Customer Reviews

Secret Vampire (Night World, Book 1)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read this book about four times, and I'll probably still continue to read it. I have this goal to actually get myself to read the Night World Series in order, but unfortunately, sense my boyfriend has some of my books, when I did decide "Ok, I'm going to do it" I had to skip over some books. LJ Smith writes great characters. This story seems to be one of those things that is just fancinating about vampires. A girl is about to die, and her only way to live is to become a vampire. Its romantic, it has an edge of evil to it, and its a great intro to the series. The series just glides right into things. I began to notice, recently, that they seem to be flowing in a yearly manor. Poppy finds out she's got cancer just after school let's out, Ash finds his soulmate just before school's back in session, the book after that happens toward the beginning of the school year, and so on. It really is just one long series and you get to meet so many different lives. Secret Vampire is still my fav. And actually, everyone seems to be always mentioning Ash. I really didn't find anything about his character that special in this book. He has a good part and I love him in the book after this, or rather I just love how Mary Lennette treats him. These books are funny, suspensful and romantic, just a good mix. Don't let these books pass you by.

LJ Smith has been one of my favorite authors since I was in junior high school. Her books are all about the supernatural, but you don't have to be a science-fiction, horror story lover to enjoy them. The Night World is a series about vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and the humans who know about them. However, don't be turned off if this isn't typically your thing. They are more love stories between teenagers who hapen to be supernatural beings than they are books about supernatural beings who happen to fall in love. The characters are easy to relate to because they have the same types of problems that normal teenagers have, fangs and all.
Secret Vampire is one of the best Night World books in the series. James is a vampire whose human best friend, Poppy, is dying of cancer. He has to choose between breaking the laws of his people or letting Poppy die. He also has to face the obstacles of Phil, Poppy's possessive twin brother, Poppy's stubborness, and Ash, James' ruthless vampire cousin.
I would recommend Secret Vampire for any teen girl, because in encompasses a wide variety of genres into one book without going too heavily into any of them.

Like all of L. J. Smith's books, Secret Vampire is a quick, thrilling read. Poppy is an ordinary teenage girl who at sixteen years old finds out that she is dying of cancer. That's when James, her best friend who she has secretly been in love with for years, reveals to her that he is a vampire and that he can offer her a cure - eternal life as a vampire. Now Poppy must make a choice - she can die or she can become a vampire. I especially like the ending, but I won't spoil it for you. All I can say is this book is awesome and amazing.

Poppy North is a typical sixteen-year old--she gets through school by being smarter than her teachers; likes to irritate her straight-laced twin brother, Phil; listens to New Age and techno music; has a secret crush on her best friend, James; and wakes up on the first morning of summer vacation before her senior year of high-school with nothing more paramount on her mind than what she can do with an entire summer spent with James.

Until the pain in her abdomen, which has steadily been increasing, working its way around to her back, keeping her awake at night, and causing her to lose weight, sends her to the doctor. Who then sends her to the hospital for tests. Where doctors then inform her that she has pancreatic cancer--the kind that will kill you within three weeks to three months.

Poppy, of course, isn't ready to die. Watching the reaction of her family--twin brother Phil, her mother, and step-father Cliff--only brings the truth closer to home. Poppy is going to die, there's nothing anyone can do about it, and it's going to be painful.

Except there is someone who can do something about it. James Rasmussen, her best friend from El Camino High School, her secret crush, a boy who now tells her something impossible--he's a lamia, a boy who was born a vampire, a member of the Night World, and he can change Poppy into a vampire to avoid certain death.

Of course Poppy doesn't believe him at first, but then what choice does she have? There's always been something different about James, and now she knows exactly what the difference is. So she agrees to become a vampire, knowing she'll have to leave her family behind, but knowing it's the only way to avoid certain death.

What follows is a fast-moving, interesting story about Poppy's immersion into becoming a vampire, the toll it takes on her brother, Phil, who finds out what they're doing, and the danger it puts James in. Because there are only two rules of the Night World: Never let the humans know it exists, and never fall in love with one of them. James has broken both of those rules.

What a great start to the Night World series! Towards the end of the book we meet some other interesting characters, which I'm guessing will play major roles in future books, so I can't wait to get started on the next read.

I think that this series is great I own all nine books, but the only bad thing about it is if you buy all 9 books you won't be able to finish the series because the other books i have no idea whether they were even been published yet, which is a real bummer. I have been waiting 2 years to finish this series and I have been searching around my state and other book vendors trying to find the last volumes. L.J. Smith is an excellent writer but I wish I could just find the other books!

