In Every Generation

The whole Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise gives women and teen girls power to vanquish vampires, often women who would otherwise be underestimated. The cast is racially diverse. Hailey is part Native American, Sigmund is Black (and part Sage demon), and Jake has diverse friends. The family situations are also diverse: Hailey and Vi are a family of sisters, Jake and Oz are a family of cousins, Frankie and Sigmund are both raised by their moms. There's also some LGBTQ+ representation. Frankie's mom is a lesbian.

Vampire deaths can get pretty gory -- until most of them turn to ash. They are staked, dismembered (described in detail), heads are twisted off, throats are torn out with bare hands. A demon is found cut open and mutilated. Another demon eats a heart, with talk of more hearts eaten. People, mostly young virgins, are killed by vampires; some are lined up in a row and watch their friends get drained of blood before their turn. Girls under trances break ankles and peel off their own skin. Bruises and injuries from fighting vampires and using magic heal quickly. Many slayers close to the main characters are feared dead in an explosion. Talk of parent loss: Hailey's parents died in a car crash when she was 10. Talk of torture with pokers and making people eat their own limbs.

Some mild romance -- hand-holding and dancing, mostly. Plus lots of talk of virgins and lots of innuendo, especially in chapter titles like "A Girl Forgets Her First Demon" and "Dance Like You've Never Done It Before." Talk of Jake's parents conceiving him in werewolf form by accident. Lots of menstruation jokes.

Sprinklings of "s--t," "ass," and "dammit." One British character says "bloody hell" quite a bit.

Adults drink whiskey and wine. A man holds a cigarette and doesn't smoke it.

Parents need to know that In Every Generation is the start of a new series from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cannon featuring a new set of teens living in the rebuilt town of Sunnydale (the town was obliterated near the end of the TV series). It's witty like the TV show, but expect a lot more gory violence. Vamps are staked, dismembered (described in detail), heads are twisted off, throats are torn out with bare hands. A demon is found cut open and mutilated. Another demon eats a heart, with talk of more hearts eaten. People, mostly young virgins, are killed by vampires; some are lined up in a row and watch their friends get drained of blood before their turn. Language is sometimes salty, but doesn't go beyond "s--t." Only adults do the drinking. The romance is mild, but there's some innuendo, especially about virginity (though no judgment is passed on teens' individual decisions in this regard). Instagram plays a major role in a few chapters -- it will make you not want to take another selfie again. Characters are diverse in race and family makeup, and the main character, Frankie, is raised by a single lesbian mom. All eyes are on Frankie in this book, the newest slayer who has some big Buffy-size heels to fill. She trains hard and learns to rely on her friends for support.