Author: Heather Brewer
Publisher: RazorBill
Published: 3 Jan 2011
ISBN: 0141334061
Author's website: http://www.heatherbrewer.com
Rating 5/5 with merits!!!
The cover on this is very eye catching, I love the black on white and then red vampire smiley :)
Vladimir Tod is a 13 year old who is half human and half vampire. He struggles on a daily basis trying to dodge the bullies and stay inconspicuous. I really loved this book. It was a fast read, the first few pages were enough to make me want to read more, it's fairly fast paced. Vlad has come to terms with his half human, half vampire lifestyle, as have those who are closest to him, but when a supply teacher starts asking questions, Vlad's not sure if he's been found out.
Eighth Grade Bites is full of whit and charm, Vlad's character is both entertaining and refreshing. The banter he shares with his closest friend, Henry, is really good. There's some downright laugh-my-butt-off scenes in this, which makes it even more fun to read. It's also very detailed...my favorite detail is Vlad's Aunty's cat who's named Amenti, after the Egyptian goddess who was said to have guarded the gateway of the afterlife (in the book anyway)...those are the detailed touches which for me, added the icing on the cake and made this book highly worth reading. Vlad is able to have fun, and parts of it are highly charged emotionally for him. At the beginning Vlad is highly shy with anyone apart from Henry and his Aunt, which I found really endearing. There's not many vamps who are portrayed this way, and I found it good to read about vamps from a male point of view.
This book and Ninth Grade Slays are already big hits in the US, so both titles are new releases in the UK next year, with more of the series planned to launch later in 2011. I hope we don't have to wait too long - I can see these are going to be a huge hit over here, and am looking forward to reading the next book when it's released.
Book Synopsis:
"Vladimir Tod has a secret. His mother was human, but his father was a vampire... With no idea of the extent of his prowess and no one to teach him, thirteen-year-old Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and enlarged fangs. And when a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he realises he has a much bigger problem. He’s being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast"
Source: Arc for review, many thanks to Razorbill
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