Vampire Books for Young Adults
It's heartening to see the recent spate of fantasy fiction that has led to renewed reading amongst the young adult population - teenagers who were hooked onto PlayStations and gaming consoles. Vampire books have taken the world by storm, with authors like Stephanie Meyer, P.C Cast and Kristin Scott to name but a few, bringing out best sellers with every book release. Perhaps it's the fascination for paranormal phenomena or the mystery in the story. Also, the romance that these stories contend, makes them very popular amongst young adults, though the protagonist's age group mirroring those of its readers could also be a factor. Whichever way you look at it, the vast land of fantasy fiction is only getting better.
The Twilight Series
Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight Series, took the world by storm with her four book saga. Her epic journey, widely regarded as one of the best vampire books written, tells the tale of a young girl, Isabella Swan, who moves in with her father, the Chief of Police, Charlie Swan in the rainy city of Forks, Washington, little knowing that her world is about to change forever. Young readers will find it easy to identify with the typical problems faced by Bella as a teenager. The following is an introduction to the four books in the series.
Twilight
This is the first novel in the book series. It's in this book that Bella meets and falls in love with Edward Cullen, the youngest son of the Cullen family, who incidentally happens to be a vampire. As she navigates through the difficulty of a new school and adjusting to her new life, she struggles with the first stirrings of attraction for the forbidding and elusive Edward while trying to unravel the mystery that he and his family seem to be shrouded in. Widely acknowledged as one of the best vampire books for young adults, the following is an excerpt from the Twilight blurb:
About Three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn't realize is that the closer she gets with him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back...
Deeply seductive and irresistibly compelling, Twilight is an extraordinary love story that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
New Moon
The second installment of the Twilight Series is New Moon, where Bella embarks on a solitary journey, left in a perilous state when Edward moves away. She finds herself in a downward spiral, unable to cope with the loss and separation from the person she holds most dear. Her friendship with Jacob Black, the son of one of her father's closest friends, gives her the strength to face life, but she struggles to return to her normal self. The following is an extract from the New Moon blurb:
'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage.
A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.
It all happened so quickly then.
'No!' Edward roared. . .Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm - into the fevered eyes of six suddenly ravenous vampires.
For Bella Swan, there's only one thing more important to life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire turns out to be more dangerous than Bella could have ever imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may just be beginning...
Eclipse
The third book in the Twilight Series, Eclipse, finds Bella torn between her love for Edward, and her friendship with Jacob Black. Caught in the conflict between friendship and love, Bella finds her fate entwined with the age-old battle of vampire versus werewolf, embittered over time, and about to break out again. Take a look at an excerpt from the Eclipse blurb:
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?
Breaking Dawn
In this, the final book in the series, Stephanie Meyer brings this four book saga to a close. In a final battle between the Volturi, the ancient ruling vampire family and the supporters of the Cullens, there comes the time to choose sides and swear fealty. Where will each person's loyalties lie? The following is an excerpt from the Breaking Dawn blurb:
When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which two tribes hang.
Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?
The following is a list of some more vampire books:
- The House of Night Series - PC Cast and Kristen Scott
- Vampire High - Douglas Rees
- High School Bites - Liza Conrad
- Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
- Vampire Diaries - LJ Smith
- Blue Bloods - Melanie De la Cruz
- The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
- Vampire Beach - Alex Duval
- Tantalize - Cynthia Smith
