SUCK IT UP

Another title in the growing category of such non-traditional vampire novels. Meehl’s vampires (called Leaguers) walk in the sunlight after conquering “solar phobia,” adhere to the motto, “Drink culture, not life,” and seek recognition as a minority group. To test whether the world is ready for them to come out, they’ve chosen spokesvamp Morning McCobb, an accidental vampire who only drinks “BloodLite” (a soy substitute) and whose vampirism can’t hide his inner geek. Under the guidance of the Leaguer leader, Morning joins forces with PR whiz Penny Dredful—but her filmmaker daughter awakens Morning’s bloodlust. Meanwhile, a loner vamp tries to bring Morning down. After an exposition-heavy start, this settles into an enjoyable romp. Morning references comic-book heroes and wants to be a firefighter (inspired by 9/11); he also struggles with remaining himself in the face of fame. The text sometimes relies too much on wordplay but delivers with appealing characters and an original vampire world. Delightful for those who like their romance vaguely paranormal, their adventure romantic and their vampires defanged. (Fantasy/humor. 12 & up)