TEETH

A loner with a secret disorder meets a gang of outlaw vampires in this captivating, violent thriller.

Fairview, Va., high-school junior Nicholas spends his time working at the local comic shop and dodging disgruntled bullies, all the while hiding that he is an albino who uses hair dye and contact lenses. The son of a pill-popping mother and an abusive father, Nicholas leads a gloomy life and turns to art and fantasy fiction when things get tough. Meanwhile, a half-dozen vampires exiled from the West Coast arrive in town hungry for blood. Caught in the middle of a tussle at a video arcade, Nicholas catches the attention of the bloodsuckers, especially Alexis, a young female with a rebellious spirit and a romantic streak. Alexis disobeys orders to kill Nicholas, introducing him instead to the wonders of sexual intimacy and the advantages that come with eternal life. After the bodies start to pile up, the police, in true Hitchcock style, begin to suspect that Nicholas is one of the killers. First-time author Damanda displays remarkable control over the action of the somewhat familiar story, effortlessly moving the point of view from his alienated hero to the thirsty leader of the vampires and, late in the book, to Frank Gillis, a dishonored sheriff's deputy who sympathizes with Nicholas’s dilemma. The novel’s final showdown between the monsters and the humans is a fantastic set piece that takes place in a juvenile-detention center as the vampires make zombies out of dangerous teen felons. A fast, relentless pace and an offbeat sense of humor–Alexis and her immortal friends travel in a vintage Econoline van with the disco hit “Staying Alive” playing on the radio–elevate the story above standard horror fare. Despite a level of gore that is sometimes gratuitous and a few distasteful plot twists, Damanda maintains a spooky tone and a dangerous edge that never lets up.

A terrific read for those looking for thrills, romance and some bite.