Silver in the Blood
Gripping Dracula family thriller gets off to slow start.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Silver in the Blood is a historical fantasy set in the 1890s, about two cousins, Dacia and Louisa, who journey from their home in New York to their mothers' native Romania, where they discover dark family secrets linking them to the Dracula family. The girls sense something disturbing lurking behind lots of strange behaviors and whispers involving "the Claw, the Wing, and the Smoke," but they don’t learn the truth until their cold and fearsome grandmother orders the family to reveal it. The girls are smitten at various times with different eligible bachelors, but the romance doesn't progress beyond kissing. There's some violence and the threat of rape, but the details aren't too gory and none of the main characters suffers. A good bet for kids who are interested in vampires and other mystical beasts but too young for more mature series such as Twilight.
Community Reviews
geared for the girls
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What's the Story?
Cousins Dacia and Louisa are rich New York society girls sent to Romania to meet their mothers' family, the Florescus. Once there, they discover that their family members are actually shape-shifters and that they, too, can transform. They also learn the harsh realities surrounding how their family has used their magic over centuries to aid the nefarious Dracula family. Now, with the latest Dracula heir demanding their help to overthrow the beloved Romanian king, Dacia and Louisa must either blindly follow their family's orders or face battling them.
Is It Any Good?
This ultimately gripping thriller gets off to a slow start. Teenage cousins Dacia and Louisa, interested only in dresses, parties, and finding eligible suitors, make their way to their mothers' homeland of Romania amid lots of strange behaviors and secretive whispers. So many hints are dropped about the secretive "Claw, Wing, and Smoke" that it can be tedious to wait for Dacia and Louisa to finally learn the truth about their family and its ties to the Dracula family. However, once they're forced to confront the brutal reality about who they are, the action moves quickly as the girls must choose between loyalty to their family and forging their own path in the face of many threats and dangers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about standing up for what you believe is right. Should you do it even if it goes against what your family thinks?
Why do you think books about vampires and other magical creatures are so popular?
Once Dacia learns her true identity, she struggles with the question of whether she's a monster. What do you think?
Book Details
- Author: Jessica Day George
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
- Publication date: July 5, 2015
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 24, 2015
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Gripping romantic fantasy in an alternative universe.
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Afterworlds
Suspenseful paranormal romance pulls off parallel plots.
For kids who love vampires and romance
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