Scan barcode
trid_for_kicks's review against another edition
5.0
This book is fantastic. As a recovering Twilight fan, and a lover of a good, hearty laugh, this book was perfect. From the beginning, it's clear that Team Human is goodnaturedly riffing on Twilight (and other vampire books), for which I might have read this book over anything else. But once you get going, it's impossible to put down. You fall in love with the main character (who is colorful and hilarious and flawed and REAL), and her observations of the world around her. You laugh mercilessly at (and are also, somehow, a little bit jealous of) the vampire romance unfolding on the page. (Seriously, though, I expected to dislike the vampire and his girlfriend when picking up this book, but their personalities are absolutely delightful, amplified hilariously by the miffed best friend and narrator) And, ultimately, it's absolutely intriguing to get a glimpse of a world where vampires are not only known about, but are commonplace. Everything from government to the minutia of society are effected by this one aspect, in ways that you might not think of.
mfumarolo's review against another edition
4.0
Would give this a 3.75, so I will just round up.
I have said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not usually too huge into vampire stories. I was forced to read Twilight by my YA Lit professor in grad school and while I found it to be merely not terrible, I've just never been drawn to the appeal of vampires. Of course, I keep giving them a chance. I liked the few Chronicles of Vladimir Todd books I've read, but still, not quite there for me, yet.
This is probably why I liked Team Human as much as I did. It helps when the narrator is about as un-Bella as possible because she's not exactly the captain of Team Vampire either. Mel lives in the small town of New Whitby, a place where humans and vampires have lived side by side for literally hundreds of years. But the species usually keep to their respective groups, that is, until Francis, a 200 year old 17-year old vampire starts coming to high school and Mel's best friend Cathy falls in love with him. Throw in the threat of zombies, a missing person, and Kit, a gorgeous human boy who has been raised by the vampires Mel can't stand, and you've got an entertaining story on your hands.
One thing that I found to be particularly great about this story is that all of the characters are flawed. It sounds nuts to state this as a positive, but it's true. Mel is incredibly biased against vampires, and she struggles very hard with the fact that Cathy not only loves one, but wants to be turned into one. Is she immature about it at times? Sure, but I would be too. I loved how her feelings towards Kit balanced things out and acted as a way for her to see another side. The incorporation of zombies in a new way was inventive, and the two main plot lines fit together well. Secondary characters could have used a bit more support in my opinion, but they served their purposes well all around.
The thing about this story that I had the hardest time with was Francis - I really couldn't see what was so fantastic about him, why Cathy would be willing to give up life as a human for him, but since the story is told through Mel's eyes, I guess that makes sense.
Plus I have my own prejudices against vampires to overcome. =)
So if you're like me or know someone like me who is sick of the vampire craze, pick up a copy of Team Human. It's a bit of a satire, a bit of a mystery, and a whole lot of human feelings.
I have said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not usually too huge into vampire stories. I was forced to read Twilight by my YA Lit professor in grad school and while I found it to be merely not terrible, I've just never been drawn to the appeal of vampires. Of course, I keep giving them a chance. I liked the few Chronicles of Vladimir Todd books I've read, but still, not quite there for me, yet.
This is probably why I liked Team Human as much as I did. It helps when the narrator is about as un-Bella as possible because she's not exactly the captain of Team Vampire either. Mel lives in the small town of New Whitby, a place where humans and vampires have lived side by side for literally hundreds of years. But the species usually keep to their respective groups, that is, until Francis, a 200 year old 17-year old vampire starts coming to high school and Mel's best friend Cathy falls in love with him. Throw in the threat of zombies, a missing person, and Kit, a gorgeous human boy who has been raised by the vampires Mel can't stand, and you've got an entertaining story on your hands.
One thing that I found to be particularly great about this story is that all of the characters are flawed. It sounds nuts to state this as a positive, but it's true. Mel is incredibly biased against vampires, and she struggles very hard with the fact that Cathy not only loves one, but wants to be turned into one. Is she immature about it at times? Sure, but I would be too. I loved how her feelings towards Kit balanced things out and acted as a way for her to see another side. The incorporation of zombies in a new way was inventive, and the two main plot lines fit together well. Secondary characters could have used a bit more support in my opinion, but they served their purposes well all around.
