There are only two races that matter: the Living and the Undead... and with every year that passes, the numbers of the Undead grow. It is inevitable. So says Lucy Szabo. She has a theory: Hundreds of years ago, before the discovery of insulin, slowly dying diabetics were the original "vampires." Lucy, a diabetic herself, counts herself among the modern Undead. As Sweetblood, she frequents the Transylvania room, an Internet chat room where so-called vampires gather to discuss all things goth. But Draco, one of the other visitors to Transylvania, claims to be a real vampire -- and Lucy's not entirely sure he's kidding. As Lucy becomes more involved with the goth/vampire subculture, everything in her life begins to unravel. Her grades plummet, her relationship with her parents deteriorates, and her ability to regulate her blood sugar worsens dramatically. Then she meets Draco face-to-face, and he invites her into his strange world. Lucy realizes that she needs to make some difficult choices -- if it isn't already too late. Pete Hautman's new take on vampires is a disturbing and fascinating story about an intelligent, cynical teen reinventing herself in the face of a chronic illness. Book jacket. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Hautman, an insulin-dependent diabetic, brings an unusual perspective to the anemic horror topic with his portrayal of Lucinda Szabo, the vampire-obsessed diabetic who narrates this tale with wit and sarcasm. "Diabetics were the original, the real vampires," she writes in "The Sad Truth About Bloodsucking Demons"-an English assignment that lands her in hot water with her parents and teacher. Like his Stone Cold and Mr. Was, Hautman creates an edgy protagonist in the sharply intelligent Lucy. From the first chapter, the author lays out her love/hate relationship with blood: "Blood is my friend. Without it my cells shrivel," she begins. By the end of the chapter, she concludes, "Blood is my enemy. It carries death to my cells." Hautman traces the 16-year-old former A student's slide downward as she dyes her blonde hair black, wears attire to match and almost drifts away from her best friend, Mark. Lucy (aka "Sblood") haunts vamp/net chat rooms as she researches her "condition," bringing her under the radar of Wayne "Draco" Smith, a middle-aged cybervamp who feeds off minors by staging goth parties featuring alcohol. The novel turns darker as he seduces Lucy intellectually, appealing to her wit and her pride in her uniqueness. Smith discovers "Sblood's" location and tracks her down via a classmate, who scores her an invitation to a Halloween party that turns into a life-threatening event for Lucy. As Lucy enters an insulin-deprived state of mind, her narrative mirrors her sense of insanity, the blending of the real and unreal. The exotic theme coupled with the heroine's highly recognizable feelings of oddity and isolation make for a tantalizing read. Ages 12-up. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 9 Up-Hautman is known for tackling unusual topics in his fiction, and this book is no exception. Lucy Szabo has been an insulin-dependent diabetic since she was 6, and now, at age 16, she has developed an interesting theory that links vampirism with diabetic ketoacidosis. When she explains her theory in a creative writing paper, however, her teacher, counselor, and parents become concerned that Lucy may finally be "too weird" and take steps to find help for her. When her computer is removed from her room and she is unable to frequent the Transylvanian chat room, Lucy decides that perhaps real-life adventures are in order. With a new friend, she ventures into the world of tarot cards and goth, perhaps meeting a real vampire in the flesh, while allowing her diabetes to spiral out of control. Teens eager for vampire stories will find Lucy's link between diabetes and vampirism fascinating and plausible. Most of the characters are stock, but the protagonist stands out as being an intelligent, curious young woman who is dealing with all of the usual adolescent angst, compounded by her condition. No longer wishing to be controlled by anything, she decides to stop conforming completely, with almost deadly results. This book should appeal to a wide range of interests, from those looking for a good vampire book to those touched by the illness.-Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 8-12. Sixteen-year-old Lucy Szabo, who dresses in black and is a frequent visitor to a vampire chat room where she calls herself Sweetblood, is a diabetic whose condition dictates her life. She constantly monitors her glucose level, watches her calorie intake, and keeps an eye on her physical activity. After she submits a creative, but grim, composition theorizing that vampire legends are based on the appearance and behavior of untreated diabetics, her teacher becomes alarmed, her parents are called, and she's packed off to a therapist. Meanwhile, Lucy has become acquainted with an older man who runs a salon for young goths, fancies himself a vampire, and has his eye on her. Hautman does an outstanding job of making Lucy's theory and her struggle to accept herself credible. The diabetes/vampire idea, based on information Hautman discovered while investigating vampire stories, eventually gives way to a cautionary motif about teen safety in chat rooms, but that's not enough to undermine some really good writing: Lucy's clever, self-deprecating voice is endlessly original. This imaginative, intriguing what if novel will attract fans of vampire stories, as well as teens who feel different from the norm--in short, all of them. DebbieCarton. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Pete Hautman has written many novels for adults, including Doohickey, as well as the teen novels Hole in the Sky, Stone Cold, and Mr. Was, which was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America. He divides his time between the Twin Cities of Minnesota and the shores of Lake Pepin in southwestern Wisconsin Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

1. Blood	1
2. Friendship	5
3. Undead	9
4. Sblood	15
5. Blue Eyes	21
6. The Sad Truth About Bloodsucking Demons	27
7. Draco	33
8. Femmes Fatale	39
9. Low	47
10. Blah Blah Blah	52
11. French Cuisine	58
12. Poisson	64
13. Night Creature	71
14. Espresso Yourself	77
15. Butterflies and Beer	82
16. Wine Red	90
17. Fuzz	99
18. Bad Girl	103
19. Shrink-Wrap	107
20. Studying	115
21. Adrift	120
22. Angst	126
23. Trick or Treat	135
24. Bizarro	141
25. Wine and Chocolate	147
26. Snail	158
27. Logic	162
28. Me	168
29. Blue Sky	176

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.