What do you think?
Rate this book
Once Bitten, Twice Dead
Get your spook on with the classic Monster High characters—the ghouls that started it all—while they hit up their old haunts in this all-new, original YA novel starring Draculaura, set in the world of Mattel’s Monster High, and written by author Tiffany Schmidt
When a horrific loss throws Monster High into a state of grave upheaval, Draculaura and the other ghouls find themselves coping in different ways. Cleo and her family sense opportunity in the mayhem, grasping at control and leaving the rest of the ghouls’ loyalties divided.
For her part, the chaos at school is making Draculaura sick. She feels more exhausted by the day, and she finds escape only by slipping away to the cemetery to pore over her mom’s old journals. It’s there that she meets Poe, a handsome human harboring some darkness of his own. Soon Draculaura finds herself caught in an impossible web of lies. If her ghoulfriends find out she’s fallen for a normie, they’ll freak. And if Poe discovers she’s a vampire, his monster-hunting dad may have a stake in the matter.
Meanwhile, dangerous events have begun plaguing the halls of Monster High. The gargoyles stage a mutiny, and the water in the swimming pool boils while Lagoona is swimming laps. When the magical protections around the school borders falter and a group of normies stumble onto campus, Draculaura and the other ghouls know something needs to be done before Monster High becomes Monster Die.
But there’s a secret about Draculaura that no one—not Poe, the other ghouls, or even she—was aware of until a secret tied to the school’s very marrow. When Draculaura and Ghoulia uncover ancient texts that reveal the full implications of her identity, Draculaura is forced to make an impossible choice that will alter her identity forever.
Will her loyalties to Monster High determine all their fates? Or will Draculaura succumb to a dangerous passion that makes her feel more . . . alive than she ever has?
When a horrific loss throws Monster High into a state of grave upheaval, Draculaura and the other ghouls find themselves coping in different ways. Cleo and her family sense opportunity in the mayhem, grasping at control and leaving the rest of the ghouls’ loyalties divided.
For her part, the chaos at school is making Draculaura sick. She feels more exhausted by the day, and she finds escape only by slipping away to the cemetery to pore over her mom’s old journals. It’s there that she meets Poe, a handsome human harboring some darkness of his own. Soon Draculaura finds herself caught in an impossible web of lies. If her ghoulfriends find out she’s fallen for a normie, they’ll freak. And if Poe discovers she’s a vampire, his monster-hunting dad may have a stake in the matter.
Meanwhile, dangerous events have begun plaguing the halls of Monster High. The gargoyles stage a mutiny, and the water in the swimming pool boils while Lagoona is swimming laps. When the magical protections around the school borders falter and a group of normies stumble onto campus, Draculaura and the other ghouls know something needs to be done before Monster High becomes Monster Die.
But there’s a secret about Draculaura that no one—not Poe, the other ghouls, or even she—was aware of until a secret tied to the school’s very marrow. When Draculaura and Ghoulia uncover ancient texts that reveal the full implications of her identity, Draculaura is forced to make an impossible choice that will alter her identity forever.
Will her loyalties to Monster High determine all their fates? Or will Draculaura succumb to a dangerous passion that makes her feel more . . . alive than she ever has?
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2024
86 people are currently reading
804 people want to read
About the author
Tiffany Schmidt
15 books584 followersTiffany Schmidt is the author of acclaimed books for young readers, including the Bookish Boyfriends series, I'm Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas, Once Upon a Crime Family duology and several others.
She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles.
You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com
She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles.
You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 31, 2024
But did we really need to know about the obelisk in deuces pants
July 16, 2024
everyone involved in this book should be put behind bars.
July 17, 2024
was this amazing? no. was it iconic? yes. i cast the curse of the ancient relic of snakestone on anyone who didn’t enjoy this
July 17, 2024
I personally loved it. It was chaotic and weird and fun and captured the feeling of monster high for teenagers like it intended.
I loved all of the character cameos, and Deuce’s character development (especially regarding the snake stone)
I’m looking forward to anymore YA monster high novels
I loved all of the character cameos, and Deuce’s character development (especially regarding the snake stone)
I’m looking forward to anymore YA monster high novels
July 23, 2024
The issue with this book is that for casual readers it would make no sense and sucks at being a YA book, and it’s not good enough to be a monster high book as it trashes the universe and does not feel like monster high at all.
The pacing and arcs of the book feel completely disjointed from eachother and it reads like hastily unplanned written fanfiction you’d find on wattpad.
The characters are absolutely butchered and Draculaura does not feel like her G1 counterpart at all.
There are wayyyy too many plot points that don’t come together in the end so it just feels so messy to read.
The main part of the book is supposed to take place over the course of a month, which means the pacing is also dreadful.
The language in this book overuses the G1 puns so bad that it’s just cringe worthy. Maybe if it was exclusively written in dialogue format it wouldn’t be bad, however, the puns are also used as descriptive terms, and you don’t need to be a literary genius to realise it just completely does not work at all.
