Irrepressible Cody Elliot is back at Vlad Dracul High (Vampire High, 2003), accompanied by his brilliant but truculent artist cousin, Turk (short for Turquoise), who helps ramp up the mayhem—by a quantum leap—to total pandemonium. Their decision to set up an arts center in an abandoned factory in nearby Crossfields generates a war in the vampire (or jenti; non-vampires are gadje) community, alienates Cody’s jenti friends and ends in a full-blown disaster. Princess Ileana and Justin Warrener are back, but the greatest fun is generated by the focus on Cody’s nemesis, Gregor Dimitru, whose musical talent and prowess at flying (as a bat with a 20-foot wingspan) are only exceeded by his arrogance. The exciting, nonstop plot and electrifying climax lead to an over-the-top resolution guaranteed to produce satisfied readers. This page-turner, with its smart-aleck narrator, plentiful laughs, innocent romance and consistent jenti-gadje culture clash will suck in both keen and reluctant readers of a broad range of ages. Buy this for enthusiasts of Brian Meehl’s Suck It Up (2008) and Heather Brewer’s Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. (Funny paranormal. 12 & up)
