The Vampire in My Bathtub [Hardcover]

Brenda Seabrooke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Jeff discovers a flabby, less-than-scary vampire who prefers milkshakes to blood

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seabrooke's (The Haunting of Holroyd Hill) lighthearted vampire novel sends up some monstrous assumptions but ultimately leaves readers with little to chew on. When 13-year-old narrator Jeff and his divorced mother move to bucolic Wicklow, W.Va., they tip the population to 1,011. Excitement builds for Jeff after he discovers a trunk in his closet and unlocks a French vampire, Eugene, from a 117-year slumber. This chubby, perennially starving fellow is a "good vampire": he eschews blood and raw meat, salivates rather than shudders at garlic, sleeps in the bathtub during the day and watches TV all night. Jeff's arch voice coupled with the outsider's view of modern inventions, old movies and the Home Shopping Network provides some humorous moments. However, the third-person narrative that breaks into the novel intermittentlyAand chronicles the goings-on of Eugene's evil enemy vampire (and cousin), Vennard, the New Orleans vampire community and Eugene's love, CarlottaAis too stilted and exaggerated to build much tension (e.g., "The clock strikes the hour but Vennard has long been awake, pacing the floor"). Even the climactic confrontation with Vennard offers little suspense. Ages 8-12. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Jeffrey Martin, 13, isn't happy that his parents have divorced or that he's stuck in tiny, boring Wicklow, WV. He is even less thrilled to learn that his neighbor is a nosy girl he unaffectionately dubs "Bat Ears." His life becomes a little too interesting when he discovers Eugene Carondelet, a 400-year-old inept vampire, in a locked trunk in a locked closet in his new room. Jeff puts Eugene "in training" to fly away because he knows his mother will soon find the stranger in the bathtub. Matters are complicated when Bat Ears uncovers Jeff's secret and complicated further when Eugene's ancient, evil cousin comes to kill them all. The plot is contrived. Present-tense sections follow the evil Louis Vennard in New Orleans as he prepares to come after Eugene. However, Jeff's much longer Wicklow passages are in the past tense. Strangely, all the sections are time stamped to create a sense of tension that never materializes. Though the characters don't have much heft to them, Jeff's sarcastic, grousing narration does make this an easy, entertaining read. A logical step up for "Goosebumps" (Scholastic) fans.
Timothy Capehart, Leominster Public Library, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823415058
• ISBN-13: 978-0823415052
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,001,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny All The Way!, March 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vampire in My Bathtub (Hardcover)

This is really and truly a very, very funny book! The title itself tells you it's going to be funny, and you won't be disappointed. Jeff, the first-person teller of the tale is clever and amusing himself. The name he bestows upon his nosy next-door neighbor is a case in point - Bat Ears. But, of course, the star of the book is chubby, lovable Eugene Aloysius Pierre Phillippe Carondelet. "But mais ouis!" as he would say, smiling sweetly. All I can say is who would have ever thought you could have warm fuzzy feelings about a vampire? Well, just read the book. You'll see!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vampire in My Bathtub, June 26, 2000

By 

B. Goldbaum (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vampire in My Bathtub (Hardcover)

This is a delightful book for young readers. Eugene is a perfectly charming vampire who does not adhere to any of the vampire stereotypes. Ms. Seabrooke has a knack for zeroing in on the problems and complications which will entertain her readers. Jeff, the hero, comes up with creative solutions to the problem of hiding from his mother his very hungry, uninvited guest.