This was a re-read for me. I first read it back in 2012 and I remember enjoying it. Since I recently got the third book, I thought it would be fun to read the first two books again before reading the last book in the trilogy.

The plot isn't anything that new, but it’s still a lot of fun. The characters are great. They had me laughing out loud a couple of times. They aren't as developed as I would like, but it’s the first book and it’s pretty short.

As someone who loves Frankenstein, vampires, and all things dark and creepy, I really enjoyed all the references to Shelley, Polidori, Byron and Villa Diodati. I’m not going to lie, that may be my favorite thing about this book.

If you want a fun, fast read, than you need to pick this book up. I may even read it again for a third time at some point. ( )

Trouble seems to follow Alex Van Helsing wherever he goes. First, the 14-year-old got kicked out of school for fighting. Then, after being transferred to Switzerland’s Glenarvon Academy, he slays what appears to be a vampire in the surrounding woods. And he swears none of it has anything to do with his famous vampire-hunter surname. Right. Soon Alex’s English teacher reveals that he is part of the Polidorium, a stealth quasi-military vampire-tracking organization with its eye on the Icemaker—a vampire clan lord who, incidentally, is actually the poet Lord Byron. It all has something to do with the backstory to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Alex’s Da Vinci Code–style digging for historical clues is the plot’s high point. If there’s a low point, it’s probably the action-movie assault on the Scholomance (“an MIT for vampires”), but even that is invigorated by likable teen heroes with believable interests (one loves vampire lore, the other manga). This first book in the Alex Van Helsing series seriously doesn’t suck. --Daniel Kraus

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I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing and references are very clever, there are frequent mentions of classic writers and novelists throughout the book and incorporated in the plot, which is to be expected with a name like Van Helsing. The copy that is going around for review has comments from the author in the margins, which is very cool. I loved reading the fun little facts that the author included. There are a lot of references and cultural facts that not everyone, especially young adults might not understand. The plot also moves a bit slow in the beginning and then speeds to hyper-speed the rest of the book, it moves just a tad too fast to for the story line. The idea of the character is great as is Alex, I think he is very cool, I would be his friend.

I like this new thing among authors, whether intentional or not, to include references to some of the world's classics. I think that if teens see some of these books in their modern favorites it will inspire them to give them a try outside the classroom. I just read an article about the impact from the mentioning of Wuthering Heights in Twilight has had on sales of Wuthering Heights. It makes me want to clap and cheer. I hope the trend continues. Pretty good, quick read. ( )

At a boarding school in Switzerland, fourteen-year-old Alex Van Helsing learns that vampires are real, that he has a natural ability to sense them, and that an agency called the Polidorium has been helping his family fight them since 1821.

Alex Van Helsing has heard it thousands of times before. Yes, his last name is really Van Helsing. No, not like that Van Helsing. No, he doesn't kill monsters. To paraphrase his father, that kind of thing doesn't happen. Except when it does.

What a fun, action-packed story! It begins with Alex running toward a scream in the woods and ends on a very brooding scene that feels like a pause. Which isn't to say that this book feels incomplete; for the first in the series, it stands very well on its own. I know more is coming, I have one or two questions, but I'm happy with the way things ended.

Alex is the most fully fleshed-out character and I liked him. He's had some trouble in the past and he's still having trouble in the present but he's doing his best. His whole world has just shifted but he's dealing with it.

The other characters were fun, but they weren't developed all that well. I am curious about Minhi, Mr. Sangster, and Sid. I hope I'll learn more about them in other books.

As an older reader, I appreciated the way the classics like Dracula and the background story to Frankenstein were worked in. For younger readers who might not have been exposed to these books yet, the necessary references were explained well and the unnecessary ones were just bonuses for those in the know. There wasn't really anything new added to the vampire myth, but it was still fun. Kids who haven't read quite so much will probably love this. There were some gadgets that I even thought were very cool, and I'm not into gadgets!

These vampires are not the seductive, tormented vampires that we've seen so much of lately. These guys are baddies through and through. There was nothing too graphic, but it is what it is, so parents of younger children might want to check it out first. I imagine all teens would be fine with it.

I had a lot of fun reading this one and I'll be looking forward to the next in the series. This is one of those hard-to-find books that would be good for teen boys, but the tougher girls will like it too. ( )