THE VAMPIRE STALKERAllison van Diepen
Paranormal Young Adult
272 pages
Scholastic Point
Available Now
Received from publisher for review
THE STORY
Amy is in love with Alexander Banks. Who isn't? He's the dark and damaged young man chasing after the vampire who slaughtered his entire family in her favorite book series, and she and her friends have just picked up their pre-ordered copies of the latest installment.
One night while walking home, Amy is violently attacked, and a guy bearing a striking resemblance to the Alexander Banks on the cover of her book rescues her. Much to Amy's shock, it turns out the young man who saved her life doesn't just look like Alexander, he is Alexander. And the man who attacked her is the vampire he's been chasing for years.
While dealing with the surprise of having her favorite literary character dramatically enter her life and trying to figure out how his sudden appearance is possible, she's also concerned for the safety of her city since there's now a real vampire on the loose. Amy knows Alexander would gladly give his life in order to stop Vigo, and as much as she feared the death of a favorite character, she fears the death of the man even more. She decides to throw herself into the mix, helping to hunt Vigo any way she can in order to protect Alexander, but it may no longer be just Alexander Vigo is interested in.
MY THOUGHTS
The Vampire Stalker draws us into a story wherein every book lover's fantasy becomes a reality. Beloved fictional characters become flesh and blood, the flat black ink giving way to vibrancy and life as Alexander walks out of Amy's fondest imaginings and into her life and heart. Any avid reader will instantly connect to Amy and her relationship with her favorite book series, and we can't help but see ourselves in her as she waits in long book lines, devours her newest purchase in one sitting, and then jumps online to discuss every minute detail of the story. Our personal connection to the premise makes the reading of this tale fun and enjoyable–though the character interactions and sequence of events are fairly straightforward and predictable–and we finish quickly pleased with, yet not necessarily wowed by, the experience.
Alexander and Amy are both entertaining characters, their personalities distinct but not developed to a level where they set themselves apart from the fictional masses as uniquely memorable. Alexander has some cute moments in adjusting to our world's technological advancements and modern customs, and it's easy to see why he would inspire worldwide fan interest as well as earn Amy's affections. Though Amy does decide she's in love with him rather swiftly, it's a bit more believable given all she knows about him through the books–he's everything she's pined for while voraciously consuming page after page of his story–so the leap from acquaintances to declarations of love isn't quite as great as it might be otherwise. Their relationship is charming, the romantically tense moments balanced well with the expected bickering as they get to know one another, but again it's a connection that while interesting to read about, doesn't leave a lasting impression to cause us to want to savor it again and again.
The Vampire Stalker is a short, satisfying read, appealing to our secret hopes and wishes that our literary crushes are out there just waiting for us to stumble across them so our epic love affair can truly begin. While we continue dreaming, we can at least take temporary comfort in Amy and Alexander's happiness–smiling at the sweetness and jumping at the action as fiction and reality collide, though a few more resulting sparks from the collision to really shock us into fully engaging in characters and story would have been nice.
Rating: 3/5
