Rutabaga's Reads 2014: Part 3

As if the world didn’t have enough vampire books, here’s another … and another … and another … and … well, you get the idea. More vampire books, though this time for the middle-grade set. This compilation revolves around the first six books in the My Sister the Vampire series by Sienna Mercer (Scholastic cover editions). Many thanks to Kristi W. for lending me the books!

Switched (July 24, 2007).

A new girl has started at Franklin Grove Middle School just five weeks into the new school year, and Ivy Vega has the eeriest feeling that she’s met her before. The new girl is Olivia Abbott, and the two couldn’t be more different. Ivy is at home in her black attire and her clunky black boots, absently twirling the dark emerald ring on her necklace. And Olivia is, well, she’s so utterly pink. She’s also a cheerleader, but she wears a ring identical to Ivy’s. Ivy has also noticed that, underneath her pale Goth-ness and all of Olivia’s pink-ness, they look exactly alike! As if being an eighth grader wasn’t enough – SURPRISE! – you suddenly have an identical twin!

            This story is the first in a series of advanced chapter books, so while they may be unexciting for a reader who enjoys young adult literature, it may be just right for someone who’s not yet ready for, say, Twilight or The Vampire Diaries. I think the series is a fun concept. Both sisters are very likable, and the stories read quickly. They are not tough reads at all; this vamp lit is vamp-light even with all the vampires hanging out in Franklin Grove.

Fangtastic! (Aug. 21, 2007).

Olivia’s knowledge of her sister’s vampire nature is top secret. She’s been sworn to secrecy by Ivy, not that she would ever betray the twin she never knew she had, nor Ivy’s boyfriend, Brendan Daniels, or Ivy’s best friend, Sophia Hewitt. Unfortunately, well-known tabloid reporter Serena Star is nosing around. She doesn’t necessarily think there are vampires around town, but she thinks it’s highly unusual the number of Goths roaming around Franklin Grove. In their town’s case, Goth attire is synonymous to vampire, but that’s not common knowledge. Will it be as Serena Star edges closer and closer to the truth?

            While these books are meant for younger readers, they still make me chuckle. After all, how can someone not be amused by (or disgusted with) the idea that Ivy’s favorite cereal is called Marshmallow Platelets? Maroon bits and little marshmallows doused in milk – dare I call it the breakfast of [vampire] champions? Ha. Light and fun, these stories do entertain, and you don’t have to be eight years old to find the humor in them.

Re-Vamped! (Nov. 20, 2007).

The secret is out! Bunnies are humans and vampires are, well, just vampires. Actually, no, that secret is not out. But the fact that cheerleader Olivia and Goth Ivy are twins is. It’s the scoop of the year, not just for their school reporter classmate Toby Decker, but especially for Olivia and Ivy. Because now they have to tell their parents. Gulp! But perhaps that’s the easy thing to do. The town is excited about the twin-ness of the girls. At one point, Ivy spots a bunny wearing a tee that says, “I WANNA GOTH TWIN” and declares inwardly that she’s a fad. Oh, the horror!

            But now that that secret is out, the vampire officials are suspicious that Olivia knows the truth, and vampires should never tell a bunny about the First Law of the Night – that vampires exist. She’ll have to go through three tests to determine if she’s trustworthy enough to carry the Blood Secret. Surely she will pass, because what do you think happens to someone deemed unworthy of carrying the Secret?

            This third book in the series is another cute tale to add to the collection. While Olivia and Ivy are interested in finding clues that lead them to their birth parents, other family dynamics are interesting, too. We get to meet Brendan’s family, and his parents are so much more open than Ivy’s dad. Brendan’s little sister is a hoot, too. She may be seven, but she declares to Olivia, “… I’m utterly mature.” Not sure that’s the case when readers see that vampire tykes have growing up issues like anyone else, which is an element I appreciated in the book. In one scene, Bethany doesn’t want to take her VitaVamp because, “It tastes worse than broccoli!” Does that mean, if you like broccoli, that it would taste really yummy? Guess we’ll never actually know …

Vampalicious! (Feb. 26. 2008).

