First Kill

Gr 6–8—After Joss McMillan, 13, witnesses his little sister's murder at the hands of a vampire, he vows to get revenge. It isn't until his uncle reveals that their family is part of the Slayer Society, a secret group that hunts vampires, that Joss really gets his chance. Although most potential slayers have to wait until they turn 18 to join, the existence of a rather large group of hard-to-kill vampires and a secret prophecy lead the Slayer Society to start Joss's training immediately. What follows is a summer of brutal training. Several seasoned Slayers are slaughtered, and Joss and his uncle are determined to expose the traitor among them. If Joss can survive his training, a traitor bent on killing the Slayers, and a blossoming friendship with a girl, he may just become one of the youngest and most powerful Slayers in recent history. The first title (Dial, 2011) in a new series by Heather Brewer is told from the perspective of the Slayer who has become Vladimir Tod's ("The Chronicles Vladimir Tod" series, also written by Brewer) mortal enemy. While fans of the first series will definitely seek out this title, listeners do not have to be familiar with those books. Alexander Cendese easily captures Joss's teen angst and the juxtaposition of his determination to avenge his sister and his lack of confidence in himself and his abilities. Cendese also lends a variety of accents and tones to the secondary characters, creating an interesting and easy to follow story. For high school and public libraries, especially those where the Vladimir Tod series is popular.—Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, West Springfield, MA