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Vampire stories have long been part of popular culture. Count Dracula is probably one of the most well-known characters in literature. In modern times, “Twilight” and “Vampire Diaries” have caused quite a stir, making these supernatural creatures popular again. The best vampire books for teens will keep them engaged and transport them to the dangerous yet thrilling life of vampires.
According to Adrienne Chinn, a bestselling Canadian novelist and poet and the reviewer of this article, “Vampires are ever-fascinating to teenage readers. These books offer stories that will engage their imaginations and inspire them to keep on reading.”
The vampire genre is popular among many fantasy writers. However, not every book is appropriate for teenagers, so you should go through the reviews and testimonials of experts to choose the right options. In this post, we have listed the best-selling, age-appropriate vampire books that your teen can enjoy. Dive in and find out more.
Top Picks
15 Best Vampire Books For Teens In 2024
1. Best Adventure Story: The Little Vampire
“The Little Vampire” is a brilliant vampire book for teens. It follows the story of Tony, a nine-year-old horror story maniac. He can hardly believe his luck when Rudolf, a little vampire creature, lands on his windowsill one night. Together, Tony and the little vampire indulge in a series of adventures. Tony visits Rudolph’s home, where he listens to chilling tales about the cemetery keeper. Rudolph even tells Tony how he once narrowly escaped the clutches of Dorothy, Rudolph’s aunt. The story reaches a climax at a supper party when Tony invites Rudolph and his sister Anna to meet his parents. This story of bloodsuckers has a generous dose of humor too!
2. Best Story With A Twist: Ten Creepy Monsters
In “Ten Creepy Monsters,” the author takes a song and gives it a spooky makeover with familiar characters and a lovely twist at the end. In the book, several supernatural creatures, including a witch, a mummy, a werewolf, a ghost, a vampire, and their monster friends, gather beneath a pine tree. One by one, the crowd diminishes, leaving just one monster in the end. Can your kid guess that monster? A perfect book for teens, it is dark enough to work as a Halloween book without being too scary. Here’s a video that will help you select the right book for your teenager.
3. Best Story For Girls: Vampirina Ballerina
Quick FactBeing a ballerina is a dream and a challenge for many little girls, even more so when you happen to be a vampire. First and foremost, you have to find a class that meets at night. Then you have to figure out the form, which is not easy, as you can’t see yourself in the mirror. You even have to wear pink, which is not a very flattering color when you are undead. But the worst of all is stage fright. But Vampirina is a very confident vampire and works hard to achieve her goals with the support of her family. This video will help you understand whether this is the right book for your preferences.
4. Best Story For Teens: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
“The Coldest Girl in Coldtown,” a story of guilt, horror, rage, and revenge, is an ideal modern vampire fiction book for teens. One day, after an ordinary party, Tana wakes up to find herself in Coldtown, surrounded by corpses. The only survivors are a mysterious boy with a terrible secret and her endearing ex-boyfriend. Tana enters the race against time to save the trio by going to the wicked heart of Coldtown. Check out this review video to learn more about this coming-of-age book.
5. Best Romance Story: Team Human
If your teen loves vampire romance, then here’s a thrilling book for them. “Team Human” is a spoof of the “Twilight Saga” and other classic vampire books. Mel, the protagonist, is horrified to see Francis Duvarney, a gorgeous and arrogant vampire, being admitted to her high school. Mel’s best friend falls for Francis instantly and is determined to be with him, even if it means she had to turn into a vampire. Mel, believing that Francis is no good, braves the vampire district to search for evidence against him.There isn’t much violence or swearing in this teen vampire book, so you can safely hand over the book to your teen.
6. Best Period Drama: Midwinter Blood
“Midwinter Blood” is a historical vampire fiction story about sacrifice, horror, tenderness, and beauty It is narrated through seven different time periods, starting from the ancient past to 2073. It’s told from the perspective of many people—from a painter and a journalist to a Viking and a vampire creature. The seven stories take place on the Island of Blessed in Scandinavia where a mighty dragon lives. But what binds these stories together? Teens can find out only after reading this excellent work of fiction that showcases the author’s literary expertise. “Midwinter Blood” won the American Library Association’s Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature in 2014.
"The story is about an unconventional love saga through time, blending myths with a tinge of darkness. Its reincarnation concept is reimagined in a distinct style. However, not every teen might like this book because of the loose connection between the characters."
7. Best Action-Packed: Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising
“Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising” is the first installment of the Alex Van Helsing book series. It is an action-packed teen vampire book aimed at older children. This historical vampire fiction revolves around Alex and his experience at his boarding school. When two vampires attack, Alex realizes that there is more to his family name than he ever knew. He discovers that underneath Lake Geneva lies a vampire university called Scholomance. When two innocents are kidnapped, it’s up to Alex to infiltrate the vampire university and rescue his friends. Much of the story veers into traditional vampire storytelling and the training of Alex to become a vampire.
"This Alex Van Helsing adventure took me back to my childhood stories. It's a blend of strategic kill shots, adrenaline-boosting narrative, shifting stakes, and a clever injection of historical events into the Dracula mythos. It can quickly engage young readers."
8. Best Entertaining: Blood Diaries: Tale of a 6th Grade Vampire
Did You Know?“Blood Diaries: Tales of a 6th Grade Vampire,” by Marissa Moss is one of the most delightful vampire books of all time. This fictional masterpiece narrates the story of Edgar, a young vampire who is just like a typical 6th grader who wants to be one of the cool kids and make loads of friends. The book follows Edgar’s emotional growth and his day-to-day trials. There is some mild gore in the book relating to food, such as blood pudding and raw liver sandwiches, but nothing that daring teens can’t handle.
