Author (Last name first): Van Diepen, Allison
Title of the Book: The Vampire Stalker
Publisher: Point an imprint of Scholastic Date of Publication: 2011
ISBN#
978-0-545-28375-5 Price: $17.99 Grade Level: J/S Number of Pages: 257
VOYA Rating: 4Q 4P
Highly Recommended
The opening scene will
definitely appeal to those readers who have waited in line for a new
release. The main character is Amy, who
is in line at a book store with her best friends – Luisa and Katie. They are waiting for the 3rd book
in a vampire series called The Mists of
Otherworld. As soon as they got their
books, they headed for home to read it over the weekend. Amy is in love with one of the vampire hunter
characters, Alexander. She is very
active on fan fiction websites. On
Monday, Amy’s first stop is the school library to visit the school librarian to
discuss the newest book. Mrs. P, the
school librarian, not only has a Masters in Library Science, but also a PhD in
Physics J Later, Amy
is attacked by someone on her way home and fortunately someone is nearby to
help her. The person who helped save her
is very similar to Alexander Banks, the vampire hunter she is in love with from
the books. Amy does not believe it
really is Alexander, until he starts to convince her with all sorts of
facts. Turns out there is a portal
linking their two worlds and somehow Alexander has crossed over. Amy and Alex turn to Mrs. P with their
problem. Mrs. P believes their story
because she was studying these portals for her PhD dissertation, when she was
discredited for believing in Science Fiction (!). A romance develops, the mystery of the portal
is solved and the Vampire problem is eradicated.
I think this book is fun
and well written. Who doesn’t love a
super smart school librarian??? I think
this is a must read book for those of us who wait in line for books on their
release date. It’s also perfect for
those who have fallen in love with a character from their favorite books. The story is partly realistic in that it
takes part in Chicago as we know it. It
is also part steam punk because Alex’s world in the other Chicago is
technologically stuck in Victorian times.
It’s part paranormal because of the vampires and vampire hunters. There is also some romance between Amy and
Alex and some secondary characters (human and vampire). Oh, and it’s also part Science Fiction
because of the portals between worlds. I
enjoyed the story. Even with all the genre elements going on, the story flowed
smoothly. I think it’s a great purchase
for a school/public library. I think it
would make a good book club book with lots to discuss. It’s not overly dark and the story provides a
good escape from reality. It will appeal
to tweens and teens alike. The portrayal
of the school librarian is one of the most positive ones I have ever seen. Nothing objectionable that stood out to me.
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