The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine

by Z Brewer, Mark Turetsky (Read by)

Overview

A perfectly average boy uncovers a supernatural secret about his family that could put his whole town in grave danger—if it doesn’t make him die of embarrassment first—in this mysterious and funny middle grade debut from New York Times bestselling author Z Brewer.

Viktor Valentine can’t think of a better way to end his summer vacation than playing All the Vampires Everywhere, his favorite video game, with his best friend, Damon. Yet his parents, who make cringey jokes and call him dorky nicknames, seem set on ruining his plans. Viktor knows he can’t really compete with Damon’s “cool” friends—so their epic video game playing is the best Viktor can do to come close to being cool in Damon’s eyes.

But then Viktor slowly starts to realize that his parents may be hiding something from him. They’re acting very suspicious; they sneak out after midnight and return with bloody mouths. But he’s probably just played too many video games. After all, vampires aren’t real . . . right?

Seventh grade is tough enough without having to figure out if your family has fangs. And to make matters worse, the new girl that moved in across the street seems particularly interested in things that go bump in the night. Can Viktor protect his family, or will his sleuthing come back to bite him?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874816971
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Z Brewer is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, and more short stories than they can recall. Their pronouns are they/them. Z is also an outspoken mental health and antibullying advocate. Plus, they have awesome hair. Z lives in Saint Louis, Missouri, with a husband person, one child person, and three furry overlords that some people refer to as “cats.” Visit Z online at zbrewerbooks.com.

Mark Turetsky is an award-winning audiobook narrator and voice-over artist living in Brooklyn. In addition to audiobooks, he has voiced numerous commercials, video games, and online presentations. Turetsky is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and holds a minor in English and American Literature. He was an AudioFile Best Voice for 2010 and 2013.

Editorial Reviews

07/15/2024

Few things frighten 12-year-old Viktor Valentine more than the end of summer and the beginning of seventh grade. Now that the days of playing video games and watching scary movies with his only friend Damon have come to an end, Viktor must contend with bullies, the library job his mother volunteered him for, his difficulties with English class (which he failed the year before), and sharing Damon with a new group of friends. The only bright spot in his small town of Nowhere is his new neighbor Alys. But when Viktor’s father starts acting strangely, not even the arrival of his favorite aunt and her wife can quell Viktor’s misgivings. Family drama and enigmatic supernatural intrigue mount as Viktor finds himself caught between friend and foe. While he laments being at the center of it all (“He was just this dude, trying to live his life”), compassionate, mature Damon helps to assuage his friend’s fears. Viktor’s paranormal adventure unfolds alongside healthy and grounded depictions of shifting relationship dynamics, which Brewer (Into the Real) models via the boys’ evolving friendship and Viktor’s interactions with Alys. Main characters read as white. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

This tale walks the line between casual and actual horror—it combines plenty of dad jokes and talk about garlic with on-page blood and serious discussions of taking lives—and Brewer manages to balance it all well. An appealing choice for fans of spooky stories.”   — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher