The first book in the Night World series. One of the earliest teen books in the vampire genre, this book was published in 1996, I was in middle school at the time. I loved this book and the rest of the series. However, unlike most books I never reread this series, because Smith wrote 9 books and the last several were leading up to this epic good vs. evil battle - it was awesome and I was so excited for the final book to come out. It was supposed to come out in 1997 or 1998, there was a synopsis and book cover and everything posted on the author's website. And much to my chagrin and extreme disappoint/anger...the book was never published! The publisher even went so far to say that the book was out of print (I know I started working for a bookstore in 1999 and have been ever since)! But the book was never published. So I never read them again.

Now in the last few years, they've been rereleasing these nine books in three volume sets. And FINALLY, the last book, Strange Fate is due to be released in April of 2010. So I'm rereading this series for the first time in a dozen years. And let me tell you, if this book doesn't come out..... boy, will I write really angry letters!!!!

Btw, L.J. Smith is the one who wrote the books The Vampire Diaries which is now a CW show. But that's no excuse!

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Poppy North is a typical sixteen-year old--she gets through school by being smarter than her teachers; likes to irritate her straight-laced twin brother, Phil; listens to New Age and techno music; has a secret crush on her best friend, James; and wakes up on the first morning of summer vacation before her senior year of high-school with nothing more paramount on her mind than what she can do with an entire summer spent with James.

Until the pain in her abdomen, which has steadily been increasing, working its way around to her back, keeping her awake at night, and causing her to lose weight, sends her to the doctor. Who then sends her to the hospital for tests. Where doctors then inform her that she has pancreatic cancer--the kind that will kill you within three weeks to three months.

Poppy, of course, isn't ready to die. Watching the reaction of her family--twin brother Phil, her mother, and step-father Cliff--only brings the truth closer to home. Poppy is going to die, there's nothing anyone can do about it, and it's going to be painful.

Except there is someone who can do something about it. James Rasmussen, her best friend from El Camino High School, her secret crush, a boy who now tells her something impossible--he's a lamia, a boy who was born a vampire, a member of the Night World, and he can change Poppy into a vampire to avoid certain death.

Of course Poppy doesn't believe him at first, but then what choice does she have? There's always been something different about James, and now she knows exactly what the difference is. So she agrees to become a vampire, knowing she'll have to leave her family behind, but knowing it's the only way to avoid certain death.

What follows is a fast-moving, interesting story about Poppy's immersion into becoming a vampire, the toll it takes on her brother, Phil, who finds out what they're doing, and the danger it puts James in. Because there are only two rules of the Night World: Never let the humans know it exists, and never fall in love with one of them. James has broken both of those rules.

What a great start to the Night World series! Towards the end of the book we meet some other interesting characters, which I'm guessing will play major roles in future books, so I can't wait to get started on the next read. ( )

Sort of Twilight for tweens. Not any where near as good, but a similar
chaste vampire romance without any gore. A bit immature in terms of
tone. If Twilight if for seventeen year olds, Night World is for
twelve year olds. ( )

Poppy is a normal 16 year old looking forward to the start of her summer vacation until she is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Now all Poppy has to look forward to is pain and shortly, death. James has been Poppy's best friend since they started school. He can't bear the thought of losing Poppy or her being in pain. But, James is in a unique position to help Poppy escape death. He is a vampire with the ability to turn her as well. The only problem is that once she is turned he and Poppy will be on the run, not just from her past life which she will need to relinquish, but also from the members of the Night World. The vampires would kill them both on sight if they found out that James had broken the rules, never tell what you are and never fall in love with a human.

As in her Vampire Diaries series L.J. Smith has created an amazingly engrossing vampire story of forbidden love and a secret world. Once I started Night World I was completely sucked in and couldn't stop reading until I was done. For anybody who enjoys stories like Twilight and The Silver Kiss or YA vampire stories in general I would highly recommend any of L.J. Smith's vampire stories. ( )