Defanged

Gr 4 Up–Vampires have been out of the coffin for decades; long enough for a cure to have been discovered by the organization Vampirism Sucks. Now, when vampire children turn 12, they can get ‘the procedure.’ It’s Lux Priddy’s 12th birthday, but he isn’t sure that he wants to stop being a vampire. So when the opportunity arises, he runs away to the (potentially mythical) city of Nox Urbus to hide with the strange vampires who live there until he can make the choice about the cure for himself. Incorporated into this exciting adventure story is an important reminder to love yourself, even when the world is telling you that who you are is wrong. Lux’s quest has him confronting societal pressure to fit into a specific mold and self-hate–inducing propaganda. With a cast of lovably odd characters, Edgmon has crafted a deliberate yet engaging look at the way society vilifies groups who are different from “the norm.” Lux has clear (but unnamed) neurodivergence.