Ninth Grade Slays (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Series #2)
Freshman year stinks for Vlad Tod. Bullies still harass him. The photographer from the school newspaper is tailing him. And failing his studies could be deadly. A trip to Siberia gives 'study abroad' a whole new meaning as Vlad connects with other vampires and advances his mind-control abilities, but will he return home with the skills to recognize a vampire slayer when he sees one? In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad must confront the secrets of the past and battle forces...
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High school totally bites when you're half human, half vampire. Freshman year sucks for Vlad Tod. Bullies still harass him. The photographer from the school newspaper is tailing him. And failing his studies could be deadly. A trip to Siberia gives “study abroad” a whole new meaning as Vlad connects with other vampires and advances his mind-control abilities, but will he return home with the skills to recognize a vampire slayer when he sees one? In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad must confront the secrets of the past and battle forces that once again threaten his life. Find out why author D. J. MacHale calls The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod “Gruesome, heartwarming, spellbinding.”Publishers WeeklyBrewer's first children's book, first of the planned Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, is like a Laurell K. Hamilton toned way down for the elementary school set. Vlad is miserable. His mother and vampire father died years ago in a suspicious fire, and he lives in a small town with his maternal aunt, a nurse who regularly raids the blood bank for him ("Could you get me O positive this time? That's my favorite," he nonchalantly asks her as he spoons "a big, sweet glob of half-frozen blood" into his mouth). His best friend, Henry, is the only other person who knows why Vlad is so meticulous about applying sunblock and why he brings lunch to school. But when Vlad's English teacher goes missing (readers know he's been murdered), the substitute teacher, Mr. Otis, seems uncannily wise to Vlad, leaving Vlad to worry that he may be exposed. The mystery and suspense angles never get scarier than, say, a Goosebumps installment, and the tone stays mostly light, with plenty of descriptions of Vlad's diet that are to gag for. Brewer catches the wretchedness of adolescence: the hero's crush on a classmate is dead-on in its understatement and inaction, and his friendship with Henry encompasses lots of banter and insults. The uninitiated will appreciate the ample stock of vampire lore, while the more knowledgeable will sink their teeth into the puns. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
\ Publishers WeeklyBrewer's first children's book, first of the planned Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, is like a Laurell K. Hamilton toned way down for the elementary school set. Vlad is miserable. His mother and vampire father died years ago in a suspicious fire, and he lives in a small town with his maternal aunt, a nurse who regularly raids the blood bank for him ("Could you get me O positive this time? That's my favorite," he nonchalantly asks her as he spoons "a big, sweet glob of half-frozen blood" into his mouth). His best friend, Henry, is the only other person who knows why Vlad is so meticulous about applying sunblock and why he brings lunch to school. But when Vlad's English teacher goes missing (readers know he's been murdered), the substitute teacher, Mr. Otis, seems uncannily wise to Vlad, leaving Vlad to worry that he may be exposed. The mystery and suspense angles never get scarier than, say, a Goosebumps installment, and the tone stays mostly light, with plenty of descriptions of Vlad's diet that are to gag for. Brewer catches the wretchedness of adolescence: the hero's crush on a classmate is dead-on in its understatement and inaction, and his friendship with Henry encompasses lots of banter and insults. The uninitiated will appreciate the ample stock of vampire lore, while the more knowledgeable will sink their teeth into the puns. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)\ Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information\ \ \ \ \ KLIATT\ - Debra Mitts-Smith\ As if contending with bullies, impossible crushes, and math problems weren't enough, Vladimir Tod harbors a secret known only to his best friend Henry and his guardian, Aunt Nelly: Vlad is half vampire. Even in this regard Vlad is unique. Most vampires are made when a vampire shares its blood with a human, but Vlad was born a vampire. His father Tomas Tod had planned on feeding on a young woman; instead, he fell in love with her. Worse yet, he broke the code of the vampires that banned them from revealing their secrets to humans. Fleeing the vampiric council, Tomas and his bride Mellina found sanctuary in a Bathory, a small town. But hiding from his brethren was difficult. In Potter-esque fashion, Tomas and Mellina died in a mysterious fire. Three years later, the sins of the father begin to haunt Vlad's life. First one of his teachers disappears, only to be replaced by a teacher with an interest in mythological and supernatural beings. Then others begin to disappear. Vlad faces "normal" junior high occurrences as well as mysterious deaths, meals of blood bags and rare meat, and books written in unknown symbols. Scaffolding folkloric beliefs onto 8th-grade reality, author Heather Brewer constructs a plausible world. There are some bloody moments, but Vlad and Henry's humorous sparring outweighs the violence. For novices to horror fiction, Brewer's book contains just enough lore, tension, and gore to provide a good introduction to the genre. At the same time, her likeable characters, unique plot line, and promise of more books to come will also appeal to fans of the genre. Readers will be looking forward to following Vlad in the 9th grade.\ \ \ VOYA\ - Sherrie Williams\ Vampire Vladimir Tod has made it to high school, but he has different challenges than most teens. Foremost there is the matter of his half-human and half-vampire parentage, but he also faces a determined and deadly vampire hunter and the unexpected return of old enemies. While traveling to Siberia to learn mind control from a vampire elder, Vlad discovers that many in the vampire community feel he is the fulfillment of a prophecy, called the Pravus. The Pravus, a vampire born of a human mother, is destined to rule the vampire world and enslave humans. Vlad fears what his future-and the fate of all humans-might hold if he is the Pravus. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod continues the story of the series' titular teen vampire with enough exposition so that readers will not need to have read the previous book to enjoy this volume. Fans of the first book, however, will savor delving deeper into Vladimir's story. This second book in a projected series of five has a slightly darker tone as Vladimir faces uncertainty in his future and the possible fulfillment of a vampire prophecy. There is a simmering romance, deliciously gory touches, and puns and allusions to vampire lore that readers of the genre will enjoy. Reluctant readers will be drawn into Vladimir's world, and horror fans will enjoy his quest to grow in his vampire identity as he navigates the perils of high school. Reviewer: Sherrie Williams\ \ \ \ \ School Library JournalGr 6-9\ Vladimir Tod wants be popular like his friend Henry and cool and carefree like Henry's cousin Joss. He would so enjoy putting bullies Tom and Bill, who have been tormenting him for years, in their place. And, of course, he longs to tell Meredith about his feelings for her. All of this should really be a piece a cake for him. He is, after all, the only vampire "living" in Bathory, and he possesses extraordinary powers. Unfortunately, luck does not seem to run his way. What is working for him is the opportunity to go to Siberia with his Uncle Otis to be trained by Vikas, one of the oldest vampires around. Vikas sharpens Vlad's skills, especially in the area of mind control, and educates him on vampire history, language, and culture. Vlad also learns about the prophecy regarding the Pravus, a powerful vampire born from a human mother who will not only rule over all of vampirekind but also enslave the entire human race. Upon his return to Bathory, he is pursued by a vampire slayer and attacked by another one. Could Vlad, whom readers have come to love, possibly be this evil Pravus? Brewer does an excellent job keeping readers on their toes with an intense plot full of many twists and turns. Her writing style is original, witty, and on target. It has a different intensity than series like Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" (Little, Brown) or Richelle Mead's "Vampire Academy" (Penguin), but teens will eat up this installment and be ready to sink their teeth into the sequel.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY\ \ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsProving that you can't have your blood and drink it too, this shallow vampire tale waffles between vamp/camp and purported somberness. Eighth-grader Vladimir has a secret: He is (he thinks) the only living vampire. Pandering Aunt Nelly, a nurse, goes to "great lengths to sneak blood from the hospital" for Vlad's vital nutrition. His parents were mysteriously murdered, and now his teacher's missing. The odd substitute suspiciously demands research on vampires. Who's stalking Vlad, and why? It's unclear which hints are real clues and which are sloppy narration. Cheesily referential names (town of Bathory; classmate Edgar Poe) and gleeful gross-outs (cookies dunked in blood) undermine the supposed gravity of Vlad's situation and lineage. Brewer evades the problematic nature of blood-sucking, hiding behind quips like Vlad's refusal to kill because "just think of the looks he might get at the next block party if he got caught. This one just tries too hard. (Fantasy. 10-12)\ \
