Two vampire brothers must set aside their differences to solve a series of murders in this humorous and delightfully spooky novel for young readers. For fans of Too Bright to See.
Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it's morally acceptable to eat people. Well, not so much eat . . . just drink a little blood. They're vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family.
Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in his life (well, immortal life) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family. Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it’s too late?
DEKE MOULTON is a writer currently living in the US Pacific Northwest. They are a former US Army drill sergeant and trained as an Arabic linguist during their time in service. Don't Want to Be Your Monster is their debut book.
One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids for 2023
One of Kirkus's Best Middle Grade of 2023
PRAISE FOR Don't Want to Be Your Monster:
"Members of persecuted minorities unite to fight crime: icky, impish, and thematically rich. Readers fond of nocturnal whodunits festooned with sly twists and tweaks from opening page to terrifying climax are in for a treat — but Moulton has much to offer here besides gore and glory. . . . [T]his story . . . thoughtfully pushes back against significant antisemitic elements in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and vampire lore in general." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will root for these two bantering brothers as they fight to defeat the evil lurking in their town and, after the last page is turned, will long to spend more time in their world." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"Fans of the supernatural intersecting with the mundane will find this intriguing interpretation of the vampire mythos refreshing.” —Publishers Weekly
