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The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #2
L'héritage du passé
La nouvelle année scolaire s'annonce sanglante pour Vlad Tod ! Les brutes qui le martyrisaient au collège l'ont suivi au lycée et le photographe du journal de l'école ne le quitte plus. Heureusement, un voyage d'étude en Sibérie permettra au jeune homme de rencontrer d'autres vampires, qui lui apprendront à manipuler la volonté des humains. Mais Vlad sera-t-il assez mûr pour reconnaître, à son retour, le chasseur de vampire qui le traque ?Dans cette époustouflante suite à Un Secret Bien Gardé, Vlad doit affronter les secrets du passé et combattre des forces démoniaques. Vous comprendrez vite pourquoi l'écrivain D.J. MacHale qualifie les Chroniques de Vladimir Tod d'"effroyables, belles et envoûtantes".
307 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
561 people are currently reading
8276 people want to read
About the author
Heather Brewer
25 books2,856 followersHeather Brewer is the pseudonym of Zac Brewer…but you can call him Z.
Zac is the NYT bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, as well as The Slayer Chronicles series, Soulbound, The Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, and more short stories than he can recall.
He grew up on a diet of Twilight Zone and books by Stephen King. He chased them down with every drop of horror he could find—in books, movie theaters, on television. The most delicious parts of his banquet, however, he found lurking in the shadowed corners of his dark imagination. When he’s not writing books, he’s skittering down your wall and lurking underneath your bed. Zac doesn’t believe in happy endings…unless they involve blood.
He lives in Missouri with his husband, two children, and four furry overlords that some people refer to as “cats”.
Zac is the NYT bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, as well as The Slayer Chronicles series, Soulbound, The Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, and more short stories than he can recall.
He grew up on a diet of Twilight Zone and books by Stephen King. He chased them down with every drop of horror he could find—in books, movie theaters, on television. The most delicious parts of his banquet, however, he found lurking in the shadowed corners of his dark imagination. When he’s not writing books, he’s skittering down your wall and lurking underneath your bed. Zac doesn’t believe in happy endings…unless they involve blood.
He lives in Missouri with his husband, two children, and four furry overlords that some people refer to as “cats”.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,151 reviews
May 5, 2010
Last year, we had exams.
Now, they're not particularly hard exams. Most of us students finish them in twenty minutes. The problem? It's supposed to take two hours. So that leaves us with a lot of time on our hands.
I needed a book, see. So I went through the shelves at my local book store to find a thin, quick read. Normally, I would have opted for a fluffy Sarah Desson-ish book, but something caught my eye. It was a thin, titless cover on display beside a Twilight counter. Picking it up, flipping through it, I decided I could read this in an hour, flat. So I bought it. It's title? The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eigth Grade Bites. It was cute, not terrible, but not amazing, either. Okay.
Recently, I found the second on sale and picked it up.
And here we are.
I'm not sure how to write this review.
On one hand, Ninth Grade Slays is a fun, cute read. It doesn't require much heavy thinking, it doesn't take a very hard toll on your heart like a lot of vampire books these days, it's short and quick.
On the other hand, however, it sucked.
Vlad is one of the biggest babies I've ever read about. His parents are dead, see, which is sad and all, but then, four years later, whenever someone brings up the friggen subject, HERE COMES THE TEARS.
I mean, really. Where is the tough, jaded, cynical jerk I had come to expect of every male protagonist I read about? What happened to 'guys don't cry'? What happened to, "eh, it's nothing"? What HAPPENED? I mean, isn't that what makes the emotional breakdown with guys in books all the more heartbreaking? When they're cold, disconnected jerks the entire time? Just...ugh. Vlad is constantly going on and on about 'my parents are dead, my friend went on a date with a girl I never told him I liked, waahhhh'. It's like, dude, grow a pair.
The characterazation is thin as the paper it's printed on. The boys, all in ninth grade, can only think about video games, gory movies, pretty girls, and more video games. Even Vlad, who you'd think would have something else to think about, being on the Big Time Vampire Society's number one enemey list, has very little going on inside his ticker but gore nad Meredith and gore and beating Henry--his best friend--at video games and more gore and it's just so mind numbingly stupid I found myself staring at the page thinking, "I know guys. They have more going on then this."
On the plot, it really kind of confuses me. Not because it's complicated, but because I don't know what it is. The author spends more then half the book with Vlad shitting around and pining over Meredith, his supposed love interest, and thinking about how bullies are out to get him and basically recapping the entire first book--oh, and he spends almost an entire page bitching about how much agony he was in when he broke one rib the book before. One rib. Literally. Mr. Tod, I have read books where characters get limbs yanked off and continue onward without a second thought. You, Mister Todd?
(...) The last thing thing that Vlad needed was to fall from a tree. While Vlad healed at an abnormally fast rate, it still hurt whenever he got scraps or
bruises. The rib D'Ablo had broken last year had been no picnic, either. Six days of almost constant pain.
It had felt like an eternity. (and so on)
I mean, It's one rib.
Anyway.
The plot, as far as I can tell, is that he goes to Siberia with his Uncle Otis (more on him later)to be taught the vampire ways by an ancient vampire named Vikas (who demenstrates surprisingly little wisdom, might I add) for a week. Again, this is 200 pages in in a 278 page book. And then Ms. Brewer spends a total of twenty MORE pages filled with MORE vamp angst, cheesy dialogue and bland plot twists that anyone with half an eyeball could of seen coming.
For those who did read it, you all know what I mean. Hightlight the following space if your curious.... Joss is the VAMPIRE
SLAYER ZOMG WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED THAT A KID WHO CAME OUT OF NO WHERE WAS A
VAMPIRE SLAYER THAT ALSO CAME OUT OF NO WHERE WHO SAW IT COMING I SURE
DIDN'T WOOOAAAAHHHH!
Yeah.
Plus, I really think Heather Brewer takes her readers for idiots. Every few minutes she is basically recapping the previous page, or stating the obvious, or making it seem like people are smarter then they are just by MAKING other people tell them how smart they are. Example:
(...) "I'm trying to protect you."
"From what? I thought you trusted Vikas to teach me."
"I do. It's just..." Otis shook his head, his anger visably melting away. "Vikas is a traditional teacher. For the most part, his curriculum is brilliant. But some of his ideals are not necessarily the ideals I wish to instill in you."
Vlad chewed his botttom lip thoughtfully before speaking. "Shoudn't that be
up to me?"
Otis met Vlad's eyes, wide and full of awe. "Such wisdom from one so
young"
Really? Are you kidding me? You consider that wise? I'm not even skipping any passages here, people. That's exactly what they said. Because Vlad acted like any teenager in the world would, trying to decide things for himself, he's suddenly the Dali Lama. I kept glancing back at the previous pages to see if Vladimir actually said something admirable, but no. Apparently, being a moody teenager with a mind of your own makes you wise, these days. Oy.
Another bit that irritated me: Vlad's uncle, Otis. Last year (in the previous book) Otis is considered an eeeevvviiilll subsitute teacher who's out to get Vlad. Now, the following year, in a span of one summer, Otis went from Evil Dude to My Awesome Vampire Uncle. And I have no idea why. Vlad is borderline obsessed with Otis, and they give no indication of how this came to be. It's so sappy, the way they act around each other, like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in Batman and Robin, but so much worse because it's not George Clooney.
Another bout of stupidness, from Vlad's pale Joss *if you have no read I do not suggest reading the following paragraph* WHY would Joss tell Vlad he's a vamp slayer when he thinks Vlad's human? WHY, if he's such an amazing slayer, as both he and the author reminds, does he need one of his high school buddies to assist him in finding a vampire? Why would anybody with a brain wake up and think, "gee, I wonder where that darn vampire is. Maybe I'll just ask my completely unrelated human pal to come and help me! Hopefully he won't get killed..."
I mean, come on. Who does that?
And, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the crying issue.
Now, there is one scene, where Vlad goes to the cemetary to visit his parents grave. This moment,where he breaks down sobbing over the gravestones, would have been very touching. Had he not been crying the rest of the book about something or another. See, there's something endearing about a big touch guy with a jaded facade and a fixated scowl on his pretty little mug crying for his mommy. But it's not endearing, however, when they've been crying the whole time. Over the same thing. Again and again. After a point, the water works are just ridiculous. There is, however, some lovely decription at the cemetary, which eased the pain a bit:
Halfway up the main path, Vlad paused to look around. The cemetary was overgrown with weeds and dead ivy, and moss hung from the tree trunks. To his left stood a large block shaped tombstone. Atop it stood a stone women. In her hand was a wreath of some sort. In the moonlight, she seemed alive and, with a shiver, Vlad waited for her to move.
To his immense relief, she didn't.
This is probably the best paragraph in the book. Which is sad.
The stupidness in Ninth Grade Slays is overwhelming, filled with cheesy plot devices, LOTS of bitch boy/vampire crying (EVERY OTHER PARAGRAPH), and just plain annoying characters. I would not suggest it, unless your ten years old, have low expectations, have never read a book before, or all three. The only thing I can say about it is that it's entertaining if your on a long plane ride. Or something.
