Alex Abbott is (un)Dead– at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Vampires, secrets, destruction, friendship, decisions.
Children’s book title: Alex Abbott is (un)Dead: Diary of a Reluctant Vampire (aged 11½).
Children’s author: Louise Austin.
Children’s illustrator: Katie Kear.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Macmillan Children’s Books.
ISBN: 9781035065752.
Recommended for children aged: 8-11.
First published: Paperback April 2026.
This children’s book is ideal for: children who enjoy funny supernatural adventures about secrets, friendship, flawed decisions and trying to put things right.
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Our review:
Alex Abbott is a vampire, not out of choice, and now that he’s one of the undead, he has to live with it!
After an accident at school, Alex discovers his rescuer is actually a vampire, and in order to save him, she had to turn him into one as well! Discovering what he can and can’t do, now that everything has changed, is definitely a shock! Vampires don’t eat, sleep, or age, which means everyday life is now completely different. He also has super speed, strength, and hearing, but only at night.
Alex is quite impulsive, and when his actions end a pact which has kept humans safe for centuries, he knows he has to rectify things. Unfortunately, this means travelling to Sicily with his dad and some of his new acquaintances to try and get things back to normal. Finding out Vulcan, the island’s mighty fire demon, has the power to change his life back to how it used to be, Alex signs a contract which, unbeknownst to him, will have devastating consequences for everyone in his hometown of Draihampton. There is still a chance for Alex to do the right thing, but only if he can get everyone to work together.
Our verdict:
Alex is a flawed main protagonist, and that’s without him being a vampire! The author shows how the consequences of our actions not only affect us but also those around us by having Alex make some dubious decisions, all of which have far-reaching results.
Although his decisions cause problems, Alex is prepared to try and make amends, and by putting him in the supernatural world, everything that happens has a fantastical element to it, including a major plot twist at the end. Discussions could be had about how our decision-making, just as with Alex, very rarely involves only ourselves. Examples of how we can increase our chances of doing the right thing by thinking first or discussing our decisions with others can also be seen in the book and could be compared to real-life examples.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Becoming a vampire was a big surprise for Alex, especially as he could suddenly see supernatural beings and buildings.
- What places in your hometown could be hiding monsters or vampires?
- How difficult would you find it to keep a big secret from your friends?
- If you could pick one superpower, what would it be? Would it be worth giving up chips or ice cream for?
- Do you understand why Alex wanted to take the chance of becoming human again, even if it did make everything worse?
- There are plenty of illustrations in this book, but none of Alex. Why do you think that is?
- How do you imagine he looked once he became a vampire?
- The prospect of losing their home is shocking and upsetting to both supernatural beings and humans living in Draihampton. Did this surprise you?
- There is a big plot twist at the end of this book. Did you see it coming?
Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for the review copy.
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