The Cure for the Curse
Patrick Vaughn
Treble Hearts, 2006, $11.50
ISBN: 1932695419

In the middle of the night the Dennisons abruptly move from Washington State to Bascomville, a desert community in Arizona, because her mom was “seen” by the bad people when she could not resist the blood that flowed from a bad car accident. Their high school age daughter Warrenna rotates between outrage and shock as she cannot grasp without warning or even a goodbye to her friends the uprooting of her life. However, they explain to their stunned offspring that the three of them are vampires who have never hunted for human prey, but instead hunt their own kind who see Homo sapiens as a food source.

Teenage Thomas Gelbaugh attends the same high school in Arizona as the new kid, the aloof Renna. He is drawn to her though he is not sure why especially since she makes him sad and cry. Renna warns Thomas to stay away from her, but he cannot help himself until he figures out she is a vampire. Not only is he okay with that, Thomas wants to keep her safe from hunters who group all vampires as abominations from hell who must die.

Though obviously a vampire thriller, A CURE FOR THE CURSE is also a delightful teen tale as Warrenna worries about making new friends and other teenage angst while also worrying about being a vampiric offspring. Whereas Thomas is too easily accepting of Renna’s delicate condition, young adult readers will appreciate his courage and loyalty as he stands by his friend against some monstrous vampires and nasty human hunters. This is a creative entertaining “coming of age” tale with a biting twist.

Harriet Klausner