Little Vampire Women

Summary: The new craze of mixing beloved classics with monsters such as vampires and zombies has led to some interesting works; some good and some truly awful. Little Vampire Women is not destined to become a classic, but is a fun read for fans of the classic or just fans of the mash-up genre.


Jo, Marmee, Meg, and the whole March family are reinvented as vegetarian/humanitarian vampires trying to make it through their unlife despite challenges such as poverty, war, and illness. Most of the original plot is preserved, with the additions made to the characters blended in seamlessly without causing any confusion. Jo, in addition to taking on work as a governess to help her family, is also training to fight vampire slayers. Father still gets sick and must be nursed back to health by Marmee, with the explanation for how a vampire can become sick cleverly explained.

Little Vampire Women is a quick, fun read that still holds much of the charm of the original story.

Themes:
Family
Friendship
Courage

Age Appropriateness:
Grades 7 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: Yes, mild.

The Lost Hero

Rick Riordan has another hit on his hands with The Lost Hero!


Summary: Jason has no idea who he is or how he ended up on a bus holding hands with a girl named Piper, who thinks she is his girlfriend, and his supposed best friend, Leo. On a field trip to the Grand Canyon skywalk, Jason & his friends find themselves under attack by monsters out of mythology – then pulled from danger and taken to Camp Half-Blood.

Piper & Leo discover the truth about their heritage – they are demi-gods, half-blood children of Greek gods. Jason, on the other hand, is left with more questions than answers, and a quest that he must undertake.

Riordan expands upon the Percy Jackson series, adding in the Roman aspects of these gods, Roman monsters, and much more mythological backstory. His new villains are both fun & frightening, with the main baddie seeming truly unbeatable. The only bad thing about this book is that I’ll have to wait a full year for the next installment of the series.

Themes:
Coming of Age
Friendship
Courage

Age Appropriateness:
Grades 6 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: Yes, mild.