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The Vampire Stalker
What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?
Amy is in love with someone who doesn't Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.
Amy is in love with someone who doesn't Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
170 people are currently reading
7238 people want to read
About the author
Allison van Diepen
10 books952 followersAllison van Diepen is the author of many teen novels, including Takedown, Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age.
Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.
Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 945 reviews
March 30, 2012
2.5
I admit that I would never have read this if it wasn't a part of my goodreads group's Travelling Book Tour, but I'm pleased to find that I am not left with that feeling of "I've just wasted several hours of my life". However, this novel is so full of ups and downs it's almost impossible to rate and, despite the relatively low rating, it was a rather light, easy and not entirely unenjoyable read.
The book is (literally) dedicated to a specific type of reader - and you know who you are. Are you the kind of person who has, on occasion, daydreamed about walking into a little bookstore in Ireland and meeting a man who will pull you into a reality as dangerous and sexy as he is? Or, alternatively, have you ever imagined stumbling through an ancient portal in the Scottish Highlands and falling straight into the path of a loud, lovable, 18th century Scot (who may or may not happen to be called James Fraser)?
If you perhaps recognise a teensy-tiny bit of yourself in the above, whether you are prepared to admit it or not, then this book could definitely be for you.
Yes, that's right, this book is a tribute to anyone who has ever fallen in love with a character in a book and wished and dreamed and hoped they could somehow be lurking in a backstreet bookstore or simply a portal away, whilst really always knowing that they couldn't be. Because in The Vampire Stalker, Amy's character-crush turns out to be what we hopeless dreamers all want our character-crushes to be: real.
It was actually explained quite scientifically for something so far-fetched. I think the people who found it boring didn't enjoy the descriptions of String Theory and Literary Physics, but I found it fascinating. Admittedly, even with a scientific approach, it was a bit ridiculous that the author wanted you to believe that literary characters and worlds are actual alternative dimensions and that certain people (authors) have some kind of psychic access to these dimensions without realising it.
So I appreciated the idea and the writing was very not tasking. The part that let it down was that the story ended up being banal and unengaging. Allison van Diepen didn't seem to know quite what to do with her characters once she'd got them into our dimension and had them, by some crazy twist of fate, run into one of their biggest fans.
You see, there's a good guy and a bad guy that arrive in our world (naturally) and Amy must assist said good guy (Alexander) in stopping mr bad guy vampire (Vigo) who ends up going on a killing rampage across Chicago. This results in media panic, vampire theories, blah-de-blah... it's not very original once you get into the main story.
Another thing, the two main characters are not a successful attempt at a romantic couple: zero chemistry. They're not terrible in themselves, but put them together and, damn, it becomes boring. The relationship didn't have a natural progression, in my opinion, and Amy seemed to quite suddenly realise at one point in the novel that Alexander was the one. Which is annoying anyway, but could have been forgiven if I, as a reader, had been thinking that Alexander could be the one. I wasn't.
I think that was the greatest disappointment. If you're going to write about a scenario that would make women's dreams come true, you should at least feel the sparks. I thought it was poorly done and my rating has had to reflect this.
September 3, 2011
I don't believe it!!!!I have dreamt that Bones(my top favourite Vamp)comes to life like a thousand times so far...i am so gonna read this book and be prepared just in case...:)
March 23, 2021
I don't know where my review is but I LOVED this book. It was so good and so real in a fictional way, the way Allison described the feeling of anticipating a book in a series you love was so correct. I remember reading the book in one sitting and loving every piece and character in it. Amy's infatuation with Alexander Banks who just popped out of her favorite series is hilarious! Such a good book, I really wanted a sequel!
July 7, 2011
Alexander Banks was in the middle of pursuing his vampire enemy, Vigo Skaar when they both suddenly found themselves in a different Chicago than the one they were just in.
It's after saving Amy Hawthorne from Vigo's attack that he learns where he is at.
Just a week ago, Amy and her friends were obsessing over the release of the second book in the Otherworld series. Now Amy cannot believe Alexander Banks really just saved her life. Until he shows her scars only the real Alexander would have.
Now with the help of the school librarian and later her friends, they must find away to get Vigo back into the portal. But their time is limited since the portal that brought them here has the potential to close at anytime and he's already started killing.
Soon Amy realizes the differences between the guy in the book she crushed on and the real guy she loved. One blunt statement from Amy puts them into a relationship where they share many dinners and kisses, but as Alexander gets closer to capturing Vigo, his future back in the books doesn't look promising.
It all comes down to when Amy finds Alexander's cousin, James and his vampire girlfriend and Vigo's sister, Hannah also in this world. Telling Vigo his leadership is being taken over in the other world, seems to get him to plan to cross over.
Luckily, Alexander sees through the lie and when he makes an attempt on Amy's life, he's there to stop it and finally stop Vigo for good.
Taking her out of their 'first' date, Alexander tells of his love for her and he doesn't plan to go back to the book world.
They see James and Hannah cross into the portal and head home, starting their own chapter together.
It's after saving Amy Hawthorne from Vigo's attack that he learns where he is at.
Just a week ago, Amy and her friends were obsessing over the release of the second book in the Otherworld series. Now Amy cannot believe Alexander Banks really just saved her life. Until he shows her scars only the real Alexander would have.
Now with the help of the school librarian and later her friends, they must find away to get Vigo back into the portal. But their time is limited since the portal that brought them here has the potential to close at anytime and he's already started killing.
Soon Amy realizes the differences between the guy in the book she crushed on and the real guy she loved. One blunt statement from Amy puts them into a relationship where they share many dinners and kisses, but as Alexander gets closer to capturing Vigo, his future back in the books doesn't look promising.
It all comes down to when Amy finds Alexander's cousin, James and his vampire girlfriend and Vigo's sister, Hannah also in this world. Telling Vigo his leadership is being taken over in the other world, seems to get him to plan to cross over.
Luckily, Alexander sees through the lie and when he makes an attempt on Amy's life, he's there to stop it and finally stop Vigo for good.
Taking her out of their 'first' date, Alexander tells of his love for her and he doesn't plan to go back to the book world.
They see James and Hannah cross into the portal and head home, starting their own chapter together.
December 29, 2014
There is nothing I wouldn’t give or do to have my book boyfriend Noah Shaw (Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) to come out of the pages of the book.
I want to see him in front of me.
I want to see all his gorgeous face, touch his firm muscles and… moving on.
I might say something totally X-rated.
Hahaha. Just kidding.
Anyhow, the main character in this book, Amy, got her wish. *Lucky Her!*
Amy was a huge fan the Otherworld series.
She and her friends and about a million of other girls are going gaga for the Otherworld books.
While everyone else was fell in love with James, the lead male protagonist of the book, Amy fell in love with Alexander Banks, James’ cousin.
Amy had the surprise of her life when she meets Alexander in the flesh when someone tried to attack her.
Alexander reveals that he’s hunting Vigo who apparently like him was in Chicago.
Amy’s dream came true but then again her worse nightmare also came along with it.
The first thing I liked about this book was the premise.
It was creative, original and entertaining.
The title though was something I didn’t really like.
It wasn’t catchy.
The word stalker has a negative connotation.
It’s creepy.
Falling in love with a stalker is creepy.
But other than that I pretty much liked the while concept.
It started a bit slow but as you read along it would eventually increase its pace and would keep you glued to its pages.
Another thing I loved about this book was the explanation of how the characters of that book crossed over to real Chicago.
Literary Physics.
It’s unheard of but I find it cool and believable.
Believable in a way that you know that it cannot be true but you are thinking of the possibility that it could be true.
I liked the idea that there is a parallel universe out there wherein some of our favorite book characters might actually be real.
Cool stuff I tell you.
It won’t be explained initially but as you go along you’ll find out how this Literary Physics work.
The premise was great but I had a little issue connecting with the characters.
For me they weren’t entirely developed.
This book was too short to make the characters more dimensional.
I mean you’ll know them but only up to a point.
You won’t get to see them wholly.
This book was supposed to be a paranormal romance book right?
It is very paranormal but it lacked in the romance for me.
Although it was bit cheesy, I just felt that there weren’t much connection between Amy and Alexander.
I don’t know if you guys thought about them the same way but that’s how I felt towards this book.
I still give this book a 4 stars for its originality.
There is this one line from this book that I really really liked.
“Being bitten by a vampire is not sexy”
I want to see him in front of me.
I want to see all his gorgeous face, touch his firm muscles and… moving on.
I might say something totally X-rated.
Hahaha. Just kidding.
Anyhow, the main character in this book, Amy, got her wish. *Lucky Her!*
Amy was a huge fan the Otherworld series.
She and her friends and about a million of other girls are going gaga for the Otherworld books.
While everyone else was fell in love with James, the lead male protagonist of the book, Amy fell in love with Alexander Banks, James’ cousin.
Amy had the surprise of her life when she meets Alexander in the flesh when someone tried to attack her.
Alexander reveals that he’s hunting Vigo who apparently like him was in Chicago.
Amy’s dream came true but then again her worse nightmare also came along with it.
The first thing I liked about this book was the premise.
It was creative, original and entertaining.
The title though was something I didn’t really like.
It wasn’t catchy.
The word stalker has a negative connotation.
It’s creepy.
Falling in love with a stalker is creepy.
But other than that I pretty much liked the while concept.
It started a bit slow but as you read along it would eventually increase its pace and would keep you glued to its pages.
Another thing I loved about this book was the explanation of how the characters of that book crossed over to real Chicago.
Literary Physics.
It’s unheard of but I find it cool and believable.
Believable in a way that you know that it cannot be true but you are thinking of the possibility that it could be true.
I liked the idea that there is a parallel universe out there wherein some of our favorite book characters might actually be real.
Cool stuff I tell you.
It won’t be explained initially but as you go along you’ll find out how this Literary Physics work.
The premise was great but I had a little issue connecting with the characters.
For me they weren’t entirely developed.
This book was too short to make the characters more dimensional.
I mean you’ll know them but only up to a point.
You won’t get to see them wholly.
This book was supposed to be a paranormal romance book right?
It is very paranormal but it lacked in the romance for me.
Although it was bit cheesy, I just felt that there weren’t much connection between Amy and Alexander.
I don’t know if you guys thought about them the same way but that’s how I felt towards this book.
I still give this book a 4 stars for its originality.
There is this one line from this book that I really really liked.
