Review (4): Twelfth Grade Kills

Twelfth Grade Kills

by Heather Brewer

Release Date: September 21, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

Pages: 325

Source: Library

Website: www.VladTod.com

It all comes down to this.

Vlad's running out of time. The Elysian Council has given him only weeks to live, and that's if the Slayer Society doesn't kill him--along with all the citizens of Bathory--first. Then there's the issue of Vlad's father, who may or may no still be alive after all these years. Oh yeah, and that tiny detail in the Pravus prophecy about Vlad enslaving Vampirekind and the human race. So much for college applications. 

This is the epic finale to Heather Brewer's heart-stopping Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.

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Why I Read This: My cousin told me about this series and I thought I'd give it a try. 

Characters: Vladimir Tod, the main character, is half vampire and half human and he struggles a lot with the fact that he does not fit perfectly into both worlds. His parents die in a house fire when he is very young and he blames himself for that. He is a very nice, smart and caring boy. My only complaint about him was the fact that, to me, he didn't seem like he was 18 in this book. I had a really hard time picturing him and his friends as seniors in high school and had to keep reminding myself that he was 18, not 13. My favorite character would probably have to be Henry, Vlad's bestfriend/drudge. He is very funny and entertaining and he is extremely loyal to Vlad which are great characteristics to have. Despite only being human, he does manage to kill a few vampires along the way. Overall, the characters were interesting and fun to read about. Each had its own distinct personality and together they made the book better. 

Relatability: Despite this being a vampire book, that is not all that it is about. It is about family, love and what a person will do in order to protect the people they care most about. Most people will do just about anything to save the people they love and that is the most relatable aspect of this book. 

Cover: I really like the covers for these books. The cover changes as the characters in the book change. The first book takes place during Vlad's eighth grade year and the boy on the cover represents that. This book takes place during his senior year of high school and that is represented by the older version of Vlad on this cover. Also, the smiley face with the fangs is pretty cool. I like how for each book the smiley face is a different color. 

Overall Impression: Not my favorite, but it concluded the series nicely. There were no unanswered questions and there was even a mini cliffhanger at the end!

Rating:  * * *