Now, they're not particularly hard exams. Most of us students finish them in twenty minutes. The problem? It's supposed to take two hours. So that leaves us with a lot of time on our hands.
I needed a book, see. So I went through the shelves at my local book store to find a thin, quick read. Normally, I would have opted for a fluffy Sarah Desson-ish book, but something caught my eye. It was a thin, titless cover on display beside a Twilight counter. Picking it up, flipping through it, I decided I could read this in an hour, flat. So I bought it. It's title? The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eigth Grade Bites. It was cute, not terrible, but not amazing, either. Okay.
Recently, I found the second on sale and picked it up.
And here we are.
I'm not sure how to write this review.
On one hand, Ninth Grade Slays is a fun, cute read. It doesn't require much heavy thinking, it doesn't take a very hard toll on your heart like a lot of vampire books these days, it's short and quick.
On the other hand, however, it sucked.
Vlad is one of the biggest babies I've ever read about. His parents are dead, see, which is sad and all, but then, four years later, whenever someone brings up the friggen subject, HERE COMES THE TEARS.
I mean, really. Where is the tough, jaded, cynical jerk I had come to expect of every male protagonist I read about? What happened to 'guys don't cry'? What happened to, "eh, it's nothing"? What HAPPENED? I mean, isn't that what makes the emotional breakdown with guys in books all the more heartbreaking? When they're cold, disconnected jerks the entire time? Just...ugh. Vlad is constantly going on and on about 'my parents are dead, my friend went on a date with a girl I never told him I liked, waahhhh'. It's like, dude, grow a pair.
The characterazation is thin as the paper it's printed on. The boys, all in ninth grade, can only think about video games, gory movies, pretty girls, and more video games. Even Vlad, who you'd think would have something else to think about, being on the Big Time Vampire Society's number one enemey list, has very little going on inside his ticker but gore nad Meredith and gore and beating Henry--his best friend--at video games and more gore and it's just so mind numbingly stupid I found myself staring at the page thinking, "I know guys. They have more going on then this."
On the plot, it really kind of confuses me. Not because it's complicated, but because I don't know what it is. The author spends more then half the book with Vlad shitting around and pining over Meredith, his supposed love interest, and thinking about how bullies are out to get him and basically recapping the entire first book--oh, and he spends almost an entire page bitching about how much agony he was in when he broke one rib the book before. One rib. Literally. Mr. Tod, I have read books where characters get limbs yanked off and continue onward without a second thought. You, Mister Todd?
(...) The last thing thing that Vlad needed was to fall from a tree. While Vlad healed at an abnormally fast rate, it still hurt whenever he got scraps or
bruises. The rib D'Ablo had broken last year had been no picnic, either. Six days of almost constant pain.
It had felt like an eternity. (and so on)
I mean, It's one rib.
Anyway.
The plot, as far as I can tell, is that he goes to Siberia with his Uncle Otis (more on him later)to be taught the vampire ways by an ancient vampire named Vikas (who demenstrates surprisingly little wisdom, might I add) for a week. Again, this is 200 pages in in a 278 page book. And then Ms. Brewer spends a total of twenty MORE pages filled with MORE vamp angst, cheesy dialogue and bland plot twists that anyone with half an eyeball could of seen coming.
For those who did read it, you all know what I mean. Hightlight the following space if your curious.... Joss is the VAMPIRE
SLAYER ZOMG WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED THAT A KID WHO CAME OUT OF NO WHERE WAS A
VAMPIRE SLAYER THAT ALSO CAME OUT OF NO WHERE WHO SAW IT COMING I SURE
DIDN'T WOOOAAAAHHHH!
Yeah.
Plus, I really think Heather Brewer takes her readers for idiots. Every few minutes she is basically recapping the previous page, or stating the obvious, or making it seem like people are smarter then they are just by MAKING other people tell them how smart they are. Example:
(...) "I'm trying to protect you."
"From what? I thought you trusted Vikas to teach me."
"I do. It's just..." Otis shook his head, his anger visably melting away. "Vikas is a traditional teacher. For the most part, his curriculum is brilliant. But some of his ideals are not necessarily the ideals I wish to instill in you."
Vlad chewed his botttom lip thoughtfully before speaking. "Shoudn't that be
up to me?"
Otis met Vlad's eyes, wide and full of awe. "Such wisdom from one so
young"
Really? Are you kidding me? You consider that wise? I'm not even skipping any passages here, people. That's exactly what they said. Because Vlad acted like any teenager in the world would, trying to decide things for himself, he's suddenly the Dali Lama. I kept glancing back at the previous pages to see if Vladimir actually said something admirable, but no. Apparently, being a moody teenager with a mind of your own makes you wise, these days. Oy.
Another bit that irritated me: Vlad's uncle, Otis. Last year (in the previous book) Otis is considered an eeeevvviiilll subsitute teacher who's out to get Vlad. Now, the following year, in a span of one summer, Otis went from Evil Dude to My Awesome Vampire Uncle. And I have no idea why. Vlad is borderline obsessed with Otis, and they give no indication of how this came to be. It's so sappy, the way they act around each other, like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in Batman and Robin, but so much worse because it's not George Clooney.
Another bout of stupidness, from Vlad's pale Joss *if you have no read I do not suggest reading the following paragraph* WHY would Joss tell Vlad he's a vamp slayer when he thinks Vlad's human? WHY, if he's such an amazing slayer, as both he and the author reminds, does he need one of his high school buddies to assist him in finding a vampire? Why would anybody with a brain wake up and think, "gee, I wonder where that darn vampire is. Maybe I'll just ask my completely unrelated human pal to come and help me! Hopefully he won't get killed..."
I mean, come on. Who does that?
And, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the crying issue.
Now, there is one scene, where Vlad goes to the cemetary to visit his parents grave. This moment,where he breaks down sobbing over the gravestones, would have been very touching. Had he not been crying the rest of the book about something or another. See, there's something endearing about a big touch guy with a jaded facade and a fixated scowl on his pretty little mug crying for his mommy. But it's not endearing, however, when they've been crying the whole time. Over the same thing. Again and again. After a point, the water works are just ridiculous. There is, however, some lovely decription at the cemetary, which eased the pain a bit:
Halfway up the main path, Vlad paused to look around. The cemetary was overgrown with weeds and dead ivy, and moss hung from the tree trunks. To his left stood a large block shaped tombstone. Atop it stood a stone women. In her hand was a wreath of some sort. In the moonlight, she seemed alive and, with a shiver, Vlad waited for her to move.
To his immense relief, she didn't.
This is probably the best paragraph in the book. Which is sad.
The stupidness in Ninth Grade Slays is overwhelming, filled with cheesy plot devices, LOTS of bitch boy/vampire crying (EVERY OTHER PARAGRAPH), and just plain annoying characters. I would not suggest it, unless your ten years old, have low expectations, have never read a book before, or all three. The only thing I can say about it is that it's entertaining if your on a long plane ride. Or something.
July 15, 2022
*More like 2.5 stars than 2.*
A surprisingly emotional at times read with a frenzied focus and an underwhelming climax that was almost identical to the Eighth Grade Bites’.
This book really didn’t have much going for it. It constantly copied the first book by having the same Halloween party hosted by the same character, the same will-they, won’t-they moments between the protagonist and the love interest centred around the same scenarios as though dances are the only events that ever occur at high school, the same antagonist (clearly wasting the opportunity to fill the void left by the ending of Eighth Grade Bites with a new big bad that could have enabled further world building), and the same lack of fighting in the final fight. The only new elements to the story were the new characters Joss and Vasik, both of whom were sadly underutilised.
Joss seemed interesting but due to the truth of who he truly was being kept from the reader for the majority of the book as part of the mystery aspect, his character wasn’t able to be fully explored and that led to him seeming more underdeveloped than he could’ve been with more backstory. Even then, as soon as his backstory was revealed it was as though what little bit of his personality had previously been established was thrown out the window in favour of ridiculously close-minded logic that was cliché and didn’t make any sense when taking into account the way in which Vlad constantly kept stating their friendship. Vasik similarly suffered from a lack of backstory and personality. It’s not as though he didn’t have any backstory to give, it’s just the author never bothered to spend any time fleshing him out. He served only as a conduit through which vampiric abilities could be explained, but even then they weren’t explained nearly enough. The dialogue kept alluding to powers far more interesting than the measly telepathy and mind control powers that had already been used throughout Eighth Grade Bites, yet never bothered exploring those different powers at all. And that was extremely odd considering the entire reason for the Siberia plot point was for Vlad to learn new powers. Yet when he got there all he did was drink barrels full of spiced blood and perform funeral rites for his long-dead father.
Vlad as a protagonist was borderline annoying. He constantly repeated himself, banging on about wanting his uncle to stay, being a dummy at communicating with a girl he liked, and harping on about his friendship with someone he clearly knew nothing about. And when he wasn’t doing all that, he was getting surprisingly emotional and weepy and, whilst he had good reasons for that, it just felt like the only part of Vlad’s character that was developed was his sadness. There were so many opportunities to explore emotions such as fear and hatred that were squandered. Sometimes it felt like Vlad’s reactions were muted, to the point that I was getting more riled up about what was happening to him than he was. If the plot and focus were on point then the protagonist could have afforded to be passive, but considering they weren’t, he should’ve been more reactionary, or at least more engaged.
The pacing was all over the place. The synopsis of this book suggested the focus was mostly on the Siberia plot point so it was extremely strange to find that the trip only came about almost halfway through the book and concluded after a couple of chapters. Then the storyline surrounding a slayer kicked in, only making real headway when there was one quarter of the book left. The only confrontation occurred two chapters before the end and it was over faster than the speed of a stake being driven into a vampire’s undead heart. When you put all that together, it looks like the majority of this book was fluff bits that padded out the story and didn’t even contribute in the way of world-building or character exploration and depth.
I can’t even say that this had potential because it came off the back of Eighth Grade Bites which was less than perfect and, for some absurd reason, treated Eighth Grade Bites as the archetype for this sequel whilst somehow managing to amplify every problem in Eighth Grade Bites.
A surprisingly emotional at times read with a frenzied focus and an underwhelming climax that was almost identical to the Eighth Grade Bites’.
This book really didn’t have much going for it. It constantly copied the first book by having the same Halloween party hosted by the same character, the same will-they, won’t-they moments between the protagonist and the love interest centred around the same scenarios as though dances are the only events that ever occur at high school, the same antagonist (clearly wasting the opportunity to fill the void left by the ending of Eighth Grade Bites with a new big bad that could have enabled further world building), and the same lack of fighting in the final fight. The only new elements to the story were the new characters Joss and Vasik, both of whom were sadly underutilised.
Joss seemed interesting but due to the truth of who he truly was being kept from the reader for the majority of the book as part of the mystery aspect, his character wasn’t able to be fully explored and that led to him seeming more underdeveloped than he could’ve been with more backstory. Even then, as soon as his backstory was revealed it was as though what little bit of his personality had previously been established was thrown out the window in favour of ridiculously close-minded logic that was cliché and didn’t make any sense when taking into account the way in which Vlad constantly kept stating their friendship. Vasik similarly suffered from a lack of backstory and personality. It’s not as though he didn’t have any backstory to give, it’s just the author never bothered to spend any time fleshing him out. He served only as a conduit through which vampiric abilities could be explained, but even then they weren’t explained nearly enough. The dialogue kept alluding to powers far more interesting than the measly telepathy and mind control powers that had already been used throughout Eighth Grade Bites, yet never bothered exploring those different powers at all. And that was extremely odd considering the entire reason for the Siberia plot point was for Vlad to learn new powers. Yet when he got there all he did was drink barrels full of spiced blood and perform funeral rites for his long-dead father.
Vlad as a protagonist was borderline annoying. He constantly repeated himself, banging on about wanting his uncle to stay, being a dummy at communicating with a girl he liked, and harping on about his friendship with someone he clearly knew nothing about. And when he wasn’t doing all that, he was getting surprisingly emotional and weepy and, whilst he had good reasons for that, it just felt like the only part of Vlad’s character that was developed was his sadness. There were so many opportunities to explore emotions such as fear and hatred that were squandered. Sometimes it felt like Vlad’s reactions were muted, to the point that I was getting more riled up about what was happening to him than he was. If the plot and focus were on point then the protagonist could have afforded to be passive, but considering they weren’t, he should’ve been more reactionary, or at least more engaged.
The pacing was all over the place. The synopsis of this book suggested the focus was mostly on the Siberia plot point so it was extremely strange to find that the trip only came about almost halfway through the book and concluded after a couple of chapters. Then the storyline surrounding a slayer kicked in, only making real headway when there was one quarter of the book left. The only confrontation occurred two chapters before the end and it was over faster than the speed of a stake being driven into a vampire’s undead heart. When you put all that together, it looks like the majority of this book was fluff bits that padded out the story and didn’t even contribute in the way of world-building or character exploration and depth.
I can’t even say that this had potential because it came off the back of Eighth Grade Bites which was less than perfect and, for some absurd reason, treated Eighth Grade Bites as the archetype for this sequel whilst somehow managing to amplify every problem in Eighth Grade Bites.
February 20, 2019
(*SPOILERS*) I really loved this book, as it intervened with another series by this author, Heather Brewer. Vlad is a daring person. Vlad is a confident person. On the other hand, there is Joss. Joss is Vlad's best friend's cousin. Joss is ruthless. Joss is determined. He will stop at nothing to find Vlad. There was a part where Joss literally stabbed Vlad in the back with a wooden stake. I can relate to this because I have felt "stabbed in the back" by some of my friends before, some of the friends that I thought I trusted.
October 13, 2008
If you aren't familiar with the series. Vladimir Tod, or Vlad, is a unique guy. He is half human, half vampire. Living in the small town of Bathory, a fictitious town and not sure if purposeful but shares a name with a Swedish heavy metal band but more likely a reference to one of the bloodiest serial killers in history who legend says, believed that bathing in the blood of virgins would keep her young and beautiful - this is probably not true but she did torture and murder at least 80 people.
Anywho, no one in the town excpet for "aunt" Nelly and his best friend/drudge Henry (caused by an accidental biting) know what he truly is. A few years ago, Vlad's parents died in a mysterious fire that consumed them yet left the rest of the house in tact. Vlad doesn't bite people, but he does drink blood. Aunt Nelly brings them home from work and stores them in the freezer for him. Blood slushies - yum!
A nice follow-up to the first book, 8th Grade Bites. I'm a stickler for reading series in order but I think this is one of those you do need to read in the correct order.
Filled with the same snarky and sometimes ironic humor that was present in the first. It's got great references to vampires in pop-culture (look and you will see). And, as in the first book, Vlad is learning to deal with his vampiric nature while be chased by bullies, and crushing on the beautiful Meredith (although in this book he is pretty sure she likes him too). Now he also has to worry about being outed by the school newspaper photographer, he gains a new friend, while training in a super-secret vampire compound in Siberia, he learns what his role may be in a major vampire prophecy and lastly a shocking plot twist is revealed.
I love the little humorous bits like the moment in the lunch room when a classmate grabs a ho ho from his lunch and bites into it only to get a mouthful of a blood capsule hidden on the inside (how else is supposed to get proper nutrition). He had to think fast to explain that one!
Great for: Middle & High Schools, any one who loves vampire books, for readers seeking an alternative to the love & mush of Twilight.
Other books to read:
Suck It Up
Anywho, no one in the town excpet for "aunt" Nelly and his best friend/drudge Henry (caused by an accidental biting) know what he truly is. A few years ago, Vlad's parents died in a mysterious fire that consumed them yet left the rest of the house in tact. Vlad doesn't bite people, but he does drink blood. Aunt Nelly brings them home from work and stores them in the freezer for him. Blood slushies - yum!
A nice follow-up to the first book, 8th Grade Bites. I'm a stickler for reading series in order but I think this is one of those you do need to read in the correct order.
Filled with the same snarky and sometimes ironic humor that was present in the first. It's got great references to vampires in pop-culture (look and you will see). And, as in the first book, Vlad is learning to deal with his vampiric nature while be chased by bullies, and crushing on the beautiful Meredith (although in this book he is pretty sure she likes him too). Now he also has to worry about being outed by the school newspaper photographer, he gains a new friend, while training in a super-secret vampire compound in Siberia, he learns what his role may be in a major vampire prophecy and lastly a shocking plot twist is revealed.
I love the little humorous bits like the moment in the lunch room when a classmate grabs a ho ho from his lunch and bites into it only to get a mouthful of a blood capsule hidden on the inside (how else is supposed to get proper nutrition). He had to think fast to explain that one!
Great for: Middle & High Schools, any one who loves vampire books, for readers seeking an alternative to the love & mush of Twilight.
Other books to read:
Suck It Up
September 5, 2008
It was filled with blood and gore to make a young horror fan happy. Still don't get the humor - I guess it is for a teen boy. That said, I found the series troubling after the second book.
My problem is the book only skims the vampire world and its code. It does not provide a lot of details why the audience shouldn't be on the slayers side. Though the vampire may be nice people to talk with. There is no getting around what they feed on. Darren Shan did provide a dividing line between the good and bad vampires. In his books you also spent enough time in the vampire world to gain an understanding of how they think.
I also find it troubling that the author disvows some of the vampire myths but, keep others. The author is trying to play a halfway game of fantasy vampire and real. Example crosses don't work but vampire can turn into animals and live forever. These vampire can also walk in the daylight.
Yes, I know the book is about vampires but, there are better ways of dealing with the vampire abilties. I got the feeling the author should of either gone totally realistic like Darren Shan (long life span not forever, no magic powers just added strength and speed) or stayed with the fantasy like in the Vampire Plagues. Mixing left the book in a confused state of are we in reality or not?
This could also be a problem because we are in the vampire's head and in modern day. In the Vampire Plagues we are in the slayers point of veiw so having an all powerful creature of darkness worked. It also took place in the past when such things were thought possible. In Shan's Cirque Du Freak we are in the young vampire's mind. Powers are limited to what is humanly possible and we are in modern day.
The book also moves too quickly from one point to another. An idea is brought up and then dropped until the author can get back to it.
Not the worst book I ever read. Should be enjoyable for horror fans but, not first rate either. The second book left me uncomfortable enough that I doubt I will go further with this series. I'll stay with Shusterman and Shan. The book also is trying to redo Shan's idea in Cirque Du Freak of an all powerful creature that will take over the world. But, without the a great devil like Des Tiny.
My problem is the book only skims the vampire world and its code. It does not provide a lot of details why the audience shouldn't be on the slayers side. Though the vampire may be nice people to talk with. There is no getting around what they feed on. Darren Shan did provide a dividing line between the good and bad vampires. In his books you also spent enough time in the vampire world to gain an understanding of how they think.
I also find it troubling that the author disvows some of the vampire myths but, keep others. The author is trying to play a halfway game of fantasy vampire and real. Example crosses don't work but vampire can turn into animals and live forever. These vampire can also walk in the daylight.
Yes, I know the book is about vampires but, there are better ways of dealing with the vampire abilties. I got the feeling the author should of either gone totally realistic like Darren Shan (long life span not forever, no magic powers just added strength and speed) or stayed with the fantasy like in the Vampire Plagues. Mixing left the book in a confused state of are we in reality or not?
This could also be a problem because we are in the vampire's head and in modern day. In the Vampire Plagues we are in the slayers point of veiw so having an all powerful creature of darkness worked. It also took place in the past when such things were thought possible. In Shan's Cirque Du Freak we are in the young vampire's mind. Powers are limited to what is humanly possible and we are in modern day.
The book also moves too quickly from one point to another. An idea is brought up and then dropped until the author can get back to it.
Not the worst book I ever read. Should be enjoyable for horror fans but, not first rate either. The second book left me uncomfortable enough that I doubt I will go further with this series. I'll stay with Shusterman and Shan. The book also is trying to redo Shan's idea in Cirque Du Freak of an all powerful creature that will take over the world. But, without the a great devil like Des Tiny.
May 4, 2025
Libro dos (Serie: Las crónicas de Vladimir Tod) de corte juvenil, tema: Vampiros. En el cual, el personaje principal es un chico (vampiro) que esta en el instituto (colegio) y como afronta el día a día y además debe aprender a ser vampiro. Totalmente juvenil, no esperes tramas muy elaboradas para adultos. 3,8/5,0
March 6, 2023
This series is so fun. Book 3, here I come
December 27, 2024
Rated & Reviewed
5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The epic story continues while the girls swoon over Vlad and the boys hide their excitement.
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The epic story continues while the girls swoon over Vlad and the boys hide their excitement.
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
September 5, 2017
For introducing Joss McMillan to the world, this one gets five stars from me every time.
No, seriously. This second book of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod introduces the best character that Z Brewer ever gave us, ever, and don't you forget it!
But aside from Joss being around, this book also introduces a few elements that are more important to the remaining three books, like the crew of goths who hang around at Bathory High (and one of them, Vlad remembers his pre-goth self and we're led to believe he's kind of a poser, not to sound too Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way-ish), as well as Vikas and his habit of nicknaming Vlad "Mahlyenki Dyavol," and Eddie Poe coming to a more prominent role as well - and more prominently needling because he's being pretty obnoxious to poor Vlad.
If you don't enjoy this book and all its follow-ups, then I might just have to tell you, "FRIENDSHIP OVER."
No, seriously. This second book of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod introduces the best character that Z Brewer ever gave us, ever, and don't you forget it!
But aside from Joss being around, this book also introduces a few elements that are more important to the remaining three books, like the crew of goths who hang around at Bathory High (and one of them, Vlad remembers his pre-goth self and we're led to believe he's kind of a poser, not to sound too Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way-ish), as well as Vikas and his habit of nicknaming Vlad "Mahlyenki Dyavol," and Eddie Poe coming to a more prominent role as well - and more prominently needling because he's being pretty obnoxious to poor Vlad.
If you don't enjoy this book and all its follow-ups, then I might just have to tell you, "FRIENDSHIP OVER."
March 26, 2009
I loved...loved this book. I enjoyed the first one, but this one was even better. I can't wait for the third books to come out this summer. Heather Brewer's writing is witty, thoughtful, and humorous. When I read the the first book, I thought maybe it was more for boys than girls. I was wrong. I think anyone can relate to the emotions of growing up, trying to figure out who you are, and loyalty. I think these books are fantastic. I also helps the all the characters are likable. Too bad I'm not still a teenager, because Vlad and Henry sound hell of cute.
July 23, 2016
EDIT: Changed Brewer's name and pronouns.
This is the second book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series.
Now we join Vladimir Tod in his first year of high school. The worst four years of your life with the added bonus of being a half-vampire. Not only that but now with the added threat of a vampire slayer and a nosy student who wants to reveal what Vladimir is to the world. If Vlad thought the only thing he had to worry about being fresh meat and his love life then he's going to be dead wrong.
Plot
The plot in Ninth Grade Slays is pretty much the same as Eight Grade Bites. We follow Vladimir Tod as he navigates school life and vampire life. The only difference is in this book slightly different things are thrown into the mix. Instead of a possible murderous English teacher and the vampire council of Stokerton we have a vampire slayer and Vlad learning a little bit more about his vampire powers. Seriously, that's about it.
The vampire slayer part was brought up sporadically like an afterthought. Like a "oh yeah, a vampire murderer is out to get me" moment instead of a constant sense of danger. I'd honestly forgotten about the vampire slayer until Vlad brought it up in one or two sentences every other chapter. (Also, quick note, I guessed who the vampire slayer was by six chapters in; it wasn't that big or shocking of an eventual reveal).
The learning about vampire powers part of the book wasn't really interesting at all. It should have been but it was made to be kind of boring. The only thing Vlad really learned to do was learn to read minds while only in a soundless, light-less chamber. And that is about it. He didn't even learn anything that would remotely help him. I understand they don't know what powers he'll have as a half vampire but they should have at least told him what he might expect.
Writing
One vast improvement in Ninth Grade Slays that I must give recognition to is the writing. In the first book it was clunky, boring, and awkward. In the second book the writing is still boring but it's a vastly different in terms of writing quality. I think the writing in this books speaks of the author having more experience and maybe a bit more confidence. But even though the writing is better still doesn't mean it's good.
The biggest problem I had with the first book I have with the second one; it's boring. Not just in terms of plot but with the writing as well. Scenes that are supposed to be tense, scary, fast paced, etc., are not. There is no flow of writing in this book. It is flat and all the same tone which makes it very boring.
There's still that issue with the big time skips in the narration. I think what Brewer is trying to go for is a Harry Potter feel with the plot spanning over the course of a school year. This does not work for The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. The first book could have ended in three weeks and Ninth Grade Slays could have ended in a few months. There is no reason to be dragging these books through the months. The book could have ended in the middle of the school year and still been the same, if not a little better.
And there are a few things the editor should have fixed. For one, there is an abundance of commas. There were too many commas being used too gratuitously. Brewer also overused and misused the words "bemused" and "smirk". Especially smirk. Vlad smirked at everything. Brewer used it to mean a half smile and a slight smile and a bemused smile, etc. Every twitch of the lips upwards was a smirk to this woman.
Characters
Unless Vladimir releases Henry from being his drudge in the later books there is no way I'm ever going to like that boy. He's the main character and we're supposed to like him but he's a terrible person. He forced his best friend to accept being his human slave and apparently controls him just because he's too lazy to get a soda or because he's jealous of Henry's other friends. And then Brewer has the nerve to say that Vlad feels guilt over this. If he felt guilt he wouldn't have done it in the first place. Brewer needs to realize that you can't have your character manipulate his friend's free will and still be a good person.
The other characters were the same as ever; flat and two dimensional. Henry the human slave/sidekick, the older male relative, a new appearance of a old master to help the main character learn new things, and the female crush who has the personality of a bag of sawdust. Oh, and the villain with the "punny" name who actually isn't that great of a villain.
Things I Didn't Like
I suppose the biggest things I didn't like was the vampire mythology in this universe, the prophecy, and the actions of the villain.
First is the vampire mythology. I want to know what exactly is going on with it. In Brewer's vampire universe vampires aren't affected by Christian paraphernalia like the cross or holy water, but they are affected by garlic and have to put on sunscreen to go out into the sun. All things that affect vampires in western mythology has to deal with the fact that vampires were seen as dark. That's why items that represent the light, like religious items, the sun, and garlic (long believed to a cleansing/purifying plant in mythology) affect these supposed dark creatures. When it comes to mythology rooted in the whole dark vs light thing you should really think about what parts you want to include in your books mythology. As some other reviewers have said, either use the mythology already given or create your own; don't pick and choose as you please (and also not explain it, which Brewer does).
