Review: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
July 3, 2012
HarperTeen
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn’t mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It’s up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity

On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.

Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.

My Review:

TEAM HUMAN is a quirky and hilarious novel about vampires that will have you giggling the whole way through. Both authors have created a cast of characters that you won’t be able to forget, especially Mel. The vampires aren’t the vampires that we normally see in YA. They definitely don’t sparkle, that’s for sure. Their habits will have you scratching your head or laughing into the book they’re so ridiculous! Trust me, if you want a funny paranormal book, this one is for you.

Mel has a sarcastic sense of humor that will have even the saddest person in the world cracking a smile. Her sense of heroism is quite noble, though she does get herself into some quite interesting situation “helping” her friends. She also has a vulnerable side that she shows at the briefest of times that will have readers understanding her side of the story. We need more girls like Mel in YA!

Unfortunately, although I liked Mel, I was most definitely not a fan of her so-called friend Cathy. She is supposed to be so smart and sensible, yet the moment this vampire comes along her brain turns to mush. She was extremely flighty and rude to Mel who was only trying to help her and I just couldn’t find anything good about her. I wish Cathy would have had more of an actual personality.

Now besides the annoying Cathy, I didn’t have any other complaints about TEAM HUMAN. I think everyone needs a light-hearted read every once in a while, no matter how much they love darker books. Mel was a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed seeing the vampire ridden world from her eyes. While the plot isn’t the most complex thing, I still had fun solving the mysteries along with Mel. Also, the whole vampires in hazmat suits in the daytime? HILARIOUS.

TEAM HUMAN won’t let you go without giving you multiple laughs. If you haven’t checked this one out yet, you definitely need to! Even if you hate vampire novels, you will still love TEAM HUMAN.

My Rating: