Are the vampires in YA finally coming out of their coffins? Two of my most anticipated YA releases of 2021 center the fanged creatures of the night, and one of them happens to be the debut novel I read for the month of August. That book is Vampires, Hearts, and Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston. What did I think? Let’s bite into the review. (And I promise that’s the last vampire pun from me.)
Vampires, Hearts, and Other Dead Things (or as I’ll be abbreviating it for this review, VHOD) is about a teenage girl who travels to New Orleans with her estranged best friend to find a vampire to turn her so she can save her dying father, but discovers the vampire she finds there won’t turn her unless she completes challenges proving she loves life enough to live forever.
Because the whole story revolves around what protagonist Victoria is willing to do to save her father, the story deals in depth with grief, depression, and the pain of loss. It’s beautifully written and made me tear up more than once. It’s a book that pays homage to the variety of vampire stories that have come before, while also not being afraid to put a new spin on it.
If you’re a fan of vampires, you’ll love this new take. But if you’ve been reluctant to sink your teeth into vampires (sorry, couldn't resist), VHOD doubles as a great vampire book for people that don’t like vampire books.
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