Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

Henderson, Jason. (2010). Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising. NY: HarperTeen.
ISBN: 978-0061950995
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Friends, Bullies, Action
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Alex Van Helsing, it turns out, is a vampire slayer. At his new boarding school in Switzerland, vampires abound and he is quickly swept up into the battle.
Summary: Alex Van Helsing is 14 and has just started a new school in Switzerland. He got kicked out of his old school and is hoping for a fresh start. However, he is not so lucky. His roommates are bullies and on his first night there manages to accidentally kill a mysterious woman in the woods. The woman did attack him first and she did have huge fangs and she did puff up in smoke after Alex stabbed her with a fallen branch. This is just the beginning of a new life for Alex, but not the fresh start he was hoping for. One night Alex sees his teacher leave on a motorcycle and he follows him to the heart of the forest. Here, Alex
learns the truth about his name and that he truly is a vampire slayer. When two of Alex's friends are kidnapped by the blood sucking fiends, Alex must join forces with the Polidorium, a secret military like group seeking vampires, to save them. Intertwined in the plot are references to Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, John Polidori, and other past writers.
Evaluation: This is a fast and action packed read. None of the characters stand out as incredibly deep or well developed, but none-the-less, a fun read. The addition of some true history (and then the manipulation thereof) of Lord Byron and friends certainly adds to the appeal of the story.

Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1) by Rachel Caine

Caine, Rachel. (2006). Glass Houses. NY: NAL Jam.
ISBN: 978-0451219947
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bullies, Independance, Love
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Sixteen year old Claire is brilliant and already off to college in Morganville, Texas. But brutal bullying soon sends her looking for off campus housing where she slowly learns the truth -- that Morganville is run by vampires.
Summary: A story of vampires and teen drama. Claire Danvers is smart, beginning college life in the dorms, and only 16. Her status as smart, young, outsider gets her harassed and bullied by the popular girls at the small Morganville, Texas college. The bullying gets so bad that Claire finds someplace off campus to live. It is here that she falls for a roommate and also discovers that she has more to fear than bullies. Morganville is run by vampires, and Claire needs protection.
Evaluation: As far as vampire stories go, this one is pretty good. Young Claire is faced with danger, terror, and growing up fast; she does so with an independence that will appeal to teens. I did have a bit of trouble believing that college students would behave so immaturely, and with Claire making some bad choices despite her proclaimed intelligence.

Eighth Grade Bites (Book 1 The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod) by Heather Brewer

Brewer, Heather. (2007). Eighth Grade Bites (Book 1 The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod). NY: Dutton Juvenile.
ISBN: 978-0525478119
Awards: ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2008)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bullies, Orphans, Friends
Annotation: Vladimir, Vlad for short, is a 13 year old orphan who is also half vampire. While dealing with the normal trials of eighth grade, Vlad also has to hide the fact that he is a vampire, try to find a date for the dance, and contend with the vampire council that is trying to kill him.
Summary: Eighth grade really sucks for Vladimir Tod. He is harassed by bullies, the girl he is crushing on likes his friend, and he has to hide the fact that he is a vampire; well, half vampire. His father was a vampire and his mother human. They both died in a mysterious fire when Vlad was young and now he lives with one of his mom's friends, Nelly. Other than bringing hidden bags of blood to school for lunch, things are pretty normal until Mr. Otis shows up. Bizarre Mr. Otis takes the place of Vlad's regular English teacher and seems to be suspiciously knowledgeable of Vlad. Turns out Mr. Otis is Vlad's uncle and is there to warn him about the vampire council that is out to kill him because of his parent's misdeeds. Vlad and his uncle must fight to keep Vlad alive.
Evaluation: This is a fast and easy read. If you read it while keeping in mind that there isn't much depth then it is a fine, if not simple, story.

Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz

De la Cruz. (2006). Blue Bloods. NY: Hyperion.
ISBN: 978-0786838929
Awards:ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Top Ten (2007)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2007)
Genre: Fantasy
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Escape, Independence, Orphan
Annotation: Schuyler Van Alen is young, beautiful, attends a prestigious private high school, and is a vampire. She and her human friend, Oliver, are racing to solve the mystery of the death of another young vampire, because everyone knows - vampires can't die.
Summary: Schuyler Van Alen doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at her prestigious private New York high school. While all the other teens are obsessed with name brands, knowing the "right" people, and being in the "right" places, Schuyler is wearing layered thrift store clothes and hanging out at home with friend Oliver. Then, on her 15th birthday, everything begins to change. Intricate blue lines appear on her forearms, she begins craving raw meat, and has dream like visions of a time long ago. Soon, Schuyler discovers that she is a Blue Blood, a vampire, like most of the other kids in her school. While Schuyler struggles to grasp this reality, a young vampire is killed and no one knows why, or how. Schuyler, Oliver, and friend Bliss rush to solve the mystery before another vampire dies.
Evaluation: I enjoyed this story. While I think it is a little heavy on the name brand dropping, the historical and religious themes wound in with vampire lore is fascinating.