Heather Brewer

For thirteen years, Vlad, aided by his aunt and best friend, has kept secret that he is half-vampire, but when his missing teacher is replaced by a sinister substitute, he learns that there is more to being a vampire, and to his parents' deaths, than he could have guessed.

Eighth Grade Bites

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Mel pauze

"But I'd be better if you went to the Freedom Fest dance with me"

Amazing book! Amazing plot and characters.

Briar's Reviews

Book Review

Book Title: Eighth Grade Bites (Vladimir Todd #1)
Book Author: Heather Brewer (now Zac Brewer)

This is a throwback review, since I read this book way back when I was in grade eight (which feels like a lifetime ago). At the time this was one of my favourite books, and it goes me into many more YA novels and into my current reading obsession. I even called one of my cats Meredith (many years later). This book was a great way to get me into reading, and I applaud Zac Brewer for all of his wonderful writing and work, because I wouldn't be here in my reading and writing career without him.


Now onto my review:

Eighth Grade Bites is a great spin on the typical fish out of water story. Vladimir Todd is a vampire, and his life is quite the mystery. Not only does he have to try to survive being a teenager as a vampire, but he has to try to find out where his past comes from. Where are his parents? What happened to them? Why is he a vampire? Why must he hide this secret?

The book is incredibly light hearted and written for the correct audience. It doesn't exactly translate into the adult scene unless you are interested in these types of books (in my opinion). Rereading it, I loved it but my friends who have moved on from the vampire scene did not enjoy it as much. The book is super fun and delightful and I hope more people get into this series.

Every minute of Vlad's story is enjoyable to read. It will keep you on your toes and make you want to continue the story. The plot is well thought out over the series, and the characters are absolutely lovable. Alongside the steady pace, the random twists that occur make this book stand out among the many other vampire books I have read throughout the years. The fact that I can still pick this book up and get a good chuckle out of it proves to me that Zac is a truly incredible author.

Overall, I give this book four out of five stars. Wonderful story!!

Jessica Nottingham

Narrator Review:
I find it's important to share how well the narrator of an audio book tells the story! After all, my enjoyment of the book I'm listening to lands heavily on their shoulders.

That being said, Kevin Pariseau is a superb narrator! He reads at a steady, but not too slow, pace and makes sure to pause for dramatic effect when it is called for. His voice while reading the overall story is very pleasant to listen to. Most of all I loved that he had a slight difference in his voice for each character in the story. It made following Vlad and his story much easier and more fun. After all, there are quite a few important characters in this story. If I had to choose a favorite voice, I'd definitely pick Mr. Otis. Kevin Pariseau's accent for him was fantastic!

Audio Book Rating: 5/5 - I'd definitely recommend listening to this audio book!

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Book Review:
Oh Vladimir. As if eighth grade wasn't already hard enough, what with navigating popularity, bullies and the like, Vladimir has it even tougher. See he's a vampire. After his parents died in a mysterious flash fire, Vlad was taken in by Nelly, his mother's best friend. Now he is trying to do his best just to blend in. Oh, and he's pretty sure he's the only vampire in the world. Pretty sure.

I really enjoyed every minute of Vlad's story! His character is witty and fantastically sarcastic. He is adorably awkward when it comes to girls, and such a guy when it comes to hanging with his friend Henry. In fact, Vlad's personality is just like any eighth grader out there. What really makes him interesting is his vampiric nature. I loved how Heather Brewer seamlessly wove together Vlad's difficult transition into the teenage years, with his even more difficult transition into understanding his vampiric roots. He's so sweet and awkward! I really fell in love with him.

Full of twists and turns, Eighth Grade Bites moves at a nice pace that will keep you reading. I'll admit that sometimes I was slightly thrown off by jumps in time, but keep in mind that this whole book is set in the course of a year. Would you really want to hear about Vlad taking a shower, putting his shoes on, and so on? I think not. Brewer does a great job of skipping over the more mundane parts of Vlad's existence to get things moving towards the exciting parts! I did really appreciate that there are pauses to appreciate the oddness of his life though. For instance there is a scene where he is sitting and eating a chocolate chip cookie that is dipped in "tea" or a mug of hot blood. Definitely different! Definitely interesting.

When Mr. Otis comes on the scene is when things really get moving, and that's where I'll end. I wouldn't want to give away any of the overall story line because that's half the fun of this book! Vlad's brand of humor sets him up nicely to become a protagonist that I'll be sure to follow. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next audio book, especially if it has the same narrator!

Whether you read this or listen to it, I absolutely recommend that you give it a shot! I think you'll find a lot to love in Vladimir and his story.

Vladimir Tod Normal eighth-grade student? Or powerful vampire? If you thought eighth grade was tough, try it with fangs and a fear of garlic. Junior high really stinks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret. His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers and no one to teach him, Vlad struggles daily with blood cravings and enlarged fangs. When a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. And then he realises he's being hunted by a vampire killer, and suddenly hunger, girls and bullies seem not quite such a problem after all.

Christina Berry 

Hannah Nugent

Ninth Grade Slays (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)

As the evil vampire D'Ablo seeks the ritual that would steal half-vampire Vlad's powers, Vlad struggles to resist feeding on the people around him, has a conflict with his best friend Henry, and gives up all hope of a normal year at Bathory High.

Eighth Grade Bites

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