Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!

This book was so much fun and I basically read the entire book in one sitting. I knew that I was going to enjoy this book because it was marketed for fans of Vampires and Stranger Things (which is one of my absolute favorite TV shows!!!).

Sophie was such an amazing main character and I also really loved Delphine.

Another great thing about this book was Sophie's relationship with her moms. I love the found family trope and I think that it was executed really well in this book!!

Overall, I think that this is an amazing book for young readers and I will definitely try to re-read it again during spooky season!!!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC for review.

The Last Hope In Hopetown by Maria Tureaud is a supernatural middle grade story following 12 year old Sophie, a human adopted by a vampire couple, and Delphine, a vampire who is eternally a 12 year old. Sophie and Delphine live in a world where vampires are out in the open, living with and among humans. Now, some vamps in the world are going rogue and it’s happening in Hopetown. Can Sophie and Delphine save their town before all the vamps go rogue?

This was an average read for me. While I liked the story and thought it was interesting, it just read a little too young for me. I do think a younger audience will enjoy this story, and I know my middle age self is definitely not the target audience. I did really like the cute friendship between Sophie and Delphine, and the relationship between Sophie and her vamp moms. If you’re looking to read a supernatural middle grade book about vampires, The Last Hope In Hopetown might be a good choice. I would recommend this book to a younger audience.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

Humans and vampires have been living side by side in Hopetown for some time, but something is amiss. There are rumors of vampires going rogue, and when human Sophie's mom, a vampire, goes rogue, she and her best bud, Delphine, also a vampire, decide to find out what is happening. Fast paced plot with excellent characterizations. Perfect for all middle grade vampire aficionados.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media!

A totally original and fun take on vampires!

LOVED Tureaud’s debut fantasy packed with thrills, wit, and everything you’d want from a monster book. There were so many layers to peel back in this well built world, which leaves you thinking even after you’ve turned the last page. The foreshadowing, the mystery…it was all so well done.

If there is going to be a sequel, it will be an instant buy from me!

I really really enjoyed this! I love vampires and this was a great take on them. I loved the characters in this book. Both the main ones and the adult characters. The main character's relationship with her moms made me so happy!
I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about this book. I loved everything about it and I plan on recommending it to everyone! Its perfect for the spooky season as well.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sophie never met her birth mother, but has a good life in Hopetown, Pennsylvania with her mothers, Mom and Duke. They are both very ancient vampires, but society has now accepted them and vampires are integrated into society and "walk in the light". Their blood comes from blood banks, but recently some vampires have gone "rogue", causing a concern. Sophie best friend is a 300 year old vampire, Delphine, who was originally from Louisiana and sticks to her old fashioned ways, even though she will be eternally twelve. There's a child protective service that checks on Sophie ever since the problems with rogue vampires started three years ago, and a whole bureau of vampire affairs, which is full of some intrigue. When the problems hit close to home, Sophie starts to investigate. One issue is that the government is routing money to the FBVA (the organization that oversees vampire affairs) and is no longer funding organic blood, instead pushing for a synthetic one produced by SynCorps. Problems with this have been hinted at online by a source called Anon715, and their are rumors that the governer's son, who is a vampire, went rouge but was cured by an antidote that the government is keeping secret. Sophie has another issue in her life; she has a letter from her birth mother, but doesn't want to make her moms feel bad if she wants to connect with her. That's on the back burner for now as Sophie and her family are in danger. She and Delphine manage to get into government labs and find connections to an ancient vampire with connections to troubled vampire history. Will the two girls be able to figure out the problem of vampires "going rogue" and restore balance to their families and communities?
Strengths: This had fantastic vampire world building, incorporating various aspects from popular culture (repel them with garlic, they have lived forever) with new facets like living in harmony with humans, drinking synthetic blood, and the whole going rouge and FBVA issues. There was also a lot of action and adventure, and Sophie and Delphine get to be the ones who uncover a diabolical plot run by an ancient vampire. As tweens usually do. I can see this being popular with fans of Ellen Schrieber's Vampire Kisses series but also Carter's Gallagher Girls books, two perennial favorites.
Weaknesses: The one thing that confused me was why there were so many adopted kids; I guess it makes sense for young vampires like Delphine to have custodians, but wouldn't it be easier if those were older vampires? And if Sophie had human parents? There wouldn't have to be so many home visits. The arrangement makes for a more interesting plot, but didn't seem like a good idea to me.
What I really think: While this was not quite what I was expecting (think more spy adventure with vampires than Twilight), I think I will purchase it to replace Pauley's Sucks to Be Me (2008) which is held together with so much tape that I'm not sure how much longer it will survive. There is a slight resurgence in readers who request vampire books (mainly because their mothers loved Twilight), so I've been trying to buy a few new titles, since most of mine are at least as old as my students!

