Mina (Hamilton) Smith is a regular teenage girl about to start her senior year of high school. She has a boyfriend, George and a best friend, Serena, both of whom she cares for deeply. She argues with her parents and even does a little bit of rule breaking. There is one thing, however, that makes Mina different from other girls her age. She is a newly turned vampire. After her changing, Mina's life starts to go downhill. The Vampire Council stages her death, changes her name, and forces her family to relocate. Against all rules, she manages to let Serena know about everything that is going on. But her life continues to get worse. Her family moves to Cartville, a tiny town in the middle of Louisiana so that her dad can play historian with some vampire doctor who is older than the earth itself; her boyfriend goes to Brazil to reconnect with his absentee parents and she has not heard from him since he left; the only other vampire teen in town, Cameron, is oh-so-complicated, mysterious and smells way too good to be allowed; and, to top it all off, a weird, vampire wannabe, Goth girl, who got kicked out of Mina's vampire (propaganda) preparation classes, is stalking Serena. Add to that the fact that neither girl should know anything about the existence of vampires and Mina is in a whole lot of trouble.
Kimberly Pauley sucks the reader in with her capture of Mina's voice. Her writing style makes a reader feel as if Mina is their close friend. Her sarcastic and witty humor keeps a reader laughing at every turn. I was glued to this book from start to finish and if a reader enjoys teen fiction, then they will be too. Mina's life is a roller coaster of laughs and thrills all the way to the finish.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, Ma USA