The thing about this story that I had the hardest time with was Francis - I really couldn't see what was so fantastic about him, why Cathy would be willing to give up life as a human for him, but since the story is told through Mel's eyes, I guess that makes sense.
Plus I have my own prejudices against vampires to overcome. =)
So if you're like me or know someone like me who is sick of the vampire craze, pick up a copy of Team Human. It's a bit of a satire, a bit of a mystery, and a whole lot of human feelings.
postitsandpens's review against another edition
4.0
I can clearly remember when Team Human was released because it was a book that definitely piqued my interest, not only because it seemed to poke fun at the typical YA vampire tropes, but also because I'd heard really good things about both authors. Needless to say, I will definitely be checking out other books by both Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier, because I found this book to be refreshingly different. I adored the very tongue in cheek nature present in the story, but also appreciated that this wasn't just a humor book; there is a surprising amount of depth to the story and the characters, and I found all of it extremely entertaining and even poignant in places.
This book very much makes fun of some of the more common tropes seen in YA vampire books, particularly that of Twilight. I loved the fact that there are several folks who are concerned with the insta-love between Cathy and Francis, to the point where there are numerous comments about how they're rushing into things. Mel, of course, is the most vocal of these characters, and because she is our point of view character, the reader gets taken on quite the ride as she tries to convince Cathy to make different choices. Mel is brash, stubborn, and completely uncouth, and while I'm not sure I'd love a friend like this in reality, I had to love her devotion to her friends and the amount of love she has for Cathy in particular. I liked the fact that, throughout the book, Mel has to come face to face with her preconceived notions and admit that perhaps she doesn't really have the right to tell others what to do, even when she doesn't like their choices. Mel does a lot of maturing in this book, and I was very pleased to be able to go along with her on that ride.
Team Human also has a really solid mystery at its core when it comes to Anna's dad, and I loved how Mel refused to accept the adults' answers to her questions and did her own digging. (And I agree that Kit is superb at sidekicking!). The mystery added a lot of suspense to this book, and kept it from being all about the romance or Mel's dislike of Francis and the impact his appearance has on Cathy. However, one of the best things about this book is indeed of the romantic variety: I found Mel and Kit's blossoming relationship to be incredibly well-written, complete with miscommunication of the normal variety and a definite "like" not "love" factor. To put it succinctly, they were adorable, as two people who like each other should be. I definitely approved!
All in all, I found Team Human to be a great mix of mystery, romance and humor. Despite being laugh-out-loud funny in some places, the depth of emotion experienced by Mel and the others made this a fabulous combination of fun with a heavy dose of levity that made for an extremely enjoyable read. It's definitely a book that has a little bit of something for everyone!
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
This book very much makes fun of some of the more common tropes seen in YA vampire books, particularly that of Twilight. I loved the fact that there are several folks who are concerned with the insta-love between Cathy and Francis, to the point where there are numerous comments about how they're rushing into things. Mel, of course, is the most vocal of these characters, and because she is our point of view character, the reader gets taken on quite the ride as she tries to convince Cathy to make different choices. Mel is brash, stubborn, and completely uncouth, and while I'm not sure I'd love a friend like this in reality, I had to love her devotion to her friends and the amount of love she has for Cathy in particular. I liked the fact that, throughout the book, Mel has to come face to face with her preconceived notions and admit that perhaps she doesn't really have the right to tell others what to do, even when she doesn't like their choices. Mel does a lot of maturing in this book, and I was very pleased to be able to go along with her on that ride.
Team Human also has a really solid mystery at its core when it comes to Anna's dad, and I loved how Mel refused to accept the adults' answers to her questions and did her own digging. (And I agree that Kit is superb at sidekicking!). The mystery added a lot of suspense to this book, and kept it from being all about the romance or Mel's dislike of Francis and the impact his appearance has on Cathy. However, one of the best things about this book is indeed of the romantic variety: I found Mel and Kit's blossoming relationship to be incredibly well-written, complete with miscommunication of the normal variety and a definite "like" not "love" factor. To put it succinctly, they were adorable, as two people who like each other should be. I definitely approved!
