Beyond Twilight: The Best Vampire Fiction for Young Adults

The marketing juggernaut that is Twilight seems unstoppable. Stephenie Meyer's four book series has spawned teen-friendly spin offs in clothing, posters, pins, music and an endless array of D.I.Y. projects inspired by those professing their allegiance to Team Edward or Team Jacob. However, there are far more options for young adults seeking to feed their vampire book hunger. Here are several suggested books to whet the appetite of young fans:

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

The last year of middle school is tough for Vlad Tod. There are bullies tormenting him, the girl he adores isn't a bit interested....and oh yeah, he's a vampire. Add vampiric hunger to teen angst and it's a whole new ball game. Vlad's mother was human, but his father was a vampire. They were both killed in a mysterious fire, and Vlad is being raised by his Aunt Nelly. Only Nelly and his best friend Henry know Vlad's secret...but a new teacher at school seems to suspect that there is something very different about Vladimir Tod. This series will eventually be 5 books long, the third book "Tenth Grade Slays" will be released in July 2009. This book is appropriate for middle and high school age students.

Night Road by A.M. Jenkins

Cole, a longtime hemovore, (he strongly prefers that word over "vampire", which brings up too many old stereotypes) joins his old friend Sandor in taking a newly turned hemovore named Gordon on a long road trip to teach him to survive in the human world. Part vampire story, part coming of age quest, part road trip tale, this novel is quite memorable. This book is appropriate for high school age students.

Suck It Up by Brian Meehl

This humorous book offers a refreshing twist on the teen vampire genre. This sixteen year old isn't hiding his vampiric nature like most, he's so "out" that he even has his own public relations agent. Full of dark humor and a touch of romance, this book is appropriate for high school age students.

Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe) by Kimberly Pauley

Mina's parents are vampires, and now that she's seventeen she has to take courses to decide if she wants to become one too. This book is a sort of a mash up of the Princess Diaries books and the Twilight series. It's much more lighthearted than many teen vampire books, but thoroughly enjoyable. This book is appropriate for middle school and high school age students.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

This twelve book vampire series had rabid teen fans years before "Twilight" was published, and the vampires here are no romantic Edward Cullens- these vampires are hardcore. Young adult readers tend to tear breathlessly through the dozen volumes, which are rich in gore and fierce battles between the vampires and their sworn enemies the Vampaneze. A feature film based on the first few books of the series will be released shortly, which is sure to increase interest in the series even more. This series is appropriate for middle and high school students.

As the vampire trend in young adult literature continues, there are sure to be many more books to add. For now, these five titles are an excellent starting point for readers who want to explore the vampiric world beyond "Twilight".

These books may be purchased at:

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

http://www.borders.com/online/store/Home

http://www.booksamillion.com/