How much would it rock to have an identical twin to exchange places with? Even if that twin’s a vampire? And you aren’t just any bunny, but a vegetarian bunny, and suddenly your vampire twin tells you that your new favorite food is Marshmallow Platelets?! Maybe that’s a moot point if it means switching places so your twin can experience something she’s only dreamed of or to save your twin some emotional anxiety. Perhaps it’s their last hurrah before Ivy moves, not just across town or even a different state, but to Europe. They just met a few months ago, and suddenly Ivy’s dad has declared they’re making a move. He’s even found an all-girls vampire academy in Luxembourg for Ivy to attend. Hooray. (So not.) Ivy, Olivia and their friends conspire to find a way to convince Mr. Vega to stay. But what way is that?

             I wouldn’t say these books amaze me, but I continue to enjoy how cute they are. The little nuances Mercer puts in are fun. It’s not the most ingenious, and others might say there are too many clichés, but so what? They’re fun. In this fourth story, the timeline is scooting ever closer to Christmas. Do vampires believe in Santa Claus? No. They have the HB -- a.k.a. the Holiday Bat. See? Like I said, cute.

Take Two (Jan. 3, 2011).

If you’ve ever had a celebrity crush, nod knowingly to yourself at this time. Now, how many of you have actually met your celebrity crush? If you’ve accomplished this, feel free to do a happy dance of success in the presence of at least one other person (who also happens to be recording you). In “Take Two,” Olivia gets to meet her longtime crush, teen actor Jackson Caulfield. Amazingly, he’s in Franklin Grove to shoot scenes for his newest film The Groves. The movie cast and crew have taken over the local eatery, the Meat and Greet. Olivia doesn’t mind, as Jackson has been paying attention to her. They really seem to mesh well, but Ivy is worried. Not because of Jackson’s status (famous); she’s concerned that he has vampire tendencies.

            So Book 5 of the series is extra fantastical. It’s already obvious that vampires are involved in the series, and on top of that this story added a famous teen sensation who just happened to be filming a movie scene in their little town and he also happened to develop a crush on one of the main characters. But it keeps the tone of Mercer’s other books in the series: light, fun, cute. Also: pink, happy cheerleader and dark, Goth vampire. Go team!

Love Bites (Mar. 7, 2011).

The twins have packed their bags and are off to Transylvania to meet their birth dad’s side of the family. It turns out this part of the family is vampire royalty. While that sounds pretty cool, both Olivia and Ivy are missing their boyfriends. Olivia isn’t even sure where she stands with hers. She’d tried to visit him right before she left, but the surprise visit was far less than she’d hoped it would be. On top of it all, she was expecting she wouldn’t fit in with her vampire side of the family, but with the fancy clothes, mannerly meals and royal etiquette, she fits in better than Ivy. Ivy feels like she has all the grace of a bull in a ballroom. And on their arrival day, they meet the Crown Prince of Transylvania, Prince Alex, who seems very down-to-earth and is welcoming of the both of them. He is not biased in his views regarding vampires and humans. In fact, he seems to find Olivia quite intriguing, reciting poetry to her on lone walks and inviting her ice skating. Is he being genuinely friendly or does he have an ulterior motive?

            I liked that Mercer told a story in a totally different setting. She really took both of them out of their elements of comfort: away from home, friends and family they know. I appreciated the direction she took with Olivia and Ivy as well. Instead of Olivia being stereotypically out of place as the only human, she made her comfortable amongst vampires and created discomfort for Ivy, the one we’d think would fit right in with her fellow vampire kind.

Overall Impression:

As far as advanced chapter books go, the first six books in this series are good. They’re light, easy reads. However, they’re probably too frothy for diehard vampire lovers and also for mature readers that would prefer something more (whether that be darker or more romantic, etc.).