Garlic feels as though she’s always doing something wrong. At least with her friend Carrot by her side and the kindly Witch Agnes encouraging her, Garlic is happy to just tend her garden, where it’s nice and safe.

But when her village of vegetable folk learns that a bloodthirsty vampire has moved into the nearby castle, they all agree that, in spite of her fear and self-doubt, Garlic is the obvious choice to confront him. And with everyone counting on her, Garlic reluctantly agrees to face the mysterious vampire, hoping she has what it takes.

After all, garlic drives away vampires…right?

This was a fun, magical, and creative story about a sweet character, Garlic. I thought the concept of enchanted vegetables coming to life and living like humans was very imaginative and whimsical. We learn that a witch named Agnes brought them to life and cares for them. They are kind of like her children, and they help her tend to her garden and sell her vegetables at the local farmer’s market. I enjoyed the found family element and close-knit community vibes. 

When Garlic is chosen to drive away their new vampire neighbor, we see how brave she is in spite of her anxiety and nervousness. It had some great messages about mental health and overcoming your fears. It’s also about communication and forcing yourself to talk to someone to understand them better. 

I enjoyed the illustrations and style of the artwork. There were a lot of panels with just the graphics, which were nice to admire. The ratio of word bubbles to the art was perfect. The artwork really was shown through in this novel, which I appreciated. 

It felt very wholesome until I noticed some reviewers praising it for queer representation. I didn’t remember reading that content, so I had to go back and comb through it, and sure enough, there is ONE very subtle word bubble, where Garlic calls her friend Carrot, they. So it used they/them pronouns. Which I was confused by because one, they are all vegetables, they don’t really have genders, but two, in this case, where they are humanized, Carrot clearly was portrayed as a boy. Once again, certain agendas are being pushed onto little kids and unsuspecting parents. Notice this publishing trend with graphic novels yet? 

Overall, it was a very cozy, quick read as well. It was perfect for the fall season and Spooky Season/Halloween.