Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation by Ashleigh Barton

Title: Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation

Author: Ashleigh Barton

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: UQP

Published: 3^rd October 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages:300

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: You’ll never believe where SOLOMON MACARONI is heading…

The world’s friendliest vegetarian vampire and his six mischievous cousins are going to Paris with Uncle Dracula. They can’t wait for the fine food, fabulous fashion and fang-dangled art. But Uncle Dracula is not himself. When the kids see the Mona Lisa, they get an idea to cheer him up… and it’s their naughtiest one yet.

With the help of an overly friendly hotel manager, they hatch a ridiculous plan to steal the famous painting. Before they know it, they’ve accidentally unleashed mayhem, with music-hating skeletons and grudge-holding gargoyles roaming the streets.

Can Solomon and his favourite cousin Lucy restore order to Paris before evil reigns forever?

~*~

Solomon Macaroni is back – and this time, he’s off with his prankster cousins and Uncle Dracula to Paris. He’s still got 99 years with them whilst his parents are off on their century-long cruise, and at 553 years old, Solomon has really only just got used to being with them. They’re still up to all their pranks, and Solomon is determined to get them back – even though Lucy, the one he is closest to, disapproves vehemently. And Uncle Dracula seems to be different…and he’s announced that they are heading to Paris for a holiday.

Fantastic, right? Fashion, food, history, art, literature – there’s sure to be something for Solomon and each of his six cousins. Things change when they see the Mona Lisa – and Bruno, Thyme, Claudette, Maude and Elvis get the fang-brained idea to steal the Mona Lisa – but of course, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. You should never trust someone who gives you a magical tool and everything you could possibly want to eat and the best of everything, because people like Madame Bon-Bon are too good to be true. What could go wrong when young vampires steal one of the most valuable paintings in the world?

Well, everything! The cousins and Solomon unwittingly release old magic that changes Paris, and drives the humans out. Supernatural beings come to life, fairies start to take over and Uncle Dracula goes through some drastic changes. As mayhem, music-hating skeletons, and gargoyles with grudges ensues across Paris, and the vampires start to return to what they’re known for – sunlight sensitivity, garlic allergies, and wanting raw meat or blood, it is up to Lucy and Solomon to find a way to destroy magic and return Paris to what it is meant to be, where everyone is accepted.

I bought this last year, and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get back to Solomon and his adventures. In the year he has been with his uncle and cousins, Bruno, Thyme, Claudette, Maude and Elvis – the cheeky, prankster ones – appear to have rubbed off a bit on him, much to Lucy’s chagrin at times, though Solomon has a wonderful conscience that means he is always eager to fix the mistakes he makes, and this is what makes him so endearing. He’s a gentle vampiric soul who’d rather read and eat tofu bolognaise, and hates scaring people. Of course, in this series, there always seem to be people who want to bring Old Magic back, so our rather reluctant hero finds himself caught up in bigger adventures he ever thought he would have. I have to say, until Solomon came along, I’d stepped away from vampire stories for a while. I always felt that they could be a bit same-same, the typical bloodsuckers that were evil or turned into something that didn’t make sense. Solomon is a new take on vampires, where they live for a long time, but they can still die, and they’re generally good (unless they enjoy pranks).

Taking Solomon to Paris brings something new to the series – it shows that magic lurks everywhere, and when not used properly, it can destroy, or nearly destroy an entire city. It also reflects on discrimination when the humans are driven from Paris and a nefarious fairy tries to turn Paris into a haven for magic and fairies only. It’s reminiscent of various attempts throughout history to create so-called ‘havens’ for certain groups, destroy others and create division. A lot of this is still going on throughout the world today, and stories like this remind us how it can happen and what could happen if it continues. Whilst in a children’s book it can be handled differently and might not be as intense in some stories as others, it still reflects the world we live in and can open up discussions about what is going on in the world. Particularly when what we read in some way reflects what is going on, and in some ways, using it in a fantasy or make-believe way can make starting those conversations easier if people aren’t ready to read the books that reflect the actual situation. I think this can help children come to terms with the tragedies of the world, because literature helps us all cope with the world. And Solomon is the kind of vampire I reckon anyone would want to become friends with and hang out with. I love this series and I hope there are more Solomon books to come, because I think he can have some very interesting adventures with his cousins!