Cirque du Freak #1 Living Nightmare, By Darren Shan

Shan, D. (2004). Cirque Du Freak #1: A Living Nightmare: Book 1 in the Saga of Darren Shan Vol. 1. New York, New York: Little, Brown Young Readers.


In the tradition of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine, this is another Vampire adventure that can appeal to both boys and girls. More gruesome and bizarre then a vampire love story, this saga is lined with the freakish nature of a circus sideshow and the loyalty of friendship and identity. The series’ main character (named after the author), after sneaking into a freak-show, becomes fascinated with a sideshow vampire’s spider and tries to steal it. Though successful at first, it becomes clear that Shan has made a terrible mistake that lands him in a position that may cost him his mortality. And it may just land him in an eternity-long place he could never imagine, with a clan of vampires.


J.K Rowling has been vocal in her approval of the series and those with a taste for the weird, macabre, and bloodthirsty will likely devour the paperbacks like a Vampaneze: until it is all gone.

The flyer from Cirque du Freak as drawn in a Manga Interpretation:

Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Ninth Grade slays, By Heather Brewer

Brewer, H. (2009). The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Ninth Grade Slays. New York, New York: Speak, A Imprint of The Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Now a freshman in high school, the Chronicles of Vlad continue. Brewer offers a quirky way into the mind of this half vampire teen-who still keeps his true identity in hiding save two people who help him get along-who is faced with not only learning to control and improve his powers but also how to control (or just survive) the ninth grade. He deals with the kiss he missed, the hunter who after him, and a Vampire 101 trip to Siberia with his uncle to hone his powers. Brewer’s witty and accurate portrayal of the “sucky” parts of being a teen intertwined with the fantastic fantasy of vampirism created a literary world for Vlad that is finally a book that both boys and girls can enjoy the life out of. Both vulnerable and funny, The Chronicles of Vlad is a fantastic antidote if you are looking for a vampire novel that doesn’t plea to be Twilight. It is no wonder why Brewer has collected quite a dedicated following. The Third installment, Tenth Grade Bleeds is due in July of 2009.

Coming SOON:

Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Eight Grade Bites, By Heather Brewer

Brewer, H. (2007). The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites. New York, New York: Speak, A Imprint of The Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Meet Vladimir, or as everyone calls him, Vlad. In the eighth grade, the chronicles begin here: Vlad is a year away from high school and already in a state of confusion. He is a half vampire who lost his parents three years ago to an accident. His father was a vampire and his mother was not. Vlad is nowhere near normal. He manages to make it through the day by stashing a bags of blood bank blood in his backpack and slathering the suntan lotion on. His teenage angst is doubled between bullies at school and the fact that other vampires aren’t really partial to him either.

Readers are in for treat, but they should be ready for the Brewer to color outside the traditional vampire lines. The book is consistently funny and a good choice for both disinclined readers and vampire fans combined.

Breaking Dawn, By Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, S. (2008). Breaking Dawn (1st ed.). New York, New York: Little, Brown.

At last the immortal fate of Bella comes to a head with Breaking Dawn. Bella weds her true love, the Vampire Edward. They set off on a life together in hopes of happily ever after. Mrs. Bella has her immortal plan but Mr. Edward does not want to willingly sacrifice her mortality. As they embark on their future, a danger beyond conception threatens to destroy everything they’ve finally acquired.

Meyer steps outside her conventional writing style with Breaking Dawn. Not for the faint of heart, Breaking Dawn will break the top off of the subtle nature of the first three books in the saga. Some violence and mild sexual nature takes place but as with self-proclaimed fan-pires, they can handle it!

The Girl’s Guide to Vampires, By Barb Karg

Karg, B. (2009). The Girl’s Guide to Vampires: All You Need To Know About the Orginal Bad Boys (1st ed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: Adams Media.


This is vampire in the “non-fiction” if such a thing existed. Barb Karg author of an extended list of “Everything” titles. She even penned the adult version of The Everything Vampire Book for adult audiences. (The adult version doesn’t differ much in anything but length and input from three other authors. Its intellectual value is about the same level for both.)
In this funny, togue-in-check nod to dating a vampire, Ms. Karg also puts forth a well-versed literary list of Vampires, as well as films and histories, such as Vlad the Impaler. It is a fun read and doesn’t try to hard to be something it’s not. Karg effortlessly glides between history and humor while validating the genre as an entity of its own. In the end the book is surprisingly more interesting then it lets on.

