What to read if you never got over your Twilight phase *cough* Morgan
Look, I’m not saying I’m obsessed with vampires, but I am unconditionally and irrevocably obsessed with vampires. My fascination just won’t end. And every time I think I’m officially done with vampires, it only takes one re-watch of Interview with the Vampire, or one mention of Dracula, and suddenly I’m remembering how cool and scary vampires. And now that it is officially spooking season, I can talk about my incessant adoration for monsters who are so pretty but also literally want to exsanguinate you. Because apparently a friend’s birthday brunch is not the place for that conversation. Or so I’ve been told.
If you’re like me (and Morgan) and are still in love with vampires, here are some books for you. Don’t say I never did anything for you.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Leave it to Holly to turn vampires on their head! She dragged me back into my days of obsessing over pale, sad-bois with this thrill ride rife with compelling characters and decadent scenery, where social media, reality tv, and vampire lore mix.
Coldtowns: quarantined walled cities where vampires and humans mingle in a bloody mix of predator and prey. Where livestreams broadcast the opulent debauchery world-wide. And where, once you enter, you can never leave. One morning after a perfectly normal high-school party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. She, her infected ex-boyfriend, and a mysterious boy are the only survivors. Tana must save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight into the wicked heart of the Coldtown itself.
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Etiquette & Espionage is the love child of Jane Austen and James Bond, with a splash of the supernatural thrown in. Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than learning proper etiquette. Her mother, desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But what her mother does not know is Mademoiselle Geraldine’s is actually a spy-training school in disguise as a finishing school.
The steampunk world of the Finishing School series is rife with steam-powered mechanicals, the finer points of table setting, and, of course vampires. And werewolves. And shadowy figures in top-hats. Fair enough, the vampires don’t necessarily take center-stage in this series, but they certainly spice things up. And then dress fabulously.
The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith
Looking for some mid-2000’s TV realness? May I recommend The Vampire Diaries. Elena is the golden girl, the leader, seemingly perfect. But she’s bored. Until Stefan. Brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena. And then Damon arrives. Sexy, dangerous, and driven by the urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. If you thought watching these three on TV was good, just wait until you experience the books the show was based on. Sure, we might be over love triangles in our current YA landscape, but there’s nothing quite like going back to a classic “who will she pick” love story. Even better if its two vampire boys she’s got to decide between!
Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan
This iconic series is sure to kick-start any vampire obsession. That is, if you’re looking for a truly horrific take on the classic blood-sucking mythology.
Darren and his best friend Steve get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes one of the performers, Mr. Crepsley, is a vampire. In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. And this is only the beginning of Darren’s descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
1872, New Orleans is ruled by the dead. But it is also a refuge to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau after she is forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. She is quickly enamored by the vibrant city, becoming embroiled in the glitzy underworld known as La Cour des Lions. But after a slew of gruesome murders, the city is gripped in the terror of a serial killer on the loose. And Celine can’t help but be suspicious of La Cour des Lions and its handsome leader who has stolen her heart.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Um… duh. If you’re looking for the O.G. vampire love story that had an entire generation of girls hoping their boyfriends would have an insatiable thirst for blood and sparkle, it is here for the re-reading. Go for it, we won’t judge.