Puberty With Fangs

Fourteen-year-old Scott Dugan is both desperate survivor and hunted casualty of a vampire outbreak that decimates his small Massachusetts town. His uncle believes science offers hope and takes the boy on the run from shadowy forces tasked with exterminating those like his nephew. 

But when the two separate, Scott embarks on an epic journey that takes him from cheap carnival sideshow act to comfortable refugee in the home of a wealthy and reclusive man with his own dark tale to tell. 

As the chase moves from the low deserts of Arizona to the high peaks of Colorado and into the White House itself, Scott must avoid becoming a pawn in someone else's deadly game. And when he learns that self-discovery for those like him is only found by embracing all he has become, he must weigh his longing to remember who he was and where he came from against the certainty that in doing so, he will never see the sun again.

Fledge by Brendan P. Myers is the sequel to the vampire novel, Applewood. The first book featured a group of young boys, not unlike Stand By Me, with a horror a bit like Phantasm, and blended two mysteries into one fantastic vampire story. This sequel reveals what happened to Scott Dugan during the time he was away, struggling with his affliction, taking place between the alternating timelines of the original outbreak story.

Through Dugan's POV and his personal transformation experience, readers learn the nature of vampires in Myer's creation. I'm happy to say the undead in this trilogy are a force to be reckoned with, drawing upon the classic vampiric themes. As a human, Dugan already possessed a couple of psychic abilities, which have only been strengthened, but he also has developed a few other new skills. While I am enthralled with the main character and his fight for survival, I keep wondering what the deal is with the sweet-tooth cravings.

When I began this series, I would have described Applewood as a coming of age with a supernatural twist. However, with the introduction of the government characters in Fledge, the author has transformed this series into a preternatural crime drama. I'm hoping Myers will reveal what became of Stephen Harris and give Dugan the justice he has earned through his horrifying journey.

Even if you're not normally into vampires, I strongly recommend this trilogy to readers who appreciate a good mystery-thriller.

As always,
AstraDaemon