Vampire High

Rating:
Summary: werewolves, coffins, vampires, oh my.
Review: If you like vampire books, this is a very good book. It's about a kid, named Cody Elliot, who moves from California and hates his new town. So, he thinks, if he does badly in school, that his parents might move back to California. He starts to flunk school, and do a lot of things like try and prove Newton was wrong by trying to fly during class. His mom and dad just pull him out of school and put him in a school called Vlad Dracul. The one thing Cody doesn't no, is the school is for vampires. Cody befriends two vampires. Well, I don't want to spoil the book for you, so read the book.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and quick read
Review: Imagine yourself thrown into a situation at school where you can do no wrong, and are settled for life. Straight A's and a guaranteed good life if all you do is sign up for water polo. That's where Cody finds himself in this book, where he has a tough decision to make. You already know what kind of school he goes to, but the main thing I liked about this book was his inner argument about being able to hold his own, and not taking everything with a blind eye. A story told by Cody in his own words, about making friends and enemies along the way. I finished this book in a little over two days, as Rees makes everything flow very easily from page to page. A good read for a student who's looking for something different.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming Even If Predictible
Review: It often seems to me that fiction written for young adults is better the the novels written for adults recently. Vampire High is a familiar tale in many ways, of high school angst, young love, and new friendship, with a twist. Others have described the characters as lacking depth, where secondary characters are true but the primary characters are trully engaging. Whatever Cody's faults our young hero is posessed of one thing in abundance Integrity. And it is this integrity that serves him repeatedly... and models what it is to be truly human.... Gadje or Jhenti.
Douglas Rees is definitely an author worth following. I hope he writes sequels to this book.. but if not just write something!

Rating:
Summary: Gad-je! Gad-je! Gad-je!
Review: Vampire High is a rollicking delight from beginning to end. True, the ending is telegraphed waaaaay ahead of time, but in Rees's hands, it is the journey, not the destination that is important. Cody's awareness that having things handed to you on a silver platter is not a satisfying way to live life and his growing maturity as he navigates both adolescence and a vampire high school sends a very clear message to the readers without being didactic, heavy handed or dull. Rees knows his pacing, his humor and his subject well. The teens I have recommended this to came away laughing themselves silly while at the same time realizing that how you live your life and taking responsiblity for yourself is more important than the concerns of our status seeking, easy does it culture. Can't wait to read more by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Gad-je! Gad-je! Gad-je!
Review: Vampire High is a rollicking delight from beginning to end. True, the ending is telegraphed waaaaay ahead of time, but in Rees's hands, it is the journey, not the destination that is important. Cody's awareness that having things handed to you on a silver platter is not a satisfying way to live life and his growing maturity as he navigates both adolescence and a vampire high school sends a very clear message to the readers without being didactic, heavy handed or dull. Rees knows his pacing, his humor and his subject well. The teens I have recommended this to came away laughing themselves silly while at the same time realizing that how you live your life and taking responsiblity for yourself is more important than the concerns of our status seeking, easy does it culture. Can't wait to read more by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Wildness and wonder at Vlad Dracul High
Review: What a great book! I wish Rees would write more so I could read more of his stuff. He has managed to weave the general weirdness of high school (regular being only slightly less strange than vampire-type) into an exciting tale about the interconnectedness of wolfpeople, selkies, vampires and plain old people, to say nothing of lawyers who work for Leach, Swindol and Twist in the seemingly quiet New England town of New Sodom. His characters are very likable without being goody-goodies, and he's able to portray both teenagers and adults with perception and sympathy.

The novel begins with Cody in a classic sulk because his father has changed jobs and the family has had to move from California to New England. He's determined to show his displeasure by flunking every class at Cotton Mather High, and seems well on the way when his father announces that he's going to transfer him to one of the town's two private schools: Our Lady of Perpetual Homework or Vlad Dracul. At Vlad Dracul Cody finds, much to his surprise, a friend, a beautiful girl to fall in love with, and an astonishing lack of work - he can get straight As just by breathing, apparently. What could be better? Nothing - for a few days. And then he becomes determined to unravel the mystery of this school where everyone else seems to do loads of work, and he does nothing except lounge around and sit in the pool every day pretending that there's a water polo team and he's part of it!

Buy two copies - one for yourself and one for a very good friend who is guaranteed to love it!