The Vampire's Lair

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 13, 2017

Review

Part of a series of spine-tingling stories for young readers, published by Bearport. This is one of an 8-book set from the "Cold Whispers II" series and each book can be paired with a nonfiction book from the "Scary Places" series. This title follows twin brothers Jack and Dylan as they head to Castle Prahova in Romania for their sister's wedding. Legend has it that the castle is home to a vampire, so the boys are understandably nervous when trying to sleep in such an atmospheric and creepy place. Their sister's fiance is a Romanian man named Razva whom the boys suspect has nefarious intentions. When they spot him skulking in the hall in the dark of night, they follow him. And there is a vampire! And she is creepy even in cartoon-style illustrations, but together with Razva, the twins defeat her. A little scarier than expected from such a benign-looking book, so younger readers looking for a scare will enjoy it. Includes a glossary and some questions for reflection/discussion. The pages are text-heavy, but the font is large and the digital color illustrations suit the story.

Overall Book Score: good