I absolutely LOVED this book – so much my dyslexic self inhaled it in one day, which I have trouble doing and only the most compelling stories manage it. The plot flows so smoothly and will have every kid reading it whispering "just one more chapter" far too many times on a school night. The worldbuilding is fantastic and I 100% NEED a prequel (series?) about the vampires before they walked into the light and about that massive change – and mostly about the Duke, who is my favourite character in this book full of vivid, tangible characters. I love Sophie and her different relationships to the people (vampires) in her life and what they each bring out in her, and the stability a found family can offer someone who's only every known chaos. The emotional heart of this story is the sort to make your heart sing as it swells with love and pride. A must-read for anyone into an uplifting story of the power of protecting that which is hard to find: family.

This was such a fun middle grade book! I loved the vampires and how they lives amongst humans. I loved the fact that Sophie was adopted by vampires (two vampire moms! So cute! And they were just such great characters. The Duke was prob my fave character in the book because badass Viking-vampire-lawyer?? Yes please!)

I would honestly love to read more in this world. I think it’s such a fun concept and a really great execution.

Twelve-year-old Sophie Dawes loves her adopted moms for their unique and intense personalities and the fact that they—vampires—chose to adopt her—a human. It was not easy for vampires to first come into the light to live among humans, but those who did were able to do so thanks to the open mindedness of their global communities. However, vampires have lately been going rogue unexpectedly, becoming feral versions of themselves who must be removed to a local facility…from which they never return. When rogue behavior finds its way to Sophie’s beloved town of Hopeville, she must put the puzzle pieces together to save those she loves before it is too late.

From the very first moments, this book captivates readers’ attention through excellent writing and characters who are both tangible and memorable. Though the concept of vampires walking among, and even blending in with, humans is within the realm of fantasy, the details of such an occurrence are so thoughtfully executed that this story feels as though it could be real. Sophie recounts the story in the first person, explaining details to the reader as unusual events occur around her, and her voice is dynamic and engaging throughout the book. Readers will easily connect with Sophie as she works to save her adopted family while attempting to decide whether she wants to reconnect with shadows from her past.

This story, while fantastic on its face, settles into very real emotions with each conflict and situation in which its characters find themselves. From the discomfort that stems from being different from others in her community to the fear of being unexpectedly torn from her life due to circumstances beyond her control, Sophie’s plight is familiar within the context of a fictional novel. Readers who enjoyed Zootopia will find similar threads in this story, especially as readers work to solve the mystery alongside Sophie and her best friend Delphine. Thanks to high-quality writing and a compelling premise, this book is one readers will not be able to put down. It is an excellent addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

In Hopetown, vampires are out in the open and part of society, working and living in harmony alongside humans just like our heroine, Sophie Dawes.

Sophie loves her life. She has a wisecracking 300-year-old best friend named Delphine and two vampire moms who’ve created a safe and loving home for Sophie after an early childhood spent in foster care. But when one of Sophie’s moms goes rogue after ingesting tainted, synthetic blood, Sophie and Delphine are in a race against time to save Mama and get to the bottom of what is infecting the vampires and causing them to turn rogue, or Sophie might lose the only real home she’s ever known. Because CPS is watching.

