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Elvira #1
Transylvania 90210
In her first hairdo-raising adventure, Elvira meets the weirdos next door--a pasty-faced group of coffin-carrying bloodsuckers! Elvira likes vampires as much as the next ghoul. But when they start chomping on her friends, the new creeps on the block receive a little visit--from ELvira's unwelcome wagon. This book begins a new series starring America's favorite glamour ghoul.
169 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 11, 2020
Fear Street, Christopher Pike, Caroline B. Cooney and other teen thrillers were big in the '90s, but did you know Elvira had her own book series?! I didn’t before stumbling upon this old paperback. When the description compared itself to R.L. Stine, stars aligned and I felt this book must’ve been written specifically for me.
No surprise, I LOVE it! Written along with John Paragon, who collaborated with her on Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988), Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2001) and other Elvira-related sketches, it encapsulates everything we love about the busty horror hostess.
Set in the town of “Beaver Hills,” Elvira is caught up in a macabre match-up with the new neighbor, a blood-sucking vampire! With the help of ditzy high schoolers who flock to her side, they band together to save the town and each other.
Along the way are many thrills and many puns. The jokes are primarily about her beehive, revealing dress and ample bosom, but all kinds of zingers are thrown in. The tone is spot-on with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, so if you’re a fan of that movie you’ll enjoy every moment of this.
The '90s are also fully on display, with the youngsters saying “as if,” “let’s not and say we did,” and one of the guys showcases “sensitivity and brooding introspection.” I could imagine the original audience finding this cheesy, but reading it now feels like a blast from the past.
Finding a copy of the original paperback from 1996 isn’t hard, but can be a little pricey depending on the condition. Fortunately there’s an eBook that’s easily available and includes a brief new introduction.
Although a novel isn’t as “visual” as seeing the fabulous Cassandra Peterson on screen, it doesn’t take much imagination to picture her iconic form romping about in the vampire’s musty basement and fighting off fanged fiends. I’d go so far as to say this is the best Elvira-related story since her 1988 film debut. I’ll definitely be reading her two other books in the series, Camp Vamp and The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.
Unpleasant dreams! ;)
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No surprise, I LOVE it! Written along with John Paragon, who collaborated with her on Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988), Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2001) and other Elvira-related sketches, it encapsulates everything we love about the busty horror hostess.
Set in the town of “Beaver Hills,” Elvira is caught up in a macabre match-up with the new neighbor, a blood-sucking vampire! With the help of ditzy high schoolers who flock to her side, they band together to save the town and each other.
Along the way are many thrills and many puns. The jokes are primarily about her beehive, revealing dress and ample bosom, but all kinds of zingers are thrown in. The tone is spot-on with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, so if you’re a fan of that movie you’ll enjoy every moment of this.
The '90s are also fully on display, with the youngsters saying “as if,” “let’s not and say we did,” and one of the guys showcases “sensitivity and brooding introspection.” I could imagine the original audience finding this cheesy, but reading it now feels like a blast from the past.
Finding a copy of the original paperback from 1996 isn’t hard, but can be a little pricey depending on the condition. Fortunately there’s an eBook that’s easily available and includes a brief new introduction.
Although a novel isn’t as “visual” as seeing the fabulous Cassandra Peterson on screen, it doesn’t take much imagination to picture her iconic form romping about in the vampire’s musty basement and fighting off fanged fiends. I’d go so far as to say this is the best Elvira-related story since her 1988 film debut. I’ll definitely be reading her two other books in the series, Camp Vamp and The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.
Unpleasant dreams! ;)
Follow for more reviews of the obscure and unusual:
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November 14, 2019
"Wow! Elvira, Luke observed, those are some knockers.
Why, thank you, Luke! I blushed, flattered.
Luke shook his head. No, Elvira. Not you. Luke said, pointing to the large wolf’s-head door knockers hanging from both doors."
I love Elvira. She’s the mistress of the dark and a complete badass b**ch!!
This was my first experience reading a book by Elvira. It was exactly like I expected and I really enjoyed it. It took me back to a simpler time and some of those phrases made me laugh because they were dated and so bad. The story was decent for a dated vampire novel.
Now I need to find the other books in this collection.
Why, thank you, Luke! I blushed, flattered.
Luke shook his head. No, Elvira. Not you. Luke said, pointing to the large wolf’s-head door knockers hanging from both doors."
I love Elvira. She’s the mistress of the dark and a complete badass b**ch!!
This was my first experience reading a book by Elvira. It was exactly like I expected and I really enjoyed it. It took me back to a simpler time and some of those phrases made me laugh because they were dated and so bad. The story was decent for a dated vampire novel.
Now I need to find the other books in this collection.
September 8, 2023
An absolutely hilarious mash-up of Dracula and Beverly Hills, 90210. If you enjoy Elvira’s signature goofy sense of humor, you will not be disappointed!
