Review: Vampiric Vacation (Sinister Summer #2) by Kiersten White

Title: Vampiric Vacation

Series: Sinister Summer #2

Previous book in this series: Wretched Waterpark

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: Middle Grade, mystery, humor

Publication date: September 2022

Published by: Delacorte Press

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: The spooky summer adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottom twins continue in another gothic mystery: can Theo and Alexander solve the secret of the Sanguine Spa in the little Transylvania Mountains?

After leaving Fathoms of Fun, the kids are on their way to the next odd summer destination their aunt has chosen for them. This time, they find themselves dropped off at the Sanguine Spa in the "little Transylvania Mountains". There they meet the owners: Mina, her mysterious little sister, Lucy (who is extremely pale, can't go in the sunlight, and has an affinity for hanging upside down from the ceiling), and their intimidating guardian, the Count.

When the Count sends all the children in the spa on a scavenger hunt, the Sinister-Winterbottoms use the excuse to snoop around and discover that this spa may be more than just eerie--it might also hold clues to what happened to their parents. When Wil starts to show vampiric symptoms, the twins resolve to investigate what's really going on at the Sanguine Spa.

The second book in the Sinister Summer series continues the adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their aunt who never saw a discount vacation destination she didn't love.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I have loved Kiersten White’s middle grade novels—they are just so silly and fun! I really enjoyed Wretched Waterpark, so I was very much looking forward to reading this book! And overall, I liked it!

One of my favorite things about the book was the setting. Sanguine Spa...

So this spa is in a freaking castle, and there may or may not be vampires lurking about...

This was so much fun! However, I felt like I wasn’t as invested in this book as I was with the last one. I felt like the mystery was just really vague so this book felt a lot more character-driven, which isn’t really my thing. They were just kinda running around the castle stumbling upon weird thing after weird thing, but that was kinda it. After a while, a more solid goal did begin to form, which I really appreciated.

But that being said, I did enjoy this book! Yes, there was a lot of wandering around, but this was just a lot of fun and a little spooky, which is a combination that Kiersten White always does so well in her middle grade novels! Plus, I really liked the characters. The twins are so sweet and I love that they look out for one another. Even though I liked this book less than the previous book in the series, I’m still very much looking forward to reading the next book! Up next, the kids are heading to Camp Creepy, where they may or may not dye.

(Yes, that spelling of ‘dye’ was purposeful 😆)

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! 😊