“Being bitten by a vampire is not sexy”
July 24, 2011
Before: My god! this sounds totally amazing! how many times haven't I dreamt one of my loved characters became real! :O Must read this...
After: I liked it. It was nice and an easy read but I just felt that the idea -which is awesome- could have gone much farther, be more developed, like it was kind of wasted. The first time I knew of this book I though the main character, Amy, would have been older and I so I expected the story to have gone more places and be more elaborated..maybe even a series! I was like split in two, enjoying the story and beeing dissapointed with it because it could have been -and I was waiting for it to be- much better. Just a thought...and a feeling
After: I liked it. It was nice and an easy read but I just felt that the idea -which is awesome- could have gone much farther, be more developed, like it was kind of wasted. The first time I knew of this book I though the main character, Amy, would have been older and I so I expected the story to have gone more places and be more elaborated..maybe even a series! I was like split in two, enjoying the story and beeing dissapointed with it because it could have been -and I was waiting for it to be- much better. Just a thought...and a feeling
May 30, 2011
The Vampire Stalker is a cute, sweet and ridiculously entertaining story with an orginal concept. It brings a whole new meaning to making the characters come alive....literally.
Recommended to readers with an open mind and who can go with the flow as well as those who are looking for a fun, light and easy escape.
Really cute!
Recommended to readers with an open mind and who can go with the flow as well as those who are looking for a fun, light and easy escape.
Really cute!
Read
November 16, 2020I have so many things i could say about this book.]
The writing could have been a lot better, it reminds me of something 13yr old me would have written on wattpad. Cheesy with LOADS of plot holes. I feel like there could have been a lot of potential for this book, but it was so rushed.
A few chapters into this, Alexander (the main guy) Went into Amy's school claiming he was her 'fiance' Which the school ALLOWED him to waltz around the corridors with a student. They didnt even bother calling her mum about this random boy they hadn't seen before asking to see Amy.
AND THEN The librarian for the school listened in on Amy and Alexanders conversation and asks Amy how she knows this guy is THE Alexander from 'The Mist Of Otherworld'books. Amy then responds "He has the scar on his tongue" THAT IS IT, The librarian then proceeds to invite Amy and the said random boy to her home to have dinner and to discuss how he came to be in the 'modern Chicago'
Why are these adults so okay with meeting a guy for 2 seconds and a 'scar' being a reasonable reason on why he is who he says he is? It literally doesnt even make sense..
This book doesnt even deserve a raiting because of how bad it was. If Allison writes this again with more description and better plot then it might be worth the read. But i wouldn't even bother picking this up if i were you. Don't put yourself through it.
The writing could have been a lot better, it reminds me of something 13yr old me would have written on wattpad. Cheesy with LOADS of plot holes. I feel like there could have been a lot of potential for this book, but it was so rushed.
A few chapters into this, Alexander (the main guy) Went into Amy's school claiming he was her 'fiance' Which the school ALLOWED him to waltz around the corridors with a student. They didnt even bother calling her mum about this random boy they hadn't seen before asking to see Amy.
AND THEN The librarian for the school listened in on Amy and Alexanders conversation and asks Amy how she knows this guy is THE Alexander from 'The Mist Of Otherworld'books. Amy then responds "He has the scar on his tongue" THAT IS IT, The librarian then proceeds to invite Amy and the said random boy to her home to have dinner and to discuss how he came to be in the 'modern Chicago'
Why are these adults so okay with meeting a guy for 2 seconds and a 'scar' being a reasonable reason on why he is who he says he is? It literally doesnt even make sense..
This book doesnt even deserve a raiting because of how bad it was. If Allison writes this again with more description and better plot then it might be worth the read. But i wouldn't even bother picking this up if i were you. Don't put yourself through it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2013
(not to hand in)
Just finished reading The vampire stalker.I had to read this book because it was chosen to be one of the top 20 nominees of 2013's Red Maple Reading program.There's really nothing to hate about this book except one thing. There should be a second book to this! Showing what happens after all the trauma and happy endings.
When I first began reading this book,I thought it would be another twilight impostor, but it wasn't even close to what i'd thought it would have been. This book made me cry, laugh, and even shocked on some parts. It was an amazing book, once i started reading this book, I couldn't put it down.
This book is based on a regular high school teenage girl, who meets the guy of her dreams. But there's more to that, the guy of her dreams Alexanda banks- isn't just some ordinary teen, he is a book character, who comes to live.I can't tell you more about it because I might spoil it for you.However, i'd recommend you to read this book if you love mystery, Fantasy, and romance, like me. And if i were you, this book would be on the top of my -books to read- list.
Just finished reading The vampire stalker.I had to read this book because it was chosen to be one of the top 20 nominees of 2013's Red Maple Reading program.There's really nothing to hate about this book except one thing. There should be a second book to this! Showing what happens after all the trauma and happy endings.
When I first began reading this book,I thought it would be another twilight impostor, but it wasn't even close to what i'd thought it would have been. This book made me cry, laugh, and even shocked on some parts. It was an amazing book, once i started reading this book, I couldn't put it down.
This book is based on a regular high school teenage girl, who meets the guy of her dreams. But there's more to that, the guy of her dreams Alexanda banks- isn't just some ordinary teen, he is a book character, who comes to live.I can't tell you more about it because I might spoil it for you.However, i'd recommend you to read this book if you love mystery, Fantasy, and romance, like me. And if i were you, this book would be on the top of my -books to read- list.
October 14, 2020
3.5 stars
This was a cute, quick read YA vampire novel.
Who hasn't dreamt of thier favourite fictional character coming to life in our world? In this Alexander Banks vampire hunter comes through a portal in Chicago, while chasing Vigo his vampire nemesis.
Both are characters from The Otherworld series.
This was a quick read, fast paced, and an easy vampire story for October. It's a standalone, as the publisher thought the market was over saturated with vampire novels at the time. There's no cliffhnager ending, so don't be worried about being left hanging.
This was a cute, quick read YA vampire novel.
Who hasn't dreamt of thier favourite fictional character coming to life in our world? In this Alexander Banks vampire hunter comes through a portal in Chicago, while chasing Vigo his vampire nemesis.
Both are characters from The Otherworld series.
This was a quick read, fast paced, and an easy vampire story for October. It's a standalone, as the publisher thought the market was over saturated with vampire novels at the time. There's no cliffhnager ending, so don't be worried about being left hanging.
did-not-finish
September 28, 2012DNF.
I had a very difficult time getting into this book. The premise made it sound awesome. Who wouldn't want to read a book where a girl meets the hero from a novel within the world she lives in? I thought the story and romance was going to be amazing because it was such a unique idea.
Problem was, this read way too much like a bad fanfiction. There was way too much telling way too early in the novel, and since I was not invested yet, I did not care about the fictional universe set within this world. There was also a lot of skirting around details. Instead of appealing to the reader's senses, it feels like all these scenes are quickly glossed over.
The characters were not believable, and neither were their interactions. I don't ever see high school kids accepting their school librarian--no matter how awesome she is--dancing with them at a school dance. I don't see the librarian willingly doing so either. Screams unprofessional.
Then we have the interactions between the heroine and Alexander. It felt forced, like the author was keeping Alexander there so he could bond with the book's heroine... when in reality, if he was a vampire hunter, he would have left the heroine alone the second she was safe, and continued pursuing the vampire villain.
Oh well, this clearly wasn't a story for me.
I had a very difficult time getting into this book. The premise made it sound awesome. Who wouldn't want to read a book where a girl meets the hero from a novel within the world she lives in? I thought the story and romance was going to be amazing because it was such a unique idea.
Problem was, this read way too much like a bad fanfiction. There was way too much telling way too early in the novel, and since I was not invested yet, I did not care about the fictional universe set within this world. There was also a lot of skirting around details. Instead of appealing to the reader's senses, it feels like all these scenes are quickly glossed over.
The characters were not believable, and neither were their interactions. I don't ever see high school kids accepting their school librarian--no matter how awesome she is--dancing with them at a school dance. I don't see the librarian willingly doing so either. Screams unprofessional.
Then we have the interactions between the heroine and Alexander. It felt forced, like the author was keeping Alexander there so he could bond with the book's heroine... when in reality, if he was a vampire hunter, he would have left the heroine alone the second she was safe, and continued pursuing the vampire villain.
Oh well, this clearly wasn't a story for me.
June 7, 2018
SUMMARY
Amy is in love with the brooding fictional hero of a book series called Otherworld. Alex is a vampire hunter who accidentally finds himself in Amy’s world. Can the two figure out why their world met, and can Alex stop the vampire he’s hunting before Amy’s world is turned as dark as his own?
PLOT
I really liked the plot of The Vampire Stalker because it involved what the author called ‘literary physics’, the theory that some authors don’t make up a fictional world but somehow tap into another dimension and write about that one instead. I like it because I had the same theory when I was a teenager. I was really pleased to see someone actually make a story of this theory, even if it did involve a vampire hunter with a fan following akin to Twilight or Harry Potter. I mean, vampires are so last year, amiright? But it worked in this book.
I liked how Alex was as well-rounded a character as a real person, and even took offence to ‘his’ Chicago being referred to as ‘Otherworld’. He had a purpose and didn’t really have time for a romance to distract him. The only part of the plot that I didn’t really buy was the curfew enforced on Amy’s city when the police ‘realised’ the serial killer was a ‘real vampire’. I mean, it just seemed so fake. Even this current terrifying clown epidemic hasn’t caused any curfews, and no one is actually going to believe a real vampire is murdering people.
CHARACTERS
Another thing I found unrealistic was Amy’s close and personal friendship with her school librarian. I’m a book nerd but I would never visit my librarian’s house for dinner after ‘working late’ or whatever it is she was doing, or consider her a friend. It seems pretty inappropriate for a member of staff to be interacting with pupils that way, especially out of hours. Also it seemed that Amy wasn’t that close to the librarian to begin with, then all of a sudden they have this history together and she trusts her with Alex’s secret. And this librarian is OK with this weird teenager just coming to live with her.
And of course Amy was the kind of mousy-haired, non-makeup-wearing, book-loving YA heroine every brooding bad boy goes nuts for. And her book boyfriend just happened to be the less popular of the two male leads in the book series – because the more popular one is already in a relationship with a female vampire. But the thing I missed most was any kind of chemistry between the two – here was more chemistry when Alex was yelling at her and saving her life rather than any sweet, romantic moments between the two. I still don’t see what Alex saw in Amy – she’s your paint-by-numbers typical YA heroine, bland as beige and designed to appeal to the masses.
