Vampirita and the Angry Mob (Book 1): A Charming Tale of a Young Vampire’s Adventure in California by Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Laura Brenalla is the story of a “new kid in town” but has a slightly different twist to it with a vampire as our main character. However, the relatable issues of homesickness, not fitting in, and trying to be nice when you want to be anything but, is familiar. However, regardless of how much we know this story, the author has fun making puns, jokes, and setting up a world that is different from our own. Vamparita really is an oddball, but one that we all want as a friend. Even if she isn’t into hugs and eats cricket empanadas. A Spanish glossary with definitions is included at the end.
This is just the summary and does not do Llanos’ story justice. There is a lot going on. Vampirita tries to go back to her family in Peru. She hates the sun and all the flowers. She wants her spiders and the glum of her grandparents’ castle. The funny antics she gets into so she can get her “angry mob” (pitchforks and all) to chase them away, so they have to go back home, is as clever as it’s not going to work out. Then there is the idea that friendship is not as bad as she thought it would be and how friends do make some things easier.
It is a typical modern story with the attitudes of kids today. Things work out as they should. There is only one small bump in the road for me. Our vampire mom and daughter moved to California to be closer to Vampiritta’s dad. And he’s just PLOP! Here’s Dad! We’re not eased into him. There is some baggage to unpack that maybe should have been given to us a little differently (her parents are divorced, he’s remarried, Vampirita has half-siblings, Dad travels) but it does not take away from the actual story.
Read via an online readers copy, Vampirita is due in July 2024. I am looking forward to reading sequels as well as revisiting the final product.
