Customer Reviews

Vampire High

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a great book! I wish Rees would write more so I could read more of his stuff. He has managed to weave the general weirdness of high school (regular being only slightly less strange than vampire-type) into an exciting tale about the interconnectedness of wolfpeople, selkies, vampires and plain old people, to say nothing of lawyers who work for Leach, Swindol and Twist in the seemingly quiet New England town of New Sodom. His characters are very likable without being goody-goodies, and he's able to portray both teenagers and adults with perception and sympathy.

The novel begins with Cody in a classic sulk because his father has changed jobs and the family has had to move from California to New England. He's determined to show his displeasure by flunking every class at Cotton Mather High, and seems well on the way when his father announces that he's going to transfer him to one of the town's two private schools: Our Lady of Perpetual Homework or Vlad Dracul. At Vlad Dracul Cody finds, much to his surprise, a friend, a beautiful girl to fall in love with, and an astonishing lack of work - he can get straight As just by breathing, apparently. What could be better? Nothing - for a few days. And then he becomes determined to unravel the mystery of this school where everyone else seems to do loads of work, and he does nothing except lounge around and sit in the pool every day pretending that there's a water polo team and he's part of it!

Buy two copies - one for yourself and one for a very good friend who is guaranteed to love it!

Vampire High is a rollicking delight from beginning to end. True, the ending is telegraphed waaaaay ahead of time, but in Rees's hands, it is the journey, not the destination that is important. Cody's awareness that having things handed to you on a silver platter is not a satisfying way to live life and his growing maturity as he navigates both adolescence and a vampire high school sends a very clear message to the readers without being didactic, heavy handed or dull. Rees knows his pacing, his humor and his subject well. The teens I have recommended this to came away laughing themselves silly while at the same time realizing that how you live your life and taking responsiblity for yourself is more important than the concerns of our status seeking, easy does it culture. Can't wait to read more by this author.

There probably isn't too much more to say about this book that the good reviews above don't already say, but I had to chime in in agreement. I picked up a paperback of Vampire High off a Halloween table because of the engaging cover, and bought it because of the clever conceit and a brisk first chapter. And I'm so glad I did - I devoured this book in all of a day and a half, and found myself hungry for more when it was finished.

Quoted VOYA comparisons to Rowling and Snicket on the back cover aren't really fair to the individuality of this book. Yes, it has the clever wit of Snicket, though here it is channeled through a likeable teenage protagonist and isn't overdone. Yes, it immerses us in a school for exceptional students - in this case, of course, vampires - down to the odd yet enthusiastic teachers and administrators, but expectations for Cody are certainly not what they are for Harry and the gang over at Hogwarts. Instead, challenged not with being a "chosen one" but a "meaningless one," Cody chooses to rebel - which in this case means doing his best to make the grade.

What I liked most about this book was how it blended a bit of what's being done with contemporary vampire horror fiction by adult authors the likes of Dan Simmons (namely in Children of the Night) and contemporary YA fiction. I cared equally about Cody's relationships with love interest Ileana and new best friend Justin as I did about the tantalizing hints of vampire social structure in America.

This is a well-conceived and entertaining book that should appeal to both boys and girls, and I for one hope there are more books like it to come from Mr. Rees!

"Vampire High" by Douglas Rees was a great read. Cody Elliot is a normal high school kid who ends up at a school of all vampires. Well almost all vampires- the water polo team is made up of humans (apparently water is harmful to vampires). Cody tries his best to fit in, and ends up in more trouble then he bargained for. But armed with his new best friend, he's ready for anything.

The book was 226 pages, and I was sorry to see it end. I've found myself hoping that Douglas Rees will write a sequel so we can learn more about Cody- or even about Rees' vampire dwelling world. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lighthearted, and/or amusing, supernatural novels.



****Update: As of July 2010 there is now a sequel available!

Book 1 Vampire High
Book 2 Vampire High: Sophomore Year.

Imagine yourself thrown into a situation at school where you can do no wrong, and are settled for life. Straight A's and a guaranteed good life if all you do is sign up for water polo. That's where Cody finds himself in this book, where he has a tough decision to make. You already know what kind of school he goes to, but the main thing I liked about this book was his inner argument about being able to hold his own, and not taking everything with a blind eye. A story told by Cody in his own words, about making friends and enemies along the way. I finished this book in a little over two days, as Rees makes everything flow very easily from page to page. A good read for a student who's looking for something different.

