tiny pink books

Betrayed by P.C. Cast
St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007.

Something dark and mysterious is brewing at the House of Night while Zoe attempts to establish herself in her new role as leader of the Dark Daughters.  We have mystery, drama, and more magical vampire powers revealed in this quick read.  Once again, the plot and characters follow predictably cliched patterns, but I’m not complaining because the books remain very fun to read!

Recommended to older teen and adult fans of Twilight and supernatural series books in general.

Marked by P.C. Cast
St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007.

I’ve avoided the House of Night series until just now, but I have to say that I’m hooked.  When Zoe is marked at her high school, it means and end to her life as a human.  She leaves her dysfunctional family to live at the House of Night, a sort of vampire boarding school where young fledgelings go to complete the change in their bodies, becoming vampires…or die.  We are introduced to a fun cast of vamp characters as Zoe makes friends, meets her teachers and mentors, and tried to find a place for herself.  Add to that some extra special magic vamp powers, mean girls style drama, sexy, but oh so wrong, bloodlust, and a hot new love interest and you’ve got yourself a fun, quick read that’s sure to have you picking up the next book.

What I liked about Marked is that it was a simple, easy read, but it moved quickly and maintained my interest, even while following cliche after cliche.  These are YA books, however, I think they are most suited to older teen and adult fans of Twilight.  Though the language is clean, it touches on subject matter a little too dirty for me to feel comfortable handing out to a tween (though if they find it themselves and are comfortable, more power to them!).

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner An Eclipse Novela by Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown and Company, 2010

I admit it.  I just can’t get enough Stephenie Meyer!  I can’t even put my thumb on what it is about her writing that is so compelling, but put her books in my hands and I will read them.  Quickly.  That said, I cannot say that The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner was a particularly good example of her work.  Yes, it was highly readable (finished it in less than a day).  Yes, it was fun to read an alternate view of the big battle in Eclipse.  However, there was an overall clunky feel that made this feel like a tacked on, fanfic-esque project designed to bring in a little extra cash from the throngs of excited Twilight fans as the release date for the Eclipse film looms.

Bree Tanner’s fate is already known to any reader of the Twilight saga.  Born into an army of newborn vampires, Bree is trapped, by her coven and her leader, in a world where she must use her skills of observation to survive.  Unfortunately, even and she and her new friend, Diego, discover that their leader is keeping them thirsty, ignorant and under his thumb, they never manage to take control of the situation.  This is one of the critical problems with The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner-even though we are introduced to Bree and Diego as “the smart ones” of their group, they never seem to use any of their supposed intelligence!  The other major problem is that the relationship between Diego and Bree is forced, to an almost laughable degree.  The high drama, emotional kick of Meyer’s previous books is totally lacking here.  There is one interesting relationship in the book and that is the friendship that develops between Fred and Bree.

With all those complaints, do I regret reading the book?  No way.  The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a fun, satisfyingly fluffy read for any Twilight fan, despite its many flaws.  Read it online for free until July 5, 2010.

Evermore: The Immortals by Alyson Noel
St. Martin’s Griffin, 2009

After surviving a horrible accident that leaves her entire family dead, Ever finds herself orphaned, living with an Aunt in sunny Orange County.  She also finds herself able to hear the thoughts of others, see auras, and hanging out with the ghost of her dead little sister.  Unfortunately, the psychic powers alienate and overwhelm her, leaving her unable to lead any kind of normal social life.  Predictably enough, a mysterious boy with no aura, Damen, arrives one day and Ever is powerfully drawn to him.  It’s love at first sight, but there are…complications.  Who (or what) is Damen?  Who is the mysterious girl who has turned up at his side?  Why does he disappear at every critical moment?

Though it echoes too strongly of the Twilight series, Evermore is still a fun read.  The supernatural drama may not be unique, but it manages to stay interesting.  My one complaint is that the character of Ever, and her subsequent relationship with Damen, is beyond frustrating.  I understand that Ever, having lost her entire family, is not the happiest soul, however, Noel has created the most passive character imaginable.  Ever seems to have few opinions, no interests of her own, and very little backbone.  I was very frustrated with Ever and Damen’s relationship for most of this book…yet I kept on reading.  I guess that would be the more telling factor.

Recommended for teens who like Twilight.  Adult Twilight fans may enjoy this, but it definitely reads more for a younger audience than some of the other crossover successes.  Despite its many flaws, I couldn’t stop reading…

The Vampire Diaries:  The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith
HarperTeen, 2007 (originally published in 1991)

Originally published in 1991, Book 1, The Awakening, and Book 2, The Struggle, have been released as one, thickish paperback beginners of The Vampire Diaries, which has also been made into a television series to air this fall on the CW.  I don’t have much to say about these books other than this-they certainly contain the elements of melodramatic, sticky teenage love at first sight AND glamorous, sexy vampires that made Twilight so popular, however, they are much more poorly written.  I think these books will made a decent readalike for the younger fans of Twilight, but more sophisticated readers will probably find them as painfully cliché as I did.  Still, younger readers who enjoyed Twilight will probably enjoy these quick and disposable books.  As for me, I actually read these a month ago and promptly forgot everything about them.  I look forward to the TV show though!

Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
Harcourt Children’s Books, 2009.

Nina Harrison is not the kind of sleek, sexy, ultra powerful vampire that you have no doubt read about in other books.  No, Nina is a vampire alright, but in Catherine Jinks’ refreshing novel, vampires are pretty much like normal people–except they are weak, tired, whiny, and they are literally dead during daylight hours.  Nina is part of a support group of vampires living in Sydney, Australia.  Meeting weekly in a church basement for the last 30 years, Nina and her friends groan and moan about the ups and downs on being a reformed vampire (a vampire who does not go around “fanging” humans).  When one of their members is found murdered with a stake to the heart, Nina and her friends set out to find the killer, taking them on a caper of an adventure that involves courage, strength, wits, and all the things that this group of misfit vampires generally seems to lack.

The concept for Reformed Vampire Support Group is fantastic.  Jinks uses the concept of the whiny, beaten down vampire in a way that is both humorous and realistic (if you were around for 100+ years, don’t you think you’d be feeling tired and whiny?).  Aside from that, the reformed vampire concept gives Jinks free range to create a memorable cast of characters who, especially in Nina, must break free from their passivity to overcome.  The story is basically a standard mystery, but the characters and concept make it work.

Although I found it to be a little bit long and lagging (a witty concept can only carry you so far…), especially in the second half, I still recommend Reformed Vampire Support Group to readers who like humor, mystery, and (of course!) vampires.  Reluctant readers should beware the slowish pace (at parts) and, although there are sparks of romance, die hard Twilight fans will not find any major teenage longings of love in this satirical vampire world.  The cover gives you a fairly accurate representation of the tone of the book–it’s cute, it’s goth, and it’s silly.

Evernight by Claudia Gray
HarperTeen, 2008

There’s something very familiar about Evernight. As a boardschool/vampire/love story, it certainly was published to ride the Twilight wave.  As I read it, I couldn’t help but to grow slightly annoyed that the way it was so desperately trying to be another Twilight with a twist.

In Evernight, Bianca is forced to go to Evernight Academy, an exclusive, isolated boarding school that is full of creepy old gothic architecture and freakishly perfect students.  Bianca’s parents have been hired as teachers at the academy, so they’ve moved there too.  Bianca, who is painfully shy, has trouble fitting in at Evernight…until she meets Lucas.  Naturally, Bianca and Lucas immediately share a deep and intense connection, but there are, of course, some complications…vampire complications.  As the first book in a series, of course, many questions are left, leaving readers lingering for the next book Stargazer.

It’s not that Evernight is a terrible book, but there’s something a little boring about how hard it tries to be Twilight.  Although there are new elements and twists (boarding school!), it’s impossible to get past the lack of originality in Evernight. As if to prove my point further, there’s another YA vampire love story book called Evermore, which is not to be confused with this series.  Once you get past the lack of originality, there are some redeemable qualities to Evernight.  The plot takes quite a while to get going, but once it does get moving (about halfway through), it really takes off.  I found the second half of this book to be a pretty entertaining read.  The love story lacks the depth and intensity that it needs to really work, but it’s readable.  I think some (especially younger) teen Twilight fans will enjoy this book, if they can get past the rip-off factor, however, I do not think too many adult Twilight fans will enjoy it on the same level they did Twilight.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine HarrisAce Books, 2002

Book two in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries, Living Dead in Dallas delivers yet another fun and fast paced vampire meets mystery meets steamy romance combination.

In Living Dead in Dallas the lovable Sookie Stackhouse takes a break from her waitress job at the bar to travel to Dallas with her vampire boyfriend, Bill, and do a little work for the ruling vampire clan there.  But wait, there’s more!  Back home in Bon Temps, Louisiana one of Sookie’s has been murdered, there’s a strange and supernatural creature on the lose in the woods, and Sookie and Bill are still facing some bumps in their relationship.

Recommended to readers who enjoyed Dead Until Dark, the first book of the series, and to more readers looking for a fun, fast-paced guilty pleasure of a book.

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
Hyperion, 2006

In theory Blue Bloods has everything going for it:  it’s YA, it’s got vampires and it’s got upper class Manhattan elite.  I guess was expecting a sort of Twilight meets Gossip Girl bit of fun and I ‘m pretty sure that I am not alone in this, judging from the busy circulation rate of this title in my local library.  Anyway, I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed.

Blue Bloods is the first book in a series of vampire meets Gossip Girl style YA books.  The characters are a bunch of rich, upper east side, private school kids a la Gossip Girl.  They all go to this small, fancy private school and come from elite and powerful families in some way or another.  There’s a catch though–they’re vampires!  In Blue Bloods the vampire teens learn about their vampire status and long vampire history (going back to the days of the pilgrims and beyond!).  There’s also a strange and powerful enemy rumored to be hunting vampires, but the society seems unconcerned.  Unfortunately, there’s just too many characters and the drama surrounding the story really isn’t that developed, at least in this first book.

I think what is most disappointing about Blue Bloods is that it doesn’t succeed on being catty or biting (ha!) enough to pull off the whole “Manhattan elite” thing that Gossip Girl commands.  There’s a materialistic, snotty vibe that feels like it was lifted directly from the Gossip Girl style, but instead of being snarky and kind of devilishly fun, it feels flat and becomes rather irritating.  Also, the vampires in Blue Bloods aren’t quite as intriguing as they should be.  De la Cruz’s vampire concept is kind of interesting, but the writing doesn’t manage to make it as sexy or as dark as a vampire book should be.  I was left unsure of who I would recommend Blue Bloods to.  It’s too simple and formulaic to hand to any discerning Twilight fan and it’s not quite nasty enough to give to a Gossip Girl fan.  I think maybe it would be suitable for younger YA readers, who are not quite ready for the thickness of Twilight or the scandal of Gossip Girl.  I definitely think that there’s a place in the library for Blue Bloods (and it is checked out more often than not at my library), I just don’t think it’s the most high quality or fun to read book of its kind.  It is simple enough for younger YA’s to follow though, so long as they are unconcerned with the content, which contains some sexual scenes and references and a whole lot of materialism.

Breaking Dawn
by Stephenie Meyer

I feel like it’s quite unnecessary to review Breaking Dawn, as most of us have already made up out our minds about the Twilight series by now.  Breaking Dawn is just what you’d expect from the 4th installment of this hugely popular YA/Vampire/Romance series.  It’s thick (over 700 pages!), it’s melodramatic, and, if you’re into the whole Bella Edward chronicles, you can’t put it down!  There are some key elements delivered by Breaking Dawn that stand out of from the series.  For one thing, there isn’t really a cliffhanger ending (in fact, some might complain about the neatly tied up ending) and for another, Edward and Bella finally move forward through the stages of intense teenage longing and into a more active stage in their relationship (if you get what I’m implying here).  For those unfamiliar with the series (seriously, you need to go visit your bookstore of library!), the Twilight saga is about Bella Swan, a perfectly normal, kind of awkward, teen in Forks, Oregon with just one special problem–the love of her life, Edward Cullen, is a vampire. 
Breaking Dawn was a satisfying read.  There’s actually much more shifts in the dynamics between characters than one comes to expect from Stephanie Meyer and the book leaves with a feeling of closure.  Perhaps Meyer will stick to her guns and this really will stand as the conclusion to the Twilight  saga (though fear not fans, she’s already busy writing another book, Midnight Sun, which will tell the events of the Twiligjht saga as we know it through another character’s point of view.