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

Vampiric Vacation is entertaining second book in middle-grade mystery series that now takes the Sinister-Winterbottom kids to Transylvania Mountains where they get tangled in another mystery.

Writing is fun, and entertaining with same dry humor and rambling style. This can be read as standalone as there is a brief recap of what happened with their parents and how they are on different task and occasional mansion of characters they met in first book but I still advise to read first book before starting this sequel as you get to know characters and understand their personality better.

Like first book, I enjoyed the characters. Sinister-Winterbottoms are same. As I read first book there wasn't something new for me but again I enjoyed their wit and amusing way to describe other characters they met at spa. Wil was even more interesting in this installment. As she is teenager she isn't required to take part in either adult or kids' activity and as usual, she was glued to her Rodrigo (her phone) but she seemed to be doing her own research and how exactly she found the same room at the same time as twins did is a mystery in itself and i think it will be explained more in next book of the series.

Setting of the spa is amazing. It's huge castle-like building in the middle of the forest, near the cliff with a way in through a maze, has many rooms with creepy hallways, high dark ceilings with rafters, changing and moving paintings, missing catacombs, and lots of rules along with suspicious things pointing to vampires sure made it perfectly atmospheric and gothic.

Mystery is better in this book. there is also many surprises that I couldn't see coming. The conclusion related to the Count is a little predictable after some point but everything else is very interesting. While the mystery of the Spa is resolved the main mystery of what happened to Winter-Bottoms' parents and why they are on the task or how they are exactly traveling without any knowledge of details still remains the same and now after that surprising twist in the climax it raises even more question that I'm eager to find out in next books.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC!
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No-brainer recommendation for anyone who into books like this. It’s something that I would enjoy recommending and getting for others to read!

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

This series continues to be fun and adorable. The aesthetics of this series are excellent. Perfect for middles grade readers who like all things spooky.

The Sinister summer rolls on with more twists, laughs, and gothic tropes turned on their heads! The zany mystery in this volume reaches a practical, satisfying conclusion, while also raising more questions in the larger mystery about why the Sinister-Winterbottom children are being sent to these strange locals...and by whom. Readers will tear through this title and eagerly await the sequel.

The Sinister-Winterbottom twins are definitely NOT having their dream vacation. First their aunt dropped them off at Fathoms of Fun, a mysterious gothic waterpark, and now she's leaving them at a spa in the "little Transylvania Mountains." Alexander and Theo can tell this is not a normal spa, so when they and the other children at the spa are sent on a scavenger hunt, they use the opportunity to snoop. They discover that the spa may hold clues to what happened to their parents. When their older sister Wil starts to exhibit vampiric symptoms, the twins know they have to figure out what's really going on at the Sanguine Spa.

If you enjoy middle grade or have a middle grade reader in your life, I'd HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on the Sinister Summer books by Kiersten White! These books are so much fun and I wish they'd existed when I was a kid. Alexander is logical and a little anxious, and Theo is a fidgety ball of energy. I think most kids will find something relatable in one of the twins and most adults will see their younger selves reflected in one of them. I'm definitely an Alexander. This series is so creative and written with such a wry sense of humor! Overall, I'm in love with these books. I can't wait to see what's next for the Sinister-Winterbottom twins!

If you or any middle grade reader you know are looking for something enjoyable to read, then I can’t recommend this series enough.

The Sinister-Winterbottom siblings are such wonderful characters to be following along with the high jinks and situations they’re being put in.

This time around we get to meet a fair few more characters that were all great additions and I’m honestly hoping most of them show up in future books.

If you want a series to spend time with that will make you laugh out loud and keep you guessing as the kids try to solve the mystery, you absolutely must pick these up.

This a cute series that is very reminiscent (maybe too reminiscent) of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

It’s largely the same premise (mysteriously absent parents, same goofy villain inexplicably showing up over and over, snappy humor), which I don’t really mind since it’s a good setup, but this book was missing the more clever plot and sense of atmosphere that the first book in the series had.

Because there’s so much Scooby Doo over the top-ness to the villain (and frankly, most of the adults in general) and the situations the kids find themselves in are fairly repetitive, the series has to lean on humor and atmosphere to feel fresh enough to not get boring. That worked well in the first book, less so here. The jokes are cute but the setting (which should have been an easy slam dunk - Dracula’s Castle!) was underutilized.

