December 9, 2024
A teenage vampire and a human high schooler grapple with homophobia in McDaniel’s visceral debut. Living with his grandmother after parental rejection, Howard Kuiper is an old soul who’s deeply connected with the residents of the Baltimore retirement home where he volunteers. When elderly James moves in, Howard assumes that his young visitor George is his grandson. Unbeknownst to Howard, however, George is a vampire who was turned shortly after his high school graduation 60 years before and James is his partner; the two reconnected after James’s wife died decades ago. At James’s urging—brought about by his rapid physical and cognitive decline—George starts dating Howard, who is
supporting his transgender best friend Sue in his campaign for better protections for queer students. After the school board rejects Sue’s proposal, Howard’s grief brings him closer to George; in turn, George opens up about his vampirism and educates Howard about his unorthodox methods for personal liberation. Despite a somewhat jarring tone shift in the final act, McDaniel skillfully portrays queer loneliness and contemporary society’s capacity to stall social progress via aching prose and tender (mostly white) character interactions. Vampire aficionados and romantasy fans alike will swoon over this unusual depiction of the paranormal mythos. Ages 14–up.
January 15, 2025
True love lasts a lifetime, even if that life isn't mortal. High school senior Howard, who's cued white, volunteers in a retirement home, organizing a weekly craft night. When he invites new resident James to join the class, he's greeted by the man's guest, an incredibly good-looking teen boy. It turns out that George isn't as young as he looks, however: He's a vampire who graduated from high school in 1960 along with James. Over the decades, George participated in protests for queer rights and supported people who were dying of AIDS before he reconnected with his mortal high school sweetheart, and he's sympathetic toward the struggle the Queer Student Alliance at Howard's private school is having with the conservative board. Perhaps 18-year-old Howard's revolutionary spirit and love of vintage clothing can score him a date with an octogenarian vampire? (The older couple are in an open relationship.) This book is a gay vampire romance with a social conscience. The dual narration allows the vampire's perspective to shine through: How would it be for a gay white man to watch the world change for the better in some ways but not so satisfyingly in others? The story often reads like a wish-fulfillment fantasy in which righteous gay anger leads to the meting out of some morally satisfying consequences. Ultimately, the novel is less about sexiness and more about emotional connections and rebelling against heteronormativity. A thoughtful paranormal love story offering a wide lens on queer history and community.(Paranormal. 14-18)
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February 1, 2025
Grades 10-12 A nursing home meet-cute was always in the cards for Howard, a history-obsessed old soul and weekly nursing home volunteer. Howard assumes his new crush is the grandson of James, the home's newest resident; George is actually an 80-year-old vampire and James' partner of 20 years. Between Howard's prep school's latest bout of queerphobia and his blossoming romance with George, the teen quickly finds himself struggling to maintain balance in his life. Although Howard's struggles do mirror those of modern queer teens, the queerphobia is often hyperbolic in presentation. The plot is frequently sidetracked by poorly integrated social justice commentary, and although George and Howard are both incredibly nuanced, other characters fall flat as a result. Readers who persist through the initially inconsistent pacing will be rewarded by a thrilling action sequence in the last third of the novel. However, some teens may find the explicit sexual content off-putting, particularly given that George is, however briefly, simultaneously dating the 80-year-old James and 18-year-old Howard.
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