Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

Mel lives in New Whitby, a town founded by vampires.  She isn't a big fan of the Shade, where most of the vampires live.  When Francis, a teen vampire, enrolls in their high school, Mel knows it will cause trouble.

The trouble comes in the way of Cathy, Mel's best friend, and vampire lover.  While most of the girls in their school are enthralled by Francis, he seems to return Cathy's attention.  Mel is determined to save Cathy from Francis--even when she doesn't want to be.

Not only that, but their friend Anna is also upset and wonders about her mother.  Anna's dad ran off with a vampire over the summer break, and it seems to be hitting Anna and her mother hard.  Anna's brought her mother's behavior to Mel's attention and Mel feels she needs to help figure out what's wrong. 

On top of everything else, Mel meets Kit, a human living in Francis' home.  He plans on becoming a vampire when he's 18.  Mel doesn't know what to think of that--she was beginning to like Kit. 

Everything soon comes to a head and Mel and her friends need to figure out what to do. 

Not quite what I was expecting but still a good story.  Definitely not your normal vampire book, and it's about time too!

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Ok ok, this isn't a teen book. I've been branching out.

Although, to be fair, other than the swearing and the violence...and actually because of it...it's still ok.

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter living in the area of a werewolf pack. She's a mechanic who deals with vampires, witches, and the fae...along with those pesky werewolves. So when a new werewolf appears at her shop looking for work, she doesn't turn him away even though she thinks about it. Mac's a pretty good kid but it's apparent he's never been trained by an Alpha on his new abilities.

Then two men appear and try to take Mac with them. Mercy steps in at that point and kills the werewolf--something she shouldn't really be able to do. Before long, the whole werewolf pack is involved, their Alpha is down, and Mercy is up to her neck in all sorts of supernatural trouble.

An involved story with lots of twists and characters. Mercy is a great main character--full of spunk and sarcasm. There is some romance in the story, but not a lot--just overtones. I love books with some paranormal aspect, some romance, and a lot of kicking a**. This book has all three..in spades.

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Pearl is just your average 16-year old vampire...conceited, hungry, and considers humans to be little more than food. She especially likes the guy at the ice cream store--right after he's eaten chocolate mint ice cream. He's her favorite snack.

After indulging herself one night, however, Pearl is attacked and stabbed through the heart. By a unicorn. Her family (also vampires) doesn't believe her, but when she can walk in daylight without burning to a crisp, she starts to wonder if this new power won't be useful. With the king of the vampires coming, Pearl knows her family is expected to provide lots of food. And what better than teenagers from the local high school?

Not only can Pearl walk around during the day...she also develops a conscience. And suddenly the idea of killing a massive amount of people doesn't sit well with her at all. Not to mention the role she must play to make that happen. She has to choose between her family and her new found conscience.

Very interesting twist on the vampire story. Pearl is an interesting character, but there are definitely some flaws. Overall it was a good story...I just lost interest every once in a while. I liked the idea though!

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

Luke has lived his whole life being prepared for something bad to happen. His parents have run through drills and safety measures "just in case" something goes wrong.

The day after Luke has a horrible nightmare in which he meets a creature known as Grue, his dad disappears. Following the clues his dad's left behind, Luke discovers his dad has been kidnapped and it's up to him to save his life.

Luke has been training for such an occurrence most of his life; he just never expected to have to do it alone. And while he gets most of his questions answered about their strange heritage, the mark on his hand, and why electronic devices don't work for him, he's left with just one mission. Find and save his dad. At any cost.

A fascinating read, it does wander at times. Luke is a great narrator, but even he admits he gets sidetracked easily. A lot. There is page after page of action, but the back story is also well-developed. This is a great werewolf novel from a Native American point of view. Highly recommended.

Department 19 by Will Hill

Jamie Carpenter's dad has been labeled a traitor when Jamie was younger. In fact, Jamie saw him shot down right in front of their house by the government, and since then, Jamie's been in trouble.

One night Jamie's attacked by a girl his age who's a vampire. He can't believe it, but when he runs home to find his mother missing and an odd guy waiting for him, he starts to believe. Especially when he's rescued by Frankenstein.

Turns out, all the stories we shrug off as folklore are actually true. Dracula did exist and the men responsible for killing him started a secret government division--Department 19. Jamie's dad was a member, but he sold information about the department to keep Jamie and his mom safe. Now Jamie must learn all he can and fast, despite half the agency thinking him a traitor too. His mother's life depends on it.

