The Vampire's Promise

Vampire's Promise #3

by Caroline B. Cooney

Book by 'Cooney, Caroline B.'

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Vampires, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Teen

188 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

Caroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This final part of the trilogy is not only more enjoyable than the second entry, but also a fitting end to the series.

I liked that Cooney tried something different this time, rather than another rehash of the previous two entries.
Of course the vampire is still very manipulative and untrustworthy, where as this time it’s a group of teens as Lacey and her five friends who venture into the tower.

As the vampire declares that the group must pick one victim for the other five to survive...

I still not really a fan of sequels in the Point Horror series, but liked that the teenage characters changed with each book.
Though I appreciated the the previous occupiers to The Mall House were acknowledged!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to read these from the school library obsessively when I was about 10/11. So fun 😁

[Armand · Rating 4 out of 5]

The antagonist presents one of the more intriguing riffs on the vampire mythos. He is an undead being who requires a more exquisite kind of permission to gain access to his prey, needing the assent of a designated contractee who will willfully "sacrifice" victims for him in exchange for their perceived advantages - popularity, beauty, brains, etc. He can be as solid as a human or as incorporeal as shadows. His glamor is not personal, but contingent on the strength of his obligant's worldly desires. Now where can I find me a genie like that?

This time though, there would be no wishes waiting to be fulfilled, except perhaps for survival. The vampire's nest, rotting and abandoned, is scheduled to be demolished soon, but before that its master was going to partake of a feast. Six adventurous kids went there to hold a party, but they didn't know the deadly entity that stalked its shadows. To be allowed to escape, they would have to sacrifice one from their group. The question is - which one?

As in the previous books, the vampire follows certain rules that he doesn't care to explain to his victims, preferring to toy with them. These rules don't feel careless or tacked on though, and they actually gave the proceedings a patina of unpredictability that made them more exciting. This is a clever book that will have you guessing until the end.

There's a sadistic twist two-thirds of the way into the book that changes the game's dynamics. I have to commend Cooney's characters for not being as two-dimensional as in most books in the genre. Their courage and smarts makes them pretty endearing.

This is the best entry in the series, providing a worthy finish to the trilogy. I'm rating it 7.5/10 or 4 stars out of 5.

[Jean Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

They just wanted to have some fun. Randy, the initator of the whole stay-over at The Mall House thing, did not foresee the danger that lurked in their home for the night, which was actually nothing but a vampire's nest. The 6 of them: Lacey, Randy, Sherree, Zach, Roxanne, and Bobby, each lead different lives, and they come together on this single night just to find out how selfish individuals are. The air-headed Sherree, a pretty blonde cheerleader, nominated Lacey when asked, forced, and then frightened into nominating someone from their crowd. From how she responds to certain happenings in the house, I can tell how dense Sherree is. While Lacey was the first to sense a vampire, 'silly cheerleader Sherree, was doing what she did best, giggling between Randy and Bobby'. This portrayed a typical bimbotic girl who has shallow, and evene zilch ideas about practicality. She would do anything to save herself from the vampire, and that includes sacrificing her friend. 'Sherree tightened herself into a ball, thinking. Lacey's standing up. He'll take her first. I'll run. He can't do two at a time.' What goes on in Sherree's mind shows clearly this way. She cannot be really trusted, as she would promise anything to save herself.
Promise anything to save yourself. The vampire wanted them to choose who would have to stay and to be the vampire's next victim. Each of them wanted to leave very much, each of them thinking 'Hey, that won't be me. I'm leaving'. But if everyone leaves, who would be the next victim? This book ventures deep into a person's inner conscience, for everyone is selfish but to a certain extent for some. In the middle [nearing the end of the book], the 5 people came back for Lacey just as the vampire was about to devour her. But when Randy volunteered to be the vampire's victim just to save Lacey and be seen as a hero, the vampire lets him go for voluteering not anyone but himself. Sherree, on seeing this, volunteered too, but the vampire could tell her selfish motives and personal agenda to be the second one out of there, he decided to take her for his next victim. This shows a certain knowing on the vampire's part, that he/she under the mysterious cloak isn't exactly a cold-blooded menace but rather, quite understanding of human nature.
Lacey's battle with the vampire was an interesting and exciting one. She made use of the vampire's weakness--fear of the coming of dawn, to destroy the vampire and emerged as a winner and a true hero. She was one who was not afraid even of death darkness and the vampire, one who would never promise anything just to save herself but she cared for the rest of the people. Her personal agenda was not to get herself out of the Mall House, but to get everyone out of there. Her selfless motives were one of courage and deserves praise. She said something really meaningful in the story, which is: 'The vampire's weaknesses don't count. Our own weaknesses are the ones that matter.' This shows her determination to triumph over evil by being strong. Strength and will are the only ways to survive in the Mall House.
I loved this series. I have read all three books in this series and I loved this last novel best as it is the most exciting one. One night in the Mall House with the Vampire. One to be sacrificed. Who would it be? It is certainly a captivating plot. So, read this book by Caroline B Cooney, the master of mystery and horror!
Vampires may not be real, but what the story may be trying to say, may be that vampires, or the dark, can exist in everyone. In fact, everyone has a vampire in his/her heart. The dark side of human nature, that is. And that we should always lock that dark side in us, lock them out behind shutters in a tall dark tower and never ever release it.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great end to the trilogy lots of good characters and a good story.