Quick note with the light vs dark thing. Brewer is trying to make us as the readers sympathetic to vampires and make us not like the vampire slayers. Vlad tires to reason that not all vampires are murderers, but the narrative refutes this by admitting that not only do a lot of vampires kill for fun, but they also kill their victims after drinking from them.
Second we have the prophecy. I do not like prophecies. They are lazy and a cheap writing device unless they are written with a twist. I don't feel like Brewer will do this. I'll keep my fingers crossed but I'm not going to hold my breath. The prophecy in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is that Vlad is the Pravus, some super vampire who will control both vampires and humans. (It's funny that Vlad insists that he will never control humans seeing as how he forced Henry into accepting being his drudge; it's a slippery slope, my friend).
The third thing is the villain and his actions. Spoiler alert, D'ablo is back. Apparently he was never gone. My problem with him as a villain is not his motivation. Honestly, I think he's got a real good motivation (it's a little Voldemort-y for my tastes, though). The problem is how he's carrying it out. This evil mastermind villain waited an entire school year to set his plans into action. Why? No real reason, honestly. Vlad actually points this out and some weak excuse is given. Tip to Brewer, your plot holes to not magically disappear if your characters point them out. But really, D'ablo's actions do not speak of a smart man. He could have had Vlad killed way sooner and this would have been easier than waiting nearly nine months. D'ablo isn't a thrilling villain but he doesn't really need to be in this book.
Diversity
Same as in the last book. All characters are white, heterosexual, cisgender, etc. For someone writing a book for young adults Brewer sure does alienate a large portion of readers.
Overall
I liked Ninth Grade Slays a little better than the first book. The plot advanced ever so slightly and the writing greatly improved in terms of quality. However, I still have a problem with Brewer's lack of character development and the plot holes in this story. And even though we're in the second book we still know very little about the actual vampire mythology in her universe. I hope the continuing books get better but I don't expect anything great.
Here is a link to my notes
This is the second book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series.
Now we join Vladimir Tod in his first year of high school. The worst four years of your life with the added bonus of being a half-vampire. Not only that but now with the added threat of a vampire slayer and a nosy student who wants to reveal what Vladimir is to the world. If Vlad thought the only thing he had to worry about being fresh meat and his love life then he's going to be dead wrong.
Plot
The plot in Ninth Grade Slays is pretty much the same as Eight Grade Bites. We follow Vladimir Tod as he navigates school life and vampire life. The only difference is in this book slightly different things are thrown into the mix. Instead of a possible murderous English teacher and the vampire council of Stokerton we have a vampire slayer and Vlad learning a little bit more about his vampire powers. Seriously, that's about it.
The vampire slayer part was brought up sporadically like an afterthought. Like a "oh yeah, a vampire murderer is out to get me" moment instead of a constant sense of danger. I'd honestly forgotten about the vampire slayer until Vlad brought it up in one or two sentences every other chapter. (Also, quick note, I guessed who the vampire slayer was by six chapters in; it wasn't that big or shocking of an eventual reveal).
The learning about vampire powers part of the book wasn't really interesting at all. It should have been but it was made to be kind of boring. The only thing Vlad really learned to do was learn to read minds while only in a soundless, light-less chamber. And that is about it. He didn't even learn anything that would remotely help him. I understand they don't know what powers he'll have as a half vampire but they should have at least told him what he might expect.
Writing
One vast improvement in Ninth Grade Slays that I must give recognition to is the writing. In the first book it was clunky, boring, and awkward. In the second book the writing is still boring but it's a vastly different in terms of writing quality. I think the writing in this books speaks of the author having more experience and maybe a bit more confidence. But even though the writing is better still doesn't mean it's good.
The biggest problem I had with the first book I have with the second one; it's boring. Not just in terms of plot but with the writing as well. Scenes that are supposed to be tense, scary, fast paced, etc., are not. There is no flow of writing in this book. It is flat and all the same tone which makes it very boring.
There's still that issue with the big time skips in the narration. I think what Brewer is trying to go for is a Harry Potter feel with the plot spanning over the course of a school year. This does not work for The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. The first book could have ended in three weeks and Ninth Grade Slays could have ended in a few months. There is no reason to be dragging these books through the months. The book could have ended in the middle of the school year and still been the same, if not a little better.
And there are a few things the editor should have fixed. For one, there is an abundance of commas. There were too many commas being used too gratuitously. Brewer also overused and misused the words "bemused" and "smirk". Especially smirk. Vlad smirked at everything. Brewer used it to mean a half smile and a slight smile and a bemused smile, etc. Every twitch of the lips upwards was a smirk to this woman.
Characters
Unless Vladimir releases Henry from being his drudge in the later books there is no way I'm ever going to like that boy. He's the main character and we're supposed to like him but he's a terrible person. He forced his best friend to accept being his human slave and apparently controls him just because he's too lazy to get a soda or because he's jealous of Henry's other friends. And then Brewer has the nerve to say that Vlad feels guilt over this. If he felt guilt he wouldn't have done it in the first place. Brewer needs to realize that you can't have your character manipulate his friend's free will and still be a good person.
The other characters were the same as ever; flat and two dimensional. Henry the human slave/sidekick, the older male relative, a new appearance of a old master to help the main character learn new things, and the female crush who has the personality of a bag of sawdust. Oh, and the villain with the "punny" name who actually isn't that great of a villain.
Things I Didn't Like
I suppose the biggest things I didn't like was the vampire mythology in this universe, the prophecy, and the actions of the villain.
First is the vampire mythology. I want to know what exactly is going on with it. In Brewer's vampire universe vampires aren't affected by Christian paraphernalia like the cross or holy water, but they are affected by garlic and have to put on sunscreen to go out into the sun. All things that affect vampires in western mythology has to deal with the fact that vampires were seen as dark. That's why items that represent the light, like religious items, the sun, and garlic (long believed to a cleansing/purifying plant in mythology) affect these supposed dark creatures. When it comes to mythology rooted in the whole dark vs light thing you should really think about what parts you want to include in your books mythology. As some other reviewers have said, either use the mythology already given or create your own; don't pick and choose as you please (and also not explain it, which Brewer does).
Quick note with the light vs dark thing. Brewer is trying to make us as the readers sympathetic to vampires and make us not like the vampire slayers. Vlad tires to reason that not all vampires are murderers, but the narrative refutes this by admitting that not only do a lot of vampires kill for fun, but they also kill their victims after drinking from them.
Second we have the prophecy. I do not like prophecies. They are lazy and a cheap writing device unless they are written with a twist. I don't feel like Brewer will do this. I'll keep my fingers crossed but I'm not going to hold my breath. The prophecy in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is that Vlad is the Pravus, some super vampire who will control both vampires and humans. (It's funny that Vlad insists that he will never control humans seeing as how he forced Henry into accepting being his drudge; it's a slippery slope, my friend).
The third thing is the villain and his actions. Spoiler alert, D'ablo is back. Apparently he was never gone. My problem with him as a villain is not his motivation. Honestly, I think he's got a real good motivation (it's a little Voldemort-y for my tastes, though). The problem is how he's carrying it out. This evil mastermind villain waited an entire school year to set his plans into action. Why? No real reason, honestly. Vlad actually points this out and some weak excuse is given. Tip to Brewer, your plot holes to not magically disappear if your characters point them out. But really, D'ablo's actions do not speak of a smart man. He could have had Vlad killed way sooner and this would have been easier than waiting nearly nine months. D'ablo isn't a thrilling villain but he doesn't really need to be in this book.
Diversity
Same as in the last book. All characters are white, heterosexual, cisgender, etc. For someone writing a book for young adults Brewer sure does alienate a large portion of readers.
Overall
I liked Ninth Grade Slays a little better than the first book. The plot advanced ever so slightly and the writing greatly improved in terms of quality. However, I still have a problem with Brewer's lack of character development and the plot holes in this story. And even though we're in the second book we still know very little about the actual vampire mythology in her universe. I hope the continuing books get better but I don't expect anything great.
Here is a link to my notes
April 23, 2025
This book should've been compressed into an extra 100 pages to Eighth Grade Bites. Also, aside from the fact that Brewer failed to develop any of her characters (aside from Vlad himself and his uncle - sort of) and any of the relationships they have (sorry, was I supposed to feel anything for Vald and Joss's failed friendship, other than the urge to throw this book into a wall every single time Vlad was trying to make pleas for vampire rights?) despite this being the 2nd book in the series, her worldbuilding sucks.
