The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eight Grade Bites

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eight Grade Bites

By: Heather Brewer

If you're a fan of vampires, but not a big fan of Twilight, or other similarly-styled vampire novels, then you're sure to be a fan of Eight Grade Bites, book one of the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Told from the perspective of thirteen-year-old Vlad, he has to control his vampire urges all while dealing with the challenges of coping with the tragic death of his parents, a major crush, bullies, eight grade in general, a substitute teacher who may or may not know his secret, and may or may not be plotting to kill him and Nelly, his mother's best friend, and now his legal guardian, and being hunted by the head of a vampire city known as Elysia for crimes his father committed.

Violence: Not much. A lot of talk about blood though (vampire, duh). There's also bullying, and a small fight at the end that consists of a man getting a hole blown through his chest with a magical vampire-slaying device. So, about PG.

Language: Pretty clean, actually. No curse words that I can remember reading.

Sexual Content:Mostly none. Vlad's best friend, Henry, talks a lot about who in the school makes out the best.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good book, really funny, has a great start, and flows really well, but it's lacking in the action that most would expect from a vampire novel.

I personally loved this book. I could not put it down, not even to sleep. It's an easy read, and I finished it in about a day, so those people who like easier books would love this. It had me biting down on my hands to keep from bursting out laughing in class it was that funny. The only drawbacks are that in some parts of the book, your attention can wander,but that doesn't mean it's a boring book, because it's not, and, like I said earlier, it's kind of lacking in action until the last three or so chapters.

Excerpt:

"A tree branch slapped John Craig across the face, scraping his skin, but he kept on running and ignored the stabbing of pine needles on his bare feet. He could hear the man’s footsteps behind him, echoing his own. The man was getting closer.

A fallen branch grabbed John’s ankle and he fell forward. Time slowed to a crawl as his face neared the leaf-covered ground. Cold air whipped across his skin. His heart drummed in his ears. The man’s pace quickened and just as John’s cheek smacked against the earth, the stranger grabbed a fistful of John’s hair and pulled his head back. John screeched, "What do you want from me?" but his attacker didn’t answer.

John swung his arms behind him to knock the man down, but his hands were caught effortlessly in the air and bound behind him. A hand, gloved in shiny black leather, entered his field of vision, clutching a torn page from the Bathory Gazette. John’s head jerked back as the man gave his hair a violent tug and growled, "Where is he?"

At the center of the paper was the grainy image of a thirteen-year-old boy John knew well. The boy was surrounded by several of his peers and a teacher, but looked nervous, awkward. At the bottom of the photo, it read, "Left to right: Kelly Anbrock, Carrie Anderson, Henry McMillan, Jonathan Craig, Vladimir Tod, Edgar Poe, Mike Brennan." At the top was a bold title: Debate Team Sure to Win at Regionals!

Tears coated John’s cheeks and he shook his head, refusing to answer.

Something warm and slick ran down John’s forehead. Through red tinted glass, he looked at the forest around them. He screamed for help until his lungs burned, but help wouldn’t come. "Where’s the boy? Where’s Vlad?"

John wriggled. The man’s face was near his. Cold breath beat down on the back of his neck and something sharp grazed against his skin.

"Tell me or die."

John opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late for lies. The man bit down. Fangs popped through John’s skin, cutting deep into his neck."

-Itchakomi Moss