Book talk: Even though New Whitby is known as a haven for vampires, Mel hardly ever sees any. The vampires stay in their part of town, and mostly only tourists go there. There certainly aren't any vampires in the high school, which is why everyone is so shocked when Frances shows up in his UV protection suit. Cathy immediately falls for his sculpted good looks, but Mel recognizes him for what he is: a crazy astronaut suit full of trouble. And she's determined to keep her best friend out of harm's way. Unfortunately Cathy is just as determined to get to know the walking history book better.
Rocks my socks: I was surprised by this book. I was expecting it to be funny, and it certainly did not disappoint on that count: it cheered me up wonderfully when I was home sick. I wasn't expecting it to be so affecting though. At first Mel's sarcastic jabs at the vampires are just amusing, but as the book goes on she's forced to face her prejudice and re-examine it. The way she struggles with supporting her best friend while trying to protect her carries real emotional heft, and when she meets a human boy raised by vampires with some interesting prejudices of his own things really start to get interesting. This boy, Kit, is a great character and I appreciated that he respects Mel's independence and is quick to smile at her jokes and join in. Of course Mel's wit and willingness to speak her sassy mind are what really made the book for me.
Rocks in my socks: Cathy and Frances could have been fleshed out better. It was hard for me to understand the appeal of either. Which is saying something when Cathy is described as an intelligent bibliophile with a passion for life in previous eras. If anyone was going to be able to relate to Cathy's character, it should be me. But she just felt like a placeholder for a generic vampire romance lead. I had difficulty understanding why Mel was friends with her to begin with. Frances was much the same. I've found plenty of vampire characters appealing, but I could not understand his appeal at all. He mostly seemed to exist to provide fodder for Mel.
Every book its reader: I'd give this to fans of paranormal novels looking for a humorous twist. 8th grade and up.
Extras:
Both Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan have their own sites
Harper Teen has a page for the book with some extras
There's a book trailer in the style of a PSA about vampires:
Source: school library
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan: buy it or check it out today!
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