4/5 Vampires are back and I am here for it. This book was a great read but such a roller coaster of emotions. I felt like I went through the stages of grief right along with Victoria. Well developed characters, all of them, and a quick moving plot line. Would recommend for anyone who loves a character driven story and vampires. I also loved all of the quotes at the beginning of the chapters!

A special thanks to Netgalley and Margaret K. Elderry Books for an ARC of this book!

As an unrepentant lover of anything vampire related, I knew I had to snatch up Margie Fuston's Vampires, Heart, and Other Dead Things, which promised vampire hunting in a place I've always dreamed to visit: New Orleans. And what better place for vampires than New Orleans, with it's buildings -- dating hundred of years back -- its nightlife and of course, Anne Rice. I was really expecting to love this book more, but in the end, I was just okay with it.

Victoria and her Dad are obsessed with vampires and love to rewatch their favorite flicks (Underworld is mentioned several times, which is one of my favorites, too) and debate what real vampires would be like. Can they really not stand garlic, or the sign of the cross? Can they control the weather, like the undead Draugrs of Norse myth? Their love for their beloved stalkers of the night is only solidified when a man goes on television and claims he's a vampire and even stabs himself -- and seemingly heals in the blink of an eye.

It's been years since that fateful moment, and vampires, if they were ever really real, have gone underground after a string of murders are attributed to the one who revealed everything on live TV.
But Victoria has never stopped believing. And it is this belief that is holding her fragile life together when her father runs out of options to beat cancer. They had always planned to go to New Orleans together, but now Victoria takes the opportunity to fly there herself. And, hopefully, find a vampire.

Tagging along is her bestfriend and lifelong crush Henry Nakamura. They had a falling out when he started dating their other bestfriend, Bailey, and have been excommunicado for a year. However, Henry is not going to let that get in the way, and forces himself back into Victoria's life, possibly when she needs him the most.

While there, Victoria finds Nicholas, who is handsome, nocturnal, and powerful, and he wants her to play along in his game. If she can prove to him that she loves life, he might just let her live...forever.

My favorite part of this book was the lush descriptions of New Orleans, in all its gothic beauty. I especially loved the inclusion of a little vampire folklore which I'm familiar with -- the Ursuline Convent which once housed the infamous "Casket Girls" of New Orleans. There were many juicy tidbits of vampire lore sprinkled throughout, and I loved every minute of it.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with Victoria, who was so hard to empathize with I kept wondering why in God's name Henry wanted to have anything to do with her! She was selfish and treated him like garbage. The poor boy deserved better! While Victoria is going through possibly the most difficult thing a person can go through, she did it with such a lack of regard for anyone else that it set my teeth on edge. I'm also one to bottle up my emotions, but that doesn't stop me from being there for family and my friends.

Overall, I think Vampire, Hearts, and Other Dead Things is a great choice for a vampire aficionado, like myself, and if you can get past the less than loveable protagonist, I think it'll be a fun ride for someone who wishes they could go to New Orleans and find them a real creature of the night. I know this would have been something I really liked as a teen, so if you have any like minded ones, let them know!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review! Honestly, the cover jumped out at me and the premise sounded so unique and interesting. Plus, the cover really pulls you it because it’s so beautiful!

At the heart, this is very much a book about grief. It’s Victoria’s journey working through losing her dad, and you can feel her desperation to do anything to save him. Adding in the vampires worked as a nice foil to her journey working through her emotions. Especially her interactions with Nicholas, going out and doing things she never would have done before. Fuston does this aspect of the book so well, bring all kinds of emotions into the story and really fleshing out the characters.

Outside of Victoria, Henry and Nicholas were also really fleshed out. They all bounced off each other and worked well together, bringing even more to the story. Especially the relationship between Victoria and Henry. You can tell there is so much history between them and I loved the way the interacted. They care for each other, even if their flaws sometimes get in the way of that.

All in all, this is a unique, emotional novel that will definitely make you feel all the things. Plus, vampires! They’re making a comeback, and I’m kind of here for it.

