Book Review: “A Bite Above The Rest” by Christine Virnig

“A Bite Above The Rest” by Christine Virnig (2024)

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction

Page Length: 320 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

When Caleb’s mom decides they are moving to her childhood home in Wisconsin, Caleb is not thrilled. Moving schools, states, and time zones would be bad enough, but Mom’s hometown is Samhain, a small and ridiculously kitschy place where every day is Halloween.

Caleb is not a fan of Halloween when it only happens once a year, so Halloween-obsessed Samhain is really not the place for him. How is he supposed to cope with kids wearing costumes to school every single day ? And how about the fact that the mayor is so committed to the bit that City Hall is only open from sundown to sunup to accommodate his so-called vampirism? Sure enough, Caleb becomes an outcast at school for refusing to play along with the spooky tradition like the other sixth graders. Luckily, he manages to find a friend in fellow misfit Tai, and just in time, because things are getting weird in Samhain…or make that weird.

But there’s no way the mayor is an actual vampire, and their teacher absolutely cannot really be a werewolf—right? Caleb discovers Samhain is so much stranger than he ever could have imagined. As one of the only people who realizes what’s happening, can he save a town that doesn’t want saving?

Review:

As a fan of all things Halloween, the synopsis of A Bite Above the Rest alone piqued my interest. Though this novel features things that go bump in the night it is more spooky fun than outright horror. The novel is intended for middle-grade readers but appeals to an older audience as well. The story captures the spirit of the season and other things most people enjoy about Halloween. There are eerie decorations, Autumnal treats, getting dressed up in a creative costume, and the overall feeling of having fun.

The main character Caleb, is a self-proclaimed scaredy cat which makes his move to Samhain even more difficult. He struggles with overcoming grief and being uprooted from everything he knows. He shows a lot of growth during the novel as he learns to overcome his fears and works through complex feelings surrounding the major changes in his life. Luckily he becomes fast friends with Tai and develops a good friendship. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow over the course of the story and seeing them support each other. Their quests as amateur sleuth leads them on a journey full of hijinks and many discoveries.

The novel has an overall light-hearted tone for the most part but is still full of supernatural thrills to keep the reader engaged with the plot. I loved the world-building and setting of Samhain where the author creates a literal town where you can indulge in Halloween every single day. It leans into common horror tropes from werewolves under the full moon to witches lurking around the town wearing their crooked hats. It’s campy in the best of ways and will entice any reader who is a fan of this holiday season.

Though the ending does come to a conclusion it does leave room open to a possible sequel. I hope to see more of Caleb and Tai’s adventures going forward. You should definitely add A Bite Above the Rest to your reading list for the spooky season!

Final Verdict: