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libscote's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
There were things I really liked about the book--I liked the author's note at the end explaining the history of anti-Semitic tropes in vampire lore, and how he consciously went about using those in his book, and how he included the Jewish faith in his story. I liked the bond between the two brothers and how their different ages can cause friction even mortals feel.
This is perhaps due to being an adult, or reading more vampire lore, but I spent a lot of time wondering how vampires lived in the same house in the same town with jobs for years and no one seemed to question it. I know that isn't what I was supposed to be focusing on, but that drew me out of the book and made it hard for me to fully tap in. Someone who is able to let that go will find this book much more enjoyable.
This is perhaps due to being an adult, or reading more vampire lore, but I spent a lot of time wondering how vampires lived in the same house in the same town with jobs for years and no one seemed to question it. I know that isn't what I was supposed to be focusing on, but that drew me out of the book and made it hard for me to fully tap in. Someone who is able to let that go will find this book much more enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Murder
starrysteph's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Don’t Want to be Your Monster spins vampire lore on its head through a playful murder mystery for young readers.
We follow Adam, a 10-year-old vampire who is desperate to learn more about the world … and figure out why his big brother Victor has been acting so weird. Adam and his siblings have been raised in isolation by their two loving, eclectic, immortal moms. When a murderer strikes in town, Adam is terrified of vampire hunters and decides to solve the case (alongside two new mortal friends).
It’s a sweet story that investigates some of the antisemitic origins of vampire legends & challenges how we frame ‘others’ as monsters. The educational elements are very direct.
I enjoyed the growing friendship between a very different trio of 10-year-olds, and the themes of compassion & standing up for your fellow humans (or … non-humans).
The writing was structurally clumsy at times, and the dialogue felt a bit stilted – the biggest stumble for me overall was Victor’s POV. He did not read like a 14-year-old & in my opinion was not given enough complexity of thought or emotional depth. His chapters were a smaller portion of the book, and I think it would have been more effective storytelling to only use Adam’s perspective – and unravel Victor’s behavior through his little brother’s eyes. In general, I would recommend this book for readers around fourth or fifth grade (I’m not sure older kids would be as engaged).
I do love a queer found family & also really appreciated the scope of casual representation & the various cultures and languages depicted on the page.
CW: murder, death & mass death, hate crime, antisemitism, blood, cancer, genocide, xenophobia, poisoning, abandonment, child abuse, kidnapping
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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment
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