Her vampires can either turn someone into a vampire, turn them into slaves that are weirdly bonded to them, or straight up kill them out of "mercy" to avoid the agonizing feeling of not being turned into slaves, NO IN BETWEEN. This is one of the most ridiculous takes on vampires I've ever seen. And there's apparently millions of vampires around, which means there must be millions and millions of dried up corpses with strange bite marks on them turning up every year yet this doesn't seem to be an issue at all? To anyone? (Forget about Vlad, Eddie, you've got an actual huge story right there lmao). And I'm somehow supposed to be rooting for Vlad & co because they're not "bad" vampires? The really sad part is that the slayers aren't much to root for either. In fact, I don't even understand how this slayers society even exists if they're as vulnerable to telepathy as any other humans. The structure of the vampire society is too just as badly put together as the plot itself.
And why did they even go for training in Siberia? Was that the only place Brewer has been to outside usamerica?
1st book was underwhelming yet somewhat enjoyable, this one's just bad. Hoping the next one will at least get us back in the "underwhelming" territory cause I'm pretty sure I'd do myself a disservice if I expected anything more than that.
Her vampires can either turn someone into a vampire, turn them into slaves that are weirdly bonded to them, or straight up kill them out of "mercy" to avoid the agonizing feeling of not being turned into slaves, NO IN BETWEEN. This is one of the most ridiculous takes on vampires I've ever seen. And there's apparently millions of vampires around, which means there must be millions and millions of dried up corpses with strange bite marks on them turning up every year yet this doesn't seem to be an issue at all? To anyone? (Forget about Vlad, Eddie, you've got an actual huge story right there lmao). And I'm somehow supposed to be rooting for Vlad & co because they're not "bad" vampires? The really sad part is that the slayers aren't much to root for either. In fact, I don't even understand how this slayers society even exists if they're as vulnerable to telepathy as any other humans. The structure of the vampire society is too just as badly put together as the plot itself.
And why did they even go for training in Siberia? Was that the only place Brewer has been to outside usamerica?
1st book was underwhelming yet somewhat enjoyable, this one's just bad. Hoping the next one will at least get us back in the "underwhelming" territory cause I'm pretty sure I'd do myself a disservice if I expected anything more than that.
June 14, 2024
In a remarkable sequel to the debut (Eighth Grade Bites), Ninth Grade Slays, as I mentioned in the previous review, brings to the table loads of what I what I was hoping to see in these Chronicles. What I should have probably mentioned in the previous review about Eighth Grade Bites is the basic story line (LoL). Vladimir Tod is your typical boy with the exception that he is a vampire. Within a touching tale, you find that Vlad discovers he is not in fact the only one left and delves into his family heritage and also finds himself amidst a problem. A prophesy and a madman who threatens his very existence (I remember mentioning the last bit of that sentence in the previous blog).
Ninth Grade Slays continues with Vlad delving into his family heritage and despite the saddened state of loss surrounding his parents, he enjoys learning more about the Vampiric ways. This one continues from where the last left off and he finds himself facing more enemies that threaten his existance and he must also face the question, 'is he just a Vampire or so much more?' The Author, whom I shamefully forgot to credit in the previous review, Heather Brewer (Now Z Brewer), takes the reader on a journey out of Vlad's home he's known all his life so he can learn more about his abilities in an absolutely riveting way. To put it another way, I didn't get any sleep last night because I couldn't put the book down (LoL).
The only disappointment I would have is that I felt the heartbreak of a betrayal and found myself saying 'No!! It can't be!!,' but that is not a bad thing. It leaves me thirsty for blood, oh wait, I'll leave that for Vlad. It left me thirsty for the 3rd book, so naturally, as well as the first book, the series keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you wanting to pick up the next book.
I'm not the best reviewer, because I forgot to mention how many stars I give the first book. I would say I give the first book 4 1/2 outta 5 stars and the 2nd installment gets a full 5 stars. It's definitely a series you can't put down as the bloodbath continues within Vlad's life and I can assure you, while repeating myself somewhat, the books are far more interesting than reading my reviews (LoLz).
EDIT 08/08/2020: I have now read this book twice, and I love it even more than I did 9 years ago.
Edit 6-14-24: Reducing to 1 star, because reasons.
Ninth Grade Slays continues with Vlad delving into his family heritage and despite the saddened state of loss surrounding his parents, he enjoys learning more about the Vampiric ways. This one continues from where the last left off and he finds himself facing more enemies that threaten his existance and he must also face the question, 'is he just a Vampire or so much more?' The Author, whom I shamefully forgot to credit in the previous review, Heather Brewer (Now Z Brewer), takes the reader on a journey out of Vlad's home he's known all his life so he can learn more about his abilities in an absolutely riveting way. To put it another way, I didn't get any sleep last night because I couldn't put the book down (LoL).
The only disappointment I would have is that I felt the heartbreak of a betrayal and found myself saying 'No!! It can't be!!,' but that is not a bad thing. It leaves me thirsty for blood, oh wait, I'll leave that for Vlad. It left me thirsty for the 3rd book, so naturally, as well as the first book, the series keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you wanting to pick up the next book.
I'm not the best reviewer, because I forgot to mention how many stars I give the first book. I would say I give the first book 4 1/2 outta 5 stars and the 2nd installment gets a full 5 stars. It's definitely a series you can't put down as the bloodbath continues within Vlad's life and I can assure you, while repeating myself somewhat, the books are far more interesting than reading my reviews (LoLz).
EDIT 08/08/2020: I have now read this book twice, and I love it even more than I did 9 years ago.
Edit 6-14-24: Reducing to 1 star, because reasons.
October 24, 2022
The thing I love most about Goodreads is all the challenges. I love being able to read books that I otherwise might not pick up because of a challenge. This is one of those books. I've had this book since middle school... yes... middle school. That's WELL over a decade ago. I have had this book sitting on my shelf for that long... and I've never read it before today.
Well, I just want to say that I'm proud of myself for finally getting to this book. I had to remind myself that this really isn't genre I read anymore, so it wasn't my favorite book. I will probably read the next book in the series (because I own it) and then give these two to the little free library by my house for another kid to enjoy.
I know this review has nothing to do with the actual book, but there really isn't much to say about it. It's a book about vampires for middle school kids. While I remember liking the first book in the series... back when I was in middle school... this one just didn't hold my interest as much. But then again. I'm no longer in middle school. Did I mention that I've had this book since middle school yet? Okay... but really I think this series is great for kids, but I don't think most adults would enjoy it as much. That being said, I'm glad I finally read it, and I did like the book overall.
Well, I just want to say that I'm proud of myself for finally getting to this book. I had to remind myself that this really isn't genre I read anymore, so it wasn't my favorite book. I will probably read the next book in the series (because I own it) and then give these two to the little free library by my house for another kid to enjoy.
I know this review has nothing to do with the actual book, but there really isn't much to say about it. It's a book about vampires for middle school kids. While I remember liking the first book in the series... back when I was in middle school... this one just didn't hold my interest as much. But then again. I'm no longer in middle school. Did I mention that I've had this book since middle school yet? Okay... but really I think this series is great for kids, but I don't think most adults would enjoy it as much. That being said, I'm glad I finally read it, and I did like the book overall.
March 16, 2009
I'm impressed with this young series (see the first book, The Chronicles of Tod: Eighth Grade Bites)! Vladimir returns to school, this his first year at Bathory High. He encounters many of the same obstacles he did in 8th grade (a girl he likes but is too shy to talk to; two bullies that won't leave him alone; trying to hide the fact he is a vampire from his classmates) but the author does a great job of weaving in even more conflicts and twists and turns in the plot. I thought it was a quick, engaging, humorous and relatable story for any teenager. (278 pages)
November 30, 2016
A quick fun read that I really enjoyed. In the second novel Vlad is all caught up in life threatening drama again. Vampires are hunting him still and there is now a slayer after him too. He's exploring more and more of his vampire side and making new friends, allies and enemies. I can't wait to start the next book.
September 26, 2020
Vlad ! Needs ! A ! Break !
So I liked this one significantly more than the first one. I felt like the writing was better. I particularly enjoyed the exchange in the beginning of the book with Vlad slapping Henry awake because he was going after a fly. Really set the mood off great.
Now, for the looming Thing that Happened.
But yes, enjoyed this much more. I'm wondering if we'll see more of Joss later. (I'm assuming so?) But also, the whole friendship over letter was so dramatic, ahaha.
So I liked this one significantly more than the first one. I felt like the writing was better. I particularly enjoyed the exchange in the beginning of the book with Vlad slapping Henry awake because he was going after a fly. Really set the mood off great.
Now, for the looming Thing that Happened.
But yes, enjoyed this much more. I'm wondering if we'll see more of Joss later. (I'm assuming so?) But also, the whole friendship over letter was so dramatic, ahaha.
January 5, 2025
This book was so fun like the first one, except even better!!! This series is making me love vampire books 📚 🫦
January 2, 2021
Vladimir just has it bad since young as he blames himself for his parents death, he woke up one morning got ready for school and went to turn off their alarm so they could sleep in since they did so much for him already. Then as he comes home they are found burned and not knowing how it happened.....
