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.

They are not animals. Cole, Johnny, and Mina are human, disciplined, sensitive, and compassionate. They just happen to need to drink blood to survive. At the Colony, a safe haven for hemovores, blood is readily available, all but eliminating "Thirst," the archetypical predatory vampire behavior. The Colony's regulated system works well, but accidents still happen, especially when "hemes" leave the Colony. When one such accident occurs, Missouri frat-boy Gordon is unwillingly inducted into the ranks of heme. Now it is up to Cole and Sandor, centuries-old hemes trapped in teenagers' bodies, to train Gordon in the ways of the Colony, where hemes are taught to live resourcefully among the general population. Gordon's education begins on the road, moving only at night as he relearns what it means to live. Fans of vampire fiction might enjoy Jenkins's revision of popular vampire legend, but fans of her novel Repossessed (HarperTempest, 2007/VOYA August 2007) will likely be less impressed. Although Jenkins endeavors to add humanity to the traditionally inhuman in both novels, where Repossessed is quick and quirky, this book is plodding and dark. The philosophical angst that comes with facing eternal life essentially as a parasite is interesting to consider, and Jenkins does well to explore these concerns. But the struggle of centuries-old Cole and not that of the only true teen character, Gordon, is at the core of the novel. In fact, Gordon is only a minor player in the novel, merely the subject of endless lectures from Cole. This flaw might limit the novel's appeal to young readers.-Jennifer Miskec.

Trading demonic possession for vampirism, Jenkins (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">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. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)

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

In this vampire road novel, reticent Cole and carefree Sandor leave their Manhattan colony to train new vampire Gordon. The plot gradually offers up its revelations, both the dark secrets of Cole's past and the intriguing details of vampire mythology, but the real strength of the novel lies in its noirish atmosphere, accessible prose, and crisp, sharp dialogue.

The "v" word that saturates YA literature these days is anathema to the sun-challenged "hemovores" in Printz Honorwinning author Jenkins' undead road-trip novel. Bloodsuckers Cole and Sandor take to the highway in order to indoctrinate fresh convert Gordon in the ways of the "hemes." The journey becomes a metaphorical one for Cole, a centuries-old teenager who still struggles to overcome his own aversion to the hemovore life, even as he instructs his young charge. The already-leisurely narrative often stalls to allow space for Cole's long philosophical musings about the nature of immortality and memory, and even though Jenkins builds suspense with the addition of an unstable "stray" (a rogue hemovore without a colony), the tone remains more Anne Rice than Stephen King. Still, it's an intriguing take on the currently popular subject, and sidekick Sandor's comic commentary lends levity: One fellow "tasted funny" because "[h]e'd had Italian for dinner. . . . You can always tell, because of the garlic." A slow but ultimately satisfying tour through vampire country. (Fiction. YA)