WRITING
Mind you, there was nothing particularly memorable about the writing. The best thing about this book was the literary physics theory – oh yeah, did I mention that ‘helpful, friendly high school librarian’ who is more than happy to run around two teenagers to book events also used to be a physicist who came up with the theory? That’s why she recognises Alex. I did find the reaction of the poor author who thought she imagined this world quite realistic – once she recognises her own villain is out to get her, she can only call her hero for help. But really, the whole point of this book is to bring some teen girls’ fantasy to life and see what it might actually be like if your book boyfriend stepped into your world and got to know you.
OVERALL
With a bland heroine and no spark between the two romantic interests, the positive is that if you don’t take it too seriously the book is a cute, fluffy, quick read and the other characters all seem well-rounded. I thought the somewhat original premise was given a great boost by the literary physics theory but unfortunately the writing itself lacked punch as well.
Amy is in love with the brooding fictional hero of a book series called Otherworld. Alex is a vampire hunter who accidentally finds himself in Amy’s world. Can the two figure out why their world met, and can Alex stop the vampire he’s hunting before Amy’s world is turned as dark as his own?
PLOT
I really liked the plot of The Vampire Stalker because it involved what the author called ‘literary physics’, the theory that some authors don’t make up a fictional world but somehow tap into another dimension and write about that one instead. I like it because I had the same theory when I was a teenager. I was really pleased to see someone actually make a story of this theory, even if it did involve a vampire hunter with a fan following akin to Twilight or Harry Potter. I mean, vampires are so last year, amiright? But it worked in this book.
I liked how Alex was as well-rounded a character as a real person, and even took offence to ‘his’ Chicago being referred to as ‘Otherworld’. He had a purpose and didn’t really have time for a romance to distract him. The only part of the plot that I didn’t really buy was the curfew enforced on Amy’s city when the police ‘realised’ the serial killer was a ‘real vampire’. I mean, it just seemed so fake. Even this current terrifying clown epidemic hasn’t caused any curfews, and no one is actually going to believe a real vampire is murdering people.
CHARACTERS
Another thing I found unrealistic was Amy’s close and personal friendship with her school librarian. I’m a book nerd but I would never visit my librarian’s house for dinner after ‘working late’ or whatever it is she was doing, or consider her a friend. It seems pretty inappropriate for a member of staff to be interacting with pupils that way, especially out of hours. Also it seemed that Amy wasn’t that close to the librarian to begin with, then all of a sudden they have this history together and she trusts her with Alex’s secret. And this librarian is OK with this weird teenager just coming to live with her.
And of course Amy was the kind of mousy-haired, non-makeup-wearing, book-loving YA heroine every brooding bad boy goes nuts for. And her book boyfriend just happened to be the less popular of the two male leads in the book series – because the more popular one is already in a relationship with a female vampire. But the thing I missed most was any kind of chemistry between the two – here was more chemistry when Alex was yelling at her and saving her life rather than any sweet, romantic moments between the two. I still don’t see what Alex saw in Amy – she’s your paint-by-numbers typical YA heroine, bland as beige and designed to appeal to the masses.
WRITING
Mind you, there was nothing particularly memorable about the writing. The best thing about this book was the literary physics theory – oh yeah, did I mention that ‘helpful, friendly high school librarian’ who is more than happy to run around two teenagers to book events also used to be a physicist who came up with the theory? That’s why she recognises Alex. I did find the reaction of the poor author who thought she imagined this world quite realistic – once she recognises her own villain is out to get her, she can only call her hero for help. But really, the whole point of this book is to bring some teen girls’ fantasy to life and see what it might actually be like if your book boyfriend stepped into your world and got to know you.
OVERALL
With a bland heroine and no spark between the two romantic interests, the positive is that if you don’t take it too seriously the book is a cute, fluffy, quick read and the other characters all seem well-rounded. I thought the somewhat original premise was given a great boost by the literary physics theory but unfortunately the writing itself lacked punch as well.
November 18, 2011
Don’t ‘cha just hate it when a book you’re looking forward to turns out to be a disappointment?
When I first heard about this book a few months ago, I really wanted to read it - I’m not sure why. It just sounded like it would be really fun and interesting and different from other YA paranormal books out right now.
In the end, the book was entertaining but it wasn’t anything more than that and it is one that I’ll probably have forgotten I even read within a day or two.
I didn’t like the writing at all - it’s not one of those books that I find myself wanting to mark quotes from because I love the wording or because I relate to it somehow, there was nothing quotable about this book and it was very “I did this, then I did that and then we did this.” and a lot of it was filler stuff like her telling us what she was having for dinner (think Twilight writing only less purple prose).
I didn’t feel any connection to the characters at all - I didn’t love them or hate them and so I didn’t really care what happened to them and the romance was a bit…flat.
The execution of the story honestly read like cliché, mediocre author insert fan fiction (which is basically what it was only the book it was a fan fiction of only exists within the story) -- hell, the main character even writes fan fiction within the story. I guess reading the synopsis I should have guessed it would’ve felt like reading author insert fan fiction but I think maybe because it was an actual published novel I expected more, I expected it to be written better in a way that took it to another level.
The plot had some extreme ridiculous aspects to it - and I know this is fiction, but if an author writes something well enough then it will be believable within the context of the story…I’ve read books and been convinced by things like zombies and werewolves; parts of this were just not that believable.
I think it was less about the plot and more about the way it was written…like having a regular character conveniently be an expert on the very random and odd thing that happens in the book (you’ll know what I mean if you read it - the librarian). Kind of like watching a soap opera and a character suddenly has a heart attack in a restaurant but one of the other people there just happens to be a top heart surgeon who knows exactly what to do - it’s like, what are the chances? And it comes across as so planned/ridiculous.
For some reason anytime I try to think of how to say my thoughts on this book, my sentences end in eugh or meh. Other people may love this book, I can see why some people would, it just was not my cup of tea at all - good idea, bad/mediocre execution - the only really positive thing I can think to say is that it kept me entertained for a few hours but then I'm easily amused so that's not saying much (seriously: my dog spent like 15 minutes chasing the red dot from a laser pen and I thought it was silly until I realised I had spent 15 minutes completely amused just watching aforementioned dog chase the red dot from a laser pen...).
If I had to rate the book, it'd get 2/2.5 stars out of 5. Not awful, but not good either.
When I first heard about this book a few months ago, I really wanted to read it - I’m not sure why. It just sounded like it would be really fun and interesting and different from other YA paranormal books out right now.
In the end, the book was entertaining but it wasn’t anything more than that and it is one that I’ll probably have forgotten I even read within a day or two.
I didn’t like the writing at all - it’s not one of those books that I find myself wanting to mark quotes from because I love the wording or because I relate to it somehow, there was nothing quotable about this book and it was very “I did this, then I did that and then we did this.” and a lot of it was filler stuff like her telling us what she was having for dinner (think Twilight writing only less purple prose).
I didn’t feel any connection to the characters at all - I didn’t love them or hate them and so I didn’t really care what happened to them and the romance was a bit…flat.
The execution of the story honestly read like cliché, mediocre author insert fan fiction (which is basically what it was only the book it was a fan fiction of only exists within the story) -- hell, the main character even writes fan fiction within the story. I guess reading the synopsis I should have guessed it would’ve felt like reading author insert fan fiction but I think maybe because it was an actual published novel I expected more, I expected it to be written better in a way that took it to another level.
The plot had some extreme ridiculous aspects to it - and I know this is fiction, but if an author writes something well enough then it will be believable within the context of the story…I’ve read books and been convinced by things like zombies and werewolves; parts of this were just not that believable.
I think it was less about the plot and more about the way it was written…like having a regular character conveniently be an expert on the very random and odd thing that happens in the book (you’ll know what I mean if you read it - the librarian). Kind of like watching a soap opera and a character suddenly has a heart attack in a restaurant but one of the other people there just happens to be a top heart surgeon who knows exactly what to do - it’s like, what are the chances? And it comes across as so planned/ridiculous.
For some reason anytime I try to think of how to say my thoughts on this book, my sentences end in eugh or meh. Other people may love this book, I can see why some people would, it just was not my cup of tea at all - good idea, bad/mediocre execution - the only really positive thing I can think to say is that it kept me entertained for a few hours but then I'm easily amused so that's not saying much (seriously: my dog spent like 15 minutes chasing the red dot from a laser pen and I thought it was silly until I realised I had spent 15 minutes completely amused just watching aforementioned dog chase the red dot from a laser pen...).
If I had to rate the book, it'd get 2/2.5 stars out of 5. Not awful, but not good either.
June 21, 2012
3.5
It's more than obvious that The Vampire Stalker was written for a specific type of reader, but for those of you who don't spend hours daydreaming about certain fictional male characters, you can still enjoy this book nonetheless.
I can't decide whether or not The Vampire Stalker is actually young adult. I'm thinking more so middle grade-ish. While the concept definitely fits YA, there was also quite a bit of juvenile dialogue and toned down gory scenes.
You will probably find Amy to be a very relatable protagonist, especially if you fit into the category mentioned in the first paragraph of this review. She isn't the most well-layered character with immense depth, which I expected, but she did have strong willpower. Yeah, that was all it took to satisfy me in this book. I'm surprised too.
Allison Van Diepen also has a good sense of humor, which really added to her book. I'm sure all of us seen people with usernames such as:
Mrs.Jace321
Jon&Arya4eva
IhartAshTallyn
(These are actual names I've seen on the internet, if you were wondering.)
But have you ever wondered what it's like if the person you're referring to actually saw your username? I couldn't help but let out a laugh when Alexander discovers Amy's.
It wouldn't do Allison Van Diepen any harm to broaden the vocabulary used in The Vampire Stalker, but that was about the only problem I had with this book. The Vampire Stalker is so much fun, a bit like Deadly Cool with a paranormal twist, I enjoyed it so very much. It was shockingly realistic, that is, if a character coming to life from a book actually took place. But really, if such an event did occur, I'm pretty sure it would play out just like it did in this book.
It's more than obvious that The Vampire Stalker was written for a specific type of reader, but for those of you who don't spend hours daydreaming about certain fictional male characters, you can still enjoy this book nonetheless.
I can't decide whether or not The Vampire Stalker is actually young adult. I'm thinking more so middle grade-ish. While the concept definitely fits YA, there was also quite a bit of juvenile dialogue and toned down gory scenes.
You will probably find Amy to be a very relatable protagonist, especially if you fit into the category mentioned in the first paragraph of this review. She isn't the most well-layered character with immense depth, which I expected, but she did have strong willpower. Yeah, that was all it took to satisfy me in this book. I'm surprised too.
Allison Van Diepen also has a good sense of humor, which really added to her book. I'm sure all of us seen people with usernames such as:
Mrs.Jace321
Jon&Arya4eva
IhartAshTallyn
(These are actual names I've seen on the internet, if you were wondering.)
But have you ever wondered what it's like if the person you're referring to actually saw your username? I couldn't help but let out a laugh when Alexander discovers Amy's.
It wouldn't do Allison Van Diepen any harm to broaden the vocabulary used in The Vampire Stalker, but that was about the only problem I had with this book. The Vampire Stalker is so much fun, a bit like Deadly Cool with a paranormal twist, I enjoyed it so very much. It was shockingly realistic, that is, if a character coming to life from a book actually took place. But really, if such an event did occur, I'm pretty sure it would play out just like it did in this book.
September 17, 2011
I Knew the moment i saw the dedication "For Those of you who have ever fallen in love with a character in a book" that i would fall in love with this book and boy was i right ....
from the very first page i was enchanted and wrapped up in the story line i could bearly peel my eyes off my kindle!
The Characters are entertaining and totally realatable... I have often dreamt of and been in love with the Characters in books that i am reading hence my page's profile pic "Boys in Books are just better" and my car sticker Mrs Edward Cullen LOL ..Its not just a teenage girls fantasy this book relates to all woman who fall for the unreachable Men in the world of their novels...however this books lifts your spirits and imagination and soars with them as you follow Amy and here infatuation with the "Otherworld" Series and the Vampire Hunter Alexander .. if your anything like me you can relate with every emotion she has and as her story book world begins to unfold in her own world thats when the real excitment begins ..page after beautiful page i found myself clinging to every word ,my eyes wouldnt read fast enough as i tried to soak in every feeling and live vicariously through her character ... i dont want to give to much away and im still so awestruck im having trouble putting my love for this book into mere words so all i will say is READ this book NOW and enjoy every word as i did a very worthy 5 out of 5 stars !
Reviewed by
~Danielle~
from the very first page i was enchanted and wrapped up in the story line i could bearly peel my eyes off my kindle!
The Characters are entertaining and totally realatable... I have often dreamt of and been in love with the Characters in books that i am reading hence my page's profile pic "Boys in Books are just better" and my car sticker Mrs Edward Cullen LOL ..Its not just a teenage girls fantasy this book relates to all woman who fall for the unreachable Men in the world of their novels...however this books lifts your spirits and imagination and soars with them as you follow Amy and here infatuation with the "Otherworld" Series and the Vampire Hunter Alexander .. if your anything like me you can relate with every emotion she has and as her story book world begins to unfold in her own world thats when the real excitment begins ..page after beautiful page i found myself clinging to every word ,my eyes wouldnt read fast enough as i tried to soak in every feeling and live vicariously through her character ... i dont want to give to much away and im still so awestruck im having trouble putting my love for this book into mere words so all i will say is READ this book NOW and enjoy every word as i did a very worthy 5 out of 5 stars !
Reviewed by
~Danielle~
October 7, 2019
This was a really fun read, but damn do the cliches pile up by the end. The Vampire Stalker centers on bookworm Amy Hawthorne and her love for the series called 'Otherworld'. After the release of the sequel, Amy is coming home from an event when she is attacked by none other than the villain of the story: the vampire Vigo. Even more shocking, she's saved by her fictional love, Alexander Banks! The two decide they need to work together to save Chicago from Vigo.
The book flew by for me, but there were several times I'd roll my eyes at the writing or even laugh at the absurdity. One these moments was the fact that fictional Alexander became real. The other was when it was revealed how he was able to cross from fiction into the real world: I just could not take it seriously. Not one bit, I am still laughing and dramatically sighing.
Another thing that bothered me was the geography of Chicago. It didn't line up with what I know of the city. Maybe it was taking place in downtown Chicago but that's what it felt like. The ease with which Amy and Alexander drive everywhere and immediately find parking (not to mention it's free) was so damn fake that I wonder if the author has ever been to the city. It was a really weird and stupid thing to notice, but notice I did and it really bugged me.
Amy and Alexander work together to get rid of Vigo and while their relationship was cute, it didn't feel very realistic. Alexander is basically from a 1920's era Chicago, but the ease and how quickly he acclimates to modern societal norms felt false. The way Alexander is described before we met him in the modern Chicago, I thought he was a grown adult in his late twenties or early thirties. Then he shows up and he's like 18-19. It felt weird. It really threw me off the whole dynamic between him and Amy. Amy seemed so young compared to him and while age gaps don't normally bother me, there was something here that was strange.
I did like Amy's relationships with her friends and how much they supported her. Seeing her relationship with her younger sister develop was really awesome too. All in all, I had several issues with the book, but it was a fast and enjoyable read.
The book flew by for me, but there were several times I'd roll my eyes at the writing or even laugh at the absurdity. One these moments was the fact that fictional Alexander became real. The other was when it was revealed how he was able to cross from fiction into the real world: I just could not take it seriously. Not one bit, I am still laughing and dramatically sighing.
Another thing that bothered me was the geography of Chicago. It didn't line up with what I know of the city. Maybe it was taking place in downtown Chicago but that's what it felt like. The ease with which Amy and Alexander drive everywhere and immediately find parking (not to mention it's free) was so damn fake that I wonder if the author has ever been to the city. It was a really weird and stupid thing to notice, but notice I did and it really bugged me.
Amy and Alexander work together to get rid of Vigo and while their relationship was cute, it didn't feel very realistic. Alexander is basically from a 1920's era Chicago, but the ease and how quickly he acclimates to modern societal norms felt false. The way Alexander is described before we met him in the modern Chicago, I thought he was a grown adult in his late twenties or early thirties. Then he shows up and he's like 18-19. It felt weird. It really threw me off the whole dynamic between him and Amy. Amy seemed so young compared to him and while age gaps don't normally bother me, there was something here that was strange.
I did like Amy's relationships with her friends and how much they supported her. Seeing her relationship with her younger sister develop was really awesome too. All in all, I had several issues with the book, but it was a fast and enjoyable read.
April 1, 2025
Cute story and tried to rate it as if I was middle school student.
January 4, 2015
The Vampire Stalker hadn't elicited any huge expectations for me when I first found out about it. I was intrigued by what I'd heard and read about it, but there wasn't this blinding need to read it. After taking the time to do so, I'd have to say that I enjoyed it and it will go on in my Guilty Pleasures Pile--something I liked, couldn't stop reading despite it's lack of an awesome or believable storyline, even though it's not something should like given that its not the most unique vampire story to cross my path.
Unlike a lot of paranormal romances, particularly those that fall under the vampire category, I wouldn't be so quick to name this one instaluv. It could be construed that way, considering the rapidness the two MCs do fall for each other, but I lapped it up. And here's why: Unlike most instaluv romances, there was some basis as to their mutual attraction and gradual shift in feelings. Amy has been reading about Alexander Banks in the popular, highly praised Otherworld series circulating (kind of reminding me of the Twilight hype that surged as the series went on), and has fallen in love with his character. Once he comes out into her world, she doesn't fall at his feet like the typical instaluv-warped heroine of other annoying PRs. No, instead she actually reasons with herself that she's fallen for his character in the book, whereas the actual person she knows nothing about. She's reluctant to feel anything for Alexander as he's danger-luring, vengeful vampire hunter who may resemble the character in the books on the outside and even some on the inside, but is virtually a stranger to her. Finally, a girl with some sense!
But, then, how long can a sensible girl hold out on a gorgeous, slightly vulnerable, and totally bad-ass vampire, I ask you? I couldn't blame Amy for ending up succumbing to the inevitable. Hell, if she didn't grab him up, I was going to reach into the book and take him for myself. After all, that's what this book is all about, right? Falling in love with book-characters come to life... Anyway, I liked Amy. She didn't annoy me, in fact I found her to be endearing and relatable. An aspiring teen writer with a book fetish who fangirls over MCs in major books! Ringing any bells here? Alexander I liked as well, and did feel like I got to know him some, but I didn't feel entirely connected to him like I did with Amy. The side characters were fun and reminiscent of people in my own life, however not as accessible as Amy herself.
The plot I enjoyed, though it wasn't something I could sink my teeth into--haha--or completely believe. It was paced pretty well, though, and fit the overall story. It made sense with the associated story elements and kept me reading, rather than putting me off. Since it's one of my guilty pleasures, I can't be irritated with what it was missing, because I irrevocably liked it without having to pick it apart and discover the flaws. I passed over any problems I might've had, and other, more critical readers will surely have, and just reveled in the story.
The only complaint that I can't overlook was not getting to know the villain well enough. He had the potential to be so amazing and super intimidating, but even though he was the main antagonist I still felt like I only got glimpses of him and what he was really like, the majority of my knowledge coming from what the other characters knew or learned. Therefore, he didn't turn out to be a very chilling villain.
And while the pre-ending started heading toward the predictable, it veered off into something slightly less anticipated, which was nice.
The Vampire Stalker is a decent, enjoyable read that involves a good blend of the paranormal and the sciency, with a delectable romance that concluded the book in a foreseen, though still lovely closing. And, again, unlike most books, this book is perfect as a standalone and seems to be just that. I was entertained, and was left content, with a smile on my face. If you're tired of vampires, I wouldn't recommend this one for you, seeing as you might not like it at the moment. But, if you're interested in a cute, paranormal adventure and a vampire-hunter-regular-girl romance then you'll want to pick this one up.
---------------------------------------------------
"Mutual admiration?" Chrissy sneered. "What does that mean?"
"It means we have a lot in common," I said quickly.
"Oh, I get it. He's a big book nerd who doesn't have a life, too? Does he know you've never had a boyfriend?" Thanks, Chrissy. He already thought I was odd for calling myself Mrs. AlexanderBanks online. He didn't need to know that I'd never had a boyfriend.
"Your sister is brilliant and beautiful," Alexander snapped... (114)
"Did you kick their butts?"
He frowned. "The buttocks are among the least sensitive places to hit someone."
I laughed. "It's a figure of speech."
"To kick butts. Interesting." (172)
Originally posted on my blog, Paranormal Indulgence.
