Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On his 12th birthday, vampire Lux Priddy is scheduled to begin his Defanging procedure via a program that turns young vampires into humans. Reluctant to give up the only identity he's ever known, though, he escapes the Vampirism Sucks clinic and seeks the safety of Nox Urbus, a secret city of rogue vampires somewhere under Brooklyn. There, he meets a motley assortment of outcasts and runaways, including mysterious tween Fennec and the group's jaded adult leader, Dog. While evaluating whether he wants to live as a vampire or a human, Lux settles into Nox Urbus, slowly learning more about his new friends and his own previously unknown familial ties to the community. But when trouble strikes, Lux and his allies must stand against those determined to eliminate vampires altogether. Via empathetic prose, Edgmon (We Can Never Leave) injects optimism throughout the novel, even as it touches on heavy subject matter relating to identity erasure, forcible conversion, and unethical experimentation. As Lux's biological and found families overlap, they offer a reassuring sense of acceptance and belonging in the face of adversity and oppression. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8--12. Agent: Victoria Marini, Volume 5 Literary and Lee O'Brien, Looking Glass Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Lux Priddy has always considered himself a good vampire who doesn't make trouble for others, unlike those scary, violent vampires rumored to live in an underground society called Nox Urbus. In theory, he should be fine with being Defanged, a procedure pioneered by the organization Vampirism Sucks to "cure" vampirism. However, right before his scheduled Defanging on his twelfth birthday, Lux makes an impulsive escape into the New York City sewer system in search of refuge. As it turns out, Nox Urbus is real, and the supportive community he finds there doesn't match up with what he's been told his entire life. When a major court ruling makes Defanging mandatory, Lux must choose whether he wants to resist or assimilate into a eugenicist, human-supremacist society. Edgmon makes deft use of the vampire as an allegory for the Other, telling the story of a fictional marginalized community trying to live on its own terms in the face of escalating systemic oppression. While the primary group alluded to is autistic people, the story also draws parallels between vampires and queer people and marginalized racial groups. The close third-person narration presents an emotionally rich insider's view of an autistic kid's subjective experience, complete with "infodumps" about special interests, sensory overstimulation and sensory joy (through stimming), the challenges of tripping over the invisible wires of unspoken social norms, and more. Suspenseful, timely, and thought-provoking. Shenwei ChangNovember/December 2025 p.66 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A vampire runs away after his parents attempt to "cure" him. Lux Priddy is obsessed with animals, eager to share his knowledge, and anxious about following rules. He and his best friend, Emma Neroni, are also vampires. Vampires started coming "out of the coffin" in the '90s--but since Vampirism Sucks invented a Defanging cure, many anticipate a future without their kind, something Emma and her parents find abhorrent. Lux doesn't mind being a vampire, so when his twelfth birthnight comes, and his parents take him to be Defanged, he flees to Nox Urbus, the fabled underground city of vampires in the sewers of New York City. For the first time, Lux gets to live in a world that's made for him, and he learns about his history and potential. But his disappearance ignites controversy in an anti-vampire society, and he'll have to fight even harder for the right to be himself. Thoughtful details add realism to the vampires' world, and the affection between quirky Lux and his compatriots brings fun and hope to a story that addresses serious, all-too-relevant issues. Lux's autistic characteristics and the vampires' legal and social status provide clear parallels to various marginalized groups' struggles for civil rights. Many readers will see themselves in this work, and all will understand how propaganda and institutionalized bias affect our lives. Lux and his family read white, and Emma and her family are brown-skinned. A clever, perceptive read that's full of love for those who are different.(Paranormal. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