The lack of descriptions about the characters and school and lore make it a really unwelcoming read to somebody who may just want to pick up a YA book and read it. It also actively takes away from the reading experience because it would be so wonderful to read about the world and characters from a fresh point of view with lovely descriptive analysis however, there’s none of that.
It’s mildly enjoyable, but a hot mess I fear.
******SPOILERS BELOW******
The relationship between Poe and Draculaura feels really rushed. They start kissing the second time they meet and the relationship could’ve been cute if it wasn’t so hastily developed.
Although fans of G1 have shipped Clawdeen with toralei, their relationship feels more like fan service than anything, and the fact Clawdeen calls toralei “kitten” multiple times throughout the book made me want to vomit. This could’ve been a really good enemies to lovers arc or even a book of its own. However it’s kinda just thrust into the book in an unsatisfying way.
It’s also extremely uncomfortable that the author tries to shove in sexual jokes and innuendos about the characters despite the fact they are minors. She tries to justify this by briefly mentioning Drac is a senior, suggesting that they’re all 18, however, it just feels wrong.
The author also put a sexual joke in a moment that is supposed to be tense, which just completely ruined the mood of the scene.
The pacing and arcs of the book feel completely disjointed from eachother and it reads like hastily unplanned written fanfiction you’d find on wattpad.
The characters are absolutely butchered and Draculaura does not feel like her G1 counterpart at all.
There are wayyyy too many plot points that don’t come together in the end so it just feels so messy to read.
The main part of the book is supposed to take place over the course of a month, which means the pacing is also dreadful.
The language in this book overuses the G1 puns so bad that it’s just cringe worthy. Maybe if it was exclusively written in dialogue format it wouldn’t be bad, however, the puns are also used as descriptive terms, and you don’t need to be a literary genius to realise it just completely does not work at all.
The lack of descriptions about the characters and school and lore make it a really unwelcoming read to somebody who may just want to pick up a YA book and read it. It also actively takes away from the reading experience because it would be so wonderful to read about the world and characters from a fresh point of view with lovely descriptive analysis however, there’s none of that.
It’s mildly enjoyable, but a hot mess I fear.
******SPOILERS BELOW******
The relationship between Poe and Draculaura feels really rushed. They start kissing the second time they meet and the relationship could’ve been cute if it wasn’t so hastily developed.
Although fans of G1 have shipped Clawdeen with toralei, their relationship feels more like fan service than anything, and the fact Clawdeen calls toralei “kitten” multiple times throughout the book made me want to vomit. This could’ve been a really good enemies to lovers arc or even a book of its own. However it’s kinda just thrust into the book in an unsatisfying way.
It’s also extremely uncomfortable that the author tries to shove in sexual jokes and innuendos about the characters despite the fact they are minors. She tries to justify this by briefly mentioning Drac is a senior, suggesting that they’re all 18, however, it just feels wrong.
The author also put a sexual joke in a moment that is supposed to be tense, which just completely ruined the mood of the scene.
September 12, 2024
This felt like fanfiction. It definitely isn’t lore accurate and is impossible to distinguish where exactly in the G1 timeline this book takes place. This story has a lot of unanswered questions and plot holes. Even includes a new love interest (who basically seems like a self-insert) for our girl, Drac.
But, this didn’t stop me from enjoying it. We miss our favorite ghouls and the fangtacular stories, and this gave me a little slice of it. I have a feeling this is going to be turned into a series. Will I be reading the next book? yes.
But, this didn’t stop me from enjoying it. We miss our favorite ghouls and the fangtacular stories, and this gave me a little slice of it. I have a feeling this is going to be turned into a series. Will I be reading the next book? yes.
Want to read
March 25, 2024Adding this my TBR, because I learned on twitter that Lagoona gets boiled alive and dies in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2025
I was super excited for this novel as a longtime monster high fan. I do think it is effective in most of the character interactions, though almost all of the romantic dialogue felt very stiff and awkward, and the descriptions of grief and how it affects your daily life were really well done.
My main issue was that for the majority of the novel, nothing is really happening. The plot is introduced set up and basically answered in the first third but then it stagnates and focuses on Draculara’s relationship. It severely slowed down the pacing and made the whole thing feel more like a really long character study than an actual story. This could be a good thing depending on the person but I personally like a more plot driven story.
I also feel that despite the last third being much more enjoyable it didn’t fully resolve the conflict introduced between the characters at the end.
Based on the descriptions and advertisement I’d been seeing I was expecting this to be gritty and spooky, a thriller mystery. If you are thinking of reading this novel for that be warned that it’s really not. There is barely any focus on that. All the scary gruesome stuff (like lagoona getting boiled from the synopsis) happens off screen and is only mentioned in passing.
