College student Claire enjoys living in Morganville, even if it is controlled by vampires. When a rave goes wrong and both humans and vamps end up dead, including one executed by Claire (it was self-defense), her punishment is to find a way to repair the failed machine that guards the borders. Her marathon work session seems to fix the problem til people start losing their memories, beginning with her boss, Myrnin, a notoriously unstable vampire who now wants to eat her and won't give her access to the workshop to save the town. This fast-paced adventure in the Morganville Vampires series features Claire and her housemates th princess Eve; Eve's vampire boyfriend, Michael; and Claire's boyfriend, Shane ttling to keep themselves and their community safe. The memory losses allow for character backstories to develop and for some older series plotlines to resolve. Claire's tough-girl attitude may remind adult readers of Rachel Morgan and her world of human-vampire interactions. A tremendously popular series.

BASYE, Dale E. Fibble: The Fourth Circle of Heck . illus. by Bob Dob. 384p. Random . May 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-85678-5 ; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-95678-2 ; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89305-6 . LC 2010009460. Gr 5-8 BOWLER, Tim . Fighting Back . Bk. 3. 261p. (Blade Series). Philomel . Apr. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25431-4 . LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up BRENNAN, Herbie . The Faeman Quest . Bk. 5. 361p. (Faerie Wars Series). Bloomsbury. Jan . 2011. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-476-4 . LC number unavailable. Gr 58 CAINE, Rachel . Ghost Town . Bk. 9. 338p. (The Morganville Vampires Series). NAL . Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-451-23161-1 . LC 2010026742. Gr 9 Up CAST, P. C. &; Kristin Cast . Awakened . Bk. 8. 323p. (House of Night Series). St. Martin's / Griffin . 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-312-65024-7 . LC number unavailable. Gr 10 Up DE LA CRUZ, Melissa . Bloody Valentine . illus. by Michael Johnston. 147p. (A Blue Bloods Book). Hyperion . Dec. 2010. RTE. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-3449-7 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up DE LA CRUZ, Melissa . Misguided Angel . Bk. 6. 265p. (A Blue Bloods Novel). Hyperion . Oct. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2128-2 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up DUEY, Kathleen . Following Magic . Bk. 2. illus. by Sandara Tang. 102p. (The Faeries' Promise Series). S &; S / Aladdin . Nov. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8458-0 . LC 2009045801. Gr 35 FLANAGAN, John . The Emperor of Nihon-Ja . Bk. 10. 432p. (Ranger's Apprentice Series). Philomel . Apr. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25500-7 . LC number unavailable. Gr 59 GIBSON, Marley . The Discovery . Bk. 5. 264p. (Ghost Huntress Series). Houghton / Graphia . May 2011. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-547-39308-7 . LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up GRAY, Claudia . Afterlife . Bk. 4. 368p. (Evernight Series). HarperTeen . Mar. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-128442-7 . LC number unavailable. Gr 9 Up Greenhut, Josh . The African Safari Discovery . Bk. 6. illus. by Macky Pamintuan. 91p. (Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures Series). HarperCollins . Jan. 2011. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-06-143001-5 ; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-06-143000-8 . LC 2010022978. Gr 24 HUNTER, Erin . Spirits in the Stars . Bk. 6. 273p. (Seekers Series). HarperCollins . Feb. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-087140-6 ; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-087141-3 . LC 2010021975. Gr 59 JONES, Frewin . The Charmed Return . Bk. 6. 355p. (Faerie Path Series). HarperTeen . Feb. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-087161-1 . LC 2010019301. Gr 7 Up KINGSLEY, Kaza . The Three Furies . Bk. 4. illus. by Peter Mohrbacher. 564p. (Erec Rex Series). S &; S. Aug. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7990-6 . LC 2009036404. Gr 57 LABATT, Mary . Witches' Brew . Bk. 4. illus. by Jo Rioux. 95p. (A Sam &; Friends Mystery). Kids Can . Mar. 2011. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-472-2 ; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-473-9 . LC C2010-904764-8. K-Gr 4 LAFEVERS, R.L. Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh . Bk. 4. illus. by Yoko Tanaka. 400p. Houghton . Apr. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-39018-5 . LC number unavailable. Gr 46 LAFEVERS, R. L. The Unicorn's Tale . Bk. 4. illus. by Kelly Murphy. 160p. (Nathaniel Fludd: Beastologist Series). Houghton Harcourt . Apr. 2011. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-547-48277-4 . LC number unavailable. Gr 35 LUBAR, David . Enter the Zombie . Bk. 5. 192p. (Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie Series). Tom Doherty Assoc / Starscape . Jan. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-2344-6 ; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-2672-0 . LC number unavailable. Gr 46 MAGUIRE, Eden . Summer . Bk. 3. 288p. (Beautiful Dead Series). Sourcebooks / Fire . Mar. 2011. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-3946-5 . LC number unavailable. Gr 7 Up MANCUSI, Mari . Night School . Bk. 5. 244p. (A Blood Coven Vampire Novel). Berkley . Jan. 2011. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-425-24042-7 . LC 2010029806. Gr 10 Up MORRIS, Gerald . The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True . Bk. 3. illus. by Aaron Renier. 118p. (The Knights' Tales Series). Houghton Harcourt . Apr. 2011. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-547-41855-1 . LC 2010006808. Gr 3–6 PEREZ, Marlene . Dead Is Not an Option . Bk. 5. 252p. (Dead Is Series) Houghton / Graphia . May 2011. pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-547-34593-2 . LC 2010027407. Gr 7 Up VERNON, Ursula . Lair of the Bat Monster . Bk. 4. 208p. (Dragonbreath Series). Dial . Mar. 2011. pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3525-5 . LC number unavailable. Gr 2–4

  Claire repairs the town’s security measures after she is sentenced by the Founder to do so without rest. Morganville is a unique place where humans and vampires reside. Those leaving the town are supposed to have their memory erased. Instead, residents are having their memories erased by the computer. Some people, like Myrnin, are affected immediately—Myrnin still thinks he kills humans and other vampires. Claire and her roommates must break into Myrnin’s lab to shut down the computer before the whole town suffers amnesia or, worse, death. The Founders are fighting over how to handle the humans, Claire’s parents have to leave town, and Claire’s boyfriend is told his father is a registered vampire. In the midst of all that drama, those with their memory must remind their unwitting friends of the truth. It can be heartbreaking, especially for those like Shane, who lost his sister in a fire, or Michael, who was turned into a vampire. But it can also make bonds stronger. The Morganville Vampires series is distinguished from other vampire novels by its steampunk feel. Caine mixes fantasy, science fiction, romance, and suspense—a combination that packs a punch. Enough background is given to understand the story without reading the other books in the series, although teens might be motivated to start at the beginning.—Lori Guenthner.