Unlike a lot of paranormal romances, particularly those that fall under the vampire category, I wouldn't be so quick to name this one instaluv. It could be construed that way, considering the rapidness the two MCs do fall for each other, but I lapped it up. And here's why: Unlike most instaluv romances, there was some basis as to their mutual attraction and gradual shift in feelings. Amy has been reading about Alexander Banks in the popular, highly praised Otherworld series circulating (kind of reminding me of the Twilight hype that surged as the series went on), and has fallen in love with his character. Once he comes out into her world, she doesn't fall at his feet like the typical instaluv-warped heroine of other annoying PRs. No, instead she actually reasons with herself that she's fallen for his character in the book, whereas the actual person she knows nothing about. She's reluctant to feel anything for Alexander as he's danger-luring, vengeful vampire hunter who may resemble the character in the books on the outside and even some on the inside, but is virtually a stranger to her. Finally, a girl with some sense!
But, then, how long can a sensible girl hold out on a gorgeous, slightly vulnerable, and totally bad-ass vampire, I ask you? I couldn't blame Amy for ending up succumbing to the inevitable. Hell, if she didn't grab him up, I was going to reach into the book and take him for myself. After all, that's what this book is all about, right? Falling in love with book-characters come to life... Anyway, I liked Amy. She didn't annoy me, in fact I found her to be endearing and relatable. An aspiring teen writer with a book fetish who fangirls over MCs in major books! Ringing any bells here? Alexander I liked as well, and did feel like I got to know him some, but I didn't feel entirely connected to him like I did with Amy. The side characters were fun and reminiscent of people in my own life, however not as accessible as Amy herself.
The plot I enjoyed, though it wasn't something I could sink my teeth into--haha--or completely believe. It was paced pretty well, though, and fit the overall story. It made sense with the associated story elements and kept me reading, rather than putting me off. Since it's one of my guilty pleasures, I can't be irritated with what it was missing, because I irrevocably liked it without having to pick it apart and discover the flaws. I passed over any problems I might've had, and other, more critical readers will surely have, and just reveled in the story.
The only complaint that I can't overlook was not getting to know the villain well enough. He had the potential to be so amazing and super intimidating, but even though he was the main antagonist I still felt like I only got glimpses of him and what he was really like, the majority of my knowledge coming from what the other characters knew or learned. Therefore, he didn't turn out to be a very chilling villain.
And while the pre-ending started heading toward the predictable, it veered off into something slightly less anticipated, which was nice.
The Vampire Stalker is a decent, enjoyable read that involves a good blend of the paranormal and the sciency, with a delectable romance that concluded the book in a foreseen, though still lovely closing. And, again, unlike most books, this book is perfect as a standalone and seems to be just that. I was entertained, and was left content, with a smile on my face. If you're tired of vampires, I wouldn't recommend this one for you, seeing as you might not like it at the moment. But, if you're interested in a cute, paranormal adventure and a vampire-hunter-regular-girl romance then you'll want to pick this one up.
---------------------------------------------------
"Mutual admiration?" Chrissy sneered. "What does that mean?"
"It means we have a lot in common," I said quickly.
"Oh, I get it. He's a big book nerd who doesn't have a life, too? Does he know you've never had a boyfriend?" Thanks, Chrissy. He already thought I was odd for calling myself Mrs. AlexanderBanks online. He didn't need to know that I'd never had a boyfriend.
"Your sister is brilliant and beautiful," Alexander snapped... (114)
"Did you kick their butts?"
He frowned. "The buttocks are among the least sensitive places to hit someone."
I laughed. "It's a figure of speech."
"To kick butts. Interesting." (172)
Originally posted on my blog, Paranormal Indulgence.
February 7, 2013
Red Maple # 2:
For my second Red Maple, I read 'The Vampire Stalker', written by Allison van Diepen.
When Amy (the protagonist) meets Alexander Banks she doesn't know what to believe. That's because he couldn't be real; either that or he was in a costume. He resembles 'the' Alexander Banks from a novel; in a, charming, handsom, brave way, that is. Alexander Banks comes to life from Elizabeth Howard's popular vampire novels in search of Vigo; a blood-sucking, gory, ruthless vampire (antagonist), who has also come to life. Amy's heart is blown away by the compassion Alexander shows that is not only in the books, but in reality.
I thought that the book was impressive. I thought that one of the weaknesses stood in line with the events. There could have been more exciting events in the book; not as many "calm moments"; there could have been a few more action scenes. I also thought that the author could have made the protagonist, Amy, more devastated when Alexander departched back to Otherworld. She stated that Amy cries but the next day she was somewhat fine. I thought that could have been a little more dramatic.
I thought that there were a few strengths. The climax of the book, was (by far) the most exciting part. That part had the most romance suspention. I felt like I wanted to keep reading forever just to find out what happened to the protagonist(Amy). I thought that one of the strengths were how Amy taught Alexander how to use technolodgy. It was amusing to hear that in our modern-day, a person hadn't heard of a computer, or a cellphone. It seems so practical in our day to use them.
The ending really caught me off-guard; and it was a huge cliff-hanger. I hope that Allison van Diepen Makes a sequel because, frankly, I want to know what happens with Alexander and Amy's romance. I felt the story just... drop. It states that they stay together, but it doesn't state the 'literal happeneings'.
I think this book fits in to the romance genre and maybe a little into the horror genre as well, because the book is mostly about Amy and Alexander falling in-love. It partially fits into the horror genre becuase of the vampire content. It has parts about being bitten and trying to track down a vampire; horror.
The main action in the book occurs when Katie, Amy, and Alexander are tracking down Vigo becuase he has kidnapped/abducted Chrissy. Also, when Vigo tries to kill Amy at her school to get to Alexander.
I think that the author makes me feel like I am in the book becuase she made the story take place from the protagonist's point of view. She uses vivid descripitions as on pages 190 through 197 when the charcaters were looking for Chrissy (Amy's younger sister).
I think that the author could have made Vigo look older; it would have helped the effect. Vigo's appearance reaminds me of Josh Hutcherson because the author describes him as having silvery-blond hair; as does Josh Hutcherson. The only difference is that Vigo has extremely pale, thin, leathery, paper-like skin. Alexander's appearance reminds me of a boy at my old school. The same brown hair, and the same daring attitude. I think Chrissy's charcter was perfect except I think she should have been in ninth grade, because highschool is generally when teenagers are exposed to house parties and their social life expands. I felt her dialogue was perfect for Chrissy as well, because it fits her negative, and rebellious attitude towards life. For example on pages 48 and 49: "At one point, Chrissy appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, sleep-rumpled, in a short nightgown. 'Who's that?' she asked, looking over at Alexander. It wasn't that Chrissy had never learned manners, I thought irritably; she just didn't use them..." " 'Staying here? Why?'"
I thought that the author could have used a little more advanced vocabulary, because the majority of the age groups reading this, are intermediates. But other than that, it was exquisite.
I thought when Amy, Alexander, and Katie were trying to find Vigo, that it would be in an allyway or somewhere not as populated; it surprised me that it was in a basement under a shopping mall.... I also didn't think that the scene at Amy's school with Vigo would involve students other than Amy, Katie and Maybe Luisa. None more.
Overall, this book was good. I would rate it about three stars. It wasn't boring, but it also wasn't making my heart ache when I put the book down. I think there should be a sequel or at least an epilogue to this book to explain Amy and Alexander's "story".
For my second Red Maple, I read 'The Vampire Stalker', written by Allison van Diepen.
When Amy (the protagonist) meets Alexander Banks she doesn't know what to believe. That's because he couldn't be real; either that or he was in a costume. He resembles 'the' Alexander Banks from a novel; in a, charming, handsom, brave way, that is. Alexander Banks comes to life from Elizabeth Howard's popular vampire novels in search of Vigo; a blood-sucking, gory, ruthless vampire (antagonist), who has also come to life. Amy's heart is blown away by the compassion Alexander shows that is not only in the books, but in reality.
I thought that the book was impressive. I thought that one of the weaknesses stood in line with the events. There could have been more exciting events in the book; not as many "calm moments"; there could have been a few more action scenes. I also thought that the author could have made the protagonist, Amy, more devastated when Alexander departched back to Otherworld. She stated that Amy cries but the next day she was somewhat fine. I thought that could have been a little more dramatic.
I thought that there were a few strengths. The climax of the book, was (by far) the most exciting part. That part had the most romance suspention. I felt like I wanted to keep reading forever just to find out what happened to the protagonist(Amy). I thought that one of the strengths were how Amy taught Alexander how to use technolodgy. It was amusing to hear that in our modern-day, a person hadn't heard of a computer, or a cellphone. It seems so practical in our day to use them.
The ending really caught me off-guard; and it was a huge cliff-hanger. I hope that Allison van Diepen Makes a sequel because, frankly, I want to know what happens with Alexander and Amy's romance. I felt the story just... drop. It states that they stay together, but it doesn't state the 'literal happeneings'.
I think this book fits in to the romance genre and maybe a little into the horror genre as well, because the book is mostly about Amy and Alexander falling in-love. It partially fits into the horror genre becuase of the vampire content. It has parts about being bitten and trying to track down a vampire; horror.
The main action in the book occurs when Katie, Amy, and Alexander are tracking down Vigo becuase he has kidnapped/abducted Chrissy. Also, when Vigo tries to kill Amy at her school to get to Alexander.
I think that the author makes me feel like I am in the book becuase she made the story take place from the protagonist's point of view. She uses vivid descripitions as on pages 190 through 197 when the charcaters were looking for Chrissy (Amy's younger sister).
I think that the author could have made Vigo look older; it would have helped the effect. Vigo's appearance reaminds me of Josh Hutcherson because the author describes him as having silvery-blond hair; as does Josh Hutcherson. The only difference is that Vigo has extremely pale, thin, leathery, paper-like skin. Alexander's appearance reminds me of a boy at my old school. The same brown hair, and the same daring attitude. I think Chrissy's charcter was perfect except I think she should have been in ninth grade, because highschool is generally when teenagers are exposed to house parties and their social life expands. I felt her dialogue was perfect for Chrissy as well, because it fits her negative, and rebellious attitude towards life. For example on pages 48 and 49: "At one point, Chrissy appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, sleep-rumpled, in a short nightgown. 'Who's that?' she asked, looking over at Alexander. It wasn't that Chrissy had never learned manners, I thought irritably; she just didn't use them..." " 'Staying here? Why?'"
