An imaginative take on the teen-vampire trope with plenty of action and romance and a compelling antihero.
In Kelly’s novel, a vampire hunts for treasure on a haunted island in a desperate attempt to protect herself from those who want her dead.
Lola Monteux may look 16 years old, but she’s far from it. A vampire on the run from her old comrades, she lands on Duchesne Island in search of the Well of Souls treasure—rumored to grant invincibility to its possessor. In her attempt to locate the treasure, Lola meets Gael Smith, a teenage boy whose family is struggling to make ends meet amid his younger brother’s cancer diagnosis. His ancestor originally discovered the famed Duchesne Island treasure, but Lola soon convinces Gael that more riches must be buried deeper beneath the “treasure tree” on his property. The two embark on a secretive dig, despite the prying eyes of the suspicious Captain Greyson. Complications soon arise, both with the arrival of Lola’s vampire frenemies and their entering into an uneasy (and temporary) truce and by Lola’s growing romantic feelings for Gael. As her old humanity starts to present cracks in her soulless-vampire facade, Lola will be forced to make a choice between what she is and who she wants to be. Kelly manages to imbue Lola with the lofty air of an old vampire and the surliness of a teenager in equal measure—an unlikely combination that will surely endear her to readers. In a YA paranormal/supernatural genre that can be overcrowded, Kelly includes enough unique details—such as Lola’s surprising skin care routine—to differentiate this book from the vampire-novel rabble: “She’d mainly brought skin products: rich creams and serums designed to keep this body youthful. It was essential to keep up proper skincare when your skin was always on the verge of rotting off…Her regime of creams helped smooth her skin, but nothing healed like human blood.” The romance subplot will come as a surprise to absolutely no one but should satisfy YA audiences nonetheless.
An imaginative take on the teen-vampire trope with plenty of action and romance and a compelling antihero.Pub Date: Dec. 25, 2023
ISBN: 978-1738863365
Page Count: 282
Publisher: ISBN CANADA
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice.
A fall romance with a New England backdrop.
Autumn leaves aren’t the only stunning thing to hit the town of Briar Glen—so has good-looking new boy Jack Harper, and Lucy Kane is enamored with both. Her new crush is the perfect thing to take her mind off the fact that Java Junction, part of a global chain, is opening across the street from Cup o’ Jo, Lucy’s mother’s coffee shop, where they take pride in baking everything from scratch and avoiding artificial ingredients. But there’s more than coincidence in the timing of the arrivals of both Jack and Java Junction: The Harper family moved to Briar Glen specifically to open this franchise location, which will bring competition that threatens Cup o’ Jo. This scenario has the makings of a perfect autumnal adversaries-to-lovers romance, but the writing lacks charm and chemistry. Jack seems to be completely enamored with Lucy, but her character isn’t sufficiently developed to warrant his attention. Lucy’s friends are continually supportive of her but have few distinguishing characteristics, and the story is weakened by confusing timelines and repetitive elements. The resolution relies upon successes that come too easily and do not feel earned. Major characters are cued white.
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781339030753
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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