9. Best With Good Messages: Vampire Island
The first installment of the book series of the same name, “Vampire Island” is a refreshing spin on classic vampire literature. It’s about a group of middle school students, Lexie, Maddy, and Hudson, who happen to be vampires. These vampires try to blend with the regular people of the city, but their traits keep complicating things. With all these challenges, will this group of mythical beings be able to navigate the city? This teen vampire book is pretty tame and also shares a few good messages about the environment.
10. Best Mystery: Demons of the Ocean: Vampirates, Book 1
“Demons of the Ocean” is the first installment of the book series called Vampirates. It follows the twin brothers, Connor and Grace, who grow up listening to their father’s shanty about the ship haunting the sea. But even in the wildest of dreams, they don’t think that there is an underlying truth to the shanty. After the death of their dad, the twins get separated in a storm. Connor is rescued by a pirate ship, where he finds a place among the crewmates. But Grace is in grave danger as when he is saved by a mysterious ship of Vampirates. How will the brothers find each other?
11. The Reformed Vampire Support Group
The vampires in “The Reformed Vampire Support Group” have no supernatural powers, contradicting the typical vampire culture. And neither are they incredibly gorgeous nor romantic. In this world, vampirism is a disease from which one can never recover. If the young vampires want to give up killing innocents, then they have to join a support group and reform themselves. But Nina Harrison hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings as nothing exciting happens there. Then, one fine day, one of the group members is destroyed by a bullet. Your teen needs to read the novel to learn what unfolds.
12. 100 Facts Vampires
“100 Facts Vampires” is the ultimate book for vampire maniacs. It has 100 fascinating facts about vampire creatures, some fun activities, and stunning images. The illustrations will further support your teen’s understanding of the text.
13. Teddy Gyros: Kid Vampire Slayer: Book One: It Begins
“Teddy Gyros: Kid Vampire Slayer: Book One” is about Teddy Gyros, kid vampire slayer, who enters the town of Witowpitee only to find himself surrounded by strange mysteries and evil forces that only he can defeat.
14. Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire
“Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire: Because the Undead Have Feelings Too!” is a witty vampire-themed book by Tim Collins. It’s the story about Nigel, an average teenage boy who spends most of his time worrying about how to get a girlfriend and deal with acne. But things are slightly more complicated for him as he is a vampire. When Nigel falls head over heels in love with Chloe, he spends all his time plotting ways to win her heart.
"Tim Collins' book is entertaining with its vampire theme, which is always fun to read. It's crafted for a younger audience, but even adults can thoroughly enjoy this book. The series can spark interest even in non-readers."
15. Bunnicula
Book one in the Bunnicula and Friends book series, “Bunnicula” is an immensely popular book told from Harold the dog’s point of view. The best-selling book starts when Harold’s human family goes to watch the movie “Dracula” and Toby accidentally sits on a baby rabbit on his seat. The family takes the bunny home and names him Bunnicula. Chester, the family’s cat, notices something weird about the bunny. The rabbit has fangs and is nocturnal. Is it a vampire bunny? Before it’s too late, Chester and Harold have to find out the truth.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What genre do vampire books fall under?
Since vampire stories combine horror and fantasy genre features, they mostly come under the supernatural category.
2. Why are vampire books R-rated?
It’s a misconception that all vampire-related books or films are R-rated. Only works like John Carpenter’s 1998, Vampires, that features violence and nudity, are rated R.
3. How do vampire books impact the thinking process of a teen?
Reading child-friendly scary literature can help young minds deal with real-life emotions of fear, frustration, and jealousy in a simulated scenario (1). Certain vampire books help teens acknowledge their fascination with people different from themselves, since this is a phase when they witness rapid physical and mental changes in their lives (2).
Why Trust MomJunction?
Wedetso Chirhah, the author of this article, has a deep interest in educational materials and books that aid children’s development. Based on several years of experience, he has compiled this well-researched list of best vampire books for teens after conducting an in-depth examination of their plots. He also went through multiple reader reviews and considered parent-recommended options to create this list of age-appropriate fantasy books that your child can enjoy. The list also includes a buying guide to help you choose the perfect book for your teen.
The Bottom Line
Vampire books and movies have been on trend for a while, especially among teenagers and young adults. If your teen is a vampire buff, the list of the best vampire books for teens will help you buy the right ones for them. This list includes vampire stories for pre-teens and teens who are almost adults, so it ensures that the book is age-appropriate. Our favorite picks include The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, with themes of revenge and guilt, and The Reformed Vampire Support Group for being a light-hearted read. We also love Midwinterblood, a tale that combines horror, beauty, sacrifice, and more. Further, you could opt for books that have won awards or fit into your teen’s preferred genres.
Infographic: How To Encourage Teenagers To Read Books?
Motivating teens to cultivate the habit of regular reading is essential. Reading for pleasure unlocks realms of imagination and wisdom for teenagers and impacts their academic performance, self-discovery, and language skills. Therefore, explore the infographic below to discover ways to encourage your teen to indulge in reading.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
References
- Fear With A Safety Net: Why Children Should Read Scary Books
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/features/2019/february/fear-with-a-safety-net-why-children-should-read-scary-books/ - Film In The College Classroom: Using Twilight To Examine Adolescent Development
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1092170.pdf - Vampires: It’s a Bloody – and Booming – Business
https://globalyouth.wharton.upenn.edu/articles/vampires-it%E2%80%99s-a-bloody-%E2%80%93-and-booming-%E2%80%93-business/
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