Take 5: Vampire Books with Bite
There are no shortage of YA Vampire books, many of them extremely popular. So here are 5 that are not wildly popular that I think should be – and as an added bonus, there are no sparkling vampires.

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
This book rocks! In this universe, vampirism is a disease. And every other chapter is a look at a real parasite in the world of biology. So you read a great vampire story AND you learn some freaky facts about science. I wouldn’t eat while you are reading it, but I would read it.
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Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
You know that wicked hot guy that you keep staring down at the bus stop? He’s a vampire. And – more importantly – you were sworn to be his bride way back when you were a wee little tot. Surprise!
Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer
Eighth Grade Bites, Ninth Grade Slays, Tenth Grade Bleeds, Eleventh Grade Burns, Twelfth Grade Kills
Half vampire, Vlad struggles with his blood lust urges – and the daily tribulations of life in middle school and high school. I have a group of kids that come into the library that think this series is the best thing since sliced bread. Eighth Grade Bites was a 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. There is a companion series called The Slayer Chronicles.
― Heather Brewer, Eighth Grade Bites
Sweetblood by Pete Hautman
Once a straight A student, Lucy now finds her life falling completely apart. She also fears she may be turning into a vampire. In the end, Hautman has written a very interesting look at the life of a girl with uncontrolled diabetes. Read Pete Hautman’s essay on how he came to write Sweetblood here. For the record, this is not technically a vampire book.
Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
And I am turning into a vampire.”
Filed under: Heather Brewer, M. T. Anderson, Peeps, Pete Hautman, Scott Westerfeld, Sweetblood, Thirsty, Vampires, Vlad Tod

About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 32 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).
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I have a couple die-hard Heather Brewer fans at my library, so great to see this!
Ms. Brewer calls them her “minions”. She has a lot of personality.