THE LAST HOPE IN HOPETOWN is a high stakes middle grade rollercoaster, packed with pulse-pounding moments that will have young readers on the edge of their seats, while the overarching themes of friendship, family, and what it means to belong will ensure that this heartwarming tale lingers in the reader’s memory long after they turn the final pages. A brilliant debut by author Maria Tureaud!

Thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown For Young Readers, and the Author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so lucky to receive an advanced copy, and ooof it did not disappoint! I loved it, and I can’t wait to share it with the kids in my life! Absolutely love this world Maria has created.

I loved THE LAST HOPE IN HOPETOWN so much I wanted to read it again as soon as I'd finished! A delightful new take on vampire-human relations where they live together peacefully side by side - until a tragic turn disrupts the balance. In this tale of diversity, acceptance and family, 12 yr-old Sophie Dawes and her best friend, who happens to be a 12 -yr old vampire, join forces to get to the truth and save Sophie's parents from nefarious forces in this perfectly paced, nail biting, and fun adventure. The perfect Fall read for anyone looking for a thrilling read with a ton of heart, and a light smattering of blood!

As luck would have it, I got to read a beta version of Hopetown way back in its early stages. And now, thanks to an advanced reader copy provided by Netgalley, I finally have the honor of writing this review—exactly two years later, to the day! By no surprise, I fell in love with this book all over again, just as I did that very first time, only Hopetown has evolved into an even better novel than I remembered.

In a richly drawn world where vampires have integrated into human society, things seem to have settled into a peaceful rhythm. That is, until vampires mysteriously started going rogue. When an outbreak hits close to home, it exposes cracks in the thin layer of trust between humans and vampires, threatening the lives Sophie and her 300-year-old best friend Delphine have so lovingly built with their mixed human/vampire families. Something nefarious is at work to tear down their progressive society. Now it’s up to Sophie and Delphine to find the cause and stop the madness before it’s too late.

Driven fiercely by heart and threaded with action, Hopetown is a resonating tale about acceptance, making hard choices, and the lengths we’d go to save the ones we love. This thrilling page turner with its unique premise and strong found family themes is exactly the kind of book middle-grade me would’ve devoured again and again, just as middle-aged me did.

I received an early release copy of The Last Hope in Hopetown via Netgalley for review. Some spoilers below.

The Last Hope in Hopetown is about Sophie Dawes, a twelve-year-old with a bigger heart than she realizes. Hopetown, PA is a place where humans and vampires live alongside one another. Heck, Sophie’s adoptive moms (Mama and the Duke) are vamps! Same goes for her best friend, Delphine—she’s a 300-year-old vampire trapped in a twelve-year-old’s body. Vampires have been living in the light beside humans for years, and it’s seemingly gone okay until vampires start going “rogue” and attacking people. When one of the vampires Sophie loves dearly goes rogue, she’s determined to do absolutely anything she can to save them and find a way to stop any other vampire from going rogue again.

The heart of Sophie’s story is about family—found family—and friendship with a vampire twist. Very lovable, huggable twist. As a part of family, The Last Hope in Hopetown explores the complexities of foster care and adoption and the uncertain feelings kids can have toward birth parents. This book also shines light on the challenges faced by a minority group who in order to fit in must be perfect in all that they do or risk making a bad name not only for themselves but all of their group. It delves into all of these challenges in ways that are easy for kids to connect.

This was an absolutely lovely book and I cannot wait for the hardcopy I purchased ages ago to arrive so I can get that delightful book smell while I reread it.

THE LAST HOPE IN HOPETOWN is Maria Tureaud's long-awaited debut MG, and is everything I could have possibly hoped for! Vampires have needed a reboot for a long time, and Maria's take feels both classically satisfying and a modern relief. There is so much diversity within the vampire characters, each one with their own stories and personalities and dynamic with the main character, Sophie.

This book is also a social commentary that hits the mark for both older readers and younger, and will feel relatable to every readers.

It is a story about found family, with strong queer rep, complex relationships, and the nature of good/evil.

10/10!