Publishers Weekly
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Elements of Dracula and Buffy the Vampire Slayer play out against a Pride and Prejudice–inspired backdrop in this dark and gritty teen drama by Garber (Castle of the Cursed). Eighteen-year-old Lorena and her best friend Salma—who both read as Latinx—attend Huntington Academy, an exclusive New Hampshire boarding school, as members of its inaugural senior class. Though Salma and many of her classmates felt compelled by an ethereal force to apply (“The school was calling to me”), Lorena actually enrolls to get distance after a viral video of herself imbibing at a party damaged her influencer mother’s reputation. Unbeknownst to the students, ancient vampire William Pride, owner of the academy’s Victorian manor grounds, awakens from a centuries-long slumber, and he’s hungry—not just for blood, but for answers about the events of the last 300 years. Upon encountering Lorena, William recruits her on his quest to learn more about his missing vampire family, the fate of a monster-hunting organization called the Legion, and how to live in a contemporary world. Alongside elements of supernatural romance, introspective, somewhat dense ruminations on friendship, grief, and belonging mark this deftly blended telling of dramatic conflict and classic gothic imagery, making for a delicious entry into the canon. Ages 13–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (Dec.)

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Readers starving for the resurgence of the post-Twilight paranormal romance boom can sink their teeth into Garber’s new vampire romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice. After a very public fall from grace that went viral due to her mom’s status as a parenting influencer, Lorena and her best friend, Salma, escape to a newly opened mansion boarding school in New Hampshire. While searching for her very own Mr. Darcy, Lorena instead stumbles upon a freshly awakened vampire, the broody William, who may very well be the last of his kind. Sleeping for three centuries has left William ravenous for blood but also clueless about how the modern world works. He must rely on Lorena for blood, for information, and to keep his secrets from their classmates, but that much alone time can lead to a killer crush. This enemies-to-lovers dual-POV romance will dazzle readers who have been longing for a dramatic paranormal romance. Though the characters can be a bit over-the-top and edgy, readers who lean into the cringe will enjoy the ride for what it is.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A New York City teenager unwittingly awakens a vampire at her boarding school. When Lorena Navarro and her best friend, Salma Santos, are accepted to Huntington Academy, a new, highly selective school in New Hampshire, Lorena sees it as the perfect chance to start over. A scandal she was involved in has damaged her mother’s career as a parenting influencer, and she’s eager to move on. But her plans for a fresh start unravel when she, Salma, and their new friends discover a coffin and a hidden library in a forbidden wing of the school. Lorena is attacked by the coffin’s occupant, a strikingly handsome, 276-year-old vampire named William Pride, who’s “pale as a corpse.” He’s been in a death-sleep for centuries. Now bound to William as his Familiar, Lorena is pulled into the mystery of why he was sleeping, what became of his family, and what happened to vampire-kind. The closer they get to the truth, the greater the danger, not only for Lorena and William but for their friends as well. Vampire enthusiasts will appreciate the familiar tropes, but once the lore explaining what has happened to the rest of the vampires is revealed, the plot grows unwieldy. William and Lorena’s romance, while central to the narrative, lacks the emotional depth and gradual development needed to feel fully believable. Lorena is Argentinian American, and Salma is cued Latine. Largely entertaining but loses steam at the end.(Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.