I'm not a huge fan of Vampire stories but the cover of this book just seemed like a lot of fun. Vampires. Hearts, & Other Dead Things took me by surprise how much I fell in love with this story. Maggie Fuston knows how to write a good story that will draw you in and keep you entertained throughout the entire book.

This book gets you right in the feels from the beginning and never really lets you go. Victoria and her dad are obsessed with vampires. And, in this world, they might just be real. Years ago, a man named Gerald revealed himself to be a vampire on live television. Victoria’s obsession only grew from there. She gathered data, trawled through the forums and threads, watched all the vampire movies her and her dad could get their hands on. And now her dad is dying; he has only weeks to live and he entreats her to go on their planned trip to New Orleans, to have some fun, for him. Instead, she promises him she’ll find a vampire so he’ll live forever, cancer free.

Victoria is so focused on saving her dad that she forgets how to live for herself, to have fun. Fortunately, in the form of Henry, her next door neighbor and love interest, and Nicholas, a newly discovered maybe vampire in New Orleans, she has a couple people looking out for her best interests. Nicholas promises to think about changing her if Victoria completes a series of challenges, ranging from innocent fun to slightly illegal.

I absolutely love how deep this book gets within the first few pages; how much feeling there is and yet how much Victoria holds it in. She is determined not to cry, because there’s nothing to cry over. They’ll find a miracle treatment, or she’ll find a vampire who will turn her father so he’ll be immortal. She is set on not mourning her father because there’s no point in mourning someone who isn’t going to die. You can feel her emotions just under the surface and see them in her sister, Jessica, and her mother and father as they face the inevitable. Even if Victoria finds a vampire and saves her father, she’s still entitled to mourn the fact that he’s sick; she’s allowed to be upset that he’s a fraction of who he used to be, even in the potential lead up to immortality. And still she holds it in.

I love the use of color and how Victoria describes the colors around her and within her and how they relate to how she feels. As she opens herself up and explores New Orleans, she feels more, both good and bad. Her urge to create art becomes more prevalent, as well. She starts to see the colors in everything, to see the world again, after being so focused on her dad. And then she feels guilty for enjoying herself, no matter that her dad would want her to be happy. She knows on some level that her father is dying and that saving him is nearly impossible. Victoria doesn’t ascribe to the typical vampire lover’s fashion, either. She wears bright clothes, her favorite color being pink, and doesn’t go for the goth look. Her love of vampires is mostly related to her father; it’s their point of connection.

Nicholas’s games were well put together, almost too well put together at times. How many times has he played this game? Is he faking it to lure Victoria into having feelings? Or is he actually a vampire? And even if he is a vampire, will he turn Victoria into one, too? I love that I had these questions almost until the very end of the book and that I still have questions even now. Nothing is a certainty, except Victoria’s strong will to live and her love for her dad and family.

Victoria was led on by Nicholas’s games. She fell for him, at least a little, despite her clear love for Henry. Even as she loved Henry and expressed interest in him, she still ran into Nicholas’s arms. I wish there had been more Henry; most of the time, he and Victoria went their separate ways, with Victoria going off alone into the streets of New Orleans. Their time in New Orleans just flew by, the story jumping from challenge to challenge with little in between. At a little over three hundred pages, I feel this novel could have been a little longer, with more of New Orleans displayed within.

Vampires, Hearts, and Other Dead Things is an interesting take on the vampire genre, one that had me questioning whether or not vampires were real pretty much the entire time. It followed so many of the classic tropes, but casually, offhandedly. Victoria was so sure that vampires existed that she treated their existence as fact and that was a fun perspective, especially when pretty much everyone else told her they weren’t real, that it was a publicity stunt. The existence of vampires is related to mortality and the love of life; what is life if it doesn’t end? Is being immortal worth it when you see all your loved ones die as you live on? Are you even alive? What if you can’t go into churches anymore because you’re a vampire? Overall, it was a fun, emotional take on the classic tropes, adding in a deeper element other vampire novels don’t touch on.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster & Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. I related to Victoria so much when she stopped at nothing to find a way to help her dad. The whole story was so fantastic and it made me miss my dad and just the weird connection we have when it comes to Star Trek. Not vampires though. but close enough. this was such a feel good comfort read that I didn’t know I needed. So thank you.

