Mere Mortals

Gr 9 Up–Charlie and Reg did something so terrible, they have been sentenced to a fate worse than eternal death (mostly because they have already experienced that and had a little too much fun). They are siblings and teenage vampires, but now must live as mortals with a legendary vampire slayer as their guardian, in the literal middle of Nowhere, Iowa. As the two find a group of friends that make being human almost bearable, they are possibly given another chance to regain their immortality, but will they give up life to live again in the afterlife? Charlie is written with a dry sense of humor and her relationship with her brother Reg is fun to read, as they both navigate high school life after centuries as vampires. This creates humorous moments (such as Charlie showing up to school realizing her leather outfit does not fit in with the casual country attire of her classmates) in an overall paranormal read with some horror moments. The book moves slower as characters are established and the early scenes are set but builds to a thrilling and devastating conclusion that will keep readers engaged until the end.