Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Launching the Alex Van Helsing series, Henderson%E2%80%99s debut is a pedestrian mashup of common contemporary genres: action hero meets vampires in an elite boarding school setting. Unlike Hogwarts, Alex%E2%80%99s new school, Glenarvon Academy, is populated primarily with mundane (if wealthy) students; Alex, however, is far from ordinary, being descended from a family of vampire hunters, though his family%E2%80%99s past has been kept secret from him. But Glenarvon isn%E2%80%99t the only premier academy on Lake Geneva: its neighbors include the Scholomance, an equally elite educational facility for vampires. Early and violent encounters with vampires (which Alex has a preternatural ability both to detect and dispatch of) allay his initial skepticism about the supernatural, and soon he%E2%80%99s gearing up to face Icebreaker, a powerful and very famous vampire. Henderson%E2%80%99s prose is serviceable, but the dialogue in particular tends to be corny and trite (%E2%80%9C%E2%80%AF%E2%80%98Joining the family business, are we?%E2%80%99 Icemaker snarled%E2%80%9D). The plot, while action-heavy, is predictable, with plenty left unanswered for future books, making this an accessible but uninspired choice for reluctant readers. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (May)

School Library Journal (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 6-10 Alex Van Helsing always believed he was a normal teen who just happened to possess a legendary last name. All that changes when he begins to experience strange sensations and is involved in the bizarre death of a student at Frayling Prep. His parents decide to send Alex to Switzerland in order to attend Glenarvon Academy near Lake Geneva. Alex's dreams of a new beginning are shattered when he is attacked by a vampire on his second day. He must now face the realization that his instincts about supernaturals have been right all along and that they do indeed exist. Mr. Sangster, Alex's teacher, reveals to him that the Van Helsings have always been an integral part of the Polidorium, a secret organization of vampire-hunters. The Polidorium is in Lake Geneva to find the Scholomance, a vampire stronghold under the leadership of an ancient vampire known as Icemaker. When the vampires take captive two of Alex's friends, the 14-year-old must take action. Henderson references Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to weave a great story line full of action, suspense, and adventure. The satisfying story captivates readers with a modern-day spin of James Bond meets Dracula. It has lots of bite that will have readers thirsting for more. Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

ALA Booklist (Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2010)

Trouble seems to follow Alex Van Helsing wherever he goes. First, the 14-year-old got kicked out of school for fighting. Then, after being transferred to Switzerland's Glenarvon Academy, he slays what appears to be a vampire in the surrounding woods. And he swears none of it has anything to do with his famous vampire-hunter surname. Right. Soon Alex's English teacher reveals that he is part of the Polidorium, a stealth quasi-military vampire-tracking organization with its eye on the Icemaker vampire clan lord who, incidentally, is actually the poet Lord Byron. It all has something to do with the backstory to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Alex's Da Vinci Code style digging for historical clues is the plot's high point. If there's a low point, it's probably the action-movie assault on the Scholomance ("an MIT for vampires"), but even that is invigorated by likable teen heroes with believable interests (one loves vampire lore, the other manga). This first book in the Alex Van Helsing series seriously doesn't suck.

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Alex is a descendant of a great vampire-hunter line. He doesn't believe the stories until vampires start attacking people around his boarding school. Alex must then choose whether to follow the family tradition and save his friends or leave it all behind. Suspension of disbelief is difficult at times, but the combination of occult and hi-tech gadgetry may entice readers.

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This wonderful series opener is a compelling action, fantasy, horror story and tells the Van Helsing family history of hunting evil monsters like vampires and werewolves. Alex is a teenage boy who is sent to a boarding school in Geneva, Switzerland by his father after getting into a severe fight at his local school. Alex soon learns that what he thought was ônot happeningö and ônot realö based on his fatherÆs words, is real. Vampires exist and he is the great-great-great grandson of Van Helsing. He finally understands that the ôstaticö in his head is his ability to sense when evil is near. He befriends two boys at school, Paul and Sid, and they are all soon involved in this strange new world where evil really manifests as monsters that hunt and abuse mortal humans. Their literature teacher, Sangster, has mysterious connections to an order, the Polidori, which secretly protects people from vampires and other creatures. AlexÆs archenemy in this novel is a vampire called The Icemaker, whose background offers a nice surprise by tying into 19th Century literature. This book will engage readers easily and many will not be able to put it down. This excellent book is a must-have purchase for all libraries, especially where horror fiction is hot. Characters and plot are strong and the development of a new twist on the Van Helsing and vampire mythology will make readers eager for the next in the series.ù Karen Sykeny.