Author: Brian Rowe
Publisher: Independant
Pub. Date: April 3, 2012
Blurb from Goodreads:
16-year-old Brin Skar hates everything to do with the supernatural, so the obsessive film geek isn’t happy when she discovers that her junior year Film class at Grisly High is devoted to the horror genre. She’s even more disconcerted when she learns that six groups in the class will be writing and directing their very own horror movies.
Brin and five classmates travel to Bodie Ghost Town in California to shoot their creepy film, but they soon find themselves fighting a real terrifying threat when a clan of mean, bloodthirsty vampires emerge from beneath the surface and start attacking the group. The teens, headed by Brin and the egotistical director Anaya Frost, have no help from the outside and become outnumbered by the vampires a hundred to one.
But when Brin meets Paul, a helpful and smoldering vampire outcast who’s had enough of his shameful life, she realizes he might be the only key to her survival.
My Review:
I somehow didn’t expect this book to be as scary as it was. It may be because of the “cartoonish” cover (Which I LOVE by the way!–Read the book to figure out why there’s a tongue in her hand.) or I just underestimated to the creativity of Brian Rowe. OR, more than likely I just figured this would be another “fluffy” vampire piece. As I’ve stated before, I absolutely LOVE vampire stories. Even ones that are, indeed, fluffy. But, there is a part of me that craves some good old-fashioned, scary, blood-thirsty, vampire horror.
I think I also figured a book geared to teens or young adults couldn’t possibly be too scary. As soon as I read the first few pages, however, I knew that the book was going to be something great.
While there may be some hints at a “romantic” element, the book focuses more on building up the characters and the deep, frightening world that lay underneath the ghost town of Brodie. And although I love a good romance, I really liked how this book was structured. This is a first in a series and we not only get a great story, and a quick understanding of the horrors of this fictional world, but we also get set up for future horrors (and a POSSIBLE future not-so-platonic relationship).
There are some characters in this book that, when I was reading this story, I felt like I knew them. The girl at school that has something to prove, the popular girl that continues to surprise you, and the down-to-earth film-geek that ends up playing a bigger part in the story than you thought possible.
I also found myself laughing at some of the monologues by certain characters. And I think that’s what I really appreciated most about THE VAMPIRE UNDERGROUND. There were moments of extreme humor, and then moments of extreme horror. Either way, Brian Rowe kept me entertained the entire time!
If you enjoy being a little scared, if you enjoy vampires, and/or if you enjoy a creative story with some original plotlines, definitely check out this book!
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Purchase The Vampire Underground on Amazon.
Check out Brian Rowe’s Twitter Page.
