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wy_'s review
5.0
I over ally loved this book. The twists were interesting but still somewhat predictable, I loved the plot line and how after reading the book I still couldn't get the book out my head for like a week. The only thing I didn't like was the no character growth. Vlad grew up very little in this five year period. I <3 it in any other way though.
kade_spade's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
claudiaswisher's review
4.0
Poor Vlad -- he thinks his father's return will mean he'll live happily ever after...in vampire terms. But complications continue. I was excited to see Vlad and Henry and Joss all really mature and develop into strong characters. I had such a hard time liking Joss for the other books. He seemed so one-dimensional. But in this one he really grows. The twists were breath-taking. The double-crosses were both anticipated and horrible surprises. People die here...good people, people who made a difference. Bad people die here...bad people who deserved what they got.
My friend Kathy wonders if Brewer has left the door open for Vlad-goes-to-college, and I absolutely think she has...and an interesting change of scenery also. Vlad fulfills the prophesy and he keeps his humanity.
This was a fun series that got stronger with each book. The parallels to Star Wars, to Harry Potter, are strong, but this story of an abandoned child who must find his own way to adulthood is hard-wired into our DNA, I think.
My friend Kathy wonders if Brewer has left the door open for Vlad-goes-to-college, and I absolutely think she has...and an interesting change of scenery also. Vlad fulfills the prophesy and he keeps his humanity.
This was a fun series that got stronger with each book. The parallels to Star Wars, to Harry Potter, are strong, but this story of an abandoned child who must find his own way to adulthood is hard-wired into our DNA, I think.
merlinnius's review
3.0
The Vladimir Tod Series as a whole is a fun romp into the world of vampire, that takes a more grounded approach compared to its contemporaries *cough Twilight*
I fell in love with the first four books when I read them as a teenager, not only because it delves into deeper themes of friendship and the relationships between adults and teens, but I am also a "sucker" for the "chosen one" type mythos. I got into the fifth book as I recently re-read the series.
I will say, at times, rather than being melodramatic, the book sacrifices logic for drama (does every character forget they can read minds?) but until the final few chapters, I genuinely enjoyed the book. What lost me was the end as it seemed to lose the essence of the narrative (Vlad's relationships) in favour of quickfire sacrifices and Shyamalan-esque plot twists.
Overall great series, fifth book - don't get attached
I fell in love with the first four books when I read them as a teenager, not only because it delves into deeper themes of friendship and the relationships between adults and teens, but I am also a "sucker" for the "chosen one" type mythos. I got into the fifth book as I recently re-read the series.
I will say, at times, rather than being melodramatic, the book sacrifices logic for drama (does every character forget they can read minds?) but until the final few chapters, I genuinely enjoyed the book. What lost me was the end as it seemed to lose the essence of the narrative (Vlad's relationships) in favour of quickfire sacrifices and Shyamalan-esque plot twists.
Overall great series, fifth book - don't get attached
andye_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I know that this review is a little late, since this book was released back in April, but I finally got the book that I've wanted to read for quite a while now. And I wasn't disappointing in the slightest.
From the start, Twelfth Grade Kills seemed exactly like the book I'd been expecting. A very interesting plot, a lot of mystery, well-paced, all-together a great book. And the book continued so right to the end. I was loving it! There were a lot of plot twists that (Trying to be vague here as to not spoil it for anyone) practically liquified my brain with the sheer confusion and awesomeness of it. Heather Brewer did an absolutely wonderful job of making this book not only enjoyable, but it also kept you wanting to know what happens next the whole way through.
This book will probably be a favorite of anyone who is in to the non-Twilightish genre of vampires. When I say non-Twilightish I mean these vampires don't sparkle. This is the more diabolical and terrifying type of vampire. The awesome kind. If this kind of vampire interests you, I would very much recommend this series to you.
Austin
From the start, Twelfth Grade Kills seemed exactly like the book I'd been expecting. A very interesting plot, a lot of mystery, well-paced, all-together a great book. And the book continued so right to the end. I was loving it! There were a lot of plot twists that (Trying to be vague here as to not spoil it for anyone) practically liquified my brain with the sheer confusion and awesomeness of it. Heather Brewer did an absolutely wonderful job of making this book not only enjoyable, but it also kept you wanting to know what happens next the whole way through.
This book will probably be a favorite of anyone who is in to the non-Twilightish genre of vampires. When I say non-Twilightish I mean these vampires don't sparkle. This is the more diabolical and terrifying type of vampire. The awesome kind. If this kind of vampire interests you, I would very much recommend this series to you.
Austin
elephant's review
2.0
I just hate it when I read an entire series and then I don't like the ending.
This is the last book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.
I liked the series a lot.
Really.
But, this last book -Sucks.
Yes, there was Bites, Slays, Bleeds, Burns and Kills, and to me, the ending - Sucks.
I really liked the series - it follows the life of Vladimir Tod from 8th through 12th grades and his experiences as a teenage vampire living in the normal human world knowing little about the vampire world since he was born to a human mother and a vampire father who had both died in a tragic fire when he was younger - or so he thought.
I felt the last book tried to tie all of the loose ends together and end the series without enough detail.
We are not given much detail about the lives of the other characters - Henry or Snow or Eddie or any of the others and they could have been fleshed out some more.
We never have been told how slayers have superhuman type strength although apparantly a new book is being written by the author about the slayers that will come out in the fall - perhaps the author will explain things about the slayers in that book. It will be called "The Slayer Chronicles".
And I just did not like the violence and killing of loved characters at the end and the character of Tomas either at the end.
I will read Heather Brewer's future books - I do like her writing and her stories - I just was not happy about the way this series ended.
This is the last book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod.
I liked the series a lot.
Really.
But, this last book -Sucks.
Yes, there was Bites, Slays, Bleeds, Burns and Kills, and to me, the ending - Sucks.
I really liked the series - it follows the life of Vladimir Tod from 8th through 12th grades and his experiences as a teenage vampire living in the normal human world knowing little about the vampire world since he was born to a human mother and a vampire father who had both died in a tragic fire when he was younger - or so he thought.
I felt the last book tried to tie all of the loose ends together and end the series without enough detail.
We are not given much detail about the lives of the other characters - Henry or Snow or Eddie or any of the others and they could have been fleshed out some more.
We never have been told how slayers have superhuman type strength although apparantly a new book is being written by the author about the slayers that will come out in the fall - perhaps the author will explain things about the slayers in that book. It will be called "The Slayer Chronicles".
And I just did not like the violence and killing of loved characters at the end and the character of Tomas either at the end.
I will read Heather Brewer's future books - I do like her writing and her stories - I just was not happy about the way this series ended.
23sleeplesshours's review
3.0
All in all I enjoyed reading this book.
What it lacks is action, the pages were mostly filled with feelings, thoughts and recap what happened between chapters. I would have preferred to get to read what happened as it did, not as a short summery in a Vlad's thoughts.
I understand that the contrasting emotions, but it was explained too much.
The ending was ok.
I sometimes like an open ending and Snow's eyes glowing was a nice touch.
What it lacks is action, the pages were mostly filled with feelings, thoughts and recap what happened between chapters. I would have preferred to get to read what happened as it did, not as a short summery in a Vlad's thoughts.
I understand that the contrasting emotions, but it was explained too much.
The ending was ok.
pjams84's review
5.0
One word -- amazing! The final book in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod did not disappoint. Plenty of twists, and an ending that hints at the possibility of a spin-off series. A bittersweet ending to a great series.