Overall this was an entertaining book, it was short and simple, not to mention nostalgic. I think most OG monster high fans would really enjoy this.
Edit: so it’s a year later and I found out that this book essentially functions as a prologue(?) to the comic book series “Monster High: New Scaremester”. Personally I find this annoying since this was advertised as a standalone and nowhere does it indicate that the story would continue. But this also means that a lot of my issues with the characterization and ending could be fixed? Potentially? It also means that you’d be missing out on some context if you start by only reading the comics tho so I’m really not sure what they were thinking with this.
My main issue was that for the majority of the novel, nothing is really happening. The plot is introduced set up and basically answered in the first third but then it stagnates and focuses on Draculara’s relationship. It severely slowed down the pacing and made the whole thing feel more like a really long character study than an actual story. This could be a good thing depending on the person but I personally like a more plot driven story.
I also feel that despite the last third being much more enjoyable it didn’t fully resolve the conflict introduced between the characters at the end.
Based on the descriptions and advertisement I’d been seeing I was expecting this to be gritty and spooky, a thriller mystery. If you are thinking of reading this novel for that be warned that it’s really not. There is barely any focus on that. All the scary gruesome stuff (like lagoona getting boiled from the synopsis) happens off screen and is only mentioned in passing.
Overall this was an entertaining book, it was short and simple, not to mention nostalgic. I think most OG monster high fans would really enjoy this.
Edit: so it’s a year later and I found out that this book essentially functions as a prologue(?) to the comic book series “Monster High: New Scaremester”. Personally I find this annoying since this was advertised as a standalone and nowhere does it indicate that the story would continue. But this also means that a lot of my issues with the characterization and ending could be fixed? Potentially? It also means that you’d be missing out on some context if you start by only reading the comics tho so I’m really not sure what they were thinking with this.
Read
September 28, 2024it has everything monster high is supposed to have but it’s not the monster high i thought i’d be reading about
SPOILERS AHEAD
to clear up misconceptions, lagoona doesn’t die from being boiled alive. she’s deeply injured though 😭
this is set in some weird version of g1 where they reference webisodes like mashionals but van hellscream is a total stranger
g1 monster speak was used differently than it was in the original version and it was jarring to read.
this is set after clawd and draculaura “grew apart”. no explanation beyond that.
lastly to address what everyone’s been hearing about this book. innuendos aren’t uncommon in YA however seeing as this something we all grew up with, it feels very uncomfortable. it’s not something heavily focused on in the book, i would say it’s a few throwaway lines
SPOILERS AHEAD
to clear up misconceptions, lagoona doesn’t die from being boiled alive. she’s deeply injured though 😭
this is set in some weird version of g1 where they reference webisodes like mashionals but van hellscream is a total stranger
g1 monster speak was used differently than it was in the original version and it was jarring to read.
this is set after clawd and draculaura “grew apart”. no explanation beyond that.
lastly to address what everyone’s been hearing about this book. innuendos aren’t uncommon in YA however seeing as this something we all grew up with, it feels very uncomfortable. it’s not something heavily focused on in the book, i would say it’s a few throwaway lines
August 20, 2024
It's giving the same energy as the original monster high books, I love it. This was so fun, my only problem with it is I wish there was more time with the other ghouls and less Poe
September 4, 2024
-the pacing was absolutely terrible in my opinion, I didn't even realize the story took place in a MONTH.
-the romance between poe and draculaura felt like instant love, some of their decisions pissed me off as well. "You don't owe them anything" to "I'm willing to help" to "This is the last time we're seeing each other." From poe felt like whiplash, vastly different emotions all coming right after each other.
-Drac wanting to become human didn't even feel like a choice she made genuinely, her mother's diaries are barely brought up with her sense of being human and just feels like she did it for poe, point blank period.
-The ghoulfriends did not get enough page time, they were there to be ignored by Drac and then eventually team up to save Frankie.
-Save Frankie campaign from freaky fusion part 2
-The major plot of Drac turning human felt all over the place. Despite Ghoulia researching to save her being a vampire, she is doing it all off page and just shows up when it's done. The middle section of the book is just pure romance between poe and Drac where she ultimately decides she wants to become human. Just a giant chunk of romance with no urgency from ghoulia and barely any urgency of the school literally attacking students.
-lagoona is literally boiled and becomes pink, feels like a bit of a g3 diss but 🤷♂️ what do I know. Thought it was weird she was limping practically into the room afterwards but could save Frankie with just fine. She was boiled and burnt, how is she doing this 😭
-Who is the other person on the cover? The entire book I'm waiting for someone described with a half shaven head or straight hair but no. I have half the mind to think it's supposed to be Poe but the way the brush was applied/rendered makes me see a Venus McFlytrap cut but cut short 😭 please tell me I'm not the only one.