September 21, 2022
3.5/5 I love reading Elvira’s books as you can really hear everything in her voice. She has all the same corny sayings and campy way of talking. I really enjoy that aspect of it! In terms of the story, there wasn’t much special to it. It was your run-of-the-mill vampire story. Despite that, it was still entertaining and I would recommend it to others.
July 13, 2021
Plot Is really really bland, but that's probably not the reason anybody would read this book, right? The reason is Elvira's trademark tongue-in-cheeck humour, and there's plenty of that here. Alas it's not enough to make this a good book
February 21, 2025
It's basically Fright Night but with Elvira and I love Elviria and Fright Night so I did enjoy this book.
November 13, 2018
So far I have read two book written by Elvira aka Cassandra Peterson. I read this book and "Elvira: The Boy Who Cried Werewolf." Both stories are really good in a cheesy B-movie way. I enjoyed reading "Elvira: The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" more, because the humor and setting is more to my liking.
"Elvira: Transylvania 90210" is like a mishmash of characters from the television show Beverly Hills, 90210 and the movie Fright Night. The original movie from from 1985, not the awful remake from 2011. I really dug the handsome vampire moving in next door to Elvira vibe and plot taken from Fright Night.
The stereotype characters taken from Beverly Hills, 90210 caused a chuckle early on from me with the character name play, but lost its charm quickly. I am not a fan of the television show, so the humors appeal of the characters and their traits were lost to me. Maybe someone who liked the show would appreciate it more.
Overall, this book is a fun read. Elvira and B-movie fans will not be disappointed. There is a third book in the series called "Elvira: Camp Vamp" that I want to read.
"Elvira: Transylvania 90210" is like a mishmash of characters from the television show Beverly Hills, 90210 and the movie Fright Night. The original movie from from 1985, not the awful remake from 2011. I really dug the handsome vampire moving in next door to Elvira vibe and plot taken from Fright Night.
The stereotype characters taken from Beverly Hills, 90210 caused a chuckle early on from me with the character name play, but lost its charm quickly. I am not a fan of the television show, so the humors appeal of the characters and their traits were lost to me. Maybe someone who liked the show would appreciate it more.
Overall, this book is a fun read. Elvira and B-movie fans will not be disappointed. There is a third book in the series called "Elvira: Camp Vamp" that I want to read.
July 16, 2021
3.5 stars - This was nothing special, but a simple, fun Elvira tale. The humor is consistent with the character. Parts of it have not aged well (hanging out with teenagers beyond the first movie gets iffy), but I enjoyed adding it to my collection! I feel like if nothing else, this would have made an entertaining Halloween special.
October 14, 2025
Cute and campy, just what I expected from an Elvira book. This was a fun and short read about our dearest Mistress of the Dark and some vampires!
Loved it, but I'm not sure how to tag this book lol. Adult or YA fiction? Because obviously, there are adult jokes galore. It wouldn't be Elvira without some tit jokes. But then, the whole time she's hanging with some teens! There's never anything /bad/ that happens or is alluded to, other than teenage boys being horny, but that's normal imo. Strange, but fun, I guess!
Loved it, but I'm not sure how to tag this book lol. Adult or YA fiction? Because obviously, there are adult jokes galore. It wouldn't be Elvira without some tit jokes. But then, the whole time she's hanging with some teens! There's never anything /bad/ that happens or is alluded to, other than teenage boys being horny, but that's normal imo. Strange, but fun, I guess!
April 11, 2017
Really stupid but why wouldn't it be. A spooky parody of Beverly Hills 90210, the spooky stuff was fun but the 90210 bits were dull.
A little disappointed that Elvira didn't stake a vampire with a stiletto heel.
A little disappointed that Elvira didn't stake a vampire with a stiletto heel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2023
Not sure how this has a 3.81...
January 13, 2024
“Shannon’s gone off to that big shopping mall in the sky. Why, she’s probably sitting in the food court with Satan at this very moment, giving him a hard time.”
If only goodreads would let me do half star ratings because it truly hurts to give this only three stars. I love Elvira so much, but I definitely feel like this was written for a younger audience, oddly enough it being Elvira and nothing about her suggest trying to appeal to a younger audience. It did have some awesome gorey moments though and being able to read this in Elvira’s exact voice was so fun! I really had a good time, but I would have loved even more raunchy stuff, not gonna lie.
If only goodreads would let me do half star ratings because it truly hurts to give this only three stars. I love Elvira so much, but I definitely feel like this was written for a younger audience, oddly enough it being Elvira and nothing about her suggest trying to appeal to a younger audience. It did have some awesome gorey moments though and being able to read this in Elvira’s exact voice was so fun! I really had a good time, but I would have loved even more raunchy stuff, not gonna lie.
June 2, 2018
Rating 2.5
My ramblings
Once upon a time, I was 18 and spending my summer in Singapore with my best friend. When you travel, you can't bring books, books are heavy (this is pre-ebook era). Thankfully, I found a tiny used bookstore inside a mall near our hotel where I could stock up on my pool-reading material. One of the books I bought was Elvira, Transylvania 90210.
