I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine
by Z Brewer
Published by Independently Published Genres: Middle Grade Fantasy
Format: Audible Audiobook, Audio CD, Hardcover, Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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A perfectly average boy uncovers a supernatural secret about his family that could put his whole town in grave danger—if it doesn’t make him die of embarrassment first—in this mysterious and funny middle grade debut from New York Times bestselling author Z Brewer.
Viktor Valentine can’t think of a better way to end his summer vacation than playing All the Vampires Everywhere, his favorite video game, with his best friend, Damon. Yet his parents, who make cringey jokes and call him dorky nicknames, seem set on ruining his plans. Viktor knows he can’t really compete with Damon’s “cool” friends—so their epic video game playing is the best Viktor can do to come close to being cool in Damon’s eyes.
But then Viktor slowly starts to realize that his parents may be hiding something from him. They’re acting very suspicious; they sneak out after midnight and return with bloody mouths. But he’s probably just played too many video games. After all, vampires aren’t real . . . right?
Seventh grade is tough enough without having to figure out if your family has fangs. And to make matters worse, the new girl that moved in across the street seems particularly interested in things that go bump in the night. Can Viktor protect his family, or will his sleuthing come back to bite him?
The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine by Z Brewer explores the idea that not everything is as crystal clear as we initially thought.
Will Viktor figure out what his parents are hiding?
Viktor Valentine
Viktor Valentine has a pretty ordinary life. He has a mom, a dad, and a younger sister. Not only that, but a best friend that has been with him through everything. Well, that is until Damon, the best friend, got new friends over the summer and now Viktor doesn’t think he can compete with them since they are so much cooler than him. Despite that, Viktor has more to worry about. Why are his parents suddenly acting weird? I have to say that I feel a bit bad for Viktor and how everything has happened to him at the beginning of seventh grade. Viktor is definitely not a kid that I would’ve hung out with back in middle school.
The Story
Viktor Valentine is trying to enjoy the last day of summer vacation before heading back to school. Until his mom tells him, she has volunteered him to help at the library. The first period of the new school year is basically when everything really changes for Viktor. I have to say that a lot of things happen pretty fast, but I do feel bad for Viktor overall. Viktor seems like a nice kid who has a strange family dynamic.
Four Stars
My rating is four stars for The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine by Z Brewer. I suggest you give this book a shot and see what you think of it. Some parts I didn’t really care for, and some I did. Z did a great job of immersing me in the story and wanting to know what happened next.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine by Z Brewer.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
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About Z Brewer
Z Brewer is the NYT bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, as well as The Slayer Chronicles series, Soulbound, The Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, Madness, Into the Real, more short stories than they can recall, and occasionally works as a game dev. Their pronouns are they/them. When not making readers cry because they killed off a character they loved, Z is an anti-bullying and mental health advocate. Plus, they have awesome hair.
Z lives in Saint Louis, Missouri with a husband person, one child person, and three furry overlords that some people refer to as “cats”.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2024 Goodreads RC
- 2024 Literary Escapes
- 2024 Middle Grade Reading Challenge
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