reread 2020:

i forgot how much of this book is just the visit to the circus and how horrendous steve is from the first moment.

but it’s still a nicely done book.
i love how it shows a brother and sister that love each other and that darren shares how he will miss his sister.

it’s a very easy to read but entertaining story - if a bit overdone in the way that many children’s books are, dramatically overdoing specific moments just the way many kids love it.

what i forgotten and found a tiny bit bothersome- but clearly didn’t bother me at all as a kid when i read this last!- was how do many chapters end on the „if i knew what i now now i would have done it differently“ sentence in some way.
but i am guessing that that’s more something an older reader noticed that has read more books and knows that it’s not necessary for an author to make it so abundantly clear that something is about to happen or go so overboard in reminding the reader that the book is not all sunshine and daisies.

still overall even as an adult a well done book that doesn’t shy away from adding actual horror elements to a kids book but doesn’t make it gruesome.

some of the horror elements that could be seen as triggering include:
blood lust, dangerous spider bites, suicide elements, death and being buried alive as well as death threats with weapons?



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previous review:

This was one of my childhood books that got me really into reading.

I loved the different spin on the vampire "making", i enjoyed Darren's view and how the story was told as well as the entire book itself. Everything is just very nice if you enjoy the more dark and slightly "horror" children or young adult books.

there is really not much more to say about this book and the entire series because they really are all nice -some better some not as good- but this first book will suck you into the world of Darren Shan and will not let you leave until you have read all the books there are.

The overall writing style is not the very typical child-book, so everyone no matter which age can read and enjoy those book, the only real "children" way of this book is that for one they are quite short and then the writing itself is very easy and fun to read, there is nothing too hard about how the story is written, everything is very clear and easy to read and understand so it is a very fast and easy read, especially if you are a bit older. But the story itself is enjoyable no matter what age you are if you like vampire stories that have a darker side and want to read something different that is not the typical vampire things that were modern a while ago.

This story is good and different and nicely written and told, that i can only recommend this book to everyone that wants to read something good, easy, fast and fun but dark and different at the same time.