The Last Vampire

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.)