Vampire Island by Adele Griffin
It isn’t easy being a vampire, especially when you’re a vegetarian fruit-bat hybrid. This is just one of the things that makes it hard for the Livingstone kids to adjust to their life in the New World. Aside from losing their Old World powers, they are now facing school, friends, and complications aplenty. This is the story of three siblings—Lexie, Maddy, and Hudson—and their parents as they try and find a way to adjust to their new life, hide those pesky lingering vampiric traits, and seem to be normal in a city that is anything but.
Told from alternating points of view, you get to know each of the kids in turn. The author shows a lot of diversity in the points of view, making each voice fit not just the gender but also the age group for each sibling. Lexie is the oldest at thirteen and is a little bit boy crazy. She tries the hardest to be normal, even when flexing her remaining vampire skills might just nab her the attention of the boy she’s got her eye one. She finds herself stuck in that realm of teens across the world. How far is too far? And is it true that all’s fair in love and war?
Maddy is the middle child and the trouble maker as well. Feeling that she’s neither poetic like her sister nor handsome like her brother, she focuses her talents in other directions. Devious and sneaky, her main hobby is spying on the neighbors. However, bundled into all this nosiness is a true inquisitiveness natural to eleven-year-old girls everywhere. Maddy is probably my favorite of the siblings simply because she’s the comic relief at times as well as the force that drives the story along.
Hudson is the youngest of the Livingstone children and the most aware. The one member of the family that retains his Old World abilities, he is charged with the safekeeping of the natural world. Through Hudson, the lesson is brought to the reader in a way that is both entertaining and informative. You never feel like you’re being preached at nor pressured.
Vampire Island is a fun and enjoyable story for all lovers of the funny and paranormal. Aimed at kids aged 9-12, the cuteness of the story as well as the relatability of the characters make it a winner for adults as well. Full of surprises and just plain silliness, it’s a sure fire hit with both kids and parents alike. Ms. Griffin has created a unique and entertaining series for a new generation of kids to adore.
Book Stats:
- Reading level: Ages 9 and up
- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: Puffin (June 19, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0142411825
- ISBN-13: 978-0142411827
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Books in the Vampire Island series in the order they should be read:
Vampire Island
The Knaveheart’s Curse
V is for Vampire
This looks like a very cute book. I’m going to show it to 2 of my grandkids
that like to read.