I thought that the author could have used a little more advanced vocabulary, because the majority of the age groups reading this, are intermediates. But other than that, it was exquisite.
I thought when Amy, Alexander, and Katie were trying to find Vigo, that it would be in an allyway or somewhere not as populated; it surprised me that it was in a basement under a shopping mall.... I also didn't think that the scene at Amy's school with Vigo would involve students other than Amy, Katie and Maybe Luisa. None more.
Overall, this book was good. I would rate it about three stars. It wasn't boring, but it also wasn't making my heart ache when I put the book down. I think there should be a sequel or at least an epilogue to this book to explain Amy and Alexander's "story".
July 25, 2018
Amy is your average teenager, and like many of her peers, is obsessed with the Otherworld book series, which focuses around the story of a young man named Alexander Banks trying to hunt down the vampire known as Vigo that is terrorizing his community. Despite herself, Amy finds herself intensely attracted to the fictionalized hero. But one night, after being saved from an attack, Amy finds herself face-to-face with Alexander himself, in the flesh. Amy doesn't want to believe it at first, but she soon realizes that it's true: Alexander Banks was real.
It's soon after that Amy realizes her attacker was none of than Vigo, and Alexander needed her help to stop Vigo and return to their world before time was up. But as Vigo begins killing citizens of Chicago and the stakes get higher, Amy also has to confront a burning question in her mind: after falling in love with the real Alexander Banks, would she be able to give him up when the time came?
While there were parts of The Vampire Stalker that had me feeling like the plot was dragging, it ultimately allowed for the plot of the book to develop in a more appropriate way than just turning the story into a vampire action film. Because ultimately, the story really isn't about Vigo and Alexander's attempts to kill him and put an end to his reign of terror; the main plot has to do with his budding relationship with Amy. Both characters are developed in excellent fashion, with both growing strong as a result of their time together through their chance encounter with Vigo.
Amy particularly is developed into a strong protagonist, going from a generic high school girl obsessed with a Twilight-esque book series into a strong, fiercely independent woman who is willing to put her life at risk for the ones she loves. I especially appreciate that, despite her strong feelings for Alexander, she doesn't put up with his gruffness and disapproval of her helping him in his quest, even at one pointing letting him know how she felt about him disregarding her as "too weak" to go against Vigo. It's an empowered moment that keeps Amy from becoming a love-struck heroine who is willing to let her love interest degrade her because he's cute.
While people expecting this to be an adventure thriller with vampires might be a bit disappointed by the lack of tension, there are a fair amount of intense scenes between the characters and Vigo, leaving the reader on edge on how it will all pane out. While Vigo's dialogue isn't exactly Bond villain quality and we never get to see how much of a manipulating mastermind he is outside of being told so by Alexander and others, he makes for a genuinely terrifying villain once he's allowed to get his evil on. Overall, despite its' flaws in execution, The Vampire Stalker is a really enjoyable read for someone who enjoys characters that leap off the page and make you root for them to get a happy ending. This book certainly delivers on that with ease.
Pros: Excellent characters, strong protagonist, action, and perfect ending.
Cons: Underdeveloped villain and moments of padding throughout.
It's soon after that Amy realizes her attacker was none of than Vigo, and Alexander needed her help to stop Vigo and return to their world before time was up. But as Vigo begins killing citizens of Chicago and the stakes get higher, Amy also has to confront a burning question in her mind: after falling in love with the real Alexander Banks, would she be able to give him up when the time came?
While there were parts of The Vampire Stalker that had me feeling like the plot was dragging, it ultimately allowed for the plot of the book to develop in a more appropriate way than just turning the story into a vampire action film. Because ultimately, the story really isn't about Vigo and Alexander's attempts to kill him and put an end to his reign of terror; the main plot has to do with his budding relationship with Amy. Both characters are developed in excellent fashion, with both growing strong as a result of their time together through their chance encounter with Vigo.
Amy particularly is developed into a strong protagonist, going from a generic high school girl obsessed with a Twilight-esque book series into a strong, fiercely independent woman who is willing to put her life at risk for the ones she loves. I especially appreciate that, despite her strong feelings for Alexander, she doesn't put up with his gruffness and disapproval of her helping him in his quest, even at one pointing letting him know how she felt about him disregarding her as "too weak" to go against Vigo. It's an empowered moment that keeps Amy from becoming a love-struck heroine who is willing to let her love interest degrade her because he's cute.
While people expecting this to be an adventure thriller with vampires might be a bit disappointed by the lack of tension, there are a fair amount of intense scenes between the characters and Vigo, leaving the reader on edge on how it will all pane out. While Vigo's dialogue isn't exactly Bond villain quality and we never get to see how much of a manipulating mastermind he is outside of being told so by Alexander and others, he makes for a genuinely terrifying villain once he's allowed to get his evil on. Overall, despite its' flaws in execution, The Vampire Stalker is a really enjoyable read for someone who enjoys characters that leap off the page and make you root for them to get a happy ending. This book certainly delivers on that with ease.
Pros: Excellent characters, strong protagonist, action, and perfect ending.
Cons: Underdeveloped villain and moments of padding throughout.
October 11, 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 4.0
*Review*
The Vampire Stalker, by Allison Van Diepen, is the story of 16-year old Amy Hawthorne who is an obsessed book lover and follower of Alexander Banks Otherworld series. Banks is a vampire hunter who lives in an alternative realty Chicago where vampires came out in the 1920’s and human evolution and technological advancement stopped on a dime. It is where vampires own the night, and humans only go out during the day time.
In Amy’s Chicago, vampires aren’t real; only in the books they read. They have the comforts and technology that allows them to come and go as they please without worrying about a vampire jumping out and bleeding them dry. Amy is a high school junior who is trying to become a writer. She writes a fan page about Alexander and has never had a real boyfriend; only crushes.
So, she is shocked to find a mysterious man grabbing her and attempting to drag her away, only to be saved by none other than Alexander Banks himself. Alexander, it seems, has somehow crossed through a vortex/portal from his world into Amy’s after chasing Vigo Skaar, the leader of the vampire coven who Alex has vowed to kill.
Amy is even more shocked to learn that her attacker was the vampire and villain of her favorite series Vigo Skaar. How can it be possible that her crush and his nemesis have both crossed into her world?
What is interesting about this story is the fact that a writer named Elizabeth Howard, who writes the Otherworld books in this story, seems to be an empath who is able to link into Alexander’s world and tell a very real story. She has each of the characters; Alexander, Vigo, James, his cousin, and Hannah Skaar, James lover and vampire, down to a pat.
Ok, I'll totally admit it. I thought this book was cute. Yes, I said cute. From me, that is saying a lot. I borrowed this book because of the description of the book itself. Readers have often found themselves wondering how they might feel, or react if a fictional character came to life and entered into their lives. Amy ends up accepting her situation without running away screaming and hollering.
I love Amy and Alexander and totally disagree that this is a Twilight rip-off story. Vigo is evil and has no use for any humans except as a meal ticket. Alexander is a vampire hunter who hates vampires and wants to kill them all. He watched as his entire family was killed by vampires when he was 6, and has made it is life’s mission to kill Vigo. He doesn’t even like the fact that his cousin James is in love with a fang face.
This is a fast paced story that doesn’t suffer from any 3-way love triangles that certain YA series seem to gravitate towards. It is a little over the top in how Alex and Amy fall in love, but that is what fantasy is about. Creating a world that allows your imagination to run free for a short time and giving your readers a HEA they expect.
*Rating* 4.0
*Review*
The Vampire Stalker, by Allison Van Diepen, is the story of 16-year old Amy Hawthorne who is an obsessed book lover and follower of Alexander Banks Otherworld series. Banks is a vampire hunter who lives in an alternative realty Chicago where vampires came out in the 1920’s and human evolution and technological advancement stopped on a dime. It is where vampires own the night, and humans only go out during the day time.
In Amy’s Chicago, vampires aren’t real; only in the books they read. They have the comforts and technology that allows them to come and go as they please without worrying about a vampire jumping out and bleeding them dry. Amy is a high school junior who is trying to become a writer. She writes a fan page about Alexander and has never had a real boyfriend; only crushes.
So, she is shocked to find a mysterious man grabbing her and attempting to drag her away, only to be saved by none other than Alexander Banks himself. Alexander, it seems, has somehow crossed through a vortex/portal from his world into Amy’s after chasing Vigo Skaar, the leader of the vampire coven who Alex has vowed to kill.
Amy is even more shocked to learn that her attacker was the vampire and villain of her favorite series Vigo Skaar. How can it be possible that her crush and his nemesis have both crossed into her world?
What is interesting about this story is the fact that a writer named Elizabeth Howard, who writes the Otherworld books in this story, seems to be an empath who is able to link into Alexander’s world and tell a very real story. She has each of the characters; Alexander, Vigo, James, his cousin, and Hannah Skaar, James lover and vampire, down to a pat.
Ok, I'll totally admit it. I thought this book was cute. Yes, I said cute. From me, that is saying a lot. I borrowed this book because of the description of the book itself. Readers have often found themselves wondering how they might feel, or react if a fictional character came to life and entered into their lives. Amy ends up accepting her situation without running away screaming and hollering.
I love Amy and Alexander and totally disagree that this is a Twilight rip-off story. Vigo is evil and has no use for any humans except as a meal ticket. Alexander is a vampire hunter who hates vampires and wants to kill them all. He watched as his entire family was killed by vampires when he was 6, and has made it is life’s mission to kill Vigo. He doesn’t even like the fact that his cousin James is in love with a fang face.
This is a fast paced story that doesn’t suffer from any 3-way love triangles that certain YA series seem to gravitate towards. It is a little over the top in how Alex and Amy fall in love, but that is what fantasy is about. Creating a world that allows your imagination to run free for a short time and giving your readers a HEA they expect.
May 30, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
There are a number of different factors that can cause a reader to buy a book: the cover, the author, the description, or maybe a good review. With THE VAMPIRE STALKER, it was a single sentence concept: A character from a popular vampire series steps out of the book and into heroines' reality. That’s it. I didn’t need to see the cover (which is perfect), I didn’t need to know who the author was (this was my first book by van Diepen), and I didn’t even need to read the full description (which just made me want it more).
