Can't Get Enough Vampires? We're Here to Help!

You've read them all, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn and now you are looking for something new. Here is a taste of some vampire favorites you might want to check out at KHCPL.

Have you seen the show Vampire Diaries on TV? It all started with a book, The Awakening by L. J. Smith. Sample the book here:

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Looking for another book with bite? You might try Ellen Schreiber's series Vampire Kisses. Here's a taste:

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You can also try the series Vamps by Nancy Collins.

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Looking for something with more of a love story? Try Evernight by Claudia Gray. Here's a sample:

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There are many more out there, see a librarian for help finding books you are interested in reading.

Book Review: Marked by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Marked by P.C. Cast


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
All Zoey Redbird wanted was a place to fit in. She thought that place was with her ordinary human friends at her high school until the vampyre tracker marked her as a fledgling vampyre and changed the course of her life forever. Now Zoey must try to fit in at the House of Night, a school for vampyre fledglings, but making that even more difficult is the fact that she has been specially marked by the goddess Nyx and is not the average fledgling. If she makes it through the Change she will become an adult vampyre, if not she will die.

This is the first book in the House of Night series. It is an interesting combination of two of the more popular trends in teen fiction: vampires and boarding school stories. While the book is enjoyable on a purely escapist level, it lacks depth, and is terribly predictable. The dos and don’ts of proper teenage behavior are a bit preachy at times. Other than that, if you are looking for a quick read that doesn’t require much thought, this book fits the bill. It is a fun story if you are willing to put up these flaws.

I would recommend this to teens who are fans of either the boarding school stories or of vampire stories.

Cautions for sensitive readers: There is some foul language present in the book that may offend readers who don’t like bad language in their books. Since this is also a story about vampires, you can expect to find some violence and sexuality.

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Book Review: Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is a hard one for me to review. There are parts of the book that I found intriguing, but there were times that I felt that that main character was exceedingly annoying and whiny. I guess to answer the question of whether or not I liked this book I should ask myself another question, am I willing to read the sequel Dead Tossed Waves. Surprisingly my answer is yes, I definitely want to read the sequel. I want to know what is going on. There were too many secrets in this book that were never unraveled, I hope the author will give us some of those answers in Dead Tossed Waves.

Mary lives in a village surrounded by high fences that are the only protection they have against the Unconsecrated, beings who have risen from death and hunger for human flesh—yes zombies. When her mother becomes one of the Unconsecrated, Mary’s life begins to fall apart. Her brother, angry that she let her mother become one of the walking dead, sends Mary to the Sisterhood where she is to become one of the sisters instead of getting married. Inside the walls of the Cathedral where the Sisters dwell Mary learns that both the Sisters and the Guardians have been keeping secrets from the people. They know more about what causes the Unconsecrated to return than what they have let on, and they know the secret that somewhere beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth there may be others living. Mary’s one dream has been to see the ocean her mother spoke about, but trapped behind fences and by the confines of her society, she fears she will never see what is beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

This book was intriguing. Sometimes you could really feel how trapped Mary felt she was by both the Sisterhood and her brother. Sometimes she gets a little too obsessive and unpredictable, but that can make her an interesting narrator. I did get frustrated with her obsession over Travis, despite his being taken by someone else.

Recommended.

Cautions for Sensitive Readers: This book can be violent and gory at times, but is definitely worth reading.

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Book Review: Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hope has moved around a lot in her young life. She lives with her aunt, Addie, who has basically been a mother to her since she was born. When an unscrupulous business partner takes off with her aunt’s savings and forces her to close the diner she owns, Hope and her aunt move to Mulhoney, Wisconsin to help run the Welcome Stairways, a local diner owned by G. T. Stoop. G. T. is fighting a battle with leukemia and hires Addie and Hope to run the Welcome Stairways while he focuses on his battle with cancer and winning the local Mayoral election where he is running against the unscrupulous Eli Millstone. Politics, love, and food all make an appearance in this appealing and surprisingly quick read. Bauer’s characters are well drawn and feel like old friends.

Recommended for those who like realistic fiction and are looking for a fast and entertaining read.

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Book Review: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although most of my reviews focus on newer books, sometimes it is good to visit the classics. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is often thought to be the first young adult realistic fiction novel. In the genre of teen literature it is a classic that still proves to be relevant to today’s teens. It is a story of growing up, dealing with consequences, and relationships.

Ponyboy lives with his brothers Darry and Sodapop. Since the death of his parents Darry has taken on the role of provider for his family working hard and sometimes coming down hard on Ponyboy. He and his brothers are greasers and are constantly being attacked by the soc’s when they are alone. One night an attack goes too far and Ponyboy and his friend and fellow greaser Johnny find themselves in over their heads and nothing will ever be the same again.

S. E. Hinton was a teenager when she wrote this novel and she demonstrates a clear knowledge of the feelings and issues of teens. This well written, quick read should be on everyone’s reading list!

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Book Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Need by Carrie Jones


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Need by Carrie Jones is in simplest terms Twilight meets Melissa Marr’s books Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange. It is another vamp…oops…I mean fairy novel about malicious fey following a helpless girl who runs into a hunky werewolf who is the sworn enemy of the fey. Personally, I am beginning to feel the vampire, fairy, werewolf thing is becoming a bit over done in today’s teen literature, but hey—vamps, werewolves, and fairies are still selling so what do I know.

Once again we are stuck with a lack luster heroine sent away from her mother to the far north (Maine this time—at least it is on the other coast). Zara is attempting to recover from her depression over the recent death of her stepfather. At a new school she meets the resident hunk who drives a nifty mini cooper and helps her out on an ice slick parking lot.... Hmmm…. this is starting to sound familiar—icy parking lot, flashy car with a fast driver….where have I heard this story before? Add in a few malevolent stalking fairies who drink blood and voila—you have another Twilight wannabe.

I would recommend this to fans who just can’t get enough Twilight type books. It does have a somewhat interesting, though predictable story, but will definitely appeal to those who like books similar to Twilight. The character development isn’t very good, and the repetition of information gets a bit redundant at times.

Cautions for sensitive readers: The book can be a bit gory at times—especially in the descriptions of the fairy behaviors. Although there is no sex in the book, there is a mention of some characters engaging in sexual activities.

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Book Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire by Kristin Cashore


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This prequel to Cashore’s first novel Graceling was a worthy addition to the world she created in Graceling. This story takes us back in time to events that occur before those of the first book. It is a standalone novel, so don’t worry if you haven’t read Graceling first, you don’t need to. Although, you will recognize a character from Graceling in Fire it doesn’t give anything away to read this book first.

Fire is a monster. She was born to a monster father and a human palace servant. As a monster, Fire must contend with attacks from other monsters and the startling effect she has on unprepared and unshielded human minds. In the Dells, monsters are common and distinct from the normal counterparts, because of their terrible and often mind altering beauty. Fire is the last human monster and with her beauty also comes the ability to control unshielded minds.

In her home in the Dells, Fire discovers strangers in the wood seemingly interested in her. To find out more about these strangers, she and her friend Archer consult with the royal family that is currently battling for control of the kingdom since the death and misrule of the last king who suffered under the control of Fire’s father. Fire becomes embroiled in a battle for the kingdom, and is a tool for the royal family to weed out the traitors in their midst.

This book is just as interesting and entertaining as Graceling. As a rule, I normally don’t like prequels, but Cashore manages to present an interesting and relevant new story for her fantasy world. I would recommend this book to teens who like fantasy and are willing to put in the time to learn the rules and politics for this interesting world. Fire is thoroughly enjoyable, and the characters are well developed and well rounded. Even the most perfect characters have flaws, and it is nice see that she is so thorough in her character development. I hope there are more books to come!

Cautions for sensitive readers: There is violence in this book due to the battles and frequent monster attacks. Some sexuality is present, although you won’t find any explicit descriptions in this book.

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