Liza Conrad, High School Bites

High School Bites

Liza Conrad

NAL, Jan 2006, $9.99

ISBN: 0451217527

It started in high school in English class when the teacher discussed Transylvania and Dracula, etc. and now not long afterward Pacific Heights High School sophomore Lucy Hallenberg wears a cross, uses garlic perfume and avoids Seattle malls. On her sixteenth birthday, Lucy learns that all her female ancestors dating back to Bram Stoker are named after Lucy Barrows who rejected Dracula's spell; that is, actor Henry Irving allegedly playing the role. Now real vamps want to destroy the "Lucy's" by wrecking the life of the current one, though she needs little help having devastated the dance.

Lucy must deal with the local vampire population like her mom, grandmom, great-grandma and all the other Lucy's before her, but first she needs to pass the Ruthless math class and learn to drive in case she needs a fast getaway. Her dad is no help as he is a hermit (just ask the principal), while her two best friends Mark and Mina agree she is Marilyn living with the Munsters so why worry about vampires. Still she knows what she must do, but it is difficult to remember to pack holy water and an algebra book when your boyfriend's surname is Irving.

This is a charming paranormal chick lit satire of Buffy, starring a wonderful protagonist struggling to be sixteen, make it through high school, and save the local world at the same time. Lucy is delightful as the latest super heroine in her line, while the support cast, also descendants from the Stoker age augment the fun. Though some escapades occur from seemingly out of nowhere causing disruption, younger teens will appreciate the amusing action-packed THE LUCY CHRONICLES: HIGH SCHOOL BITES.