Item - Biting for Blood

Your town has had a number of disappearances, and a deer was found drained of blood. A vampire is on the loose, and you believe you know who it is.

This is a real filler of a book by Packard. On the plus side, it moves reasonably fast, not much time is wasted. Some of the peculiarities of the book are enjoyable, particularly that just about everyone in town seems to believe in vampires, to the point that a newscaster reports on the police hunt for the vampire. There's a strangely humanizing detail about the vampire living with his stepfather.

On the minus side, some of the paths feel like they end just as they got started. There's almost never any sense of peril, and this is really needed for a story like this. The vampire never really seems to be hunting you. Your encounters with him are always your doing.

Still, if you want to see Packard return to vampires, I suppose it might be interesting. But it's no Space Vampire.

More reviews by Jordashebasics

Second of three Edward Packard books in the Choose Your Own Nightmare series, Biting for Blood has a similar feel to the first, Night of the Werewolf: an iconic horror monster wreaking havoc in the local neighborhood. You and your best friends, twins Brian and Jenny Conrad, pensively discuss the recent crisis as our story opens. Missing people and gruesomely slain animals near where you live are causing rumors of a vampire. Police are in full denial mode, but can three kids can do something about the situation? Jenny says her mother is friends with Maria Murton, a Daily Times reporter; maybe Ms. Murton could tell you if the police are holding back information on the case. Alternatively, you could spy on Eliot Sanger, who recently moved in not far from your house. He has deathly pale skin and burning eyes; if he's the vampire, could you prove it? You could check out the library instead, to bone up on vampire lore. One thing's certain: you, Brian, and Jenny don't intend on leaving this mystery to the cops.

Going with Brian and Jenny to their house for an overnight stay ends up putting you in an uncomfortable position. Their parents will be out for the evening, leaving you three alone. A sudden violent pounding at the front door seems a sure sign the vampire has targeted you for its next kill, but should you arm yourselves with garlic and stand your ground, or flee into the woods? Lingering at the house results in a quick ending, but a romp through the woods at night will separate you from Brian and Jenny and perhaps place you in the vampire's path. If you discover his true identity, will you stay mum about it or alert your parents? Making that choice under threat of death is stressful, and your survival ultimately hinges on it.

Maybe you decided to stake out Eliot Sanger's home rather than stay the night with your friends. If you do, you meet Mr. Gravesend, an old man who knows more than he should about the undead. Is he related to the vampire, as he claims? Accepting an invitation into Mr. Gravesend's home is a setup for disaster, thrusting you into the vampire's lair. Refuse Mr. Gravesend, and you'll meet the vampire prowling outside at night when his powers are strongest. Nothing but luck can save the day if you get too close. You might have another run-in with Mr. Gravesend, who won't be as friendly if he thinks you're spying on him, but if you witness the vampire in action at the right moment, your tip to the police could end this ordeal in relatively mess-free fashion.

Are you the type who prefers research over adventure? A library trip yields some general information from Ms. Hallowell, who happens to specialize in vampire studies, but nothing she says helps much if you come face to face with the creature. You meet Maria Murton the newspaper reporter outside Eliot Sanger's house; like you, she's suspicious he is the culprit, and when someone or something yanks her into his house, you'll have to get involved. Don't hesitate long, or there will be no rescuing Ms. Murton, but Sanger's house is a real death trap. A guard dog is the least of your worries, but its presence makes it easier for the vampire to corner you. There's more than one way to stop the undead monster in his tracks and restore some form of peace to your hometown, but you're never more than a blunder away from becoming his latest blood orgy.

Compared to Edward Packard's Night of the Werewolf, Biting for Blood is lacking. The atmosphere really isn't suspenseful and the story options are humdrum, but the biggest strike against it is how readily everyone accepts a real vampire is behind the crime spree. There's almost no skepticism even among police and other adults, and that lack of realism hinders me from feeling invested in the narrative. Edward Packard is capable of being one of the best gamebook authors of all, but Biting for Blood is not an example of this. It's not a bad choice for a quick, casual read near Halloween.

More reviews by KenJenningsJeopardy74