I’m very happy with this. And Vlad? Well, Vlad loves stars…they remind him of the night. =

WARNING! This review does contain some spoilers. So, here’s a link, but for all of you who prefer something spoiler-free, here’s the light version:

EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer
Category: Paranormal
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 8/16/07
Publisher: Dutton
Reviewed by: Grandma Bev
Rating: 4 Stars

Thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod is being raised by “Aunt” Nelly, his mother’s best friend. His human mother and vampire father were both killed in a fire, leaving their young vampire son an orphan. Life is not easy for Vlad…the school bullies harass him, the principal seems to have it in for him, and the girl he likes best and wants to ask to the dance seems to prefer his friend, Henry.

Aunt Nelly understands his problems and helps him to hide the fact that he is a vampire and must have fresh blood to survive. Vlad’s best friend, Henry, is the only other person who knows his secret, although Vlad did bite Henry once when they were eight years old.

The one teacher that Vlad had real rapport with has disappeared and no one knows where he is. Vlad and Henry are determined to find out what happened to him. The substitute teacher begins to question Vlad too closely — and there is just something strange about Mr. Otis Otis (yep…first name and last name are the same.) Vlad worries that Otis might suspect the truth, and then when Otis assigns vampires as Vlad’s research project, and the teacher scribbles “I know your secret” across the bottom of his essay, he is really frightened.

Vlad discovers his father’s journal in the attic and is learning about the reality of being a vampire and the powers that he may possess. Vlad also becomes convinced that there is a vampire killer in town, and that he is next on the killer’s list. Things go from bad to worse when Aunt Nelly [SPOILER REMOVED].

There is some gross-out vampire stuff in this story. How about chocolate chip cookies dipped in blood? [SPOILER REMOVED] at the climax of the novel is electrifying in this well plotted, exciting, supernatural adventure. I loved the great characters, and the fast action kept me reading most of the night, with my door firmly locked.

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