While the story is pretty engrossing, it is a little long (over 500 pages). There are moments when it seems everything crawls by, but it picks up again. There are lots of flashbacks to explain how we got where we are today. The only point I found odd was every once in a while, you'd get a random thought from another character, not Jamie. Not usual. This is probably the first in a series too.

Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer

Eighth Grade Bites
Life isn't perfect for Vlad, but things are pretty good. He's got his best friend Henry, who he accidentally bit when they were 8, his aunt Nelly brings blood home from the hospital, and 8th grade could be worse. He misses his parents terribly, and believes he's the only vampire left.

This year brings about changes...especially in his need to eat and control his temper. And Mr. Craig, his favorite teacher, goes missing. Mr. Otis takes his place, and seems to know that Vlad is a vampire. Vlad finds his dad's journal and learns some startling truths--like he's not the only vampire and he's been hidden from the others his entire life. They now might know where he is and are coming to get him. To make him pay for his dad's crime.

A good start to the series. There are enough things left unexplained to lead into the next books. Vlad is a great character, but not the only one.

Ninth Grade Slays
Vlad survived 8th grade and now begins his freshman year of high school. Henry's cousin Joss has come to stay with him and Vlad is happy to have another friend--especially when Henry is busy or when Vlad's getting picked on.

Vlad also gets an opportunity to develop some of his vampire powers, which should come in useful when his life is in danger. Which is sooner than he would have thought, as an old enemy comes back determined to take him out, by any means necessary.

Monster High by Lisi Harrison

Melody and her family move from L.A. to Oregon, mostly due to Melody's asthma. She fits in at school better than she did in Oregon, but finds many of the students to be a bit strange.

Frankie's parents created her--at the ripe age of 15. She's never been outside before they announce they're sending her to school, but she doesn't understand why, if they keep telling her she's perfect, she has to cover up her green skin with makeup and wear ugly clothes.

But Frankie's not the only monster in hiding. Soon she realizes there are other monsters out there, all afraid to show their true colors. Convinced she knows better, she encourages them to step out and reveal their true selves. And causes mass panic.

Definitely a chick lit book. The characters were ok and seemed true to their natures. It's an interesting idea, and there is a sequel out now. Fans of The Clique series will definitely like this. It did remind me of the book Vamped by Lucienne Diver.

Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire by Tim Collins

Nigel is a pretty average English teenage...vampire. His "parents" turned him many years ago, and existence is just not that great. He goes to school, but doesn't fit in. At home, he's the only one who doesn't have super speed or strength.

The Chloe appears--a new student at his school and all of a sudden, life is worth living. She is his reason for being--not that she would ever know. When she does realize he exists, it's mostly because he tells her he's a vampire. Family dynamics aside, Nigel is definitely learning how to be a vampire at the tender age of 100.

Told completely in journal entries, you get what the title promises. Each day is filled with more of the same...Nigel not fitting in and not having a clue. You might put the book down before you get to any of the interesting stuff, which is about 2/3 of the way in. I heard this compared to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I've never read it, so I couldn't say for certain.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica can't believe her life has been turned upside down. Lucius has appeared, claiming not only that he's a vampire, but she's one too, and a princess as well. According to him, the two are suppose to wed, to avoid a full-on vampire war.

Jessica isn't willing to accept any of it. She's happy with her normal life--best friend, math, and of course, the cute neighbor. Lucius doesn't know how to deal with the average American teenager, and wonders if perhaps she isn't worth all of the work he's had to put into convincing her he's telling the truth. By the time her feelings go 180, so do his.

And then there's that pesky war that might or might not happen...

Told primarily from Jessica's point of view, this is a pretty typical vampire romance. What makes it stand out is Jessica's sarcastic and strong personality, along with Lucius' adaptation to American culture. Slowly. I enjoyed it!

Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson

Sophie lives a normal life with her stepsister Caroline, her father, and her stepmother. She writes for the paper and is sure she'll be editor-in-chief when her junior year starts.

But her first assignment is not at all what she imagined it would be. There are 8 new students in school and she's asked to interview 4 of them for the paper--Vlad, Marisol, Violet, and Nevielle. Sophie notices strange behavior from all 4...a couple of them are very old-fashioned, and they look to Vlad as a leader. Thrown into the mix is her old neighbor James--tormentor extraordinaire--who is back in town and seems to know a little too much about Vlad and his group.

