SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

September 21, 2022 by Amanda MacGregor

Book Review: The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron

September 21, 2022 by Amanda MacGregor   Leave a Comment

Publisher’s description

In the world of the Vanquishers, vampires were history . . . until now.

“A sharp vampire tale full of bite, heart, and humor.” —Rena Barron, author of the Maya and the Rising Dark series

“Boog and her friends will capture your heart in an instant.” —Mark Oshiro, author of The Insiders

Malika “Boog” Wilson and her best friends have grown up idolizing The Vanquishers, a group of heroic vampire hunters who wiped out the last horde of the undead decades ago. Nowadays, most people don’t take even the most basic vampire precautions—the days of garlic wreaths and early curfews long gone—but Boog’s parents still follow the old rules, much to her embarrassment.

When a friend goes missing, Boog isn’t sure what to think. Could it be the school counselor, Mr. Rupert, who definitely seems to be hiding something? Or could it be something more dangerous? Boog is determined to save her friend, but is she ready to admit vampires might not be vanquished after all?

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

No one ever expected the Vanquishers to return, but if their town needs protection from the undead, Boog knows who to call.

Inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Watchmen, this adventure launches readers into an exciting new series.


Amanda’s thoughts

This was my first read of the school year. If the kids are having quiet reading time in the library, so are the adults. I’d read about 20 pages, then have to set it down and wait for a while before I could pick it back up. I read it during lunch and on my breaks too. I wanted to find out all the secrets, see all the secrets I had already learned revealed, and start to get a peek at what might be coming in this series. Just because it’s been 20 years since the last vampires were around town doesn’t mean that life has returned to normal for our main characters and their families. And their vigilance is for good reason, though the kids’ understanding that vampires are bad and should be killed grows complicated when they realize someone in their orbit has been turned. As much as I enjoyed the vampire story (who’s safe? who’s a secret vamp? what do the parents know?), I really loved the friendship on display here and the close family ties, not just within families but between families. Boog, Jules, and Cedrick have grown up together and are like siblings, and I loved watching them work out all of their schemes, especially as things took increasingly perilous turns. With perfect pacing, lots of mystery and suspense, and characters full of heart, this series starter is a great read that will leave readers anxious to see what happens next.


Review copy (finished) courtesy of the publishers

ISBN-13: 9781547609772
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: 09/20/2022
Age Range: 8 – 11 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Book reviewsFriendshipMiddle GradeVampires

About Amanda MacGregor

Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on Twitter @CiteSomething.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

Book Review: The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Post-It Note Reviews: A mayor dog, a bunch of Big Bads, a mobster, and more!

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Book Review: The Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer

by Amanda MacGregor

January 2023

Book Review: Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender

by Amanda MacGregor

December 2022

Book Review: Ode to a Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois

by Amanda MacGregor

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

One Star Review, Guess Who? (#181)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

That Flag: An Interview with Tameka Fryer Brown

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Readers’ Poll Results

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

The Value of Innocence for BIPOC Students, a guest post by David Mura

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Looking Ahead: Our 2023 Preview

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Resistance, Radical Empathy, and the Responsibilities of Privilege: An Interview with Tehlor Kay Mejia on “We Set the Dark on Fire”

Cover Reveal & Interview: UNEQUAL by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau

Truth Teller, A. S. King | The Year in SLJ Covers

"Reverie" Author Started Writing His YA Debut in High School

"Hip-Hop Isn’t Just Music, It’s a Culture" | An Interview with Tiffany D. Jackson

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023