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Today I’m featuring A BITE ABOVE THE REST by Christine Virnig, a fun middle grade supernatural read set in a town that celebrates Halloween year-round.
Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out the author’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about her!
Published by Aladdin on August 6, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Fantasy
Pages: 320
Source: Edelweiss
My rating: 
A boy moves to a Halloween-themed town only to realize there may be more to the tourist trap than meets the eye in this fast-paced romp of a middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library !
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 er .
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?
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Imagine moving to a town where people dress in Halloween costumes all year long. It might be a dream for some people, but for Caleb, it’s super annoying. And then, when he starts to suspect some of the supernatural beings in his town might actually be real, it becomes downright creepy! Caleb makes it his mission to expose the truth and convince his mom to get the heck out of Samhain before it’s too late.
This book is super entertaining. Caleb’s disdain for Halloween costumes means he goes through a slew of simple punny costumes that kids will get a kick out of, and the mystery of just which characters might be actual monsters will keep them guessing. The book includes supernatural creature lore that goes beyond the obvious basics, which adds some interesting twists to Caleb’s investigations. Plus, the friendship that forms between Caleb and his new ally Tai is really wonderful and the fact that Caleb is missing his father who recently passed away feels poignant and important without ever completely taking center stage. Even though the story is definitely resolved, the ending introduces a twist with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I hope that means this is the start to a series!! I’m eager to find out what happens next!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
About the Author
Author Links:
Christine Virnig’s Top Ten Addictions
- Blankets
There are huge, fluffy blankets scattered all over my house. Perfect for snuggling under any time I’m reading or writing or watching TV.- Coffee
Sure, I love the occasional vanilla latte, but 99.9% of the time I’m drinking it nice and black.- Volleyball
I played volleyball (badly) when I was younger, I coached volleyball (badly) when my kids were younger, and now I just watch a ton of it.- The treadmill desk my husband made me
I love that it allows me to be productive in two ways at once—writing and exercising!- Candy
Oh my, am I ever addicted to candy. Sugary candies, chocolatey candies, it doesn’t matter… so long as they aren’t gummies!- Comfy clothes
If I could wear athletic pants to work, I’d never wear anything else.- Traveling
I love traveling out west, traveling overseas, camping, visiting Disney. If I don’t have at least one trip on my calendar at all times (even if it’s a whole year away), I’m going to put one there.- Exclamation points!
(And em dashes. And ellipses…)- Reading Middle Grade books
I have the hardest time getting into books written for adults or teens; middle grade is my happy place. I suspect this is because my brain has yet to figure out that I’m no longer ten myself.- Being at home
This may seem weird given my “addiction” to traveling, but if I’m not on vacation, I’m usually happiest at home. As a hopelessly awkward introvert, home is where I feel the most comfortable.
I can relate to so many of these… blankets, candy, traveling, exclamation points(!!!), reading MG and being at home are all things I could easily list on my own addictions list!
What are some of your favorite supernatural reads? I want to know!
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