[Read With Tarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story Description:

A group of teenagers break into the derelict mansion (which was once Althea’s & Devnee’s home) & they come face to face with the menacing vampire. He’s really hungry so he makes a promise with the teenagers: between them they can choose who will be the vampire’s next victim & the others can leave unharmed….

So, who will be the vampire’s next victim? The jock, Bobby? The party girl, Sherree? The tough girl, Roxanne? The smart guy, Zach? The shy girl, Lacey? Or the outsider, Randy?

My Thoughts:

Out of all the books in the Vampire’s Promise trilogy, I thought this one was the weakest. I didn’t like the set-up or the way Cooney switched from all the teenagers point of views. I didn’t like the random introductions of new characters mid-way through the book (like Ginny & Jordan). They didn’t add much to the story at all. I also didn’t get the point of the second vampire. Was he there this whole time with Althea & Devnee? I thought it was just way too chaotic.

As a series, I thought the Vampire’s Promise trilogy was just ok. I’d recommend it more for teenagers who want to dip themselves into the horror or thriller genre.

[Breanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was leagues above the second installment in this series and a wonderful ending to the story. A great change of pace from the others, the main characters are all dynamic and interesting in their own unique ways. But Lacey James stands above them all as truly good, kind, and brilliant. This book was suspenseful, imaginative, and truly a blast. I was in the edge of my seat the whole time and I couldn’t read fast enough. The only problem I had with the story was the sudden appearance of the second vampire, it really threw me off and seemed a bit out of nowhere because the other two books didn’t really point to there being two vampires in the Mall House. But other than that this really was a fantastic read !!

[Cazzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly the weakest of the Vampire trilogy. It seemed like the plot was padded out with pointless characters and scenes just to hit the word count. The premise itself might have worked better a a short story, as it was OK and the characters were OK too. The highlight was, for me, the allusion to the frist book with the cop who had been a cheerleader with Althea.

[Khurshid Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sadly disappointed in the this book that was the end of the vampire trilogy.

This time there was no girl living in the mansion
This time there was no one wanting to be beautiful

But
A broken down mansion
A group of friends wanting to have a good time.

Soon
Their antics awakes the vampire and his rules have changed.

He demands a sacrifice from the friends

However
There is a twist that we don’t see coming.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm glad that Cooney ditched the formula from the previous two books, but this was not enjoyable. Nothing happens. No one has any character development, and the writing goes like this:

"Jordan's car steered into the driveway and stopped.
Jordan opened his door.
Ginny opened hers.
They got out."

So redundant. There's about 30 pages of story in here and the rest is just filler. A skipper.

[Vicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

My daughter and I read this aloud together and neither of us could wait until the book was finished. It was horrible. Very slow and tedious. No scares. On one hand, though, it gave a good look at what people would really do in a crisis and how they would react to each other when given choices. And what was with the vampires' teeth growing longer and sideways and straight out? Huh?

[Nattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stinky. The worst in the series. It felt like Cooney was trying to write a book that was both psychological and philosophical. It was a total fail for me.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was abysmal in this. The story was interesting, but the writing was just too bad.

[Madame Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complex and exciting book.

[D.L. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, this was sooo bad. Caroline should have left well enough alone after book 2 in the series.

[Angi Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a blast from my past. I read this series as a fascinated kid and experienced it again as an adult. Scary, silly fun. Loved it.

[Melanie Wissel · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA horror. It’s okay for it’s targeted audience, readable enough but predictable.

[Courtney Gruenholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still keeping the five star rating and not just for nostalgia either.

I vaguely remembered bits of the story but not the full book in detail until I read it and it has been such a long time.

The house where both Althea and Devnee lived for brief moments in time is nearing its final hours. It is now called The Mall House because it is going to be torn down to make room for a new mall in the town. The looming hemlock trees have been cut down and the house with the shuttered tower and the vampire still wait within...

Randy thinks it would be a fun idea to stay in the house before they demolish it...overnight with his best friends and their girls and his own girlfriend, Lacey. Lacey likes being scared and she and Randy are ultimately on two different paths.

Randy is thinking high school sweethearts but Lacey isn't sure if its love and marriage yet...she's only a junior and Randy is the only boyfriend she's ever had.

Bobby is a big jock and all the girls love him even if he is only just at the beginning of his high school career. He's dating Sherree; blonde, bubbly and bubble-headed cheerleader as well as Roxanne at the same time. Being girlfriend material is not what Roxanne wants anymore between her and Bobby...being with Zach seems more appealing.

They are both smart seniors to be and Roxanne is not interested in having her final year of high school being on some baby jock's back burner with another girl...especially one like Sherree.

Lacey and Roxanne could be good friends but it seems that everyone thinks Lacey is a goody two shoes and a dwindle-head. I have no idea what that insult is but it is constantly mentioned.

The six of them enter the house expecting to just have an exciting night or a boring night with soda and popcorn in everyone's case mostly except for Randy. Lacey is the first to notice it but one by one the others become aware of the vampire's presence.

No one has dared enter the house in so long and he is hungry. As always, he is crafty and cunning and polite yet hideous to look on, to touch...to be wrapped up in that rotten stench. He holds all of them captive but he promises he will release five of them...if they can choose one to be offered as his meal.

Each one tries to think of ways to escape at first but once the attempts are thwarted by the vampire, knowing their every thought, desperation begins to bring out true colors and true characters of each one.

Outside the house while the teens are trapped inside with their cruel dilemma, Lacey's younger brother Kevin and Bobby's sister, Mardee, are planning to scare their siblings and their friends.

Kevin's got a huge crush on Mardee and thought girls wanted romance but she wants to have some fun, not interested in boyfriends at the moment... especially if they end up anything like her brother.

They have no idea that inside, their siblings are already more than scared...they are terrified. No idea that Bobby or Lacey might never come home again or at least not quite the same as before.

We get a few other P.O.Vs in the book: A car thief out looking for a vehicle to steal. There is also a policewoman mentioned to have been a cheerleader a long while back with Althea but she is never given a name so it's a mystery and a tenuous thread to link the books as a trilogy.

There is also a girl named Ginny, eighteen, and her boyfriend Jordan driving around town looking for her little brother and the family car he was supposed to bring home. It is never clearly stated who Ginny's brother is but the only one of the three teenage boys trapped in the tower (Randy) is said to have driven his car to the house with all of the others.

Cooney states the subdivision only has like nine houses where the family lives and Randy is said to have money so why would they not have two cars? Mardee is Bobby's little sister so Ginny could even be Zach's sister or just not related at all to anyone we focus on.

Even at the end of the book I am still not sure *shrugs*

We get a really good twist and a really good reveal which is not fully explained by I like the ambiguity of it. Telling everything can sometimes make the suspense and thrills less exciting but sometimes it drives me crazy...not sure about anyone else.