The Night World is a secret society of vampires, werewolves, and witches. In the first book in the series, teenage Poppy discovers she has terminal cancer. Things look pretty bleak for Poppy till her best friend and secret crush, James, reveals that he is a vampire and that he wants to make her one as well. Poppy isn't out of the woods yet, by making her a vampire James has broken the laws of the night world which could cost him and Poppy their lives.

This is probably the best L. J. Smith book I've read so far. I enjoyed it so much I read it practically in one sitting. The characters, plot, and pacing were all perfect and the writing was very emotional as well. Smith's vampires are different from any I've read about before. She's also created a very intriguing world that makes me want to track down the rest of the series. Fans of teen horror, vampire fiction, or even just good romance should give this one a try.

this book was the first book that i have ever read of the night world series. this book is about a girl, poppy, who gets cancer. then her best friend and secret love, james, offers her a chance to live. but to live, she must become a vampire. the rest, you'll have to read. myself, i don't like it when people who write online reviews spill the beans about the ending. after this book, i was hooked onto l.j. smith's books. im sure you will too. :)

Poppy Smith is secretly in love with her life-long friend James. When she discovers that she has pancreatic cancer and only a short time to live, she discovers a dark and terrifying secret. Now she must choose - her life, or her family and friends. James is torn between his love for Poppy and the world he has grown up knowing. Determined not to lose her, James makes the ultimate sacrifice and tells her of his vampire nature. He can make Poppy a vampire too and they will be immortal but Poppy cannot see her friends or family again. James will do anything to protect her but Poppy is undecided. She wonders if she will become a monster (vampires do drink blood after all) and if she can live that kind of life (ruled by bloodlust - the need/hunger for fresh blood). When she agrees, the exchange of blood occurs and there is no turning back. James and Poppy know they will become outlaws and have to live their life running and hiding. This is because James has broken two sacred rules of the NightWorld (secret society of witches, werewolves, vampires and shapeshifters). The first - never let a human know that we exist and the second - never fall in love with a human. For that alone, he will be condemned to die a horrible death for the only substance harmful to a vampire is wood and execution occurs by sticking hundreds of stakes into the body. James cannot help but love Poppy because they are soulmates (two souls who when joined, are whole again). However, he has also broken another rule by turning Poppy into a vampire without express permission from the Elders of the Council who rule the NightWorld. Poppy is a renegade vampire and outcast from society. The lamia (name given to naturally born vampires) will never let her live as one of them and James' dangerous cousin Ash is close to the truth about Poppy. Good beginning. It doesn't deserve 5 stars because it takes a litte while to get going but I can understand that because the author has to introduce a new 'world' and concepts in a short novel.

As an adult I rated this as a 2 star. The story had potential and the characters are likable. Poppy was well developed and we learned about James as we read the book. Phil, Poppy's twin brother acted in many ways that any brother who cared for his sister would act. Phil also did some things a sane person would not if the situations were real. I feel the mother and step-father should have played a bigger role in the story. It was like they were there only because Poppy is a teenager and they HAD to be there.
From a teenager point of view the brother was brave and amazing, maybe a little too involved but acceptable. The lack of parents except during important stuff (Poppy's diagnosis) was acceptable and enjoyable.
As an adult I was a little board with the book. I was a little more than half way into the book and I thought there was not going to be any action with the little amount of pages I have left to read. Once the action started, it moved so fast the book was over. Questions were left unanswered, one I thought was important to the story. What was the dream about?
From a teenager point of view, the book probably moved quickly and exactly how it should have. The end of the book explanation is probably accepted with no questions left over.
As someone who reads many vampire stories, it is the typical male vampire/ female human love story. I saw some similarities with this series and newer released vampire series. Some examples of this are character similarities (vampires going outside during the day) and even character names (Quinn, Claudine, and Eric). I will say Eric might not be anything as it is a common name but it was pretty odd considering the other two names. It makes me wonder if the other two authors read this story before writing their own series.
As a mother, I like is how L.J. Smith wrote about Poppy being in love with James but did not make or imply they had a sexual relationship. Young teens are faced with enough sexual media that it is nice to have one talk about emotions. In my personal opinion James should have been a little more aggressive considering he is a vampire and all.

I've always loved Vampire story.However, I'm bored by those typical, traditional story in which Vampires were all bad(-_-).
"Secret Vampire" has everything I want to read. From love to excitement.I especially like the process of how human transform into Vampire (usually most of the book didn't describe it clearly, but this one is crystal-clear, including all 5 senses). Also, I like the idea that only small differences between humans and vampire, that Vampire are not just monster. Characters in this book were all lovely. The end is really......you'll be surprised!!