His father is Full blood vampire and his mother was human so that makes Vlad sort of special, as he goes through bullying and crushing and his crazy best friend like any other high schooler he is also hit with real life crisis like being hunted, by his kind too and by others that was either jealous of his father or wanted so much more or hated his father so much for falling in love with a human.
It gets crazier! Happy reading 📖!!!!!
His father is Full blood vampire and his mother was human so that makes Vlad sort of special, as he goes through bullying and crushing and his crazy best friend like any other high schooler he is also hit with real life crisis like being hunted, by his kind too and by others that was either jealous of his father or wanted so much more or hated his father so much for falling in love with a human.
It gets crazier! Happy reading 📖!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 23, 2010When it comes to vampire novels, I admit I am rather easy to please. Give me a plausible back story as well as a creative twist on the vampire myth, and I am happy. So, to say that I enjoyed a vampire story is not a surprise to anyone. Yet, when I can gush about a vampire story, now you know the story is special. I gushed about Eighth Grade Bites several days ago, and Ninth Grade Slays is just as deserving of any praise I may bestow.
Dark but fun, with enough Buffy references to make a Buffy fan like me happy, Ninth Grade Slays picks up where the other left off. This time, Vlad delves a little deeper into his vampire nature, understanding why others feel he is so special and why he is in danger all the time. As denotes most sequels, especially in middle grade novels, the story itself is rather formulaic, but it is still fun because of all the new information we get about Vlad's father, about his vampire family, and about his emerging powers. While more information is held back in the interest of the series, Ninth Grade Slays is the first book where the reader actually is made privy to this information. It definitely helps flesh out Vlad and Otis and the entire vampire society, making them more life-like and dangerous as only full disclosure can.
Any book that references Buffy, the TV show and NOT the movie, gets a special recommendation, and Ninth Grade Slays is full of references. There is something particularly hilarious about any story that references such a campy, but excellent cult hit because you know the author is not taking him/herself too seriously. I could spend an paragraph or two making comparisons between Buffy and Vlad, but then I would be doing a disservice to both because it means taking them both too seriously. Vlad is supposed to be fun, and it succeeds quite well.
Ninth Grade Slays leaves the reader wanting more, which is exactly what you want in a series. Vlad is vulnerable in his loneliness but shows remarkable growth as he learns more about his destiny. Otis, Nelly and Henry compliment Vlad's teenage angst. The end result is a novel that is a quick read but extremely charming and utterly addicting.
Dark but fun, with enough Buffy references to make a Buffy fan like me happy, Ninth Grade Slays picks up where the other left off. This time, Vlad delves a little deeper into his vampire nature, understanding why others feel he is so special and why he is in danger all the time. As denotes most sequels, especially in middle grade novels, the story itself is rather formulaic, but it is still fun because of all the new information we get about Vlad's father, about his vampire family, and about his emerging powers. While more information is held back in the interest of the series, Ninth Grade Slays is the first book where the reader actually is made privy to this information. It definitely helps flesh out Vlad and Otis and the entire vampire society, making them more life-like and dangerous as only full disclosure can.
Any book that references Buffy, the TV show and NOT the movie, gets a special recommendation, and Ninth Grade Slays is full of references. There is something particularly hilarious about any story that references such a campy, but excellent cult hit because you know the author is not taking him/herself too seriously. I could spend an paragraph or two making comparisons between Buffy and Vlad, but then I would be doing a disservice to both because it means taking them both too seriously. Vlad is supposed to be fun, and it succeeds quite well.
Ninth Grade Slays leaves the reader wanting more, which is exactly what you want in a series. Vlad is vulnerable in his loneliness but shows remarkable growth as he learns more about his destiny. Otis, Nelly and Henry compliment Vlad's teenage angst. The end result is a novel that is a quick read but extremely charming and utterly addicting.
May 8, 2013
Initial reaction: Huh, I actually enjoyed this way more than the first book. Greater stakes, competing interests and the return of a villain. I think I will see this series out until its end, but I really enjoyed both the story and audio reading.
Full review:
It's been a while since I picked up Heather Brewer's "Chronicles of Vladimir Tod" series, and actually - the second book in the series came across as pretty cool when it was all said and done. I'm surprised how much I liked it, though it might've been because I perused the audiobook version, and also because there were a little more palpable stakes (no pun intended) in this respective work.
In this book, Vlad has to contend with keeping his identity as a vampire under wraps while facing new challenges. He still deals emotionally with the deaths of his parents and undergoing "vampire puberty" (what with changing eye colors and fangs that threaten to come out every now and again). But the biggest challenge for Vlad? Finding out a friend is really an enemy and the emergence of an old adversary who wanted to kill him coming back to finish the job. I liked the rolling action more in this book than the former, and it was good to see some of the same characters from the last book, such as Aunt Nelly, Vlad's uncle Otis, and some of Vlad's friends.
I definitely want to check into the next book considering the ending of this, as Vlad's relationships are tested and I see it going in an interesting direction. Certainly still recommended for middle grade/YA readers.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Full review:
It's been a while since I picked up Heather Brewer's "Chronicles of Vladimir Tod" series, and actually - the second book in the series came across as pretty cool when it was all said and done. I'm surprised how much I liked it, though it might've been because I perused the audiobook version, and also because there were a little more palpable stakes (no pun intended) in this respective work.
In this book, Vlad has to contend with keeping his identity as a vampire under wraps while facing new challenges. He still deals emotionally with the deaths of his parents and undergoing "vampire puberty" (what with changing eye colors and fangs that threaten to come out every now and again). But the biggest challenge for Vlad? Finding out a friend is really an enemy and the emergence of an old adversary who wanted to kill him coming back to finish the job. I liked the rolling action more in this book than the former, and it was good to see some of the same characters from the last book, such as Aunt Nelly, Vlad's uncle Otis, and some of Vlad's friends.
I definitely want to check into the next book considering the ending of this, as Vlad's relationships are tested and I see it going in an interesting direction. Certainly still recommended for middle grade/YA readers.
Overall score: 3.5/5
January 31, 2012
This is the second book in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series. And it was a lot of fun!
Vlad is now in the ninth grade, which means he's attending Bathory High School. However, some things don't change. He's still getting bullied, continues to be tongue-tied around the girl he likes, one of his classmates suspects he's some sort of monster, and he's become the target of a slayer. He's also developed a good friendship with his best friend's cousin, who's come to stay for a while.
At least he's now got a vampire uncle willing to teach him the ways of the vampire. Which includes taking him to Siberia so he can meet a very old vamp and start his training on how to read and control minds. Only, danger is always a lot closer than he expects...
Just like the first installment, I had an awesome time reading this book. It was a lot of fun, and introduced some seriously dangerous consequences for Vlad. I still reckon he's a sweet, nice boy. No matter what any prophecy states. ;)
Oh, and one seriously awesome vampire reference was the place where Joss is from, Santa Carla. I loved it! Very cool.
Here's a quote from one of my favourite movies, The Lost Boys: "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach...all the damn vampires". ;)
Vlad is now in the ninth grade, which means he's attending Bathory High School. However, some things don't change. He's still getting bullied, continues to be tongue-tied around the girl he likes, one of his classmates suspects he's some sort of monster, and he's become the target of a slayer. He's also developed a good friendship with his best friend's cousin, who's come to stay for a while.
At least he's now got a vampire uncle willing to teach him the ways of the vampire. Which includes taking him to Siberia so he can meet a very old vamp and start his training on how to read and control minds. Only, danger is always a lot closer than he expects...
Just like the first installment, I had an awesome time reading this book. It was a lot of fun, and introduced some seriously dangerous consequences for Vlad. I still reckon he's a sweet, nice boy. No matter what any prophecy states. ;)
Oh, and one seriously awesome vampire reference was the place where Joss is from, Santa Carla. I loved it! Very cool.
Here's a quote from one of my favourite movies, The Lost Boys: "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach...all the damn vampires". ;)
April 9, 2013
I chose this book because I read the first book from the series and decided to continue it. It's about a boy name Vlad that's starting ninth grade and he is also a vampire. He goes to Siberia to learn about his special vampire powers and when he comes back, he learns that there are many dangers he has to face. My favorite quote is "The worst pain in the world goes beyond the physical. Even further beyond any other emotional pain one can feel. It is the betrayal of a friend," because I think it's true. The author wrote the book in third person point of view and wrote descriptively, which made the book interesting. I would recommend this book to people who like fantasies and action because it has a lot of action scenes.
March 3, 2012
In the Middle of the book, I started freaking out. But as I came near the end, my eyes were water-y. It's as if I could feel Vlad's pain. Considering how much pain my stomach was in too. Enough about me! This book was AMAZING! I'm now reading the next book1 I really think you should read this book, you'll regret it if you don't!
I started this February 28, 2012 (:
I started this February 28, 2012 (:
June 30, 2016
Despite being extremely busy lately, I did manage to finish the second book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Just like the first one, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's not anything like the books I typically read, but I still find it heartwarming and definitely humorous. I laughed quite a few times while reading this.
April 2, 2018
My favorite book in the series!
Henry, Vlad's best friend's, cousin moves to town. I liked Joss and his relationship with Vlad. Vlad had to hide that he was a vampire from Joss, and I always love the whole secret identity thing.
Vlad also travels to Siberia and meets other vampires. Vikas was a great character! And Vlad gains mind reading abilities! And practices mind control. (Very cool!)
Henry, Vlad's best friend's, cousin moves to town. I liked Joss and his relationship with Vlad. Vlad had to hide that he was a vampire from Joss, and I always love the whole secret identity thing.
Vlad also travels to Siberia and meets other vampires. Vikas was a great character! And Vlad gains mind reading abilities! And practices mind control. (Very cool!)
January 2, 2024
The Brewers are oracles like our society had never known and will never know again. To possess the foresight to know what the cultural impact of the word “slay” would be in a decade… wow. A slay, I fear
October 4, 2011
officially love vlad and auntie heather. review coming soon!
July 29, 2014
Inhalt: Nachdem Vlad in vor einigen Wochen seinen größten Feind getötet hat, glaubt er sich in Sicherheit und sein Leben könnte nicht besser laufen. Wären da nicht ein Mitschüler, der um jeden Preis Vlads größtes Geheimnis offenbaren will oder ein Unbekannter Vampirjäger, der nach seinem Leben trachtet. Und als wäre das noch nicht genug, bringt auch noch die schöne Meredith seine Gefühle durcheinander.
Meine Meinung: Da mich der erste Teil der Vladimir Tod Reihe positiv überrascht hat, habe ich mich sehr auf den zweiten Band gefreut. ‘Vladimir Tod beißt sich durch’ bietet wie sein Vorgänger eine lockere und lustige Vampirgeschichte, die Jungen und Mädchen begeistern wird.
Im zweiten Band der Reihe erfahren wir nun, über welche Fähigkeiten die Vampire in der kreierten Welt von Heather Brewer verfügen. Darüber hinaus findet Vlad viele Informationen über sein persönliches Schicksal als Halbvampir. Die Autorin entführt den Leser unter anderem nach Sibirien, wo Vlad auf viele Vampire trifft, die Traditionen der Vampirwelt kennenlernt und entdeckt, dass er bald neuen Feinden gegenüber treten muss.
Besonders aufgefallen ist wieder einmal der Protagonist Vladimir Tod. Er ist komisch wie eh und je und schaffte es, dass ich den Großteil des Buches mit einem Grinsen im Gesicht verbracht habe. Neben witzigen Stellen erwarten den Leser aber auch sehr gefühlvolle Momente. Sei es die Beziehung Vlads zu seiner Familie oder die Gefühle, die er für eine seiner Mitschülerin hegt. Diese Szenen gehen unter die Haut und lassen einen mitfühlen. Doch wie auch im ersten Teil kommt man nicht umhin zu erkennen, wie bedauernswert Vlad ist. In der Schule als Außenseiter bekannt, wird er von einigen Mitschülern auf das schlimmste dranglasiert. Es ist aber immer wieder erstaunlich zu sehen, wie gelassen Vlad damit umgeht. Er besinnt sich auf seine wahren Freunde, die ihm immer zur Seite stehen.
Im Oktober erscheint der dritte Teil, der den Namen ‘Vladimir Tod hängt todsicher ab‘ (Tenth Grade Bleeds) tragen wird. Hier werden wir mehr über Vlads Gefühle für Meredith erfahren, es wird zu Problemen mit Vlads bestem Freund Henry kommen und natürlich geht auch der Kampf zwischen dem Halbvampir und seinem größten Feind weiter.
Fazit: ‘Vladimir Tod’ ist ein etwas anderer Vampirroman, der auf eine spannende und gleichzeitig witzige Geschichte setzt.
Meine Meinung: Da mich der erste Teil der Vladimir Tod Reihe positiv überrascht hat, habe ich mich sehr auf den zweiten Band gefreut. ‘Vladimir Tod beißt sich durch’ bietet wie sein Vorgänger eine lockere und lustige Vampirgeschichte, die Jungen und Mädchen begeistern wird.
Im zweiten Band der Reihe erfahren wir nun, über welche Fähigkeiten die Vampire in der kreierten Welt von Heather Brewer verfügen. Darüber hinaus findet Vlad viele Informationen über sein persönliches Schicksal als Halbvampir. Die Autorin entführt den Leser unter anderem nach Sibirien, wo Vlad auf viele Vampire trifft, die Traditionen der Vampirwelt kennenlernt und entdeckt, dass er bald neuen Feinden gegenüber treten muss.
Besonders aufgefallen ist wieder einmal der Protagonist Vladimir Tod. Er ist komisch wie eh und je und schaffte es, dass ich den Großteil des Buches mit einem Grinsen im Gesicht verbracht habe. Neben witzigen Stellen erwarten den Leser aber auch sehr gefühlvolle Momente. Sei es die Beziehung Vlads zu seiner Familie oder die Gefühle, die er für eine seiner Mitschülerin hegt. Diese Szenen gehen unter die Haut und lassen einen mitfühlen. Doch wie auch im ersten Teil kommt man nicht umhin zu erkennen, wie bedauernswert Vlad ist. In der Schule als Außenseiter bekannt, wird er von einigen Mitschülern auf das schlimmste dranglasiert. Es ist aber immer wieder erstaunlich zu sehen, wie gelassen Vlad damit umgeht. Er besinnt sich auf seine wahren Freunde, die ihm immer zur Seite stehen.
Im Oktober erscheint der dritte Teil, der den Namen ‘Vladimir Tod hängt todsicher ab‘ (Tenth Grade Bleeds) tragen wird. Hier werden wir mehr über Vlads Gefühle für Meredith erfahren, es wird zu Problemen mit Vlads bestem Freund Henry kommen und natürlich geht auch der Kampf zwischen dem Halbvampir und seinem größten Feind weiter.
Fazit: ‘Vladimir Tod’ ist ein etwas anderer Vampirroman, der auf eine spannende und gleichzeitig witzige Geschichte setzt.
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May 3, 2011The transition from middle school to high school is tough for Vlad and he is finding it hard to cope. Girl problems, bullies, and a kid stalking him from the school newspaper are making it hard for Vlad to concentrate on learning his vampire skills. To worsen matters a slayer has arrived in Bathory who seems intent on ridding the world of Vlad and all other vampires. Vlad needs to strengthen his vampire skills quick if he wants to stay alive.
This book is a good read for anyone who likes fictional thrillers with vampires.
I enjoyed this book because it was exciting and suspenseful. The most exciting part of the book would give the whole ending away, so one of the other exciting parts in the book happens when Vlad finds out that he might be the Pravus (a vampire that cannot be killed and will eventually rule over the human race) which terrifies him. “The prophesy stated that a great and powerful vampire would one day come into our midst. One that laws would be broken to create. One who would be born of a human mother. He would have no sensitivity to sunlight, he would be able to manipulate the the minds of most living creatures and, it said, that he could not be killed by any means known to vampire or human kind. Injured, yes. But not killed. This man is the Pravus.”
I also liked the book because it was suspenseful, and thrilling. Consequently, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. One of the thrilling parts in this book is when Vlad is out late at night and sees a mysterious vampire go into his old house that he lived in before his parents died. Vlad follows the vampire and spies on him while he is looking for something throughout the house. Vlad is nearly caught but hides behind a grandfather clock and slips out of the house after the vampire leaves.
My only regret reading this book is that the reading level was slightly low for me. For all you readers out there who enjoy reading at a more challenging level I would not recommend this book to you. Despite the low reading level, I thought the content of this book was engaging and effective in keeping me hooked.
Andrew Wizig.
This book is a good read for anyone who likes fictional thrillers with vampires.
I enjoyed this book because it was exciting and suspenseful. The most exciting part of the book would give the whole ending away, so one of the other exciting parts in the book happens when Vlad finds out that he might be the Pravus (a vampire that cannot be killed and will eventually rule over the human race) which terrifies him. “The prophesy stated that a great and powerful vampire would one day come into our midst. One that laws would be broken to create. One who would be born of a human mother. He would have no sensitivity to sunlight, he would be able to manipulate the the minds of most living creatures and, it said, that he could not be killed by any means known to vampire or human kind. Injured, yes. But not killed. This man is the Pravus.”
I also liked the book because it was suspenseful, and thrilling. Consequently, I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. One of the thrilling parts in this book is when Vlad is out late at night and sees a mysterious vampire go into his old house that he lived in before his parents died. Vlad follows the vampire and spies on him while he is looking for something throughout the house. Vlad is nearly caught but hides behind a grandfather clock and slips out of the house after the vampire leaves.
My only regret reading this book is that the reading level was slightly low for me. For all you readers out there who enjoy reading at a more challenging level I would not recommend this book to you. Despite the low reading level, I thought the content of this book was engaging and effective in keeping me hooked.
Andrew Wizig.
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