisor, and she helped pilot the Girl Scouts Game Design patch with Women in Games International. When she's not tinkering on her next project, she's hanging with her family or practicing Armenian folk dance. Savanna Ganucheau is a comic artist from New Orleans. She coauthored her first graphic novel, Bloom, with Kevin Panetta in 2019. Bloom received a distinction from the Junior Library Guild, a GLAAD Award nomination, and Amazon's pick for Best Graphic Novel of 2019. In 2021, she adapted the novel Turtle in Paradise into the graphic novel format. Ganucheau has been creating comics since she was in third grade, and self-published her work in local comic book shops throughout high school. She has also contributed to comic series such as Adventure Time, Lumberjanes, Jem and the Holograms, and The Backstagers.