A. M. Jenkins

One of the fallen who toils in Hell, escapes to earth and briefly possesses the body of a slacker high schooler to see what it is like to be human and make his mark in the world. I thought the descriptions of what it was like to really notice the sensations of being human were strengths in the book. Although religion is not mentioned directly, it is pretty clear that the book is operating with the model of Christianity. The demon is a pretty interesting and sympathetic character, he wants to show more impact people positively and even goes out of his way to try to force a bully to see the error of his ways so he doesn't have to spend an eternity in Hell. I just read Before I Die, and like that book one of the top things on the to-do list was to have sex. I found this to be a quick, interesting read. Although I don't know how much it would resonate with the middle school crowd. show less

Kiriel is a fallen angel, a devil, whose eternal punishment for rebellion against Him is to reflect the regrets and guilt of sinners souls and show them the disharmony they wrought during their lives and he's pretty sick of it. Determined to take a vacation Kiriel takes over the body of a teenager named Shaun who was destined for oblivion himself. Kiriel knows that his transgression in leaving his job and possessing a body is unforgivable, but he is determined to experience everything show more earthly in full before he is repossessed to Hell.

Despite a description that would make this young adult novel sound irreverent the truth is the story really isn't. Nor did I find it overly preachy which, considering the content of the book, is a feat in and of itself. This was kind of a make you think type book as Kiriel experiences our every day world and finds it wondrous in the extreme. It made me take a closer look at the world around me and my part in it. The story was told completely from Kiriel's unusual point of view which was also intriguing as his views of our world are completely alien from what your everyday person would think. It was fun to watch him learn from his experiences. I even liked the way the book ended despite the fact that I usually like everything tied up in a bow with full explanations which this didn't really have. All in all different and intriguing for a one time go around and I would recommend this as an easy and quick read for older teens and adults. I wouldn't recommend so much for younger tweens and teens as there are some sexual situations. show less

A fallen angel who is fed up with his job tormenting souls in hell decides to take over the body of a teenage boy. I loved the perspective that Kiriel brings to Shaun's life. A total outsider who has never experienced the life of a teen can see through some of the goofy stuff about the way teens live, especially in their relationships with other people. For example, Kiriel can immediately see how much Shaun's little brother wants his friendship and love in a way that Shaun never could. On show more the other hand, I think it would also be empowering for a teen to see how much knowledge they need to have just in order to get through the day - watching Kiriel struggle through familiar situations and social dynamics that a teenager would understand without a second thought can demonstrate to a young person how much they already know about the world. There was also a nice exploration of fantasy vs. reality in the relationship with Lane, a girl who has a long-time crush on Shaun. When Kiriel, who seems to think about sex just as much as your typical teenage boy, starts to act out one of Lane's fantasies about Shaun word for word, her reaction is not exactly positive. I enjoyed the way that this book highlighted everyday experiences - the little joys in life that are so easy to forget or gloss over. It got a little bit heavy-handed toward the end, but the message stands up that even in the life of fairly introverted teenage boy, there are important connections between him and the other people in his life. Shaun is chosen because he was a pretty isolated person, and Kiriel assumed that no one paid too much attention to his life. But Kiriel learns that "Shaun Simmons had made a specific mark on his little world, simply by being," and that his absence would be missed. show less

Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

Cole isn't quite like most hemes--as in hemovore, one who devours blood. The soft life of those living in The Building in New York City, with willing omnis offering their blood in exchange for the high feeding gives them, makes him uneasy. But he's drawn from his solitary lifestyle when the leader of the hemes asks him for a favor. Cole's friend, Sandor, has accidentally created a new heme, and it's up to him and Cole to teach Gordon about the show more "disease" he must now live with: how to feed, how to avoid detection, and how to control the mind-warping Thirst.

Cole, Sandor, and Gordon set off on a cross-country road trip, easing Gordon into his new life along the way. As Cole overcomes his frustration with Gordon and starts to feel sympathy for him, a long-buried guilt from his past starts to rise to the surface. When the trio encounters a stray heme with murderous tendencies, and Gordon goes on a hunger strike in an attempt to refuse accepting his condition, Cole finds himself questioning everything he thought he believed about himself and about what it means to stay human.

NIGHT ROAD is a dark, thoughtful novel that will draw readers into its mysterious and often dangerous world. Its take on the vampire mythology is fresh and layered. Despite his predatory nature, Cole is both easy to relate to and likable in his doubts, his respect for the omni humans on which he feeds, and his attempts to do right by those around him without risking too much of himself in the process.

Jenkins doesn't shy away from tough issues, like what might happen to hemes when they appear to be dead, whether they have souls, and how someone doomed to forever watch life passing in and out of existence around them can keep some semblance of humanity. The characters and ideas will stick with readers long after they've set down the book. Highly recommended, even for those who think they couldn't bear to read one more "vampire" book. show less