Notes From an Utterly Lame Vampire by Tim Collins

Collins, Tim, Notes From an Utterly Lame Vampire. Scholastic Press, 2010. Pgs. 330. Language: G, Violence: G, Sexual Content: G

Being a vampire stinks. At least according to Nigel. His 100th birthday is around the corner and he hates his life. Sun gives him acne, he didn’t get super speed or strength with becoming a vampire, his little sister is a spoiled brat and gets whatever she want, and he believes his parents are feeding off the people in town. The only bright spot in his life is Chloe. The new girl at school who’s beautiful and the girl Nigel want to impressive with his vampireness. How can one impress a girl, however, when you don’t have the things that make vampires impressive?

A funny, light-hearted vampire romance-type novel. The characters are well-developed. The underlying mystery is intriguing. The plot does a decent job of holding the reader’s interest. The illustrations are fairly well-done. Readers who like vampire books, romance, mystery, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books will enjoy reading this book. EL (4-6). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.