Vampires on the Run

[cornerofmadness]

Vampires on the Run by C.M. Surrisi

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This was a 3 star until the ending which wow, just bad. Quinnie's age comes across inconsistently in this thing as well. Granted if I were a middle grade reader (the target audience) I might have enjoyed it more but this read less Nancy Drew and more....you know I'm not sure what? It skewed young, real young.

Quinnie lives in a picturesque coastal Maine town and is the local Nancy Drew. Her mom is insanely busy being the post master, sheriff, real estate agent and one more thing that I've actually forgotten because I don't usually see someone holding down four jobs (that'll keep her out of Quinnie's business). Dad runs a restaurant. Quinnie and her two besties Ella and Ben are looking forward to summer vacation when they meet Dominic, a newcomer roughly their age whatever that is (because Ben and Dominic are nearly old enough to drive and Ben drives a boat) but I think it's stated Quinnie is 13. Dominic is here with his marine biologist parents. Also in town are two tourists who are LL Bean victims trying to fit in and two weird NYC people Ella's 'Aunt' Ceil and 'Uncle' Edgar who are her dad's friends and like him bestselling author's.

In fact Ceil and Edgar have a shared pen name they write the stories of a vampire Count Le Plasma (no seriously) and in theory he tells them the stories as he's 'real' (obvious marketing scheme) but when some animals show up dead, including the cat rescue running Nuns favorite cat, Quinnie starts thinking Ceil and Edgar might have brought in real vampires or are vampires themselves especially after she and Ben see what she thinks is a wolf near the beach at 3:00 Am.

And naturally she seriously thinks Ella's dad's friends are behind it all and is trying (and succeeding) in getting the others to think vampires are real. Sorry, but they seem awfully old to make this leap based on next to nothing (other than Ceil and Edgar don't want to leave the house). The mystery here is what are those two hiding.

And it wouldn't be half bad for what it is, a middle school mystery but the ending absolutely sinks this thing. Here's a mild spoiler, no big reveals or anything, about what bothered me.

Ceil and Edgar are in some mild trouble but refuse to go to the cops. So I'm like what illegal thing did they do (spoiler, none which makes it worse) They are so adamant anti-cop that they are willing to risk FOUR young teens knowing there are two dangerous men after them so they could get out of town without the cops (i.e. Quinnie's mom) helping.

Let that sink in. Two grown adults are willing to risk the lives of four 13 year olds rather than call a cop when they, themselves, have do nothing to fear a cop. Surely there was a better way to have ended this. She thanks her beta team. Honestly if this had come through my beta group I would have straight up asked that. If you wanted the Hollywood ending on the water there had to be another way to do this. It was unbelievable and even more unbelievable was Quinnie's mom really didn't do much about it. ugh.



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