The Night Wanderer: A Graphic Novel

A mesmerizing blend of vampire thriller and coming-of-age story-now available as a graphic novel. Newcomers to the Otter Lake native reserve don't go unnoticed for long. So it's no surprise that 16-year-old Tiffany's curiosity is piqued when her father rents out her room to a complete stranger. But little do Tiffany, her father, or even her insightful Granny Ruth suspect the truth about their guest. The mysterious Pierre L'Errant has a dreadful secret. After centuries roaming Europe as a brooding vampire, he has returned home to reclaim his Native roots before facing the rising sun and certain death. Meanwhile, Tiffany is deeply troubled-she doubts her boyfriend is being faithful, has escalating disputes with her father, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else. Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush. There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L'Errant changes everything as Pierre introduces Tiffany to her proud Native heritage. For Pierre, though, destiny is fixed at sunrise. In this stunning graphic version of the award-winning novel first developed as a play in 1992, artist Mike Wyatt brings a brilliant story to visual life. This graphic novel is an excellent adaptation of Drew Hayden Taylor's novel. - Resource Links - Patricia Jermey. This is a short read that reluctant teen readers will likely enjoy. The graphical representation of the characters' relationships illustrates their feelings well. Most teens will relate to rocky family relationships and will enjoy the elements of fantasy and spirituality as a welcomed higher power that can help shift things into balance. This book allows for discussion around issues of family relationships, responsibility, and the role and value of tradition. - Voice of Youth Advocates. [Review of paperback novel edition:] One of Quill and Quire's Books of the Year 2007: "Shivers and chills in an Anishinabe setting... refreshingly smart humour.". - Quill and Quire - Patty Lawlor. [Review of paperback novel edition:] A vampire story like no other. - Best Books for Kids & Teens - The Canadian Children's Book Centre. Drew Hayden Taylor created a unique and fascinating story which Michael Wyatt and Alison Kooistra have adapted into an excellent graphic novel that will appeal to a wide group of readers. - CM Magazine - Daphne Hamilton-Nagorsen. This is a very different kind of vampire novel--satisfyingly layered, subtle and rich with the evocations of First Nations life and well worth experiencing in this new graphic format. - Canadian Children's Book News - Jeffrey Canton. This book provides both creepy entertainment, beauty, and an authentic representation of a non-White culture that is alive and well in 2013. - Booktoss - Laura Jimenez. 2013-11-02. A troubled young girl and an old vampire cross paths in a graphic-format adaption of a 2007 novel by the same name. Sixteen-year-old Tiffany lives in Otter Lake, Toronto, an Anishinaabe reserve, with her father and paternal grandmother. With times being tough, her father decides to take in a boarder. Brimming with teenage angst, Tiffany isn't thrilled with the situation. In fact, she's not thrilled with her life in general: Her mother abandoned her to start a new life, and she's pretty sure her boyfriend, Tony, is cheating on her. Enter the shadowy and mysterious boarder, Pierre L'Errant, who's returning to Otter Lake to settle unfinished business and unexpectedly helps Tiffany toward an important realization. L'Errant and Tiffany's relationship is refreshing: They are not romantically involved, and he, thankfully, doesn't sparkle. Taylor's story is engaging in its mixing of diverse elements, especially his synthesis of the tales of the Anishinaabe with vampire legend. However, the lackluster black-and-white art (with bursts of emphatic red spattered about) doesn't add anything to a narrative that already feels rushed. Readers may feel as though they've just seen a filmed adaptation of a book that had to scramble to cram in the best parts. An intriguing mix of vampires and Native lore with a whisper of Gothic charm, ultimately bogged down by a cramped abridgement and then squeezed into an ill-chosen format. (Graphic paranormal suspense. 13 & up) - Kirkus Reviews