TW: cancer, death of a parent

This book will definitely have you in tears BUT our main character Victoria? Honestly, I’ve never hated someone so much- she’s was, truly, a super entitled character. I felt bad because I know her dad is dying and all but I was just so annoyed being in her head. She’s in New Orleans tracking vampires and all she can really do is fuck around with a guy who actually loved her and a guy she just met. I know it’s some type of coping but I was just so annoyed about it- I wanted her to cope with finding a vampire and getting her dad WITHOUT the whole love triangle thing.

The setting was gorgeous, the whole book had gorgeous writing and I genuinely enjoyed the boys and the adventures she went on. I just wanted her to stop being such an entitled bitch.

Heartfelt, heartbreaking, and full of more vampire pop culture references than you can shake a stake at. A recommended purchase for YA and HS collections.

What a unique take on the many, many, many vampire books that are out there. The relationships are really what drive this story. Plus, how do you cope with grief when someone is barely hanging on? A sad, yet beautiful story.

First, I’d like to talk about the main character. While Victoria is sometimes reckless and nearly always stubborn, her determination is something I respect. She hurts people close to her, but wouldn’t you do the same if it meant there was a chance you could save your dad? I can’t fault her. Her motivation is strong enough to carry the plot.

I also enjoyed the backstory and development of Victoria’s relationships with her mom, dad, sister, and Henry. This book definitely captures the strain that grief can put on families and friendships, as well as the growth that it can cause. There is a lot of sadness and hope throughout its pages.

Speaking in vague terms, I was very afraid of the end of this book. I knew it would not be an easy one to wrap-up. After finishing though, I think it was actually the perfect conclusion to the story. I am glad I read this one.

Also, this is my favorite book title in a while!

This review will be posted at the links below closer to the release date.

Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things is a poignant YA read that I couldn't put down. Margie Fuston hit the nail on the coffin with her debut novel!

Victoria is a young girl in high school that is trying to keep the hope alive. Her father receives news that he has terminal cancer and Victoria's world is turned upside down. She could so easily spiral but knows she has to put on a brave face for her family and herself. She shares a beautiful bond with her father. They are alike in so many ways including their fun obsession with vampires. This inspires her to go to New Orleans and search for a real vampire so that her dad will be cured. Yes, she is hesitant to leave her father, but his blessing is what pushes her to actually go.

She enlists the help of her estranged best friend, Henry. He knows it's a long shot but he wants to support her. When they land in New Orleans, Victoria is on a mission. She feels like she has studied enough vampire movies/shows to help her in her search. She also remembers watching TV with her dad when a vampire came out and announced himself to the world. That vampire happened to be in New Orleans too so she knows that she can save her dad.

It doesn't take long for Victoria to get a lead and make headway. But Henry doesn't like the danger this is placing them both in. Once they do meet a supposed vampire, Victoria is tasked with proving her love of life before death.

This journey pushes Victoria and Henry to face their past, present, and future. They tackle why their friendship was broken, how to move on, and how to prepare for failure if this 'save her dad' mission doesn't work.

I became so invested in the heart of the story. Victoria's desperation to finding a vampire to save her dad broke my heart but it also gave me hope that she could do it. Henry was the perfect supporting character to ground her and support her when she felt like breaking. Henry's experience with loss also allowed him a different perspective that Victoria could understand. I just loved everything about this book and it surprised me in the best way.

I give Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things 5 stars. This is not just some fun read about hunting down a vampire it is so much more. It's about love, loss, and hope. I think readers will fall in love with these characters and relate to the father-daughter bond. The ending broke me and left me with a few tears streaming down my face. It's well-written and affecting. I am so impressed with Margie Fuston and can't believe this is her debut novel since this story is so put together by a seasoned author vet. I look forward to reading more of Margie's novels because I want them all if they are anything like this one!