It often seems to me that fiction written for young adults is better the the novels written for adults recently. Vampire High is a familiar tale in many ways, of high school angst, young love, and new friendship, with a twist. Others have described the characters as lacking depth, where secondary characters are true but the primary characters are trully engaging. Whatever Cody's faults our young hero is posessed of one thing in abundance Integrity. And it is this integrity that serves him repeatedly... and models what it is to be truly human.... Gadje or Jhenti.
Douglas Rees is definitely an author worth following. I hope he writes sequels to this book.. but if not just write something!

When I grabbed this book I really wasn't expecting much more than a silly story aimed at kids; I'm so happy I was disappointed in that respect. This is a story with something for every age level; the premise is wacky enough to draw in the children, and yet there are just enough adult concepts wrapped up in the story to keep older readers intrigued.

Cody, unhappy with his family's move from warm sunny California to drab and cold New Sodom, Massachusetts, deliberately starts flunking out in school, hoping that it will convince his father to move them back home. Instead, it convinces his father that Cody just needs a harder school. It's either "Our Lady of Perpetual Homework" (and any survivor of a decent high-school should get a good laugh out of that one) or Vlad Dracul. Given the choice, Cody takes the latter.

At first things seem impossibly good. A school that seems more a functional piece of artwork than just simple buildings, excellent food at "dinner" (it's not called lunch), and no one's expecting him to do any work. He just has to show up at the water polo games and he'll be given a free pass both in school and in the rest of his life (college and job provided for). It should be every slacker's dream come true. But Cody quickly discovers that it doesn't sit right with him. He has too much self-respect (something which surprises him) to just be given everything; he wants to earn his grades. The curriculum at Vlad Dracul is anything but easy, though, and he has a lot of work to do to catch up.

Adding to the complications, the students at Vlad Dracul are for the most part, vampires. Or jenti, as they prefer to be called. Something Cody only learns about when he rescues one of his classmates from the school bully. It's enough to send his entire worldview off kilter.

Cody has to both adapt to this new world and learn to exist in it. He even manages to make a couple friends. But it truly is a different world from his and there are rules and traditions he doesn't know. It's a social minefield, but one that Cody has to find his way through, or risk expulsion from a place he's growing to like, not just despite its peculiarities, but because of them.

As other reviewers have stated, there is an amusing amount of satire going on here, along with a great deal of wonderfully witty dialogue. There's also social commentary to be found. Cody's position at Vlad Dracul is equivalent to that of an African American student's in an all white high school in the late 60s. He's an object of scorn, something to be ignored, snubbed, and sometimes, attacked. He has to work to make himself be seen at all, and then work harder to become a person in the eyes of his classmates and teachers.

There are a couple caveats for the older reader, here. Some things in regards to Cody's acceptance amongst the jenti do seem to come too fast and too easily, but it's not so jarring that it ruins the flow of the book or the suspension of disbelief. One other item of note is Cody's behavior itself, in that he shows a remarkable lack of respect for both his parents and for Mr. Horvanth. He says things to both parties in a manner that no child should to an adult. This, however, could simply be more social commentary on the author's part.

Those minor problems aside, Cody's story is one that's fun to follow. Despite the usual teenage mood swings and depressions when he has setbacks, Cody doesn't give up, and his struggle in this odd world he finds himself in is well worth the read.

this is a very good book. it's about vampires but its not scary at all. I recomend it to everyone!

Forget what you know about vampire novels (Sookie fans, Bella/Edward fans) because this is a bit more tame. Tame on the romance (it's there), tame on the blood (still there, less graphic), tame on the oh-no-vampires-exist! (it's a kinda realized world here). But not tame on the teen angst (bullies, popularity issues, homework), the underdog getting his (you'll be cheering), and the subtle, cheeky humor (especially towards the end). A reprieve from the still great but overwrought Twilight (sorry! had to be said). Nicely done with a cute twist at the end.

What a wonderful book! Thanks for a fun, amazing read! I'm rarely ever into any kind of fantasy or paranormal (anyone who knows me well knows that my boots are firmly planted on terra firma), but VAMPIRE HIGH is not so much a paranormal or vampire book as it is a book about the value of real friendship. And while Vlad Dracul High School is filled with kids who have unusual, um, dietary needs, they are still teens like you'll see at any high school--quirky, needy, funny, bright, mean, sweet and exuding all of the other wonderful qualities teens possess! The characters in VAMPIRE HIGH--both the jenti and the gadhe--are so beautifully drawn that I was rooting for them all, turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. The ending satisfied, too!