Sophie gets a chance to learn more for herself when she follows Vlad into the woods after school one day--more than she ever wanted to know. Now she's on a mission before Vlad bites every girl at school and stop him from finding what he believes is his ticket to acceptance in the vampire world.

Ok, so you basically know what's going to happen as the book begins. Vlad and his clan are all vampires, and they're looking for some girl who descended from a bunch of other vampires. Vlad has an evil plot to take over the vampire world...or just become part of it. Sophie and James obviously have feelings for each other, although things get complicated.

What I really enjoyed about this novel was the characters' abilities to laugh at each other and themselves. There's nothing new here besides humor. It did make all the difference.

Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

Finn (short for Finbar) and his family just moved to New York, and not a minute too soon for Finn. He's looking forward to going to a public school (where there are girls) and getting away from his superstar twin.

Finn has some incidents to get through first. He finds out he's allergic to the sun (after a horrible trip to the beach), he gets mistaken for a vampire on the subway, and he doesn't really know how to talk to girls in the first place. Until he realizes his allergy is the key--he can pretend to be a vampire. He does some research and practices being moody, stormy, and standoffish. But the girl he ends up falling for has no time for vampires...especially pretend ones.

I liked Finn and how the book flows. He tells his story as we jump from present to past, then back again. I don't doubt that the people who do pretend to be vampires (or are convinced they are...) would be a little offended by Finn's perception of what it means to be a vampire, but the story is suppose to be amusing, and it works. Otherwise I'd find it sad that people actually believe vampires exist.

iDrakula by Bekka Black

What would Dracula be like if he lived in today's world instead of in Bram Stoker's imagination?

Well, I still can't tell you. While this book is a retelling of that great classic, you don't spend much time with the Count. This book is told entirely in text, email, and web browsing. Most of the story comes from Mary who talks to Jonathan Harker, her boyfriend, Lily, their friend, and Abraham Van Helsing, a pre-med student.

Renfield, their friend, has been committed to a mental hospital after some bizarre behavior. He had been setting up a business deal with a Count from Romania, so Jonathan is sent to Romania in Renfield's place. There he finds himself cut off from technology and almost a prisoner during the day. He manages to escape but is captured and sent back home to the hospital, as he's contracted a rare blood disease.

Mary, learning some uncomfortable truths, decides to learn all she can about the Count and what could have happened to Jonathan. Lilly is then attacked and everything seems to point back to the Count. On the advice of Renfield, Mary and Van Helsing work together to learn the Count's secret and destroy him to save the lives of Lilly and Jonathan, and soon, their own.

I was a little worried about trying to read iDrakula in its strange format. I found the story moves forward at a much faster pace when told in text or email. When Mary browses through airline tickets and recognizing vampire websites, I had to go back and check each screen print to get all the details. I enjoyed the story a lot more than I thought.

Empire of Night by Justin Somper

This is the 5th book in the Vampirates series. I don't want to say too much about what happens, but once again, we're following Grace and Connor as they deal with the secrets they learned in the last book--The Blood Captain. Each of them has been sent on a mission to help end a situation that is spiraling out of control. They both have issues they need to overcome which may prove impossible as the stakes get higher.

I did enjoy returning to Grace and Connor's lives as the 5th book got started. It ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, which means there will at least be a 6th. There is a lot of action, adventure, pirates, and vampires to satisfy anyone looking for any combination.

Crave by Laura Burns & Melinda Metz

Shay has a rare blood disease that leaves her weak all the time. She can usually have three good days a week where she can make it through school and normal activities. But Shay is tired of being "The Sick Girl".

Then her doctor--and stepfather--says he has a new blood transfusion to try. Shay is shocked with the results. She feels powerful. But the blood wears off quickly, leaving her needing transfusions more often. Along with the new blood come visions of someone named Gabriel, with whom Shay becomes enraptured.

Of course, when she discovers Gabriel is real, she does what she can to save him as her world is completely turned upside down.

But can she trust him?

This is not a typical vampire romance story, although all the elements are there. The reader might realize what Shay is before anyone else reveals the truth (I had my suspicions the whole time). The ending suggests a definite sequel. I enjoyed the story,especially with Shay sharing Gabriel's memories through his blood.

Clockwork Angel, book 1 of Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Tessa Gray crossed the Atlantic to join her brother in England. Instead of her brother Nathaniel, she's met and kidnapped by the Dark Sisters. They torture her into learning how to use her shape-shifting power, using her brother as bait. She learns their plan of preparing her for someone named the Magister, who plans on marrying her.

Before she can save herself, Tessa is rescued by William, a Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters hunt down the Downworlders who harm humans. Tessa is taken to the London Institute where she learns the Downworlders are beings like vampires, demons, and warlocks who thrive on certain humans--her brother being one of those humans. Tessa is determined to find her brother and rescue him, hopefully with the Shadowhunters' help.

As details unravel and the enemy becomes clear, Tessa may be making some hard decisions.

The first in a new trilogy, I couldn't put it down. This is a prequel series to Clare's Mortal Instruments series, which I haven't read yet. The story is well-written, characters fleshed out, and the plot is exciting. Lots of vivid action, setting, and plot to keep anyone happy. It is more in historical fiction, but that shouldn't stop anyone from picking up this great story.

Fat Vampire by Adam Rex

Doug feels a little cheated. He was accidentally turned into a vampire, doomed to spend eternity chubby and unappealing. His first few attempts to convince girls to let him bite them fail miserably, and get a vampire hunting tv show on his tail.

Sejal is an exchange student from India, in America to escape her addiction to the Internet. Doug falls for Sejal hard, but she doesn't share his feelings. He finds a willing (or semi-willing) victim, his best friend falls for Sejal's host sister Cat, and Doug himself starts to think about finding the parent of his little vampire family so he can return to normal. Although he finds being a vampire gives him a few extra quirks...almost like superpowers.

This book had good and bad moments. I did enjoy reading it, but I didn't find all of the characters completely believable. I don't think you're intended to really like Doug, and the description on the inside cover doesn't really describe the book all that well.

Vampire Rising: Alex Van Helsing by Jason Henderson

I believe this is the first book in the Alex Van Helsing series.

Alex has been sent to yet another boarding school after an incident at the last one. As he's walking through the woods one night (yeah, he breaks the rules sometimes), he hears a scream. He finds a dead body and what appears to be a vampire. Not sure how, he stakes her and watches as she turns to dust. Convinced he was hallucinating, he returns to school and what he hopes is his sanity.

No such luck. Alex starts to wonder if the stories about Van Helsing are true. And if there really are vampires, is he destined to fight them? His friends are kidnapped and he knows he has no choice in the matter. He must charge into the lair of the vampires to save his friends.

An interesting premise and story. The story does waiver a little, but the action is solid and pretty believable. No romance here, just vampire hunting and plenty of it!

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

Zoe struggles with her mother's cancer, her father's attitude, and the fact her best friend is moving away. Not to mention the headlines lately--murders are happening and getting closer to her home.

Simon has been alone for centuries, tracking his brother across countries. In all that time, no one has caught his attention. Until Zoe.

Zoe doesn't know what to make of Simon--especially after she realizes he's been following her. But she is still drawn to him and he helps her deal with the pain of her mother's illness and father's indifference. And Zoe resolves to help him stop his brother, no matter the cost.

The story is good but a little rough. It isn't a long story, but you still feel for Zoe and Simon. They are realistic and their pain is genuine. The copy I read also had two short stories, one about Simon years before he meets Zoe, and one about Zoe after she meets Simon.

Wereling by Steve Feasey

What would you do if you woke up one morning and everything you owned was ripped to pieces? That's the dilemma Trey wakes to one morning. Everything he owns is ripped apart and the window is almost pulled completely out of the wall.

Enter Trey's long lost "uncle", Lucien, who says he has all the answers. But answers Trey doesn't want to hear--not at first. Trey is the last known natural-born werewolf. As such, his life is in danger. Before he knows it, Trey is on an adventure of his lifetime, as Lucien's daughter is kidnapped and Trey must learn how to control the beast within, before it destroys everything he's ever known.

The first book in a new series, judging from the ending. There are a few inconsistencies throughout the story, but it doesn't detract from the overall plot. Lots of action, fighting, and background to make the book interesting, as long as you can ignore some of the holes. Hopefully they'll be explained in the next book.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Our 16th president led an extraordinary life, and according to this work of fiction, we only knew the half of it.

At the age of 12, Abe's story begins. From humble beginnings, Abe declared war on vampires when his mother was murdered by one. He spent most of his young life hunting and killing those who used humans as cattle. The Civil War wasn't just about slavery of African Americans--it was about slavery of all Americans...by vampires.

Grahame-Smith weaves vampires into the true story of Abraham Lincoln's life and presidency, focusing on the events in Lincoln's life that truly made him an amazing man..and in my opinion, the best president in history. Even without the vampire killing.