Customer Reviews

Night Biters: A Tale of Urban Horror

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is no R L Stien! This book has a diverse group of hip hop characters from the Bay Area that are actully intelligent and not based on stereotypes. The book has teens in the Bay dealing with regular teenage issues, as well as vampires gang violence. The characters are cool, there's African American's, Vietnamese, Latino's, Filippino's, Jews, Goths, ravers, taggers and possibly dirty cops and a guy who eats a rat. If you LOVE hip hop, or you're from the Bay Area you need to read this book. I love Night Biters because it's real hip hop, it's not derogatory or dogmatic, it's just real and entertaining.

The book is written in the style of how Traffic and Crash were made as movies. A ton of individual stories, all intertwined into one explosive plot. Read this book, you won't be disappointed. The story is based on actual events in 1999 leading up to the change of the century in the backdrop of the worlds most integrated group of cities. Two teens come here to spend the summer and find that some of thier friends have become vampires and are dealing with personal issues like abusive stepfathers, drugs, gangs and police (damn taggers!). Doooooood read it!!!

This is an amazing book. It is filled with suspense and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Omari and Jamilah Jackson going to Oakland and finding out that some of their friends have joined vampire gangs. Jennifer, Dragonbrush, Tioni, Tyrone and Yes are also a big part of the story. JDawg and Carlos the two gang leader try to recruit as many vampires as they can to help them defeat the other gang. My favorite character is Jennifer at the end of the book she rocks taking on vampires like an Asian Buffy the vampire slayer. My favorite scene is in the movie theatre where the vampires gangs fight while watching the movie Blacula. I will give this book a five star rating.

Night Biters is my favorite book, I visited the Bay Area and have saw the old Montgomery Ward building. It was too scary a building for me to enter but not a vampire. I also like that us Pinoy's finally got some recognition and respect in a book. Dragonbrush is my dog I liked the way he and Tioni looked out for one another and how he showed that he really appreciated her. Jamilah is cool but too stuck up for my taste, I wouldn't want my sister taking all my favorite clothes just because she wants them. But in the end they all looked out for one another.

I didn't know what to expect when I first picked up NB, but by the end of part one I was hooked. My favorite character is Carlos the Latin gang leader that regrets becoming a vampire and his violent past. The writer does an excellent job capturing the essence of Market Street in downtown San Francisco, and other Bay Area haunts. I don't know where this series is going, but I'm down for the ride

Adrian Harper's Night Biters offers some fresh ideas to the fantasy genre. The magical compact disc is as effective a talisman as a ring or trinket in other period work of fiction. It also solidifies the effectiveness of hip hop in a way the reader will find appealing. Graffiti spray painting is also featured, skateboarding is taken to new heights and I will never see using a Super Soaker the same way.

The writer skillfully depicts the story's teens as youth who regret some of the poor choices they have made and the impact those decisions have on their families while ably avoiding stereotypes. He also offers some interesting views on vampirism viewing it more to an addiction than a spiritual damnation reminding the reader that there is always hope. Filled with clever twist and surprises, Night Biters is a delight.

This book puts Oakland, CA on the map. It is filled with suspense and humor. The multi-cultural characters are people we see in everyday life. I loved this book. I can't wait for the next one.

This is a great read.

Great, because it has a common sense idea that is missing from most stories of this genre.

The genre, "supernatural horror," ultimately goes to a war between good and evil (yep, heaven and hell), because these would be the source of power in the story. So the ultimate source of power is on another level--not the level the story is about (our everyday homes and neighborhoods). But hey, the vampires, zombies, and other things have been around for a long time. And we are still here, too. Something we don't usually see in these stories must be equalizing the landscape, or else ordinary humans would have been gone a long time ago. What equalizes a vampire? They have supernatural powers, so regular folks are out-gunned. In any war, if the sides are not matched, the war does not last long. In the literature vampires, zombies, et al., have been around a long time. So what holds them in check? Doesn't have to be a "good" version of the evil creature--just something with power and method of its own that it can use to engage the enemy. That's war. Even a supernatural one would have to have this equivalence of power.

