Vamped

Review

Common Sense Media says

Vampire series debut pales in Twilight's shadow.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there is certainly a lot of gore in this vampire book, but the narrator's a bit of an airhead, which makes the violence seem more yucky than horrific. The main characters do share some smokin' kisses -- and even wake up together half-clothed after spending the night together.

  • Educational value0
    This is mostly silly stuff (with some big battles) and may appeal to kids who don't exactly consider themselves readers.
  • Positive messages1
    Basic good versus evil stuff, though it's hard to take too seriously here.
  • Positive role models2
    She may be campy and shallow, but Gina is a strong character: When she finds out that an evil vampiress is recruiting unsuspecting high school kids into her own blood-sucking army, she decides to take charge.
  • Violence3
    These Vamps get doused with Holy Water, impaled on stakes, etc. Gina describes arriving at one of the final battles to find "blood trails, the occasional body part or hank of hair yanked out by the roots..."
  • Sex3
    Gina becomes a vampire after some serious prom night necking, and later she spends the night with Bobby. Although they don't have sex, she wakes up in her "Victoria Secret bikini briefs and demi-cup" and "teased a finger along the edge of his boxers."
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism2
    Some brand-name products mentioned (like iPhones) and Gina talks a lot about fashion and her desire for "retail therapy."
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What's the story?

Gina is not like other vampires you know. This is a girl who likes mall shopping -- and after clawing her way out of her coffin her first thoughts are about finding her stylist. But she has inner strength to match her mega-attitude, and when she finds out that an evil vampiress is recruiting unsuspecting high school kids into her own blood-sucking army, she decides to take charge. Between dodging stakes, motivating her troops, and making psychic connections with her vampire boyfriend, she's living a very busy (eternal) life.

Is it any good?

 

Teens will appreciate Gina's unique stake, or uh, take on vampirism -- she worries how she will survive eternity without being able to check herself out in the mirror, for example. In the end, though, the campy vamp protagonist is really all this book has going for it. The plot is slow to unfold, and readers will likely have lost interest long before the heated battles for vampire dominance begin.

 

 

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about vampire books. Can you think of anything that this book has in common with the popular Twilight series (like being pretty heavy on romance, for example)? Why are vampires so popular right now?

  • Do you think Twilight's success makes publishers more willing to take a chance on vampire books for teens right now? What might this mean for the quality of these books?

This review was written by Kate Pavao
Kid, 11 years old
September 26, 2009
AGE
12
 
teens and up
I don't like it too much, and the fangs on the cover are creepy.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (11) | Had useful details (5) | Read my mind (9)
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
May 1, 2010
AGE
2
 
Uh. . . why?
Its kinda scary, and I find it totally agents my taste. I question how this vampire obsession got started. And the main characters kinda sound like idiots. . - no offence to author
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (6) | Had useful details (6) | Read my mind (4)
Flag as inappropriate 
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This review was written by Kate Pavao
Author:Lucienne Diver
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Humor
Publisher:Flux
Publication date:May 1, 2009
Number of pages:240
Paperback price:$9.95
Publisher's recommended age(s):14
Read aloud:12
Read alone:14
This review was written by Kate Pavao
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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