Ninth Grade Slays: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

9th Grade Slays
by Heather Brewer
pub: April 2008 288 pages

Synopsis:

If middle school sucked for Vladimir Tod, high school is a real drain. besides being a punching bag for bullies, he still stalled with dream girl Meredith, and he's being tallied by a photographer from the school. Needless to say, practicing his vampire skills hasn't exactly been a priority for Vlad...till now. A monumental trip to Siberia with Uncle Otis is Vlad's crash course to vampire 101. Training alongside the most gifted vampires is exactly what Vlad needs to sharpen those mind controlling skills he's been avoiding. And he better get it right, because the battle brewing back home with the slayer who's been stalking him..... could be Vlad's last.

9th Grade Slays is the second book in this series and follows the further adventures of teenage vamp Vladimir Todd. You can read Jakes' review of 8th Grade Bites, which is the first in the series.

Vlad is still trying to keep his identity secret and struggling to find his teenage-vampire place in the world. Only best friends Henry and Nelly know his secret. Vlad continues to develop all of his wicked cool powers - two of my favorites are levitation and mind reading/control.

Brewer did a good job writing a novel that will appeal to younger teen (MG) boys. While I can't say I love 9th Grade Slays (it's no Percy Jackson), it is a good read and refreshing because it is written from a guy's perspective. If you've got MG boys looking for something that is more action and not smothered in romance, you can feel confident recommending this series.

By the way, if you haven't read the Percy Jackson series, read those first. They target the same audience and are fabulous! Not to mention the movie is coming out next month!

The Cover: I'm not impressed. The whole series has this look. It's boring overall, and too cartoonish for my tastes.

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