There are popular movies about renegades that have reason to hate the supernatural villains, but vampires alone would have over-run the world before most of these popular characters started. Besides, these stories are usually more about special-effects or martial arts or something--not really horror stories but more like action-adventure-martial arts-horror. Whatever. There's only one movie I've seen recently that is an exception to this, "Constantine." But since this isn't a plug for movies, let's move on... ;)

"Night Biters" revitalizes the role of the church in this type of story! Instead of the lame "Exorcist" angle in which the demons have power that is clearly uncontrollable, here the war could have lasted this long. God is on our side through supernatural beings at this level. That's what I was referring to before, when I said that ordinary humans would otherwise be gone. In run-of-the-mill horror stories a recurring theme is that the heroes are so outmatched they have to sacrifice themselves--and leave this plane of existence--in order to win. So in time they'd all have moved on, leaving us here. There must be something more powerful that fights here and wins often enough to balance the war against evil. This story touches on this with style; it's a story told intelligently in a way that makes sense.

So is it scary? Yeah, because the writer tells the tale in a way that evokes vivid images of what the characters are going through as all of these peculiar things happen. It's not a predictable story. I found myself liking some, and wondering if they'd make it...but it's war. Casualties are inevitable. How does it end?

Check it out! It's a great read!

i really enjoyed this book, i'm not even finished with it yet but some of the quality of the book was taken away by the poor editing! some of the chapters were missing entire words at the end! some of the sentences were gramatically incorrect and i kept reading them over and over saying...that's not right...we don't laid down, we lie down! stuff like that really took away from the book because it was a fantastic story. i really enjoyed the element of faith and how there are good vampires and bad vampires etc. it was realistic, like...if there WERE vampires, this is how it would be. either way, i would definitely advise this story being read, just please have an updated version!

I would be the first to say that I wasn't into the vampire series, but AJ Harper has reeled me in. It gives you an escape into another world when you want to shut your brain off from this one. Taking the place in Oakland, California he puts a different twist on the vampire lifestyle from becoming one to learning how to adjust. Through out the entire book AJ Harper makes one thing clear no matter what you are or what you become in life, friendship matters the most.

I am a middle school teacher in East Oakland. I had been searching and searching for a book that my students would actually relate to and enjoy. Then, a fellow teacher mentioned Night Biters - a book written about teenage vampires of color that is set in Oakland. I knew we had found our book.

My class and I are almost done with the book now. My students LOVE the story. It's filled with action, suspense, teenage drama, family triumphs and struggles, and of course, horror. This book is amazing in that it speaks to each and every one of my students. The characters in the book represent various ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds - all of which mirror one of the few places that could be so diverse - the Bay Area. The students get excited and proud when we read a scene that set in their local neighborhood. Moreover, Harper does an excellent job of capturing the ups and downs of adolescent development in an urban setting, specifically in Oakland. Harper's story perfectly reflects the issues that teenagers face growing up in Oakland, only he throws vampires into the mix!

To top off the entire experience, A.J. Harper came to visit our class to discuss the book and do a reading! The kids were ecstatic and beyond inspired. Harper did more than just introduce the book, he taught an entire lesson. We discussed the various themes that he incorporated in the writing of the book, most notably, the theme of family and how family is defined and experienced in various ways by the characters in the book. For instance, there's the actual biological families of each of the characters - which are each multi-dimensional and moving, and then there are the families outside of the home - that of the teenage peer groups, and in this case, other vampires and close friends. It was an incredible lesson and experience that I know my students will always carry with them. Harper also signed each and every student's copy - something they continue to brag about!

If you are looking for a book that relates to urban teens of color, then I guarantee you have found your book!! Also, Night Biters is just the first in the series that Harper is working on, so as soon as my students and I are finished, I believe the sequel will be out by December!!