Z. Brewer

If you can't tell, I am a huge fan of this series. I received the first three books thanks to my son's Scholastic Book Club order and read all three in three days. (I love Scholastic Book Club too, but that is an entirely different article.) There is something so refreshing about Vlad, his troubles, and his growing maturity in the face of ever darker problems. Tenth Grade Bleeds is no different.

This time around, Vlad hits vampire puberty, if you will, with a growing blood lust that is show more getting harder and harder to satiate. His reaction to it impacts his relationships with everyone around him and adds another layer of complexity to an already complex life. Throughout it all, Vlad remains his typical teen self, trying to remain true to his vampire side without compromising his humanity.

After three books into the series, the overarching story remains as fascinating and blurry as the reader uncovers yet more details about his status as the Pravus and what it means for his future. There is a not-so-subtle building of suspense that ties the stories together while the individual storyline continues to remain fresh and fun. Tenth Grade Bleeds continues the trend of a great story while whetting the appetite of the reader for more of Vlad's story. show less

This book showed promise, but it desperately needed a better editor. There were sections where the characters just rambled and several grammatical errors throughout.

The societal norms present in this book were quite aggravating and annoyed me to no end. Why the hell would you send out people with ZERO training to fight in battles? Especially since you claim that those lives are valuable. I applaud Kaya for fighting against that.

That brings me to point number two about this book: Kaya. I show more liked her for the most part, but holy hell she was annoying at times. mouthing off to everyone and turning to yelling almost immediately when arguing.

The idea of the bond between Healers and Barrons is rather interesting and made me decide to carry on with the series, especially after seeing that ending scene. show less

I'm new to books by Z Brewer, which is strange because they seem to have contributed quite a bit to the writing world! Anyway, this is my first and I would definitely look into others!

Into The Real by Z Brewer is quite a unique novel. Quinn is the main character... in three different stories. Z Brewer has created, what is essentially, three novels that merge into one ... "connection" by the end. There will be no spoilers here so don't expect me to reveal what happens in this book.

The first show more storyline that the reader is introduced to is one in which monsters are very much a reality. Genderqueer Quinn is on the run with a friend, Lia, and interloper Caleb. Their town is now surrounded by a dense fog that turns them around each time they try to leave the town. It's a disturbing thought and this is one scary world. The creatures are of nightmarish quality, screamers, unseen hands... it's all very disturbing.

In another storyline, Quinn has been banished from the family and sent to a conversion camp. The same cast of supporting characters appears in this world but their challenges and allegiances are quite different. This camp is a horrendous place. Quinn is subjected to therapy that is designed to guide her from her girlfriend, Lia, and instill in her very right-wing, religious attitudes about homosexuality and gender. There is physical abuse, mental and emotional abuse. Another world...with different kinds of monsters.

I was extremely uncomfortable with the way in which a trans character was treated at the camp. The character is dead named repeatedly and told that they are an abomination etc. While this is corrected by the other supporting characters it is my understanding that reading about deadnaming can be really triggering for some readers. I do feel there is a way to write about a situation in which deadnaming occurs, without actually using a character's deadname. (See Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass.) I would urge you to read the warnings for this book.

In the third storyline, Quinn is the commander of an underground resistance. They are locked in battle and also... locked into their gender roles. In this storyline, Quinn appears to be male and struggling with the fact that he is gay. He can't reveal his sexual orientation even to his closest companions. Women aren't allowed on the front lines in this storyline and even though Quinn finds he disagrees with that, he doesn't stand up to the ruling. Again, the same cast of supporting characters appears, again in different roles and fighting different monsters.

By the time all three storylines are introduced, it's clear that there's something strange going on for Quinn. There are hints that things are bleeding between the storylines. The same person begins to appear, words linger in Quinn's mind and each Quinn starts to feel oddly unsettled.

The idea behind this novel is intriguing. I was most interested in the first story that was introduced. Brume has become a town imperiled. Quinn is struggling to stay alive, fighting real monsters and protecting their friends. There was something really engaging about the first world. The conversion camp storyline was less engaging... perhaps because it's a common theme recently. The third storyline seemed a bit forced compared to the other two. Soldier Quinn was the character that I connected with the least. In spite of these differences, I feel as though each story could have been a novel in its own right.

This book is well-written and the storylines are significantly difference so it's easy to keep the stories separate in your mind... that is until they begin to merge. show less

When it comes to vampire novels, I admit I am rather easy to please. Give me a plausible back story as well as a creative twist on the vampire myth, and I am happy. So, to say that I enjoyed a vampire story is not a surprise to anyone. Yet, when I can gush about a vampire story, now you know the story is special. I gushed about Eighth Grade Bites several days ago, and Ninth Grade Slays is just as deserving of any praise I may bestow.

Dark but fun, with enough Buffy references to make a Buffy show more fan like me happy, Ninth Grade Slays picks up where the other left off. This time, Vlad delves a little deeper into his vampire nature, understanding why others feel he is so special and why he is in danger all the time. As denotes most sequels, especially in middle grade novels, the story itself is rather formulaic, but it is still fun because of all the new information we get about Vlad's father, about his vampire family, and about his emerging powers. While more information is held back in the interest of the series, Ninth Grade Slays is the first book where the reader actually is made privy to this information. It definitely helps flesh out Vlad and Otis and the entire vampire society, making them more life-like and dangerous as only full disclosure can.

Any book that references Buffy, the TV show and NOT the movie, gets a special recommendation, and Ninth Grade Slays is full of references. There is something particularly hilarious about any story that references such a campy, but excellent cult hit because you know the author is not taking him/herself too seriously. I could spend an paragraph or two making comparisons between Buffy and Vlad, but then I would be doing a disservice to both because it means taking them both too seriously. Vlad is supposed to be fun, and it succeeds quite well.

Ninth Grade Slays leaves the reader wanting more, which is exactly what you want in a series. Vlad is vulnerable in his loneliness but shows remarkable growth as he learns more about his destiny. Otis, Nelly and Henry compliment Vlad's teenage angst. The end result is a novel that is a quick read but extremely charming and utterly addicting. show less