I remember laughing while reading it. It was campy-fun. I recently found this book in the back of my closet and just HAD to re-read it. I laughed again. It's still a lot of fun. It's not horror, despite what the spine tells you, it's more of a parody of horror.
Plot
For two years, Elivra has been stuck in Beaver Hills (Beverly Hills), a "suburb of a suburb of Suburbia." She ends up liking it there because "The dogs seem friendly and the people don't bite." However, she gets a creepy neighbor who moves in during the middle of the night. Why is he creepy?
He's got a casket and a hunchbacked assistant, and Elvira is suspicious.
Then enter the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Luke Berry's girlfriend Shannon gets involved with the vampire that's moved in across the street from Elvira. Elvira teams up with Luke to snoop, investigate, and try to rid the town of one blood-sucking vampire.
It's cheesy. Really. Really cheesy. But it's supposed to be. If you ever watched 90210 you can appreciate the parody of the show and Elivra's sense of humor.
My ramblings
Once upon a time, I was 18 and spending my summer in Singapore with my best friend. When you travel, you can't bring books, books are heavy (this is pre-ebook era). Thankfully, I found a tiny used bookstore inside a mall near our hotel where I could stock up on my pool-reading material. One of the books I bought was Elvira, Transylvania 90210.
I remember laughing while reading it. It was campy-fun. I recently found this book in the back of my closet and just HAD to re-read it. I laughed again. It's still a lot of fun. It's not horror, despite what the spine tells you, it's more of a parody of horror.
Plot
For two years, Elivra has been stuck in Beaver Hills (Beverly Hills), a "suburb of a suburb of Suburbia." She ends up liking it there because "The dogs seem friendly and the people don't bite." However, she gets a creepy neighbor who moves in during the middle of the night. Why is he creepy?
He's got a casket and a hunchbacked assistant, and Elvira is suspicious.
Then enter the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Luke Berry's girlfriend Shannon gets involved with the vampire that's moved in across the street from Elvira. Elvira teams up with Luke to snoop, investigate, and try to rid the town of one blood-sucking vampire.
It's cheesy. Really. Really cheesy. But it's supposed to be. If you ever watched 90210 you can appreciate the parody of the show and Elivra's sense of humor.
September 6, 2023
If you know Elvira you will love this novel. While it is a parody of Beverly Hills 90201 characters, those that are not familiar with that show will not miss out on anything. I was alive and in high school when 90210 was popular, but I only have seen a few episodes or parts of episodes. It isn't set in Transylvania either, so no worries about getting an atlas out either. So basically, if you like Elvira, you'll enjoy this book. It's so campy, you'll want to sleep with a sleeping bag and make s'mores, but it's a load of horror filled fun.
August 13, 2023
But that skateboarding scene? Ridiculously stupid. A+.
Sometimes you’re in the mood for fruit of the low-hanging variety. The kind that comes with a guarantee. This is that fruit. Elvira and John Paragon should have wrote more of these. Pure stupid fun. Recommended.
(And I’m glad I read this one second because I kept expecting the old, R.L. Stine-patented “just kidding, nobody got hurt and there was nothing supernatural!”)
Sometimes you’re in the mood for fruit of the low-hanging variety. The kind that comes with a guarantee. This is that fruit. Elvira and John Paragon should have wrote more of these. Pure stupid fun. Recommended.
(And I’m glad I read this one second because I kept expecting the old, R.L. Stine-patented “just kidding, nobody got hurt and there was nothing supernatural!”)
February 2, 2020
Campy, vampy, and a little bit trampy. What more could you want!? All the best cliches of high school with the delightful addition of Elvira as their ally.
June 18, 2020
Eh. It was worth it for the line “how many times have I warned you kids about practicing safe sucks?”
May 12, 2021
This was campy fun! Like Fear Street meets Elvira. Don't come for a riveting tale, but if you love Elvira it's a must!
October 14, 2021
This is such a fun and quick read and perfect for an October reading list! It's got a great plot and is full of puns and jokes.
April 20, 2023
This has Elvira's tongue in check humor. Was it the best book ever. No, but it's fun.
January 22, 2025
What can I say. Last sentence is the funniest. In comparison .... the Elvira 1988 movie is an Oscar(r) worthy production.
October 3, 2025
Imagine a mix of The Burbs, Fright Night and 90210. Hilarious and genuinely a fun spooky story all with that perfect Elvira flair. I read it in my mind in her voice the whole way through. 😂
December 25, 2025
Always a fun read! Elvira is the best!
September 16, 2011
Added this to my Horror shelf, but it is more of a horror spoof than anything else. Made a nice change.
October 16, 2016
The campy, goopy, gory tone is really only there at the beginning and end of the book, and the middle has none of the charm, but still quick and enjoyable in a more adult "goosebumps" kind of way.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews