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bookcheshirecat's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
“If the rules were made by people who didn’t care about rules, who were only trying to hurt others, then Alexander didn’t have to follow them. And a promise to a liar was no sort of promise at all.”
➽ Vampiric Vacation takes the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings to the Sanguine Spa on a 'family' vacation with no adult supervision. Theo, Alex and Wil are grouped with the other children, but something strange is going on. Mina and her strange younger sister Lucy are helping out at the Spa far more than they should and seem to know something they aren't telling anyone. Theo and Alex intend to investigate, especially once Wil starts behaving strangely and showing vampiric symptoms. Lucy's weird guardian the Count seems to have something to do with it! I loved the play on vampires and how the mystery is about whether they exist!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Blood
purplepenning's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Wretched Waterpark was one of my favorite reads of the summer — the mystery within a mystery! the action! the word play! the spookiness! the siblingness! Vampiric Vacation is a worthy addition to the series, retaining all the fun features of the first book, but it doesn't quite hit the same heights for me. The word play, one of my favorite aspects, felt just a little forced, and a shouting gag that runs throughout didn't quite work for me (but middle grade readers may enjoy it immensely, especially as a readaloud). With the addition of more adults around (well, sort of around), this one takes on an even more Roald Dahl feel to it, though, which I do enjoy. And there's some interesting science/nature/medical stuff, too! (Fans of Gregor the Overlander might appreciate the appearance of bats here, though they're not nearly large enough to ride.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Confinement and Excrement
Fraud, child labor