The story is like TWILIGHT meets Kate & Leopold. There is an uber popular teen vampire series called Otherworld in the book that features two gorgeous guys who hunt vampires. Amy and her friends obsess about the books and characters. They camp out on new release days, write fan fiction, go to signings, and pine for a fictional love. Until one night Amy is attacked by a vampire and rescued by the hunter she loves: Alexander. It doesn’t take her long to accept what’s literally standing in front of her, and once she and Alexander figure out how he came to be in her world, they team up to get him home and track down the vampire who crossed over too.
While the concept couldn’t be more fun, the writing is unremarkable and a bit lacking when it comes to creating emotion. Like the main character Amy, I tend to obsess over my favorite characters, specifically in Paranormal YA, but these characters won’t be joining that list anytime soon. They are supposed to be older teens, but they came off more like tweens. It made it a little difficult to buy into the romance.
One other issue that presented itself very early on: I want to read the book within the book! It takes place in an alternate Chicago where vampires revealed themselves in the 1920’s essentially stalling all technological improvements as humanity struggled to survive. Two cousins lead lives as Hunters, one obsessed with avenging the death of his family, the other helplessly in love with the vampire who fights what she is. Honestly, I hope that the author considers writing it. I’d buy it in a second.
Overall, I don’t know that the characters in THE VAMPIRE STALKER will themselves become the next big obsession and the writing is pretty standard, but it was fun to see a fantasy that so many of us share brought to life in such a sweet and cute way. Younger teens will probably not notice my criticisms, and given that it’s such a quick read, I had fun with it too.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
There are a number of different factors that can cause a reader to buy a book: the cover, the author, the description, or maybe a good review. With THE VAMPIRE STALKER, it was a single sentence concept: A character from a popular vampire series steps out of the book and into heroines' reality. That’s it. I didn’t need to see the cover (which is perfect), I didn’t need to know who the author was (this was my first book by van Diepen), and I didn’t even need to read the full description (which just made me want it more).
The story is like TWILIGHT meets Kate & Leopold. There is an uber popular teen vampire series called Otherworld in the book that features two gorgeous guys who hunt vampires. Amy and her friends obsess about the books and characters. They camp out on new release days, write fan fiction, go to signings, and pine for a fictional love. Until one night Amy is attacked by a vampire and rescued by the hunter she loves: Alexander. It doesn’t take her long to accept what’s literally standing in front of her, and once she and Alexander figure out how he came to be in her world, they team up to get him home and track down the vampire who crossed over too.
While the concept couldn’t be more fun, the writing is unremarkable and a bit lacking when it comes to creating emotion. Like the main character Amy, I tend to obsess over my favorite characters, specifically in Paranormal YA, but these characters won’t be joining that list anytime soon. They are supposed to be older teens, but they came off more like tweens. It made it a little difficult to buy into the romance.
One other issue that presented itself very early on: I want to read the book within the book! It takes place in an alternate Chicago where vampires revealed themselves in the 1920’s essentially stalling all technological improvements as humanity struggled to survive. Two cousins lead lives as Hunters, one obsessed with avenging the death of his family, the other helplessly in love with the vampire who fights what she is. Honestly, I hope that the author considers writing it. I’d buy it in a second.
Overall, I don’t know that the characters in THE VAMPIRE STALKER will themselves become the next big obsession and the writing is pretty standard, but it was fun to see a fantasy that so many of us share brought to life in such a sweet and cute way. Younger teens will probably not notice my criticisms, and given that it’s such a quick read, I had fun with it too.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
June 3, 2011
You know the kinds of book series that you are thinking about constantly? The ones that you would not mind at all waiting in a line forever to be the first to get the new installment or to get your book signed? Series like The Twilight Saga, Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments, The Hunger Games (which I still have yet to read...). Now imagine Edward Cullen (because Jacob is a sorry excuse for a point on a love triangle), Harry Potter, Jace Wayland, or your favorite Hunger Games character appeared in the real world. The Vampire Stalker is the story of what happens.
Amy is utterly obsessed with the Otherworld trilogy and wouldn't mind marrying it's tortured protagonist, the vampire hunter Alexander Banks. When Amy comes face to face with Alexander, her whole world changes. Not only is the extremely good-looking Alexander Banks talking to her, but she also has to come to terms with either she's crazy, Alexander is a fake, or there is some weird science going into novel writing. Oh, and Alexander's existence also means that the villain, evil vampire Vigo is also in town. And that is bad. Really bad.
I really enjoyed this book. With the influx of fandoms surrounding book series, The Vampire Stalker is being released at prime time. So many people can relate to Amy, and it is actually kind of funny to see your own obsession from the outside, see how ridiculous you seem (but still wouldn't change a thing).
Another thing that I really appreciated was the science behind Alexander's existence in modern day Chicago. It isn't just explained as "magic", it is explained in a way that seems somewhat possible. No, I'm not expecting Edward to appear down the block any time soon, but Allison Van Diepen makes it seem less impossible.
This book is pretty straight forward, but I would recommend it. it is a really fun, quick read that any book obsessed person would enjoy. It is your secret dream come true - until your realize that is just might not be what you thought it was. The Vampire Stalker is a must read for anyone who's ever talked about a book series for hours, dreamed about the characters, stood in lines at midnight, and decorated their walls with posters upon posters movie adaption actors.
Amy is utterly obsessed with the Otherworld trilogy and wouldn't mind marrying it's tortured protagonist, the vampire hunter Alexander Banks. When Amy comes face to face with Alexander, her whole world changes. Not only is the extremely good-looking Alexander Banks talking to her, but she also has to come to terms with either she's crazy, Alexander is a fake, or there is some weird science going into novel writing. Oh, and Alexander's existence also means that the villain, evil vampire Vigo is also in town. And that is bad. Really bad.
I really enjoyed this book. With the influx of fandoms surrounding book series, The Vampire Stalker is being released at prime time. So many people can relate to Amy, and it is actually kind of funny to see your own obsession from the outside, see how ridiculous you seem (but still wouldn't change a thing).
Another thing that I really appreciated was the science behind Alexander's existence in modern day Chicago. It isn't just explained as "magic", it is explained in a way that seems somewhat possible. No, I'm not expecting Edward to appear down the block any time soon, but Allison Van Diepen makes it seem less impossible.
This book is pretty straight forward, but I would recommend it. it is a really fun, quick read that any book obsessed person would enjoy. It is your secret dream come true - until your realize that is just might not be what you thought it was. The Vampire Stalker is a must read for anyone who's ever talked about a book series for hours, dreamed about the characters, stood in lines at midnight, and decorated their walls with posters upon posters movie adaption actors.
June 1, 2011
I was hooked on this story from the moment I met it's main character Amy. Like many of us, Amy has her favorite book series that she obsesses over. When she's not reading the book she hits the forums to talk about her favorite fictional crush, and about what's going to happen in the upcoming release. Not that I could even remotely relate to this *cough, cough* Like any obsessed fan who can't wait to get our hands on the next sequel of our favorite series, Amy and her friends meet up early one morning to pick up the highly anticipated sequel to the series. At this point in the story I'm totally snickering to myself realizing that I'm reading about a teen version of myself and I'm totally loving Amy's story. But, unlike Amy, my fictional crush doesn't appear in real life. Not that I have a fictional crush or anything...
Amy's fictional crush come to life is none other than the angst filled, vampire stalker Alexander Banks from her favorite series, Otherworlds. What I liked about this unique plot was that Alexander is not only from a world of paranormal characters, but he's from a completely different era. Alexander and Amy's worlds collide when Alexander follows the the notorious vampire Vigo through a portal that lands them both in modern day Chicago. Even though Amy is infatuated with Alexander as a character, she has a hard time believing he's really real, even after he saves her after Vigo attacks her.
I really liked that the settings for both worlds is set in Chicago, one in the 1920's and present day. I thought Allison did a fantastic job at explaining how it was possible for a writer's characters and story could come to life. I enjoyed the book despite the few times I felt there were a few things missing in the story. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I felt Amy was really relatable. Alexander has all the mannerisms I'd except from someone in the 1920's and it was a little comical at how Amy explains technology to him. I liked their sweet romance and the manner in which Alexander treated Amy was what you'd except from his era. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the story. It's a fun, unique read with a good ending. Amy's voice is witty and charming. I'd recommend this book to both tween and YA readers.
Amy's fictional crush come to life is none other than the angst filled, vampire stalker Alexander Banks from her favorite series, Otherworlds. What I liked about this unique plot was that Alexander is not only from a world of paranormal characters, but he's from a completely different era. Alexander and Amy's worlds collide when Alexander follows the the notorious vampire Vigo through a portal that lands them both in modern day Chicago. Even though Amy is infatuated with Alexander as a character, she has a hard time believing he's really real, even after he saves her after Vigo attacks her.
I really liked that the settings for both worlds is set in Chicago, one in the 1920's and present day. I thought Allison did a fantastic job at explaining how it was possible for a writer's characters and story could come to life. I enjoyed the book despite the few times I felt there were a few things missing in the story. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I felt Amy was really relatable. Alexander has all the mannerisms I'd except from someone in the 1920's and it was a little comical at how Amy explains technology to him. I liked their sweet romance and the manner in which Alexander treated Amy was what you'd except from his era. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the story. It's a fun, unique read with a good ending. Amy's voice is witty and charming. I'd recommend this book to both tween and YA readers.
January 13, 2012
Originally posted @ Book Whales
Have you ever been in love with a fictional character?
Definitely! I’ve fell in love with at least one character in every book I’ve read and when I found out about The Vampire Stalker’s Synopsis, I can’t help but feel excited. I was glad I found a book about fictional characters coming to life.
We all know Amy, the protagonist of the story, has been in-love with Hot Vampire Hunter, Alexander Banks. But she never expected the sudden turn of events when she was saved by her very own non-existent hero on her way home from the school dance. It was every book fanatic’s dream come true.
Amy knows it’s impossible, but seeing Alexander in the flesh proved that he really does exist. But knowing Vigo Skaar, the book’s main antagonist was also in her world was another thing. And she knows everyone’s in danger if they don’t stop him.
I had high expectations for this book. I kept on turning the pages during the first parts, but that didn’t continue until the end. I found Amy’s character boring. She really didn’t do much in the book except drool over Alex, and try helping him, (although most of her “help” only caused more trouble to them). I like Alex though. He’s cool, strong and determined. You can really see how much he had changed throughout the book from the serious, brooding type, to someone who actually has a sense of humor and a romantic.
Truthfully, I was disappointed with this book. I wish the “Otherworld” was explored more, and I wanted more action scenes. The ending didn’t even gave me any impact, and I was like, “That’s it?”