All in all, I found Team Human to be a great mix of mystery, romance and humor. Despite being laugh-out-loud funny in some places, the depth of emotion experienced by Mel and the others made this a fabulous combination of fun with a heavy dose of levity that made for an extremely enjoyable read. It's definitely a book that has a little bit of something for everyone!
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
literaryanna's review against another edition
4.0
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: Literary Exploration
Team Human is just one big cliche after another (in a good way!) The writing is funny, witty, sarcastic, and satirical, poking fun at all the different vampire myths and stories we've grown so accustomed to these days. It was incredibly refreshing to read something that wasn't taking the insta-love, vampire romance seriously. Mel is the complete opposite of Bella Swan, and Cathy is a seriously hilarious version of the popular protagonist. Imagine all of your favorite vampire stories rolled into one and performed as a skit on SNL. That's Team Human, and that's why I loved it!
Mel is such a great character, and I loved reading from her point of view. She's completely anti-vamp and when her best friend, Cathy, falls for one she does everything in her power to sway the girl's mind. This is the kind of friend that Bella Swan needed when she started making googly eyes at Edward! Not only is Mel loyal to her bff, but she's also incredibly funny! Some of the things she says just made me laugh out loud! I didn't find anything particularly swoon-worthy about either of the love interests, and some of the side characters had minor plot twists that I didn't think were necessary, but overall I enjoyed this eclectic group of friends.
The story itself is so weird. There's a lot of romance as well as mystery. The kind of mystery I like where the protagonist doesn't stop searching for answers despite the danger that might be lurking in the shadows. There were a lot of twists that I wasn't able to guess, and the ending definitely had me shocked! I always love being surprised with plot twists that that was definitely one of them! The actual ending was pretty predictable, but I wasn't disappointed in the least! Even the writing is so well done, both Larbalestier and Rees Brennan were able to capture the voice of a witty teenage girl and I loved it! Job well done ladies!
Overall I definitely enjoyed reading Team Human. While it did have some flaws, it was an excellent satirical take on the modern day vampire love story. There are even a few zombies thrown in for good measure! The story is fast-paced, exciting, and laugh out loud funny, you won't want to put it down! Fans of all vampire novels will get a kick out of this one, and I'd really love to see these ladies write a spin on another popular creature! Werewolves anyone!?
Team Human is just one big cliche after another (in a good way!) The writing is funny, witty, sarcastic, and satirical, poking fun at all the different vampire myths and stories we've grown so accustomed to these days. It was incredibly refreshing to read something that wasn't taking the insta-love, vampire romance seriously. Mel is the complete opposite of Bella Swan, and Cathy is a seriously hilarious version of the popular protagonist. Imagine all of your favorite vampire stories rolled into one and performed as a skit on SNL. That's Team Human, and that's why I loved it!
Mel is such a great character, and I loved reading from her point of view. She's completely anti-vamp and when her best friend, Cathy, falls for one she does everything in her power to sway the girl's mind. This is the kind of friend that Bella Swan needed when she started making googly eyes at Edward! Not only is Mel loyal to her bff, but she's also incredibly funny! Some of the things she says just made me laugh out loud! I didn't find anything particularly swoon-worthy about either of the love interests, and some of the side characters had minor plot twists that I didn't think were necessary, but overall I enjoyed this eclectic group of friends.
The story itself is so weird. There's a lot of romance as well as mystery. The kind of mystery I like where the protagonist doesn't stop searching for answers despite the danger that might be lurking in the shadows. There were a lot of twists that I wasn't able to guess, and the ending definitely had me shocked! I always love being surprised with plot twists that that was definitely one of them! The actual ending was pretty predictable, but I wasn't disappointed in the least! Even the writing is so well done, both Larbalestier and Rees Brennan were able to capture the voice of a witty teenage girl and I loved it! Job well done ladies!
Overall I definitely enjoyed reading Team Human. While it did have some flaws, it was an excellent satirical take on the modern day vampire love story. There are even a few zombies thrown in for good measure! The story is fast-paced, exciting, and laugh out loud funny, you won't want to put it down! Fans of all vampire novels will get a kick out of this one, and I'd really love to see these ladies write a spin on another popular creature! Werewolves anyone!?
madydoodle53's review against another edition
4.0
This is probably one of my favorite Holly Black books.
aneeqah's review against another edition
4.0
Funny and entertaining! There were a couple of things I didn't like, though, but mainly, this was such a fun book to read. Great inbetween some darker stuff!
