The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Holly Black. Boston: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette, 2013. e-book, 340 pps.

http://www.blackholly.com
Holly Black on twitter-- @hollyblack

     Teen Tana lives with her father and younger sister Pearl. Her mother became infected some years ago and died. The first chapter of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown depicts Tana waking up the morning after a party in a bathtub. Things are not good.

     Due to an outbreak of vampires, the streets are not safe after dark. Even at home, one must ensure that windows and doors are shut. Vampires can squeeze in when taken by hunger. Coldtowns have been established in places which used to be large cities. If someone is turned by a vampire and does not successfully throw off the infection, he or she is obligated to show up at a Coldtown. A few non-vampires also live in Coldtowns for a variety of reasons. Tana and a couple of cohorts do show up.

     Despite the popular show of a wild vampiric ball on television, the truth in the Coldtown where Tana shows up is far less glamorous. An ancient feud between vampires is going on. Tana gets involved. Through a series of missteps and adventures, she survives uninfected.

sapphoq reviews says: Holly Black is a popular author and it was easy for me to understand why as I read through The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I enjoyed the book, the first of a series. Suspense of disbelief came early for me. The teen characters reminded me very much of the teens I had known when I was in high school. The depiction of life in a Coldtown was inventive. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is suitable for teens [and some of us adults too]. I highly recommend this one.

n.b.: Parents, if you object to the subject matter in this book, it is your responsibility as parents to monitor what your teens are reading. I just write the reviews.

You Suck by Christopher Moore

You Suck: A Love Story, Christopher Moore. New York: HarperCollins e-books, 2007.  235 pps.

You Suck starts out with a newly turned vampire and his girlfriend. There is a very heavy cat who was shaved and given a sweater, a few bronzed "statues," and a group of co-workers on the night shift at a supermarket. And some bad guys of course. 

sapphoq reviews says: I was guffawing in the living room. Housemate knew I was once again reading a Christopher Moore book. You Suck is a light-hearted look at a few young vampires. Have you ever considered what happens to the bathroom habits of the undead? I mean, they usually don't eat. So... 
     If you are a fan of Christopher Moore or of vampires of a different sort, you must read this book. You Suck certainly does not suck. Highly recommended.

Not In Kansas Anymore by Christine Wicker

Not in Kansas Anymore: A Curious Tale of How Magic is Transforming America, Christine Wicker.  New York: HarperCollins e-books, 2005, 2008.  e-book, 228 pps.

     Not In Kansas Anymore is an expose of various magical belief systems and the people who believe in them.  There are witches and voudon queens and vampires and lycanthropes and communion at a Christian service.  The author is a bit skeptical yet her take on it is one of the soft atheist or perhaps someone who wants to believe rather than someone who is opposed to belief without evidence. 

 sapphoq reviews says:  I found this book to be disconcerting in spite of the author's inclusion of sources and an extensive bibliography.  I interpreted the descriptions of many of the people and events described in Not in Kansas Anymore as belonging to someone who is saying, "Don't take these people seriously, folks."  Yet there were bits of the author's philos about transcendence that gave the lie to how she was depicting her subjects.  Not really recommended.

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist.  New York: Thomas Dunne Books/ St. Martin's Griffin, 2004.  ebook, 421 pps.


     Let the Right One In is John Ajvide Lindqvist's first novel.  There is a boy-- Oskar-- who is picked on mercilessly by some of his classmates.  He lives with his mother in an apartment and acquires a friend named Eli who lives with her dad, sort of, in the building next door to his. 

     But there is a vicious serial killer on the loose.  This gives Oskar's mother fits.  She is uneasy whenever Oskar leaves the house and orders him to stay out of the woods.  But woods are irresistible to boys and girls all over.

sapphoq reviews says:  John Ajvide Lindqvist's first novel is full of win.  Oskar and the other kids are realistically drawn.  The city drunks are also believable.  The killings are vicious.  Every word of Let the Right One In builds up to a very satisfying ending.  Not for the squeamish.  Highly recommended.

Fat Vampire by Johnny B. Truant

Fat Vampire, Johnny B. Truant.  self-published: 2013.  ebook, 330 pps.

Reginald works in an office.  He is friendless and a bit clueless.  He is the butt of jokes.

Maurice works the night shift in the same office.  He is a young goth.  More importantly, he is cordial to Reginald.

One night they go bowling.  Then the universe gets all twisted up.

There is also a gathering of snobby "beautiful people" types, a ten year old named Claire, and a sexy co-worker.

sapphoq reviews says:  Fat Vampire is the first of a trilogy by Johnny B. Truant.  It is a book that really deserves to have a careful and encouraging editor.  Bits of the plot to take over the bad guys could have been fleshed out more.  The story itself would have benefited with increased length.  Even so, the conversations were believable, Reginald's predicaments were realistic, and the author's humorous treatment of the subject matter was delightful.  Recommended.   

Born at Midnight by c.c. hunter

Born at Midnight, C.C. Hunter.  New York: St. Martin's Press, 2011.  e-book, 288 pps.

@CCHunterBooks on Twitter;  http://www.cchunterbooks.com/

Born at Midnight is first in a series written by c.c. hunter.  In the tradition of Rick Riordan, c.c. hunter's novel focuses on the journey of one teen, Kylie Galen, to find her true self in the midst of so many lies.  Kylie, much to her horror, finds herself on a bus being sent to a camp for troubled teens.  Only the camp and the campers are not what they appear to be.

The "trouble" is not of the typical adolescent variety.  The campers are different.  They are vampires, witches, werewolves, fae.  And unknown.  Kylie is the Unknown one.  As such, she initially feels left out by even the teens at the camp.  There is a director who counsels Kylie through her difficulties, some fine cute teen boys, a bit of danger, ghosts, distant relations, a really pissed off lion, and a cute kitten.  The end leaves the reader hankering for more.

I could not help myself.  When at the bookstore this past Saturday, I read all of the other books in this series too. 

sapphoq reviews says:  Good:  Born at Midnight was the correct length to tell the story it told.  [So were the other books].  Bad: Holiday's counseling sessions with Kylie had too much of a feel of therapy for my liking.  Good: Kylie's two friends and all of the campers in the books each had a distinct personality.  Bad:  I thought Holiday's co-leader should have been a lesbian and Holiday her bisexual lover.  An opportunity not to cater to assumed heterosexuality was lost.  The teens at the camp by definition a non-mainstream bunch surely must have had a few non-straight kids within.  There seemed to be a bit of time devoted to the idea that teens should wait until marriage before going all the way.  It came off as propaganda rather than a value sincerely held by Kylie.  Good:  The story in Born at Midnight [and in the sequels] kept moving.  The plot and sub-plots were interesting.  The crises were well-thought out and plausible.  The ghosts were believe-able.  The resolution made sense.  Teens and young adults who were bored with all of the Greek gods and goddesses in the Riordan series will like this series better.  Recommended for the teen and young adult reader.