Transylvania County

by Jenny Howard

Genres: Middle Grade

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 21, 2026

Reviews

[emma]

the cover is giving gravity falls in the best way omg! thank you to netgalley & the publisher for the arc

[Bin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️ A fun and twisty middle grade mystery adventure that leans into the spooky and atmospheric small town vibes. It’s got fall foliage, rain, and a hint of dark academia.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to MacMillan and Roaring Book Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary:

When rising seventh grader Dig Romer is expelled from yet another boarding school, it is decided that he will be relocated to his father's home town of Seven Falls in Transylvania County. After a spooky encounter in the surrounding woods, and a very intense first day with the middle school's new P.E. teacher, Dig begins to suspect something supernatural is happening.

What I Liked:

One of my favorite vampire stories is Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot. It's slow, atmospheric and the plot creeps. This book works all the same magic for middle grade readers. It's eerie, but relatable and Dig is a wonderful protagonist. The dialogue between characters felt real and casual. The adventure felt appropriate and not so implausible that it veered into fantasy. The scares were spooky, but not graphic or unpleasant.

What Could Be Better:

For me, an adult reader, it did feel like the story was missing some detail. Some of the scenes seemed to jump forward without adequate explanation, but I do think that's my age talking. I see middle grade books all the time that break the brain and go past 400-500 pages, but if I'm being honest...I didn't read those when I was young. lol.

Would I Recommend It?

Yes! If you like spooky stories and brave kids solving mysteries, Transylvania County is for you. It was a solid adventure from start to finish and I would absolutely recommend it. It was engaging and had great pacing. Whenever I thought about where I was in the story and how much of the book remained, it seemed to fit.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital copy from the publisher through NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

Dig Romer leaves London in disgrace after being rescued from the roof of a tower he climbed. Having been expelled from schools in France, Germany, and now England, Dig’s father decides that he and Dig will spend a year with his brother Paul’s family in Transylvania County. Dig and his super smart cousin, Elliot, are the same age and his grandfather, Gene, lives nearby.

Transylvania is a rural county replete with tall tales, which Dig’s dad recounts on the trip. Dig absorbs the information with delight! One story claims that Dracula fled Romania and is entombed somewhere in Transylvania County in the United States. Nearing their destination, Professor Romer’s rental car hits a tree. While his dad goes for help, Dig wanders into the woods and glimpses an eight foot Yeti type creature, called a Boojum. Convinced that some of the tall tales are true, Dig plans to investigate some of the others.

Dig’s problems with school follow him. Both he and Elliott become trapped in the school’s bell tower after following a suspicious gym teacher. Uncle Paul, the small town’s only law enforcement officer arrives in time to see Dig rappelling down the side of the building. Dig is grounded but Elliott becomes a willing accomplice to his investigations. Only after, the kidnapping of a child, do the boys realize that even more tall tales may be true!

This high action middle grade novel will find an eager audience. How often do you have a Boojum, and a vampire in the same book? Believable dialogue, sympathetic characters, and nonstop excitement make this book a winner! The terrifying conclusion will hopefully lead to sequels!

Sent from my iPhone

[Matt W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Macmillan and Roaring Brook Press for the ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When Dig Romer is expelled from yet another school, he’s sent to his dad’s small hometown of Seven Falls in Transylvania County, a place that’s as strange as its name suggests. Between eerie woods, a suspiciously intense P.E. teacher, and whispers of something supernatural, Dig’s new life quickly turns mysterious.

I loved the mix of spooky and heartwarming moments. Dig is a likable, curious main character, and the dialogue feels genuine for middle schoolers. The suspense builds nicely without ever being too dark for younger readers.

That said, a few story jumps left me wanting more detail and smoother transitions, though younger readers probably won’t mind.

Overall, Transylvania County is a fun, creepy adventure perfect for kids who love mystery, courage, and just the right amount of chills.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transylvania County is a spooky, hilarious adventure all the way through. Full of found family and big characters, this novel is a great entrance into a world that’s full of monsters and mysteries. Digby Romer is a firecracker of a protagonist. He’s always ready to bend the rules and stand up for what he believes in; he’s the sort of character that you want to believe in, and you want to succeed (even if there’s a little bit of trouble along the way!) His character is played off really nicely with the others in the ragtag group that forms, my favorite of which is Clem, a person with a plan and a pragmatic approach to every single thing (even monsters!) Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and can’t wait to see what the next installment (more monsters, more Dig, more absolutely clueless parents???) brings, and what else is going down in Transylvania County! Many thanks to Roaring Book Press and netgalley for this ARC!

[Cailin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to like about Transylvania County. I loved the authentic characters and small town atmosphere. My favorite scenes were between Digby and Elliot, especially at school; they have a good contrast of personalities that makes for an interesting cousin dynamic. The pacing was strong early on, but the ending felt a bit rushed and unexpectedly comical compared to the more grounded beginning. I also didn't feel like we got much sense of the side characters, especially Digby and Elliot's family, including someone in particular who was introduced early on as a sort of foil for Digby. Overall, the book felt a bit incomplete.

Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Denver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm. This was a middle school level book I was given by NetGalley. I was enjoying it up to a point.

At the end of the day it felt a bit condescending? towards middle schoolers? One character kept saying “cringe” in reference to everything, another character kept saying he didn’t know why he kept getting into trouble, but kept stealing, breaking into things, etc. I just never felt sympathetic to him. I liked some of the other characters better, I felt they were more well rounded.

I also enjoyed the monster aspect but felt like it was added for no good reason. Dracula is already here, why do we need to have another monster? Overall it felt disjointed.

[Cristy (Quinnbook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely my new favorite spooky middle grade I’ve read in a while. I can’t wait for this book to be out so that everyone can have a spooky good time. What can be better than a spooky forest, a very frightening urban legend and making new friendships.

Our protagonist Digby Romer aka Dig, is moving to his father’s hometown called Transylvania County. As they take the long car ride and fast approaching Dig starts to feel uneasy and rightfully so. He’s father is a very intelligent man and has tried teaching everything he knows to Dig. There’s a dark urban legend where a creature roam the woods and not only that but Dracula himself is said to live there too. With the help of his cousin and new found friends they’ll go on an adventure filled with spooks and bravery.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a middle-school mystery that is described as THE X-FILES meets GRAVITY FALLS, a Disney mystery series. Digby Romer is now living with his cousin Elliot in a Dracula-obsessed town where people are disappearing and weird things are happening. Dig, constantly in trouble, tries to help-, especially when his grandad disappears. A willing suspension of disbelief is needed here if you want to enjoy this "out there" story that should appeal to its target audience. Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Roaring Book Press for providing an ARC.

[piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Shawn Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, not too scary book. It's got a couple monsters that I haven't seen before, so glad that it expanded beyond Universal Monsters.

[fanboyriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing style of this was really good, I enjoyed the description of the settings and the development of the main character. Loved the adventure in this book it was such a fun read!

Dig was treated as a “trouble maker” because he was a curious kid. Not to mention that his dad compared him to others like his cousin, which was frustrating but well written. He was such an enjoyable character though.

(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)

📚READ FOR
✓ Good Setting
✓ Middle Grade
✓ Vampire Lore
✓ Good Friendships
✓ Spooky Small Town

POV: Third Person
Spice Level: n/a
Sad Level: 💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): Dig