the last hope in hopetown
Book Trailers
About the Author
Maria Tureaud hails from the Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast of Ireland. A Developmental Editor of fourteen years, Maria serves on the Revise & Resub (#RevPit on Twitter) Board, an organization dedicated to uplifting the writing community. When she’s not writing books, or sprinkling magic into client manuscripts, you can find her drinking tea in New Jersey with her husband and son, as she dreams of moving home to her beloved County Clare.
About the Book
Stranger Things meets Fake Blood in this charming and spooky debut novel about one girl risking everything to uncover a government conspiracy and save her vampire parents.
Twelve-year-old human Sophie Dawes has a good life in Hopetown where vampires and humans exist in harmony. Sophie and her adoptive vampire moms are living (or nonliving) proof. Vampires must follow a lot of rules to keep humans feeling safe, but Sophie knows that a nightly curfew and regular visits from Child Protective Services are a small price to pay to keep her adoptive family together. But then law-abiding vampires start turning feral and bloodthirsty with no explanation.
After Mama—the sweetest person Sophie knows—goes rogue, she decides to search for a cure. But taking matters into her own hands might be way more dangerous than she thinks. Braving a secret council of vampires, executing epic heists, and facing the true villains head-on with her best friend by her side, Sophie will fight for hope, freedom, and a familial love that’s thicker than blood.
Praise for The Last Hope in Hopetown:
A 2022 SLJ Best Book
“THE LAST HOPE IN HOPETOWN boasts relatable vampiric worldbuilding and fast-paced intrigue wrapped in a warm blanket of belonging, acceptance, and the triumph of empathetic family bonds! Young fantasy readers will enjoy Tureaud’s suspenseful story full of fierce love that saturates every page.” Ash Van Otterloo, author of Cattywampus, and A Touch of Ruckus.
"Tureaud’s action-packed page-turner keeps family and community at the heart of the story, ultimately revealing what makes a true monster."―Booklist
"This energetic, action-filled story is rounded out with an exploration of what makes a family and Sophie’s realistic emotions about being adopted…A suspenseful supernatural story about belonging and inclusion.”―Kirkus
*"Equal parts horror and mystery, this contemporary tale is sure to delight readers who enjoy a bit of a spooky vibe with their conspiracy theories and whodunit adventures."―School Library Journal, starred review
Resources/Teaching Ideas
Story Map Multi-Leveled Lesson Teaching Books original resource
Cultural Representation Reflection Teaching Books original resource
Audio Excerpt Teaching Books
National Geographic Article: How popular culture changed our view of the vampire
Kidskonnect.com Vampire Facts & Worksheets
Commonsense.org Conspiracy Theories Article
Author Interviews:
Social Media