-no Rebecca Steam or Rochelle Goyle mention, absolutely devastated
-TOO MANY PUNS. Genuinely half of these puns needed to leave. I've never heard the ghouls say half of them. "Sphinx" and "Of Corpse" made me want to rip my hair out.
-Drac using the puns when speaking to Poe took me out, how is he supposed to know half of the things she's saying 😭 he doesn't think it's weird to say "of corpse"?
-some of the world building feels weird 😭 like the van helsing society but what about van hellscream from the movies, I have to assume this is just strictly webisodes maybe? Or just loosely connected to actual g1, idk even as a g1 fan I'm confused sometimes
-the random sexual innuendos are crazy, I didn't need them 😭 especially deuces obelisk...
Overall, despise this book but it will stay in my Monster High collection.
-the romance between poe and draculaura felt like instant love, some of their decisions pissed me off as well. "You don't owe them anything" to "I'm willing to help" to "This is the last time we're seeing each other." From poe felt like whiplash, vastly different emotions all coming right after each other.
-Drac wanting to become human didn't even feel like a choice she made genuinely, her mother's diaries are barely brought up with her sense of being human and just feels like she did it for poe, point blank period.
-The ghoulfriends did not get enough page time, they were there to be ignored by Drac and then eventually team up to save Frankie.
-Save Frankie campaign from freaky fusion part 2
-The major plot of Drac turning human felt all over the place. Despite Ghoulia researching to save her being a vampire, she is doing it all off page and just shows up when it's done. The middle section of the book is just pure romance between poe and Drac where she ultimately decides she wants to become human. Just a giant chunk of romance with no urgency from ghoulia and barely any urgency of the school literally attacking students.
-lagoona is literally boiled and becomes pink, feels like a bit of a g3 diss but 🤷♂️ what do I know. Thought it was weird she was limping practically into the room afterwards but could save Frankie with just fine. She was boiled and burnt, how is she doing this 😭
-Who is the other person on the cover? The entire book I'm waiting for someone described with a half shaven head or straight hair but no. I have half the mind to think it's supposed to be Poe but the way the brush was applied/rendered makes me see a Venus McFlytrap cut but cut short 😭 please tell me I'm not the only one.
-no Rebecca Steam or Rochelle Goyle mention, absolutely devastated
-TOO MANY PUNS. Genuinely half of these puns needed to leave. I've never heard the ghouls say half of them. "Sphinx" and "Of Corpse" made me want to rip my hair out.
-Drac using the puns when speaking to Poe took me out, how is he supposed to know half of the things she's saying 😭 he doesn't think it's weird to say "of corpse"?
-some of the world building feels weird 😭 like the van helsing society but what about van hellscream from the movies, I have to assume this is just strictly webisodes maybe? Or just loosely connected to actual g1, idk even as a g1 fan I'm confused sometimes
-the random sexual innuendos are crazy, I didn't need them 😭 especially deuces obelisk...
Overall, despise this book but it will stay in my Monster High collection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2024
Los fanfics que escribí a los 12 años tenían más sentido.
dnf
October 12, 2024Dnf.
September 10, 2024
*3.5
Started off pretty good then got a bit bored by the end, otherwise a pretty good read. Kind of fun to jump back into the classic monster high, made me think of the old movies haha.
Glad to see my boy Jackson Jekyll even if he was there mostly as a name drop haha, pretty sure he had like one line... sad. Missed opportunity to have him a bit more involved considering how "normie" focused this book was. Ah well, glad to see him regardless haha
Started off pretty good then got a bit bored by the end, otherwise a pretty good read. Kind of fun to jump back into the classic monster high, made me think of the old movies haha.
Glad to see my boy Jackson Jekyll even if he was there mostly as a name drop haha, pretty sure he had like one line... sad. Missed opportunity to have him a bit more involved considering how "normie" focused this book was. Ah well, glad to see him regardless haha
September 7, 2024
DNF at 80 pages in. The characters felt flat, the dynamics were watered down and I just didn't feel the same platonic connections I did in the show/movies. Grief or no grief. It was difficult for me to get into. And made worse because I personally don't like Toradeen (I prefer Clawdeen with a different ghoul) and felt they didn't have chemistry, the author broke up all of the original couples (so I was left with Toradeen and Poe), the author acted like the mansters didn't interact with the ghouls on a daily basis (dating or no dating you'd still see them around in the og), went back on Cleo's character development from Boo York in a way that made me roll my eyes so hard, and they did Clawd so dirty. To have Clawd not even make an appearance and to give more focus for the Lagoona and Gil's offscreen breakup than Clawd and Lala's off screen breakup (and not even said by Lala or Clawd). Just so Draculaura can be paired with a white boy. Oof, not a good look. At the very least have treated their breakup with more care than a tertiary thought.
I do want to note I enjoy Adult and Junior fiction and typically struggle reading anything YA because I often do not like the narrative choices in that demographic. So it may be more tolerable for someone who does. I took a go at it because I enjoy MH and was curious how this book would approach the characters. And unfortunately it did not approach the characters in a way I found entertaining/particularly interesting.