The characters were better in the first book as well. The secondary characters here were cleverly drawn nods to Dracula, but were otherwise a bit of a letdown. Though I like the three Sinister-Winterbottom kids for the most part, the rule follower kid is a little tough to take. And while I enjoyed the reimagined Dracula characters, some of the rest were a tough hang. Is there a more obnoxious archetype than the too-loud, yee haw Texan? Sigh.

Not sure I’ll continue this series, though I do think it’s fun and age appropriate for middle readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this arc and in return I am submitting my honest review.
The Sinister-Winterbottom twins are at it again this time at the Sanguine Spa in the Transylvania Mountains. A family vacation spot that separates the parents from their children doesn’t sit well with Theo and Alexander, so they once again find themselves investigating. With new characters Mina, her sister Lucy, and their guardian the Count the twins’ sense something of a vampiric nature may be afoot.
Once again Kiersten White has provided us with a delightfully spooky mystery. This addition to the series has serious Scooby-Doo meets The Addams Family vibes. While Theo and Alexander once again use their distinct strengths to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Spa we are also starting to get more clues about the bigger mystery at play through their sister Wil’s actions. The introduction of new characters Mina and Lucy round out our Scooby gang for this adventure. Both sets of children are fiercely loyal to their family lines and will do whatever it takes to keep others from destroying that linage. Overall another wonderful installment in the Sinister Summer Series.

This was another lovely installment in this series. The characters as well as the plot are fun and quirky, and I enjoyed how everything and everyone developed from the first book. I cannot wait to read the next one!

This is a great second book in the Sinister Summer series. I really enjoyed being back with Theo and Alexander as they navigated their next adventure at the spa.

I think these books are so fun for people of all ages. I know they are geared towards middle grades, but I still thoroughly enjoy them as a grown adult.

The characters and settings are very quirky and fun. I also really enjoy the author’s sense of humor sprinkled throughout.

I would highly recommend this whole series to any children who like mysteries. I did enjoy the first one a little more than this one, but still think this was a great addition to the series. Looking forward to the next.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

A solid follow up to the first Sinister-Winterbottom book, Wretched Waterpark (by the way, I like the alliteration in the titles). For kids who enjoy mysteries with just a bit of spooky thriller added in, this is fantastic. The Sinister-Winterbottom siblings have been dropped off at spa by their strange aunt, but things are not quite what they seem. Will they be able to solve the mystery in time?

For fans of Series of Unfortunate Events, with a more genuine and fun vibe, in my humble opinion. Enough of a mystery to keep readers on their toes.

I am so glad I decided to give this series a try, despite having hated two books by this author before, because this is now one of my all times favourites. I can’t wait to buy myself some physical copies, so that I can take pictures and annoy everyone on Instagram with it.
If you know me, you’ll know I typically am not the biggest fan of vampires, so I was worried. However, when the vampiric situation is presented as it was presented in this book, I kinda love it. In a way, it reminded me of Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco, if it were a middle grade and it were mixed with a dash of Scooby-Doo and a pinch of The Addams Family. Which is basically a perfect recipe for success, as far as I am concerned.
The atmosphere was great, and I loved how it kept the same vibe of the first book, but translated to a vampiric spa. It was really exciting to read and I would pay good money to take a vacation at the Sanguine Spa right at this moment. Possibly without the Count, though.
The plot and the “mystery” were very well constructed, and I think kids will have a lot of fun trying to figure out what is going on at the spa. I know I had a lot of fun reading this book and I am old enough not to be fooled by the red herrings.
As with the first instalment, I adored the characters, both the ones we already knew and the new ones. Theo and Alexander are quickly becoming my children and I would protect them with my life, but I also really enjoy Wil and I am really curious to see their development in the next book. I really hope the publisher will grant me and e-ARC of book three as well, because there’s no way I’ll be able to wait until January to read Camp Creepy.
I am also very curious to see if we will meet some of the secondary characters again in future books. As of now, there are only three books listed on Goodreads, but I really do hope the author is planning on writing more, because I cannot stand the idea of having to let go of this series so soon, since the first two books came out this year and the thrid one is coming out at the beginning of the next. Three books in around six months, I love the quickness so I do not have to wait, but at the same time, if book three is the last one, it’s going to be over to quickly. Please, miss White, keep writing the Sinister Summer Series, pretty please!
As far as the writing is concerned, I am really falling in love with Kiersten White’s style. I am not the biggest fan of her YA and adult style, but this middle grade vibe she has going on is really for me and I think she does it really well. I am very curious to read Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales to see if it’s her general middle grade style, or if she is writing this specific series in this specific style. One way or the other, I love it and I think it suits the characters, the story and especially the atmosphere really well.
I would definitely recommend this series to anyone, children and adults alike. If you like spooky books that aren’t actually scary, but are really fun, this is perfect. And don’t be fooled by the “Summer” in the title. While it is true that the books take place during the summer, I consider them perfect Halloween reads. So go ahead and buy yourself a copy, so that you can cozy up on the 31st and read this amazing series.

