Secret Vampire

Secret Vampire written by L.J Smith

The interesting thing about teenage fiction is that its satisfying and so easy to read that you'll overlook the odd cheezy moment because of the riveting character interaction. Basically this book gives most females readers exactly what they want.

Its a love story more than anything and if you aren't already an LJ Smith fan then you should probably start with this book which is the first in the `Nightworld Series'. However if its as popular in your area as it is in my local library you may be better to just grab whichever one's you can from the library shelf or just to go out and buy it.You can read these books out of order - as I did as still follow the story and themes pretty easily.

Although its not most well-written book in the world the characters, world and settings are addictively entertaining and though you'll probably enjoy it more if you're a teenager re-reading it as an adult it still quite enjoyable. It starts with the character `Poppy' celebrating the first day of her summer holidays only to collapse that very morning and find out she has a terminal illness that means she probably has a maximum of three months to live. The fun beginning of the book changes dramatically as the character struggles to come to terms with the news and as her mood changes from disbelief to shock to terror the effect it has on her and her family seems very real.

After beginning the story in this grounded manner the writer LJ Smith then starts to add the supernatural elements with `Poppy' finding out that her best friend and long-term crush is a `bloodsucking fiend' as she puts it and as he tries to explain that he can turn her into one to save her life she flips at first agreeing then refusing to believe that vampires exist at all when she is half-way to becoming one. To make matters more difficult her head-strong, straight-laced brother `Phillip' (her twin that is nothing like her) thinks that her friend `James' is just using her as he uses other girls and they frequently come to blows at her bedside.

As the story progresses it becomes more involved and `James' and `Poppy' become closer. `Phillip' struggles to deal with transformation of his sister but knows that she will otherwise die. Eventually the story leads into the underworld that is the `Nightworld' `Poppy' having faked her own death with her family and `James' and `Phillip' having helped `Poppy' in her transition and the real core of the series is revealed. This story is the first in the nightworld series and carries the theme of soulmates triumphing over `a secret society of vampires, werewolves, witches and creatures of darkness' that exists alongside our own world. As quoted on the back of the `Night World' books `They're beautiful, they're deadly - and it's so easy to fall in love.' But the punishment for revealing the world to humans is death as is falling in love with them so `James' and `Poppy' seem to get off lightly in this first book.

These books aren't for you if you don't like teenage love stories but they are short and addictive and you'll probably read each one until you've finished it. Good books to read and read again it's no wonder the books get snatched up from the library shelves as soon as they're checked back in.