The Vampire Hunters

The Vampire Hunters is a dark and frightening tale about friendships where the face of evil is ever-changing and found in unexpected places. The author applied his experience at scaring adults in Dawn of the Vampire and Vampire Kiss and applied it to unnerve a younger audience. For so many people, image and appearance is important, so books are judged by their cover, not the writing within. That thought inspired this story about a gang of teenagers trying to prove that a strange old man who can't bear the sunlight is actually a vampire terrorizing their town. This burden of proof is put upon the newest members of the group as part of their initiation. As their investigation progresses, alliances within the group change and members disappear, drawn over to the dark side.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up?When Scooter is asked to join the Graveyard Armadillos, he is thrilled, even when he learns that to be accepted he is expected to "prove" that moviemaker Marcus Chandler is a vampire. Along comes a strange man who sets into motion a series of events that change the residents of Scooter's small town. The cast of characters is large. Most of the teens are stereotypes, from the high-school heartthrob to the "always-in-trouble" brothers. Marcus Chandler is the most interesting adult character but is, unfortunately, relegated to the mechanism that moves the plot. The message seems to be that those who are different will cause rational people to behave irrationally. The potential for a real thriller exists here, but too many characters and too many "filler" chapters that set the scene for small incidents make for a cumbersome read. Hill pokes along through 20 chapters and then offers a hectic and uninspired ending. There are so many extraneous words that the impact of the situations is lost. Mood and tone are also missing. With such good ingredients as an albino moviemaker, a group of teens, a smart dog, first love, and a crazy vampire, it's a shame to have such a lackluster product.?Molly S. Kinney, Office of Public Library Services, Atlanta, GACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7^-12. Marcus Chandler is a reclusive film producer who seems to have a rare disease that has left him with bleached skin and a heightened sensitivity to light. The Graveyard Armadillos are convinced he is a vampire. Since vampires can't be photographed, they decide to get a picture of Chandler to make their case. Fifteen-year-old Scooter Keyshawn, who wants to prove himself to the Armadillos, agrees to snap the photo. Whether Chandler's vampirism is real or imagined, there are still plenty of dark forces in Scooter's small Texas hometown: teens are disappearing and eventually turning up dead. It's up to Scooter and his friends to clear the innocent and trap the real vampires. The atmospheric writing and the harrowing quest will keep the pages turning, and the simple prose and the emphasis on action rather than character development will make the book a good choice for reluctant readers. Candace Smith

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