EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he’s being hunted by a vampire killer.

This is a series that I've wanted to read for a while now, but I could never find the first book in the store. So, when I saw it on display at the library the other day, I picked it up.

Hoping to sample the first chapter, I ended up reading the first four. I was pretty much hooked into this book right away. Which is always such an awesome thing. :)

Vlad is in the eighth grade. He's constantly getting bullied, is too shy to approach the girl he likes--besides, she might actually like his best friend--and has to battle with being different. Seriously, he's a vampire. Well, his father was a vamp and his mother was human. But they're both dead now and he lives with his guardian, Nelly. As if being a teenager isn't hard enough, without having to hide his true nature, hunger for blood, and other vampiric skills.

When his favourite teacher goes missing and the substitute starts teaching them about mythological creatures, Vlad is pretty sure he knows who the killer in Bathory is... but things don't always turn out how he expects them to.

I had such an awesome time reading this book. It's fun, quirky, and Vlad is such a nice boy. I enjoyed learning about him and the town of Bathory, plus the secret vampire society he finds himself stumbling into. The mystery of who killed his parents is heartbreaking and I can't wait to find out exactly what happened.

This book is another example of why I love vampires so much! Oh, and I got a kick out of all the vampire references. Very cool.