"Comic capers (and vampiric capes) abound in this rollicking, atmospheric debut"
October 2021 Debut of the Month
Vibrant world-building, hilarious horror happenings, and splendidly quirky characters - Alex Foulkes’ debut, Rules for Vampires (the first in a series), has plenty for adventure-loving 9+ year-olds to sink their teeth into, a devour-in-one-bloodthirsty-sitting story that’s made even more engaging by Sara Ogilvie’s cleverly comic illustrations.
“Slow as creeping nuns, stealthy as a stalking cat, the girl slunk closer to the door.” Thus we’re introduced to Leo on the eve of her one hundred and eleventh birthnight, as she must embark on her first solo mission as a vampire - The Hunt of the Waxing Moon, no less. Trouble is, following Vampiric Laws and negotiating that ghoulish line between the Living and the Undead sure ain’t no stroll in the cemetery, and all this while feeling the pressure to live up to the high and spiky expectations of the Great and Terrible Sieglinde.
The writing is slick as blood, with smart turns of phrase that Lemony Snicket aficionados will adore, and cracking whip-smart dialogue that drives the story at bat-out-of-hell pace. Oh, and it’s divinely packed with a cast of top quality, quirky characters readers will want to get under the skin of (though not literally, of course…)
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Leo’s first Hunt doesn’t go as planned. Can she put her mistake right and save everyone? I’d recommend this book to those who like stories about the undead!
The main character of this book, Leo is an 111 year old vampire. According to the council of vampires, after a century of being a vampire, each must undertake ‘The Hunt’ - their first human kill. Leo’s hunt doesn’t go as planned and she accidentally creates two ghosts. The story is then about what she can do to put her mistake right and successfully complete her hunt. My favourite character was Roderick the spider whose occasional appearance in the story made me chuckle. It’s a good book which is easy to read and I enjoyed reading it.... Read Full Review
I LOVE this book and I really wish I had friends like Leo and Minna. I can’t wait to see if they have any more adventures.
This book caught me straight away from the cover. I like the wacky illustrations and the fact it is red like blood for vampires.
The characters are brilliant although I am a bit scared of Leo’s mum, she sounds terrifying as a mum and as a vampire. Her dad seems great though, just wrapped up in his library and science experiments.
Leo is your average 111 year old undead girl, with an annoying little big sister and no friends except her cat and Rodrigo her pet spider.
The trouble all starts when Leo has to go out on her first Hunt. This is a rite of passage that all vampires complete on their 111th birthday. Leo finds the orphan house and figures that might be her best bet.... Read Full Review
A silly, spooky and strange. This book was very funny. Great Halloween reading.
I thought this book was very silly at times. However, it did make me laugh. It is all about 11 year old vampire Leo (really 111 years old) and her strange family. At the beginning of the book, she heads out on her Birthnight for her first hunt. But it all goes badly wrong. It ends up that she starts a fire and makes a ghostly enemy, the Orphanmaster. She becomes terrified about what her scary mother will say to all that has happened, feeling like she has let her down. She now has to defeat the Orphanmaster with the help of her new ghost friend before it is too late.
Very strange, but hilarious. Spooky, with its haunted castles, knights with no bodies, spiders and vampires. Great reading for over Halloween.... Read Full Review
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