Brilliantly realised fantasy delivered with humour and heart.

Kevin the Vampire is an absolute hoot (wait, that's were-owls). Kevin and his family, together with Susie, a mortal who has joined their Carnival Monstromo, are off to a great gathering of all the ghastly carnivals and everyone seems to have something on their mind. Kevin is determined to master a death defying acrobatic move to cement his position as a great vampire acrobat. Susie is worried about whether she will ever truly fit in in a group vampires (and how itchy her clothes are). Everyone else just wants to make it through the woods before the evil witch, Grayvon Fury, wreaks havoc on them.

The book rattles along at an enjoyable pace and Matt Brown fits an incredible amount of world-building in, with some brilliant imaginings of vampire lore, family feuds and fabulous names. It is also incredibly funny, packed with tremendous characters and a hugely enjoyable read.

This was loads of fun. Kevin and his family go to the biggest and best carnival around, but things don’t quite go his way. With evil witches, time mists and centuries old arguments afoot, will the carnival ever start? I love all the illustrations and the messages about being yourself and letting others be authentically themselves too!

Perfect for fans of The Addams Family and Vlad, The World's Worst Vampire by Anna Wilson or those just looking for a spooky story, Kevin the Vampire is a great new series that readers can sink their teeth into. Following on the adventure from Book One, this second story sees Kevin, his family and his new human friend, Susie, arrive at The Festival of Fear...
Arriving in Monstros City, Kevin is determined that his family will win Carnival of the Year. Performing a dangerous and daring dragon display alongside Susie and Gerald - the new member of Carnival Monstromo who is half-dragon and half-griffin - will surely win them the title.

But in their hurry to get to Monstros City, Carnival Monstromo travelled through the Wild Woods - home to a terribly wicked witch. Unbeknownst to Kevin and Susie, Dog did something to upset the witch and now she has followed them, determined to get her revenge...

This story has loveable characters and a fun, fast-paced plot that is big on world-building and imagination. We enjoyed the mists of time, the evilness of the villain and the spooky, high-stakes atmosphere. The narrator tells the story with a huge amount of humour. This mixes the fear with fun and creates the perfect tone for the age-group. We found Dog particularly hilarious!

If you're looking for action, then there's also a huge amount in this book. From high-speed chases to daring moves, tricks and traps, every chapter is designed to hold the reader's attention. There's also a lovely exploration of some relatable themes - feeling different, alone and out-of-place - and a fun sub-plot which involves wider members of the family. We can't wait to see what happens next.

A funny and fabulous adventure story for children age 7-9.

Kevin the Vampire is super stoked at the prospect of heading to Monstros City to take part in the Festival of Fear. His family have a Carnival in the Dragon Parade and Kevin is hoping to attempt the Danger Dive of Death! His best friend Susie, who is a human, is not so excited at the prospect of a death defying stunt but she wants to support her bff and, feeling like an outsider, she is desperate to fit in.

When Kevin's family carriage is running late for the festival, they decide to take a short cut through the Wild Woods where Grayvon Fury, the evilest witch there is, lives. When Grayson takes the family pet, Dog (who is actually less dog and more hell hound with wings), Kevin and Susie must find a way to save him, and themselves.

With an Almost Bottomless Pit, a Swamp of Loneliness, a trip back in time, a Sphinx with a fixation on the letter 'E' and a daring escape, will Kevin, Susie, Gerald, Brannie and the rest of the family make it to the Festival of Fear? Who will win Carnival of the Year?

We have really enjoyed this chapter book with our lower KS2 readers. It is great for fans of Amelia Fang and has plenty of excitement, adventure and a lot of giggles. We love the friendship between Kevin and Susie and seeing how Susie gained confidence as the story went on. An excitingly funny story for children age 7-9.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Kevin and Susie are on the way to Monstros City to take part in the Festival of Fear. They just have to get through the Wild Wood without getting on the wrong side of Grayvon Fury, the most evil witch ever.

This is the second Kevin the Vampire book, read to my 7-year old as a bedtime story. We love these (and once again, I sneakily read ahead to find out what was going to happen). Can't wait for book 3. My son wants to buy a print copy so he can re-read it again and again, just like he's done with book 1.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Children around 7+ years will absolutely love this book.

Coming straight off the back of Book 1, this sequel takes Kevin and his new human friend, Susie, on a journey into the lion’s den - Monstro City - where they will be taking part in the famous Dragon’s Parade.

The characters are silly and fun, even the villains. There is mild jeopardy, adventure and lots of narrative asides to keep the tone light and the pace fast. The wonderful illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino help to bring the story alive.

Having read Kevin the Vampire, I was keen to see where Matt Brown took his lead characters and it didn’t disappoint.
This adventure sees Kevin, along with the Carnival Monstromo heading to Monstros City to take part in the Dragon Parade. Joined by best friend Susie Cabbage, who he met in the first book and who now lives with Kevin and his family, they embark on an unexpected journey that sees them both perform some pretty amazing tricks, mainly the Danger Dive of Death, whilst uncovering the truth about Uncle Drax’s falling out with Lazarus Vandross. Not to mention, with the help of The Sphinx, finishing off Grayvon Fury, the most evil witch.
The book sees the return of some of the magical monstrous creatures from the first book, with a few more characters thrown in. Matt’s talent for creating humourous characters and fun storytelling, transports the reader to a whole new world, supported by the most fun illustrations from the talented Flavia Sorrentino.
It’s fun, sometimes slap-stick humour, creates a world where monsters are colourful, hilarious and a little bit bonkers.
It’s a fabulous middle grade read, that is sure to draw in monster lovers, as well as the most reluctant readers.

Thank you to Net Galley and Nosy Crow for the opportunity to read Kevin the Vampire:A wild and wicked witch prior to its release.