The ending of the book is triumphant yet sad but also again...ambiguous. Material enough for another book? Perhaps but not likely. Does it need a fourth entry? Not really but everything nowadays is getting a second wind.

Another part of the ending could be seen as...frustrating. If you have read The Vampire's Promise, you might have an idea as to what and why but if you haven't read it, you might just realize what I mean.

All I can say character wise is that Lacey is probably the best lead girl in all of the books. I'm a little up in the air on everybody else without going into full spoiler mode.

The Vampire's Promise is the best out of this Cooney trilogy but as a whole, I'd say you should still read all three.

[Kaya Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abandonment, loss, despair…this book hit me hard in childhood.

[Tome Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third and final book in the series. Way better than book two! It was its own/new story and instead of one girl vs the vampire it’s 6v1…or is it? Solid 4 star read.

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about six teenagers who decide to have some fun and sneak into an abandoned house. Little do they know that it is not completely abandoned.When they go into the house the discover a vampire who just woke up from his sleep. This sick vampire decides that he will let the six teenagers choose who the he will eat. The teens obviously don't want to choose, so they spend the night trying to figure a way out. The in tire book is the teens trying different ways to escape.
In this book I have noticed a few connections. One of then is a text to self connection. In this book the teens are always trying to figure a way out of the dangerous situation. I usually do that too. I will always find myself in a situation that I do not like, even though it is not dangerous or life threatening like in this book. But, just like the characters in the book, I will try to find a way out of getting in trouble. And that is why I am like the characters in this book.
I would rate this book three stares. I rate it that because it was very suspenseful and was very interesting. But it got a little boring after a while of nothing happening. I would recommend this book to all people who love suspenseful books and vampire stories.

[PurplyCookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Randy knows all his friends just hang out with him because he's got a big house and the latest gadgets. In an attempt for them to like him for who he is, he tries to impress them by thinking up a plan to stay overnight at the "Mall House", a creepy abandoned mansion with a circular tower.

And so begins the story, with six teenagers locked inside a tower with a starving vampire. He makes them a promise: if the kids choose one of their own to stay and be the victim, the others may leave unscathed. Who will be sacrificed?

I found the first half of this book somewhat boring. The switching viewpoints were poorly executed and most of the characters' internal thoughts were uninteresting. However, the overly courteous vampire with his interesting proposal proved to be refreshing. The ending was not memorable but at least it wasn't the old stake-in-the-heart routine.


Book Details:

Title Fatal Bargain (The Vampire's Promise 3)
Author Caroline Cooney
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Patrick Ellard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third and final entry in Caroline B. Cooney's vampire trilogy is without doubt the best of the three. Gone is high school setting and teenage girl wishes of the first two and it's replaced by a much darker story where the vampire traps 6 teens inside the Mall house and froces them to choose of then to die. The characters are much better, the story much darker and more interesting and the vampire more menacing which all adds up to a cracking last entry in the series.

[Patricia]

this was my absolute favorite one of all three. there were so many different characters and story lines that were completely seperate from the other. they didn't come together till the very end of the book and i just thought it was really great.

[Rhonda Helton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. I felt lost most of the time, it bounced around too much!
The ending story was the best in my opinion. I couldn`t get into reading this book and finally made myself and what a waste!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was better then the first 2 simply because it had a different plot... beyond that it was the same long drawn out scenes in which nothing actually happens. I'm glad that mansion has burned down and I can move on to something worthwhile.

[Stacie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been revisiting some books from my youth and after reading The Cheerleader decided to read the next two books in The Vampires Promise series. This was by far the worst, I didn't even bother finishing it.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a creepy vampire book. Perfect for Halloween.

[hunger games and K POP LAVA!!!! · Rating 1 out of 5]

i diddnt like it. it went sooo slow and i diddnt finnish it because it was boring

[Sati Marie Frost · Rating 2 out of 5]

One-Line Review: Maybe this is why I feel so dirty most of the time. I keep forgetting that I’m covered with vampire slime.

Full review to come.