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
nssutton's review against another edition
Made it to page 16 on my lunch break and just knew it wasn't going to work to carry my interest through the long commute home. Not the best choice after Michaelis' The Storyteller, but my fiancee nabbed my copy of Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse I'd planned to use as a transitional selection. Back to the library she goes!
greenvillemelissa's review against another edition
5.0
Book #8 Read in 2014
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (YA)
This book focuses on Mel trying to prevent her friend Cathy from deciding to become a vampire. Cathy falls for vampire Francis and decides that she wants to transition and become one herself. Mel feels that this a ridiculous idea. As Mel tries to convince Cathy, she is also trying to find her friend Anna's missing father (supposedly he ran off with one of his vampire therapy patients) and tell with her own feelings towards Kit, a teenager who has grown up among vampires when he was abandoned as a baby on vampire Camille's doorstep.
This book has great humor to it, poking sly fun at the vampire books and movies that have become hot reads of late. The characters are interesting and realistic. The plot combines romance and mystery in an excellent way. I enjoyed it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (YA)
This book focuses on Mel trying to prevent her friend Cathy from deciding to become a vampire. Cathy falls for vampire Francis and decides that she wants to transition and become one herself. Mel feels that this a ridiculous idea. As Mel tries to convince Cathy, she is also trying to find her friend Anna's missing father (supposedly he ran off with one of his vampire therapy patients) and tell with her own feelings towards Kit, a teenager who has grown up among vampires when he was abandoned as a baby on vampire Camille's doorstep.
This book has great humor to it, poking sly fun at the vampire books and movies that have become hot reads of late. The characters are interesting and realistic. The plot combines romance and mystery in an excellent way. I enjoyed it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
lydiature's review against another edition
5.0
This was absolutely smashing! I was constantly laughing, loving every minute of it! I loved the picture I got in my mind every time Francis was scandalized.
Also, totally team kitten.
Just a very brilliantly witty book. Absolutely lovely.
Also, totally team kitten.
Just a very brilliantly witty book. Absolutely lovely.
allmadhere106's review against another edition
4.0
Mel isn't necessarily against vampires--she just likes them to stay on their side of town. This philosophy gets a little complicated when Mel's best friend, Cathy, falls in love with the new vampire at school. Now Mel must use all of her detective and argumentative skills to figure out what the new vampire is really thinking while also doing her best to keep him away from Cathy. It may be more difficult than it sounds.
I wasn't expecting this book to be wonderful because it's obviously meant to be a parody/a response to the vampire book craze, but I was pleasantly surprised. I sided a lot of the time with Mel as she discussed the ridiculousness of Cathy and Francis's relationship but then there were obvious parallels between vampires and racism, so that made it harder to side with Mel. Funnily enough, race and GLBT were no big thing in the books, which was awesome. We see several mentions of bi-racial and non-het relationships. It just made me really happy. Plus, the book was hilarious. Seriously. I laughed out loud on several occasions, which means this book was done right. There got to be a weird addition/more muddled plot as the book went on that could have gone smoother, but it wasn't totally jarring either. I definitely feel like this is one that anyone interested in the vampire craze should look at.
I wasn't expecting this book to be wonderful because it's obviously meant to be a parody/a response to the vampire book craze, but I was pleasantly surprised. I sided a lot of the time with Mel as she discussed the ridiculousness of Cathy and Francis's relationship but then there were obvious parallels between vampires and racism, so that made it harder to side with Mel. Funnily enough, race and GLBT were no big thing in the books, which was awesome. We see several mentions of bi-racial and non-het relationships. It just made me really happy. Plus, the book was hilarious. Seriously. I laughed out loud on several occasions, which means this book was done right. There got to be a weird addition/more muddled plot as the book went on that could have gone smoother, but it wasn't totally jarring either. I definitely feel like this is one that anyone interested in the vampire craze should look at.