This book could’ve been better if Amy’s character was more developed, and the plot less “cliché”.
Rating:
Have you ever been in love with a fictional character?
Definitely! I’ve fell in love with at least one character in every book I’ve read and when I found out about The Vampire Stalker’s Synopsis, I can’t help but feel excited. I was glad I found a book about fictional characters coming to life.
We all know Amy, the protagonist of the story, has been in-love with Hot Vampire Hunter, Alexander Banks. But she never expected the sudden turn of events when she was saved by her very own non-existent hero on her way home from the school dance. It was every book fanatic’s dream come true.
Amy knows it’s impossible, but seeing Alexander in the flesh proved that he really does exist. But knowing Vigo Skaar, the book’s main antagonist was also in her world was another thing. And she knows everyone’s in danger if they don’t stop him.
I had high expectations for this book. I kept on turning the pages during the first parts, but that didn’t continue until the end. I found Amy’s character boring. She really didn’t do much in the book except drool over Alex, and try helping him, (although most of her “help” only caused more trouble to them). I like Alex though. He’s cool, strong and determined. You can really see how much he had changed throughout the book from the serious, brooding type, to someone who actually has a sense of humor and a romantic.
Truthfully, I was disappointed with this book. I wish the “Otherworld” was explored more, and I wanted more action scenes. The ending didn’t even gave me any impact, and I was like, “That’s it?”
This book could’ve been better if Amy’s character was more developed, and the plot less “cliché”.
Rating:
July 1, 2011
Reaction:
The book pulled me in at the beginning ultimately because people such as me (book lovers) can relate the moment they begin reading while Amy tells us about her love for a fictional character and how she is awaiting the release of the next book in the series. I believe we have all had a crush on one book character or another and this one really gives us a chance to see a girl actually get a chance to meet the boy she has fallen in love with before they even meet in person.
Characters:
Amy: Amy is a fan of the Otherworld series like most teens and has a huge crush on one of the characters, Alexander Banks, but when she was coming home one night at dark she never would have guessed that her crush would come to her rescue when his enemy, vampire Vigo tries to attack her.
Alexander Banks: Supposed fictional character from the Otherworld series. While chasing his enemy Vigo across a bridge in his hometown of Chicago he gets sucked through a portal to another version of Chicago, our modern one where he runs into Amy.
Chrissy: Amy's snob of a younger sister who has been anything but nice to Amy since their parent's split.
Vigo: The vampire who killed all of Alexander's family and is now being hunted down by Alex himself in modern day Chicago after being pushed though the portal along with Alexander.
Review:
This was a very interesting and unique book and I completely enjoyed it. I have never read a book about a book character coming to life so this was a different experience. This would be a good book for both Vampire lovers and Vampire haters including the Twilight groups or anyone who has ever loved a book character like Amy.
The book pulled me in at the beginning ultimately because people such as me (book lovers) can relate the moment they begin reading while Amy tells us about her love for a fictional character and how she is awaiting the release of the next book in the series. I believe we have all had a crush on one book character or another and this one really gives us a chance to see a girl actually get a chance to meet the boy she has fallen in love with before they even meet in person.
Characters:
Amy: Amy is a fan of the Otherworld series like most teens and has a huge crush on one of the characters, Alexander Banks, but when she was coming home one night at dark she never would have guessed that her crush would come to her rescue when his enemy, vampire Vigo tries to attack her.
Alexander Banks: Supposed fictional character from the Otherworld series. While chasing his enemy Vigo across a bridge in his hometown of Chicago he gets sucked through a portal to another version of Chicago, our modern one where he runs into Amy.
Chrissy: Amy's snob of a younger sister who has been anything but nice to Amy since their parent's split.
Vigo: The vampire who killed all of Alexander's family and is now being hunted down by Alex himself in modern day Chicago after being pushed though the portal along with Alexander.
Review:
This was a very interesting and unique book and I completely enjoyed it. I have never read a book about a book character coming to life so this was a different experience. This would be a good book for both Vampire lovers and Vampire haters including the Twilight groups or anyone who has ever loved a book character like Amy.
July 10, 2016
The Vampire Stalker is such a sweet and fascinating story. I loved how simple and beautiful Allison's idea was.
We all want our favorite fictional character to be real and that's what happens to Amy. She gets to meet her favorite character Alexander Banks, who's purpose in life is to kill Vigo, the evil vampire, which makes Alexander the Vampire Hunter. Alexander is from another world (or it could be dimension) which is exactly similar to Amy's but has a dark present- like all the vampires rule that world. And all of a sudden while looking for Vigo, Alexander and Vigo came into Amy's version of Chicago. And now, Alexander has to adapt with the new world he was in and has to find Vigo.
While Amy helps Alexander, she also has to deal with her friends and family, and her obvious feelings for Alexander, who seems to not realize it. Alexander feels like she know everything about his life, because of the book, but soon she gets to know a lot of things about him that she didn't know before.
In terms of romance, this book has a cute couple that takes a lot of time to realize their feelings. More like Alexander takes a lot of time to realize his feelings for Amy. I loved the awkwardness between the two of them.
“Alexander Banks was the closest to perfection that any guy could ever be.”
It was more like a contemporary read but has bits of fantasy in it. The writing was okay, but the main aspect of this book was the plot. I loved it. I liked the characters as well.
4 stars
We all want our favorite fictional character to be real and that's what happens to Amy. She gets to meet her favorite character Alexander Banks, who's purpose in life is to kill Vigo, the evil vampire, which makes Alexander the Vampire Hunter. Alexander is from another world (or it could be dimension) which is exactly similar to Amy's but has a dark present- like all the vampires rule that world. And all of a sudden while looking for Vigo, Alexander and Vigo came into Amy's version of Chicago. And now, Alexander has to adapt with the new world he was in and has to find Vigo.
While Amy helps Alexander, she also has to deal with her friends and family, and her obvious feelings for Alexander, who seems to not realize it. Alexander feels like she know everything about his life, because of the book, but soon she gets to know a lot of things about him that she didn't know before.
In terms of romance, this book has a cute couple that takes a lot of time to realize their feelings. More like Alexander takes a lot of time to realize his feelings for Amy. I loved the awkwardness between the two of them.
“Alexander Banks was the closest to perfection that any guy could ever be.”
It was more like a contemporary read but has bits of fantasy in it. The writing was okay, but the main aspect of this book was the plot. I loved it. I liked the characters as well.
4 stars
March 8, 2013
This book was a mixture of a lot of ideas. While I was reading this book there were several movies that came to mind: Last Action Hero (bad guy in the book to totally reminded me of the bad guy in this movie), Stranger Than Fiction, Kate & Leopold. Whew that was a lot. I thought this was a cute story and the concept of the plot was very intriguing; boy you are totally crushing on comes to life from the books you absolutely adore (swoon time). The main problem that I had was some of the unbelievable elements of this story: girl meets boy & mom is extremely cool about a strange boy staying at her house. Another was there was no urgent threat as to why the bad guy was included. I felt like the climatic end of bad/good combat was a typical and it was unnecessary. Sometimes, I just wish characters would enjoy the moment of being together with out the element of danger being present in the story. The other thing that bothered me was the fact the love interest was from a "different" version of Chicago and he comes to the real life Chicago. I really felt like the book could have taken place in Anytown USA.
The characters were likeable and I thought they complemented each other nicely. Sometimes with stories like this, one of the characters over shadows the other but, they did not. Good time and I am very happy that his book will not be include in a trilogy. I just don't think the storyline is strong enough.
The characters were likeable and I thought they complemented each other nicely. Sometimes with stories like this, one of the characters over shadows the other but, they did not. Good time and I am very happy that his book will not be include in a trilogy. I just don't think the storyline is strong enough.
June 7, 2011
Allison van Diepen has got to be one of the most underrated YA writers of this generation. Her fiction always sparkles with originality even if it has to do with cliched plots like this one.
I always loved metafiction. I love that this is a story within a story. Like always, Van Diepen doesn't shy away from giving readers all the information. her books are always packed with back story and drama and the same thing goes with the fictional Otherworld books. She's got it all figured out and that's why I love her writing.
Even in Amy's world, Van Diepen has the ability to show us things aren't always what they seem. She creates characters that are real and human. She creates situations that are real and possible. true, this is a fantasy and vampires do not exist (as well as portals and literary physics - see the book for the definition of that) but even in fantasy novels characters must behave in a humanistic way. The writer definitely does that here.
I always loved metafiction. I love that this is a story within a story. Like always, Van Diepen doesn't shy away from giving readers all the information. her books are always packed with back story and drama and the same thing goes with the fictional Otherworld books. She's got it all figured out and that's why I love her writing.
Even in Amy's world, Van Diepen has the ability to show us things aren't always what they seem. She creates characters that are real and human. She creates situations that are real and possible. true, this is a fantasy and vampires do not exist (as well as portals and literary physics - see the book for the definition of that) but even in fantasy novels characters must behave in a humanistic way. The writer definitely does that here.
June 29, 2011
Honestly, I'm surprised there aren't more books like this. I mean, how many of us have fallen in love with a character before? Most of us. Between Harry Potter, Twilight, and Mortal Instruments, most of us has had a crush on at least one guy in a book.
Having that certain guy cross over from the land of the imaginary to our world sounds like it'd be pretty sweet (the jury's still out on whether or not I actually want that to happen, after seeing what happened to Amy). I thought it was a truly awesome premise, with a couple of neat characters and one seriously awful bad guy. Funny thing is, it captures our culture to a T, the way people react to book hysteria and their favorite characters.
I really liked the beginning and middle. It was fun to see Alexander acclimate to our culture. The end got a little cheesy. Not like "Mac & Cheese" cheesy, but like cheese on crackers cheesy. It's more refined, but it's still there. Wow. I just made a metaphor about cheese.
Having that certain guy cross over from the land of the imaginary to our world sounds like it'd be pretty sweet (the jury's still out on whether or not I actually want that to happen, after seeing what happened to Amy). I thought it was a truly awesome premise, with a couple of neat characters and one seriously awful bad guy. Funny thing is, it captures our culture to a T, the way people react to book hysteria and their favorite characters.
I really liked the beginning and middle. It was fun to see Alexander acclimate to our culture. The end got a little cheesy. Not like "Mac & Cheese" cheesy, but like cheese on crackers cheesy. It's more refined, but it's still there. Wow. I just made a metaphor about cheese.
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