"Vampiric Vacation" is a solid follow up to "Wretched Waterpark." Kiersten White's Sinister Summer Series continues to fill the void left behind for many A Series of Unfortunate Events readers and fans of Edward Gorey.

The Sinister-Winterbottoms are back, and more unsettled than ever!
In this followup to Wretched Waterpark we a few more pieces of the puzzle and some great sibling moments between the twins, but overall I felt that this particular mystery was a little less fleshed out than the first. By the end there were more questions than answers, which is great for an book that's part of an ongoing series but didn't feel wholly satisfying on its own, which is important two. Also, while we did get more of her this time, I still want to spend more time with Will, the older sister. Overall I will definitely recommend this for readers who enjoyed ASoUE, but I don't feel that the mystery is quite as intriguing here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Kiersten White for the opportunity to read Vampiric Vacation in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Sinister Summer series, a series with Unfortunate Event vibes, but more wholesome and enjoyable. Vampiric Vacation did not hit quite the same as the first book, Wretched Waterpark, but it was still enjoyable and adds to the Sinister-Winterbottom family mystery. Will they find their parents? What are the strange clues their aunt keeps egging them to seek? While the mystery and side characters seem to lack the flare of those in Wretched Waterpark, I have a feeling this is doing what many second books in a series do: setting up for something amazing and interesting to focus on in he next book. It just needs that extra backbone to support it.

The Sinister-Winterbottom's find themselves being dropped off at a castle spa, or "caspatle," as the kids cleverly name is, by their aunt, leaving them with yet another ominous task: look closer! They observe a whole slew of families arriving at the caspatle, assigning various names or nicknames to the parents and families. Greeted by a receptionist who screams randomly often, seemingly for no reason, the children soon find themselves split from their parents for spa activities, similar to how a family camp would work. Mina is apparently not only a receptionist, but seems to cover all the jobs of the spa, under the direction of the Count. Hmm...

The secrets within the caspatle lead the children to think they might just be dealing with...a vampire spa! As they search for clues and follow their aunt's advise to "look closer," they end up finding something even more mysterious! What secrets might the spa hold regarding the Sinister-Winterbottom family?

A very cute, fun read for a middle grade audience. This is an excellent series and I absolutely love the setup with the Sinister-Winderbottom family. The three main children are excellent characters, and they are relatable to a contemporary audience while holding on to a fun paranormal feeling in their story. A strongly-recommended creepy fun series in which I can't wait for more (and I really hope it doesn't end at book three: Camp Creepy)!!

I am glad I have the next Sinister-Winterbottom saga to read as each book ends with a cliffhanger. Kiersten White does a great job of depicting children and teenagers in dangerous and mysterious situations. The locations are especially fun and suitably spooky for young readers.

I received an electronic ARC fr0m Random House Children's through NetGalley.
This sequel does not disappoint. The Sinister-Winterbottom children arrive at a rather interesting castle for a week at a spa. Unfortunately, this spa doesn't quite meet expectations, and Theo and Alexander work together to figure out what is happening. Their sister, Wil, still spends most of her time on her phone but White reveals more of what she is doing. I appreciate that White offers more insights into all three children through their actions, thoughts, and interactions with others. This book offers enough creepiness and dry humor to appeal to a wide variety of middle grade readers. The cover alone hints at the mysteries to come. White drops clues throughout and the ending sets up the next book to come. Looking forward to their time at the creepy camp.

I enjoyed Wretched Waterpark, and if you did too, you can expect more of the same in this one. Still strong Lemony Snicket vibes, with some very precocious pre-teens and their teen sister who have been inexplicably left with a weird aunt for the summer while there parents are away somewhere mysterious. In this one, they head to the Sanguine Spa in the little Transylvanian mountains, and you can probably guess the theme - vampires! I really liked the very clear references to Dracula (the apparent villain is known as the count, a main character is named Mina, etc.). I definitely think this would have freaked me out a bit if I had read it as an actual tween, though I am easily terrified so I'm probably not a good gauge. Sometimes the writing was just a little too quippy and clever for me, but to be honest, I'll probably continue reading this series because it's a nice change from my usual reading fare.