The Last Hope in Hopetown

In Hopetown, Pa.—“an American Revolution time capsule kind of place”—12-year-old Sophie Dawes lives with her loving adoptive vampire moms. French Revolution–era Mama, once best friends with Marie Antoinette, embraces a 1950s homemaker vibe, while the Duke, a former Viking shield-maiden, has swapped the battleground for the boardroom. Though it’s been years since vampires “walked into the light”—became part of human society—stringent rules and regular government check-ins now attend human-vampire relations, especially in the few years since vampires began “going rogue.” Amid state-level policy changes around corporate blood bank donations, a Federal Bureau of Vampire Affairs rehabilitation facility being established nearby, and growing online conspiracy theories about rogue vampires, the epidemic reaches Hopetown. To investigate the “rogue” phenomenon, Sophie and her best friend Delphine Abernathy, a 300-year-old vampire stuck with a 12-year-old’s body and mind, take it upon themselves to investigate. Though it telegraphs reveals early on, Tureaud’s high-concept debut offers an extended metaphor exploring how the past informs the present, touching on corporate protections, government surveillance, model minority dynamics, and personal rights via vibrantly rendered characters. Characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Amy Giuffrida, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. (Oct.)