The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife Review

Synopsis from Little, Brown, and Company:

The first book in a spooky new series for only the bravest of readers–perfect for fans of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Now in paperback!

Siblings Anna and Max love scary stories, but when they find an enchanted knife on a dark and stormy night in Transylvania, truth becomes stranger than fiction. Suddenly, they find themselves dragged into a world of monsters and magic…a world where it soon becomes all too clear that vampires are not just a fairy tale.

And when Max mysteriously vanishes, it’s up to Anna to find him. But can the siblings find a way to survive their own scary story?

This deliciously creepy book is a modern Brothers Grimm tale, full of adventure and fun frights that will have readers jumping in their seats and ripping through the pages to find out what happens next.

About: The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife is a middle grade fiction written by Jack Henseleit and illustrated by Ryan Andrews. It was recently published on 9/4/2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Little, Brown, and Company, hardcover, 240 pages. The genres are middle grade, actions & adventures, and fiction. This book is the author’s debut. This book is intended for readers ages 8 to 12, grades 3 to 7. There are 3 books in The Witching Hours series: book 1 is called The Vampire Knife, book 2 is called The Troll Heart, and book 3 is called The Genie Rings. According to the publisher’s website, “Little, Brown and Company was founded in 1837 and for close to two centuries has published fiction and nonfiction by many of America’s finest writers. Early lists featured Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson‘s poetry, and Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, all of which are still available today.” Please see below for more information about the author and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife on 10/17/2018 and finished it on 10/22/2018 at 1:16am. This book is definitely an excellent read for Halloween month! The actions and adventures are thrilling. I like the brother-sister relationship and their curious minds. The illustrations are great, definitely helps readers imagine the scenes. I like the chapter headings, it helps readers anticipate what’s to come.

This book is told in the third person point of view following Max, 8 and Anna, 11. They are both in the car with their father called the Professor. It’s stormy outside and they have been on the road for three hours. This story takes place in Transylvania with scatter Romanian as a spoken language. Max likes to listen to stories and Anna likes to tell, especially the scary ones. When stories mix with reality, Anna finds herself challenged to use her stories knowledge to solve the problem before too late.

The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife is very well written and a fast paced read! I like how quick Anna thinks on her feet, especially how she able to connects the puzzles. This book promotes problem solving and teamwork. The characters read books and utilize what they read to guide them on their journey. The best part is when they figure out what to do as they go, even though they do come up with strategies beforehand, on the spot problem solving reminds readers to maintain alertness and to not let their guard down. I highly recommend this adventure to everyone!

Pro: fast paced, page turner, adrenaline rush, humor, actions and adventures, on the spot problem solving, teamwork

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository  or Little, Brown, and Company

About the Author:

Jack Henseleit was born on a winter evening in 1991, just after the stroke of midnight. When the weather is dark and stormy, he writes fairy tales. The Witching Hours: The Vampire Knife is his first novel. https://jackhenseleit.com (Photo obtained from Goodreads, info obtained from Little, Brown, and Company’s website, and book pictures obtained from Edelweiss).

More Information about Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Website: https://www.lbyr.com | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleBrownYoungReaders | Twitter: https://twitter.com/littlebrownyr | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebrownyoungreaders

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Little, Brown, and Company for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine

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