Vampire of the Month Club

Gr 9 Up—In the vein of Fischer's "Living Dead Love Story" series (Medallion), this campy offering introduces teen author Nora Falcon, a Beverly Hills prep school student with a best-selling "fang fiction" series that attracts the attention of a manipulative young vampire, Reece. With a suitably diabolical agenda, Reece is determined to help Nora past her writer's block by threatening all she holds dear. Supporting players Abby, Bianca, and Wyatt bring the bestie, mean-girl, and boy drama familiar to teens and serve as pawns for Reece. However, like Nora and Reece, they never surpass stock characterization. The plot and pacing is reminiscent of the horror/comedy meld of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only the dialogue doesn't have the same sassy insight but instead relies on clichés and dated slang (hunk, rump, duds, etc.). The obsessive fandom, with its tenuous grip on reality, rings true, and Fischer gets points for a cheeky meta moment, in which he pokes fun at the genre's popularity.