Team Human
By Michael Berry,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Engaging, suspenseful vampire spoof has real substance.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
When her best friend, Cathy, becomes hopelessly enamored with Francis, a vampire who's just enrolled at her high school, Mel takes it upon herself to sabotage the romance before Cathy makes a mistake she'll regret forever. But the more she objects to the budding relationship, the more Mel has to question her own biases and prejudices. Soon she's trying to deal with the mysterious disappearance of another friend's father, as well as wondering why she's so attracted to a human boy who's been raised by vampires.
Is It Any Good?
This is clearly a spoof of Twilight and its overheated imitators, but the authors lift the novel above simple parody through a combination of lively prose and astute character development. The humor is subtle but sharp, and there's enough action to keep the suspense level high. Team Human is as likely to be enjoyed both by readers who love vampire books and those who think they can't stand them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether it's possible to be loyal to your friends without imposing your own beliefs, fears, and prejudices upon them. Do you think you could let your friend date a vampire, or a boy raised by vampires?
If you had the chance to live forever, would you take it? What might some of the drawbacks of immortality be?
Why are vampire novels and movies so popular? What is it about vampire folklore that makes it so compelling for modern audiences -- and especially for teens?
Book Details
- Authors: Justine Larbalestier , Sarah Rees Brennan
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Friendship , High School , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperTeen
- Publication date: July 3, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 17
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Teen Romance Novels
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate