
Just about everyone would agree that vampires are one of the "in" things right now. Thanks to Stephenie Meyer and her Twilight books and films, blood-drinking fiends are whom everyone wants to be friends with ... and fall in love with. At least, that is the conclusion that Finbar "Finn" Frame has come to.
Finn is not what you would call, one of the cool guys. That is his twin brother Lucas, who is hot, the star football play, and all the girls want to date him and all the guys want to be him. Finn, on the other hand, is super-skinny and super-tall. His skin is about as pale as can be, and he breaks out in a rash when he gets too much sun.
He is starting at the new local public school know that his family has moved to New York for his father's job, and that seems like the perfect opportunity to become someone else. With all the girls addicted to Bloodthirst, a best-selling, racy romance novel, Finn decides that the new him is going to be a vampire. He sets out to read all of the popular vampire books for research. He needs to do this undercover so no one notices and thinks that he like "that kind" of book, which leads to a quite humorous scene at the local public library.
Of course, he can't just come out and say it so he drops little hints here and there for the kids to notice and start to wonder. At the same time, Finn also finds himself falling into a nice group of friends. This includes a tiny gal-pal, who helps him spread the word of his taste for blood as she develops her own crush. The latter is something that he doesn't really notice. He also meets and falls in love with a bookworm like himself.
The real strength of this novel is in the witty humor. Meaney has masterfully captured what it means to be an older teen guy, whether it is their insecurities or their (often) obsession with certain aspects of the female anatomy. Through his eyes, readers really get a satirical look at teenage life and the intricate caste system that pops up in any high school.
I REALLY enjoyed this book. It kind of made me think this is what American Pie would have been if Joss Whedon had written it. On the surface, it would seem a silly novel where a guy (unrealistically) tricks girls into thinking he is a vampire, but really it is a great look into the mysterious world of teenage-hood. The interpersonal relationships with parents, brothers, friends, and boy-/girlfriends. It definitely left me thirsty for more!