"The good news is: He’s tall, dark, and handsome.
The bad news is: He’s a bloodsucking creature of the night. Not to mention arrogant, predatory, and immortal."

Bloodsucking Fiends, By Christopher Moore

LOVE BITES!

No seriously, it really does bite.

Bloodsucking Fiends By Christopher Moore

Attention! I am about to review a title that is one of my favorite romps of all time. It's funny as hell, and no it's not YA, but if you can stomach a little crass, tongue in cheek dig in because this the red velvet cake of satirical vampire rants.

Jody, is in her mid 20's with a series of bad relationships under her belt when she hits satan's lottery and is turned into a newborn gorgeous vampire. The vamp who made her leaves a fat bundle of cash with her and with that she sets off into her new life. Or un-life in this case. But she needs someone who can do her bidding in the daylight. Enter C. Thomas Flood. No, you are not reading it wrong. It's hysterical. And as accurate a literary name as you could get for this young boy who left Incontinence, Indiana to come to San Francisco to be the next Jack Kerouac (personally, with a name like that he might one to stick to dollar a page erotica, but at any rate...) While working a night job at a supermarket, Jody vamps her way into his life, and turns it upside down and inside out.

From turkey bowling in the supermarket, to raunchy un-dead love-making; From failed date-o-holic to rockin' hot vamp, Bloodsucking Fiends is a ride that will have you flying through the pages at a preternatural pace!

Warning: Terribly lewd & Hysterically bad launguage ensues; References to drugs and the drinking of blood follows; Undead & living, outright sexual gambols prickle their way through the book. SO don't say I didn't warn you...

Now, if you can handle THAT, which I believe you can (because you are smart enough to read into the implications of Moore's insanely funny, bizarre, & sometimes freaky style), then you will be in for a big treat. Bloodsucking Fiends is and always will be one of my favorite books ever.

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Quote from Bloodsucking Fiends,

"This is horrible."
"What is it?" Tommy insisted.
"I just realized-I'm always going to be a pudgette. I have jeans I'll never get into. I am always going to need to loose five pounds."
"So what, every woman I've ever known thought she needed to loose five pounds."
"But they have a chance, they have hope. I'm doomed."
"You could go on a liquid diet," Tommy said.
"Very funny." She pinched her hip to confirm her observations. "Five pounds. If only he'd waited another week to attack. I was on a yogurt and grapefruit diet. I would have made it. I'd be thin forever." She realized she was obsessing and turned to Tommy. "How's your neck by the way?"

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Bloodsucking Fiends has a sequel entitled You Suck. Both are published by Simon & Schuster, New York.

Vamped, By Lucienne Diver

Coming Soon!

May, 1, 2009

Teaser from Amazon:

Product Description
"Vamped is a total delight! Diver delivers a delightful cast of undead characters and a fresh, fast take on the vampire mythos. Next installment, please!"
—Rachel Caine, New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series


Top Five Perks of the Vamp Life

1. Eternal youth and beauty rocks!
2. Free clothes. Hey, might as well embrace the dark side.
3. Going vamp turns geeks, like my new boyfriend Bobby, into studs.
4. No need to breathe, except when a dramatic sigh or a heaving chest is called for.
5. Superhuman powers, like I can totally spot a hot Versace skirt a mile away—literally!

Top Five Drags of Vamping Out

1. No reflection! Oh well, I'll just have to sire my own entourage to confirm my hotness.
2. An all-liquid diet and no tanning options.
3. This vampy queen Mellisande who's taken an interest in my boyfriend.
4. Pointy-stick phobia.
5. Getting locked up by skanky Mellisande, who's transforming the entire high school into her own personal vampire army. The nerve!

About the Author

Lucienne Diver is a literary agent by day and a writer by night. A graduate of SUNY, Potsdam, New York, she is the author of the novel Playing Nice, and her fiction, The Problem with Piskies, has been serialized in Quantum Gothic magazine. The author lives in Florida. Find out more by visiting www.luciennediver.com.