Trading demonic possession for vampirism, Jenkins (Repossessed) explores the existential crises of a clan of hemovores, or hemes. In her world, hemes feed on humans or omnis (short for omnivores), but do so with restraint regular, controlled feedings prevent their animal Thirst from taking over. Cole and a bighearted heme, Sandor, embark on a road trip to train Gordon, a naïve, college-age accident who has recently joined their ranks, and help him adjust to his current state. Cole displays monk-like self-discipline and denial as he models the lonely, endless nightlife of the heme for Gordon. (You're a parasite, not a predator, scolds Cole when Gordon realizes he could take advantage of his victim's entranced state during a feeding. Our lives are built on their backs, and we owe them civility at least.) As they travel, the hemes debate their ability to die, whether they possess souls and the futility of dating; the appearance of a rogue heme provides dramatic tension. Save a few minor female hemes, Jenkins's world is male-dominated, which may turn off some readers (Cole describes subservient omni groupies as young people who read too much Anne Rice). But overall, Jenkins provides a page-turner and a fresh, intriguing view of the vampiric life. Ages 12 up. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 9 Up Jenkins has created a taut and compelling reimagining of the vampire legend, with well-developed characters that transcend horror-novel cliché. When Cole is summoned to the Building in upper Manhattan, he's not sure what to expect, having spent decades away from the place. While other hemovores relax in one of the few safe havens available to their kind, the austere and self-sufficient Cole prefers the freedom of the open road, despite the obvious risks: the difficulty of attaining one's next meal, the necessity of hiding one's true identity, and, of course, a little problem with sunlight. The reason for Cole's presence at the Building soon becomes clear when Gordon, an inadvertently created heme with a bad attitude and a dangerous lack of experience, nearly kills a young woman in an overzealous feed. Heme leader Johnny asks Cole to take Gordon out on the road, where he can be trained in the skills he'll need in his new lifestyle, away from the too-easy comfort of the Building. Success is paramount: it simply isn't prudent to have an uncontrolled blood-drinker on the loose, and should the effort fail, Gordon will have to be disposed of. The plot is suspenseful and well paced, with hints of romance as Cole's worries for Gordon call up dark memories of his own past. A surefire hit for vampire-loving teens. Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

The author of Printz Honor winner Repossessed (2007), about a demon's jaunt to high school, returns to the dark fantasy genre with this intriguing novel set among "hemovores" (blood-drinkers who eschew the term vampire). Though this offers plenty of visceral writing about the thrill of taking "feeds," Jenkins' primary focus is on the relationships among three male hemavores on a road trip rather than on the sensual romance typical of YA vampire fiction. Intended as an opportunity for old-timers Cole and Sandor to mentor Gordon, a deeply traumatized new "heme," the journey serves as a metaphor for quintessential themes of male coming-of-age, especially the struggle to tame primal urges. However, the characters' emotional breakthroughs occasionally feel forced, and although all three are outwardly young adults, the greatest emphasis falls on neurotic, world-weary Cole rather than on Gordon, the character to whom teen readers may feel the strongest connection. Still, Jenkins achieves a thematic depth unusual in YA vampire fiction, and her focus on guy cameraderie may draw boys to a genre more typically read by girls. Mattson, Jennifer. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.