I’m not going to lie, I’m a sucker for vampires. I always have been since I was teen. This was an interesting urban fantasy about a girl who goes on a trip to find a real vampire to save her dad. It’s definitely a unique plot!

I could relate to Victoria in a couple ways. The first one is because her and her dad are both obsessed with vampires. I love them and understood all of the references when it came to the movies and books they talked about. I could also relate to her when it comes to wanting to do anything to save a loved one from death. Death is hard. I’ve never had to watch someone wither away as Victoria did when it came to her dad and you can tell her, her sister, and mother all deal with it in different ways. She is very determined which also makes her reckless. Some of the choices she made were pretty selfish and cause ripples but I’m glad she found a way to cope in a weird but interesting way.

Another character that is very present in the book besides Victoria is Henry. He is the estranged friend who lives near her but they had a falling out. If you like friends-to-lovers then you will enjoy what these two have to offer together. It isn’t always easy between them and there are arguments and a bit of a love triangle. I did like reading about them trying to reconnect because it felt real and Henry truly wanted what was best for her even if that meant him not being around. He seriously is a cinnamon roll.

The book does talk a lot about grief but from a different perspective than most as the person hasn’t died. It shows the different ways people handle it and understanding that it is okay to still live even if a loved one is facing uncertainty. Victoria learns a lot about herself on this journey and the setting was fun since it’s in New Orleans. It definitely made me want to go there even more.

I will say that there were a lot of things that I liked and even though the plot was unique for the most part I still didn’t love it. I didn’t fully connect to the story or characters but I did enough to still like it.

Overall, this was good. I do love the cover and the messages that can be found within the book.

Firstly, I would like to say the biggest thank you to Simon and Schuster for agreeing to send me a NetGalley ARC!! It was a book I’d been really excited about and it did not disappoint!!

This book is the first book in quite a while that has pushed me to think about people and situations outside of the fictional world. It made me think about grief, the people I love and my own dad.

I went into this very excited about the vampire pop culture references, I myself am a big vampire film fan and I was impressed with how many Fuston has managed to get in! I’m glad we got to see so many vampire myths and stereotypes, the seductive qualities they are often presented as having and also the cold-hearted killers that they can be too.

The plot is that Victoria’s dad is dying of cancer. They have always shared a love for vampires and in her desperation and refusal to let him go she agrees to go on the trip they’d planned to New Orleans; but instead of a fun week away... she is looking for a real vampire.

Her best friend Henry who she’s been pulling away from convinces her to let him join her and a vampire she believes can help her sends her on a ‘game’ in order to prove she loves life enough to commit to eternity.

Henry and Victoria are such well-written characters! Their flaws are clear as day but you can’t help feeling for them. You can’t help but admire Victoria’s strength and determination but I was also so moved by her desperation. Yes, she made some risky choices, but can you blame her when her dad’s life hangs in the balance. And Henry, yes he often couldn’t decide whether he wanted to help Victoria or not but you could see how much he cared for her and respected her at the same time.

In fact, the level of respect that both Henry and Nicolas showed for Victoria was admirable. They didn’t always get it right, but I’m convinced they had the right intentions towards her.

I cried multiple times while reading this. And after I finished it I cried for about twenty minutes. The last chapter especially made me emotional towards both the characters and my own dad and the people I love.

The way grief is discussed both for people who have died and for the grief that Victoria is feeling about the loss of time with her dad during his illness is heart-wrenching.

I want to thank you Margie Fuston. This was one of my most anticipated reads and has definitely become a favourite of the year.

Vampires, Hearts, and Other Dead Things is such a strong novel, I can hardly believe this is Margie Fuston's debut. I was initially intrigued by the premise of a girl searching for vampires in New Orleans and quickly got sucked in (no pun intended) to a really lovely story about growing up, grief, and what living truly means. Plus vampires and New Orleans! An all-around wonderful book and I can't wait to read what Margie Fuston puts out next.