Giving a 2 star specifically because it has a few ideas I did like, such as the border between the monster and human world causing anxiety for humans who cross it. And the first page with the descriptions of the characters smells (even if, like many of the other physical descriptors, it felt kind of forced in). The smells were well thought out in typical fanfiction fashion.
I do want to note I enjoy Adult and Junior fiction and typically struggle reading anything YA because I often do not like the narrative choices in that demographic. So it may be more tolerable for someone who does. I took a go at it because I enjoy MH and was curious how this book would approach the characters. And unfortunately it did not approach the characters in a way I found entertaining/particularly interesting.
Giving a 2 star specifically because it has a few ideas I did like, such as the border between the monster and human world causing anxiety for humans who cross it. And the first page with the descriptions of the characters smells (even if, like many of the other physical descriptors, it felt kind of forced in). The smells were well thought out in typical fanfiction fashion.
September 24, 2025
i don’t want to know about the 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘬 in deuce’s pants. i just don’t. please. somebody. get the image out of my head. 😖 (AND WHY. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO GIVE IT A NAME.)
warning: i wrote this review while very sleep deprived
okay, so this story wasn’t as horrible as people made it out to be (geez, twitter, please calm down, clawd or lagoona don’t die). im just a little confused what this story was about. grief? falling in love? corrupt power plays? normies vs monsters? choosing to live mortally? saving frankie’s ass for the millionth time? there’s just a lot going on.
my biggest complain was some of the lore, timeline, and slang used was just not consistent with the series. i know, i know, it’s supposed to be a spin-off. it just irked me (and so many other fans) a lot and i do think we would’ve liked the story a lot more had it not even been based on our beloved MH in the first place.
my other complaint is—as cute as some of the scenes between draculaura and poe were (and trust me, some of them were so cute and broke my heart)—all i kept thinking was draculaura and clawd would never break up. i just won’t allow it.
one thing this book did get right was that the MH universe loves centralizing the stories around draculaura (though they got her personality horribly wrong in this—i miss my sweet, bubbly, naive girl).
now for some honorable quotes, some of which made me want to sob and some of which actually made me laugh out loud:
- “Another click. This time it was a tall woman in business attire. ‘I just saw the video. I've seen everyone reacting to the videos. They all seem so certain. I just don't know what to be-lieve, but my husband has joined the neighborhood patrol, and I'm not sure if I should let my kids ride their bikes in my driveway with those... those monsters out there.’ ‘What does she think we're going to do with their bikes?’ asked Lagoona.” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 “𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴”
- “Draculaura bared her fangs at this screen. Ramses was using a whole lot of words to avoid saying her father's name. ‘Just this morning, a gargoyle statue crumbled off the school and fell on a student. Poor’—Ramses glanced down at a sheet of paper—‘Danny Taur is currently in the infirmary with a cracked horn.’ ‘Does he mean Manny?’ asked Lagoona.” 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵
- “Poe leaned back slightly to look at her, his brow creasing as he caressed her cheek. ‘I want to ask the question, but I know you hate it. So, what if I put it this way: Will you tell me if you're not okay?’” 𝘰𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵
- “‘If anything happens to Frankie because of what I wrote in that notebook, I won't be able to forgive myself.’ Poe swallowed and leaned his head against her, his voice desperate against her hair. ‘But if anything happened to you? I couldn't live with myself.’” 𝘪 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰
- “‘Give me the notebook.’ Mr. Beissen looked down at it in confusion, but instead of relaxing, his fingers tightened. ‘This is Poe's.’ ‘Give it to me!’ Draculaura put so much desperate persuasive power in her voice that other Van Hellscream Society members picked up whatever was closest and held it out in her direction.” 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦
- “‘Yes, right. Or, well, you know what I always say about ghouls' night,’ Cleo paused for dramatic effect and added, ‘The party never dies.’ ‘You've literally never said that,’ said Clawdeen.” 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘯: 😐
now for my closing remarks, who edited this and why are there so many spelling and grammar errors and finally, WHY DOES MY GIRL ABBEY BARELY MAKE AN APPEARANCE 😠😠😠
thank you for reading my review. buh-bye.
(edit: just want to add, i wish we got more of a backstory with clawdeen and toralei’s love story. i feel like it could’ve been so cute but instead it felt like it was just thrown in there 🙁)
warning: i wrote this review while very sleep deprived
okay, so this story wasn’t as horrible as people made it out to be (geez, twitter, please calm down, clawd or lagoona don’t die). im just a little confused what this story was about. grief? falling in love? corrupt power plays? normies vs monsters? choosing to live mortally? saving frankie’s ass for the millionth time? there’s just a lot going on.
my biggest complain was some of the lore, timeline, and slang used was just not consistent with the series. i know, i know, it’s supposed to be a spin-off. it just irked me (and so many other fans) a lot and i do think we would’ve liked the story a lot more had it not even been based on our beloved MH in the first place.
my other complaint is—as cute as some of the scenes between draculaura and poe were (and trust me, some of them were so cute and broke my heart)—all i kept thinking was draculaura and clawd would never break up. i just won’t allow it.
one thing this book did get right was that the MH universe loves centralizing the stories around draculaura (though they got her personality horribly wrong in this—i miss my sweet, bubbly, naive girl).
now for some honorable quotes, some of which made me want to sob and some of which actually made me laugh out loud:
- “Another click. This time it was a tall woman in business attire. ‘I just saw the video. I've seen everyone reacting to the videos. They all seem so certain. I just don't know what to be-lieve, but my husband has joined the neighborhood patrol, and I'm not sure if I should let my kids ride their bikes in my driveway with those... those monsters out there.’ ‘What does she think we're going to do with their bikes?’ asked Lagoona.” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 “𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴”
- “Draculaura bared her fangs at this screen. Ramses was using a whole lot of words to avoid saying her father's name. ‘Just this morning, a gargoyle statue crumbled off the school and fell on a student. Poor’—Ramses glanced down at a sheet of paper—‘Danny Taur is currently in the infirmary with a cracked horn.’ ‘Does he mean Manny?’ asked Lagoona.” 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵
- “Poe leaned back slightly to look at her, his brow creasing as he caressed her cheek. ‘I want to ask the question, but I know you hate it. So, what if I put it this way: Will you tell me if you're not okay?’” 𝘰𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵
- “‘If anything happens to Frankie because of what I wrote in that notebook, I won't be able to forgive myself.’ Poe swallowed and leaned his head against her, his voice desperate against her hair. ‘But if anything happened to you? I couldn't live with myself.’” 𝘪 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰
- “‘Give me the notebook.’ Mr. Beissen looked down at it in confusion, but instead of relaxing, his fingers tightened. ‘This is Poe's.’ ‘Give it to me!’ Draculaura put so much desperate persuasive power in her voice that other Van Hellscream Society members picked up whatever was closest and held it out in her direction.” 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦
- “‘Yes, right. Or, well, you know what I always say about ghouls' night,’ Cleo paused for dramatic effect and added, ‘The party never dies.’ ‘You've literally never said that,’ said Clawdeen.” 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘯: 😐
now for my closing remarks, who edited this and why are there so many spelling and grammar errors and finally, WHY DOES MY GIRL ABBEY BARELY MAKE AN APPEARANCE 😠😠😠
thank you for reading my review. buh-bye.
(edit: just want to add, i wish we got more of a backstory with clawdeen and toralei’s love story. i feel like it could’ve been so cute but instead it felt like it was just thrown in there 🙁)
November 4, 2024
I decided to check out this book because I grew up in the early 2000s and loved Monster High as a kid. As an adult, I still love Monster High and was super excited to read this book as Draculaura has always been my favorite character. But as soon as I started reading, I was immediately annoyed by the CONSTANT use of puns. Of course the original series had a lot of puns, but in book form it’s SO much more annoying! An unnecessary pun on every page? I mean this book is for Young Adults, and even I loved the puns in the show, but it’s just a little much to include them in the books so often! Now, to be fair I stopped reading on page 48 because it was becoming unbearable, but that wasn’t my only issue. As soon as the male love interest was introduced, I knew I hated the writing. It was already iffy as I felt like the chapters were written more like a fan fiction than a YA novel, but the dialogue between Draculaura and Poe??? My god. A grown woman wrote this? It’s PAINFUL! That’s the only word I can use to describe this book. No matter how much I love Monster High, this book is terrible and could’ve been so much more.
November 13, 2024
This review is just to help me remember key points about the book. If you find it helpful or relatable that's cool too.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
"A mountain of blood-red flowers leaned against the black fabric someone had draped over the closed door."
As a fan of Monster High this was a quick and fun read that I finished it in one sitting. This story felt like it was well incorporated into the MH universe but I feel like the author could have deviated from the source material more.
It felt like they took the movie Ghouls Rule and made Draculaura the main character. If you're going to talk about somemonsters' stonesnake you could have taken a few more creative liberties without turning into a Riverdale plotline.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
"A mountain of blood-red flowers leaned against the black fabric someone had draped over the closed door."
3.5 Stars ⭐️
As a fan of Monster High this was a quick and fun read that I finished it in one sitting. This story felt like it was well incorporated into the MH universe but I feel like the author could have deviated from the source material more.
It felt like they took the movie Ghouls Rule and made Draculaura the main character. If you're going to talk about somemonsters' stonesnake you could have taken a few more creative liberties without turning into a Riverdale plotline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2025
2.75
was it good ? no. was it interesting? yeah kind of ??
the plot had potential, really. draculaura’s struggles had me hooked as i wanted to see what choices she would make. however … i just hated the love part of this story. it was rushed, so so rushed. the guy called poe was so basic and u never really got a chance to like him. tbh i really hated him, i found him boring. you cant be in a world where the main characters are vampires werewolves and mummies and spect anybody to root for *check notes* a white man.
also, my whole life i saw draculaura as a lesbian so that didn’t help at all.
overall, it would have been a solid 3 stars if the love plot wasn’t as bad as it was.
was it good ? no. was it interesting? yeah kind of ??
the plot had potential, really. draculaura’s struggles had me hooked as i wanted to see what choices she would make. however … i just hated the love part of this story. it was rushed, so so rushed. the guy called poe was so basic and u never really got a chance to like him. tbh i really hated him, i found him boring. you cant be in a world where the main characters are vampires werewolves and mummies and spect anybody to root for *check notes* a white man.
also, my whole life i saw draculaura as a lesbian so that didn’t help at all.
overall, it would have been a solid 3 stars if the love plot wasn’t as bad as it was.
November 5, 2024
2.5 I guess since I cant decide but the dialogue and constant "puns" was a lot ill be honest and this just like, wouldnt ever happen in the MH universe also its a little weird that Draculaura was kind of dating a human boy thats like 37 centuries younger than her I feel like thats slander on my poor girl
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2024
Was it well written? No. Did it feel like a fanfiction at times? Yes. Did I get hooked and couldn’t put the book down? Yes.
Key moments
Jenna Goretega
To All the Boys I've Bled Be Gore
Obelisk
The insane amount of monster words
Key moments
Jenna Goretega
To All the Boys I've Bled Be Gore
Obelisk
The insane amount of monster words
April 23, 2025
not sure how I got here but I did
August 31, 2025
It was amazing coming back to a childhood franchise!
January 19, 2026
there were too many puns. i say this as a g1 die hard.
the random adult joke at the end about deuce’s… obelisk made me want to die a little.
the random adult joke at the end about deuce’s… obelisk made me want to die a little.
December 26, 2024
4 tylko dlatego że uderza ogromna nostalgia, a ja kocham monster high od dziecka. Fabuła to takie 3/5 naciągane XD trochę za bardzo spłycone problemy i za dużo skupionej uwagi na lichym romansie.
January 3, 2025
4 ⭐️ Popsugar Reading Challenge 2024: a Book that came out in a year ending in 24.
I enjoyed this book so much and following Draculaura. I will absolutely be reading as many books of Monster High as possible in the near future.
I enjoyed this book so much and following Draculaura. I will absolutely be reading as many books of Monster High as possible in the near future.
May 5, 2025
takie prawie 4 mało zabrakło wszyscy bohaterowie (oprócz głównej bohaterki niestety) mega dobrze odwzorowani lekko się ją czytało fabuła też fajna ale no te tłumaczenia niestety wyszły jak wyszły a jeśli chodzi o wątek romantyczny to zabrakło mi w nim czegoś
September 22, 2024
Me trajeron a este libro con spoilers engañosos.
A decir verdad me sorprendió demasiado, tratan temas que nunca creí ver o, en este caso, leer en un libro que trata sobre personajes que en mi infancia eran mi todo.
Ciertamente está dirigido a un público ya más adulto, porque entendería muchos porqué de las decisiones que toma Draculaura
Me gustó demasiado, y si lo recomendaría para alguien que tenga la mente abierta a que no va a leer lo mismo que veía en las películas o caricaturas de Monster High de hace unos cuantos pares de años
A decir verdad me sorprendió demasiado, tratan temas que nunca creí ver o, en este caso, leer en un libro que trata sobre personajes que en mi infancia eran mi todo.
Ciertamente está dirigido a un público ya más adulto, porque entendería muchos porqué de las decisiones que toma Draculaura
Me gustó demasiado, y si lo recomendaría para alguien que tenga la mente abierta a que no va a leer lo mismo que veía en las películas o caricaturas de Monster High de hace unos cuantos pares de años
February 3, 2025
3,75/5 ⭐️
Książka może nie jest jakoś wybitnie napisana, gry słów w tłumaczeniu różnie wychodzą i niektóre rzeczy autorka zmieniła, ale historia sama w sobie ciekawa i ma fajny vibe MH, miło było wrócić do tego uniwersum 🥹
Książka może nie jest jakoś wybitnie napisana, gry słów w tłumaczeniu różnie wychodzą i niektóre rzeczy autorka zmieniła, ale historia sama w sobie ciekawa i ma fajny vibe MH, miło było wrócić do tego uniwersum 🥹
November 14, 2025
"She wasn't the same monster she'd been just months ago. Who knew who she'd be a few more months from now.
But with these ghouls by her side, she couldn't wait to figure it out."
3.5🌟 / 5🌟
Cuando una terrible pérdida sumerge a Monster High en un estado de grave agitación, Draculaura y las demás ghouls se enfrentan a la situación de diferentes maneras. Cleo y su familia ven una oportunidad en el caos, se hacen con el control y dividen la lealtad del resto de las ghouls.
Por su parte, el caos en la escuela está enfermando a Draculaura. Se siente cada día más agotada y solo encuentra refugio escapándose al cementerio para leer detenidamente los viejos diarios de su madre. Allí conoce a Poe, un apuesto humano que esconde su propia oscuridad. Pronto, Draculaura se ve atrapada en una imposible red de mentiras. Si sus amigas ghouls descubren que se ha enamorado de un normie, se volverán locas. Y si Poe descubre que ella es una vampiresa, su padre, cazador de monstruos, podría intervenir en el asunto.
Mientras tanto, peligrosos acontecimientos han comenzado a azotar los pasillos de Monster High. Las gárgolas se amotinan y el agua de la piscina hierve mientras Lagoona nada. Cuando las protecciones mágicas que rodean los límites de la escuela fallan y un grupo de humanos normales entra en el campus, Draculaura y las demás ghouls saben que hay que hacer algo antes de que Monster High se convierta en Monster Die.
Pero hay un secreto sobre Draculaura que nadie, ni Poe, ni las otras ghouls, ni siquiera ella misma, conocía hasta ahora: un secreto ligado a la esencia misma de la escuela. Cuando Draculaura y Ghoulia descubren unos textos antiguos que revelan todas las implicaciones de su identidad, Draculaura se ve obligada a tomar una decisión imposible que lo cambiará todo.
Puedo ver porque esta novela (que si es canónica) ha sido controversial para la comunidad de Monster high, ya que hay tantos elementos que a la vez tienen sentido dentro del mundo de Monster High y otros tantos que se sienten extraños (coff, coff, Poe, por ejemplo) peeeero debo admitir que si me entretuvo mucho la novela, tiene grandes momentos e interacciones de personajes, lo malo es que, cómo yo si sigo todo lo relacionado a Monster high a tiempo, hace un año que salió la novela me había spoileado de lo más importante que pasaba y pues eso me arruinó un poco la experiencia con el libro pero recomiendo fervientemente que le den una oportunidad a esta historia, tanto si son muy fans de la franquicia cómo si no, van a pasar un tiempo agradable y divertido jejeje.
But with these ghouls by her side, she couldn't wait to figure it out."
3.5🌟 / 5🌟
Cuando una terrible pérdida sumerge a Monster High en un estado de grave agitación, Draculaura y las demás ghouls se enfrentan a la situación de diferentes maneras. Cleo y su familia ven una oportunidad en el caos, se hacen con el control y dividen la lealtad del resto de las ghouls.
Por su parte, el caos en la escuela está enfermando a Draculaura. Se siente cada día más agotada y solo encuentra refugio escapándose al cementerio para leer detenidamente los viejos diarios de su madre. Allí conoce a Poe, un apuesto humano que esconde su propia oscuridad. Pronto, Draculaura se ve atrapada en una imposible red de mentiras. Si sus amigas ghouls descubren que se ha enamorado de un normie, se volverán locas. Y si Poe descubre que ella es una vampiresa, su padre, cazador de monstruos, podría intervenir en el asunto.
Mientras tanto, peligrosos acontecimientos han comenzado a azotar los pasillos de Monster High. Las gárgolas se amotinan y el agua de la piscina hierve mientras Lagoona nada. Cuando las protecciones mágicas que rodean los límites de la escuela fallan y un grupo de humanos normales entra en el campus, Draculaura y las demás ghouls saben que hay que hacer algo antes de que Monster High se convierta en Monster Die.
Pero hay un secreto sobre Draculaura que nadie, ni Poe, ni las otras ghouls, ni siquiera ella misma, conocía hasta ahora: un secreto ligado a la esencia misma de la escuela. Cuando Draculaura y Ghoulia descubren unos textos antiguos que revelan todas las implicaciones de su identidad, Draculaura se ve obligada a tomar una decisión imposible que lo cambiará todo.
Puedo ver porque esta novela (que si es canónica) ha sido controversial para la comunidad de Monster high, ya que hay tantos elementos que a la vez tienen sentido dentro del mundo de Monster High y otros tantos que se sienten extraños (coff, coff, Poe, por ejemplo) peeeero debo admitir que si me entretuvo mucho la novela, tiene grandes momentos e interacciones de personajes, lo malo es que, cómo yo si sigo todo lo relacionado a Monster high a tiempo, hace un año que salió la novela me había spoileado de lo más importante que pasaba y pues eso me arruinó un poco la experiencia con el libro pero recomiendo fervientemente que le den una oportunidad a esta historia, tanto si son muy fans de la franquicia cómo si no, van a pasar un tiempo agradable y divertido jejeje.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews