Slayed

Gr 9 Up—Daphne Van Helsing has been raised, educated, and given extensive training in the family business—vampire hunting. Some might think staking and decapitating vamps for cash is the ultimate job but not for this 16-year-old. All she wants is to settle down, attend high school, have friends, meet guys, and go to prom. Instead she is forced to travel from job to job in a beat-up van, living in cheap motels, eating fast food, and spending all her time with her parents. Now the Van Helsings and their arch rivals, the Harkers, are sent to Maine. Not only is Bristol overrun with vamps that are stronger and more difficult to kill but a terrifying evil is also preying on children and wreaking havoc on the inhabitants of the town. It is up to Daphne; her new BFF, Kiki Crusher; and handsome, crush-worthy Tyler Harker to discover the dark forces' source of power and destroy it. Marrone delivers an action-packed thriller that is full of suspense, intrigue, drama, and romance. Daphne's witty first-person narrative makes this story come alive. As her character grows, readers will identify with her personal struggles as she is torn between family obligations and her own needs and desires.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY