The Abused Werewolf RescueGgroup by Catherine Jinks

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Toby wakes up in the hospital after being found in a Dingo pen at the local zoo. His mom and doctors are concerned, but he seems healthy and goes home. Soon strangers come to his door to tell him that he is a werewolf; all of this in modern Australia. Because Catherine Jinks is not Stephanie Meyer, Toby and his mom don't just believe and accept what the mysterious strangers tell them. They do the normal and responsible thing, which is to threaten to call the police and kick the strangers out of there house. As it turns out, that is not the best thing for Toby. Soon he has been kidnapped by bad guys, who like to hold werewolf fights. Toby and a cast of characters come up against the bad guys to disastrous results.


One thing I always like about the Catherine Jinks books is that the parents are never useless. They always play a part in the story. I also like the way that there are crossover characters from The Reformed Vampire Support Group in this book. I loved that book and I ‘m glad to know what’s going on with them. I liked this book, but the story seems to stagnate near the end. We spend so much time in the bad guy’s house it starts to feel like we are really there, and we are never getting out. Maybe that’s what she was going for, because I felt like I could sympathize with Toby. I wanted out too. Some readers may love this story, but it was a little slow for me. I’m not saying not to read it, but be prepared for it to be not as good as The Reformed Vampire Support Group.

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iDrakula by Bekka Black

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The original Dracula story gets a facelift in this modern retelling. The original was told in letters, journal entries, and telegraphs. This retelling uses up to date technology to tell the story. As an added bonus you can download an app that gives you the story in real time as it happens.




This updated version of the story is interesting and fast paced. (I read it in about an hour). I like the re-imagining, with its strong female characters and innovative use of technology. The app is kind of cool, and if you have the technology to make it work you might like to be fed the story in real time. It offers the bonus feature of voice mails from the various characters that you can listen to.



I liked the book, but that said; DON'T read this if you have an assignment to read the real Dracula by Bram Stoker. This story leaves out many characters and events. It is not a Cliffs notes retelling of the story. You will fail the test if the only thing you know about Dracula is iDrakula. I liked the technology, but other novels that use voicemail features allow people to listen to the features online. Making it an app leaves many people out of the tech loop for the bonus features. (Take a look at Kathy's Book for a good example of a book / tech combo.) As a stand-alone title I enjoyed the book. It is not a substitute for the original, but it is fun!

Crave by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

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Shay is the Sick Girl. She can’t do anything that her friends can do. She can barely make it through a whole week of school before she needs another blood transfusion. She was born sick and it continues to get worse. When her stepfather adds something to her transfusion, she starts feeling stronger and more willful. She loves the new transfusions because she is stronger, but also because she starts having visions of Gabriel. She sees his life and she wants more. What is in the new blood transfusions and who is Gabriel? When Shay starts looking for answers she never expects what she finds.


This was a fun read. I knocked it out in one day and I liked it. There is a little romance, some teen angst, and a very interesting take on an old story. Twilight fans will like this book. (It’s better written than Twilight but just as readable.) This first book has set up a squeal that I’m sure we will be seeing soon. I recommend this to anyone who liked Twilight and to anyone who likes supernatural romances. There is some drug use, drinking, and sex so it’s not for everyone, but it’s a good and compelling read that kept me up past my bedtime to get to the end of the story.

Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

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Some vampires are good.

Some Vampires are evil.

Some are faking it to get girls.

Finbar Frame is a twin, but no one would ever mistake him for his athletic and charismatic brother. Finbar never gets the girls, can’t climb the rope in gum class, and is always the object of jokes at school. When his family moves it’s the perfect opportunity for him to start over and reinvent himself. Who will he be: a Goth, a jock, a bloodsucker?

This book is great! It’s funny and exciting and Finbar reads true as a regular teen guy. If you love vampires or are tired of the vampire craze this is the book for you. If you think librarians are sexy and books can be better than most people this book is for you. Filled with humor and sincerity this is the book that “Fat Vampire” by Adam Rex was trying to be. Read this book you won’t be disappointed.

Notes From a Totally Lame Vampire by Tim Collins

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Nigel is a perpetual teen aged loser who happens to be a vampire.  He has no  vampire strength, no ability to hypnotize people with his eyes, and no Robert Pattinson big haired alure.  He lives with his parents (the vampire who turned him) and his little sister (a girl they also turned into a vampire).  Because of the age that he appears to be, he is required to attend school for all eternity.  When a new girl starts at school, Nigel finds true love and sets out to make her his.  

The story is told in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” diary style complete with drawings in the margins.  The story was okay and geared toward guys 12-14.  The presentation, a book in diary style with drawings, made it seem like it was for younger guys.  “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” was a fun book for elementary kids, but the translation to teen fiction is not really there.  I love the idea of a lame vampire who is weak and unattractive, but I thought Catherine Jinks did it better in “The Reformed Vampire Support Group”.  I want to think the unrelenting teen angst in this book is meant to be a spoof of the Wimpy Kid books and the Vampire genre in general, but if it is I missed the joke.  

This book isn’t for me but maybe you loved it.  Send out a comment if I just trashed you favorite book.  Not every book is for every person so I won’t tell you not to read it, but I wish I skipped it.

Fat Vampire by Adam Rex

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Doug is fifteen, fat, and a newly turned vampire.  The book starts with a pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con.  The nerd mecca of all comic conventions.  Doug and his best friend Jay head to the con to find about about the latest comics, stare at the hot trekkie chics, and of course score some blood.  Once they head back to their home town their friendship gets tested as Doug gains better control of his vampire powers and they both have a shot at romance. 

The story goes back and forth between Doug’s story, the story the Vampire Hunters T.V. show, and the story of an Indian foreign exchange student.  I love the book cover, the dialog, and the humor.  What I didn’t love was everything else.  There are several story lines going all at once, but none of the stories are fully developed.  Some of the characters, like Victor and the other vampires are not at all fleshed out.  They are so one demential it’s hard to understand why they do the things they do.  The idea of “The Google” being a psychological disorder is brilliant, but underdeveloped.  It could have been it’s own book but instead it’s a side story without resolution.  I loath the ending.  I understand that not every story can have a Disney ending, but if the end has to be sad there needs to be a reason for the sadness.  I want a reason things had to be this way.  In my mind Doug should get to be a regular, acne covered, slightly chunky comic book geek who learns a valuable lesson then gets the girl.  I’m mad at this book and Adam Rex for writing the ending this way.  

Even though the ending is upsetting and there are too many stories going on all at once, I liked the idea behind everything.  The whole book was not for me, but teen guys might like it.  There is a strong male perspective and the friendship between Jay and Doug reads true to the way guys relate to each other.

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

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"Both medical thriller and science fiction, this fast-paced,
captivating modern vampire story is enriched with biology and history. . .
Entrancing throughout—but squeamish readers beware."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

This book is great from start to finish, and it’s not your mother’s vampire story.  Are you tired of romantic vampires with perfect hair and a diamond glow?  Then this is the book for you.

Cal is a guy who came from Texas to New York City for college.  On his first night he get’s lucky…the only problem is that the girl who kisses him is Parasite Positive or as they are called in the business a PEEP.  Now that he is infected it’s his job to roundup everyone he accidentally infected and help them to stop being blood hungry vampiric creatures. 

The book is told in alternate chapters.  The odd chapters advance the story, while the even chapters give details about various parasites that exist in the world.  This is a funny, slightly gruesome, and always entertaining take on the classic vampire story.  If you like it you can read the sequel: So Yesterday.