Vampires vs Werewolves

I'm kind of mad at myself for taking so long to review these books which were both full of nostalgia and so much fun to read. I've been leaning towards middle grade a lot more lately but these have reminded me how much fun kick-ass YA heroines can be! So pick your favourite monster, grab a cocktail and settle in for a wild ride.

Mina and the Slayers by Amy McCaw

Book Summary

Three months after Fang Fest, Mina’s settling into her new life.

Despite the teething problems in her relationship with Jared, she has her sister back, new friends and a part-time job to die for.

Over Halloween, Mina and the gang have planned a spooky week of Gothic restaurants, horror movies, ghostly tours, creepy carnivals and a costume ball.

But the fun doesn’t last. Mina is on work experience with Detective Cafferty while the police are investigating a savage masked killer and a rise in suspicious ‘animal attacks’.

During her own investigations, Mina discovers a mysterious group of slayers, who are battling to control the rogue vampires.

The threats circle closer as Mina spends her days with the police and nights with the slayers.

Will she and her friends survive Halloween without being staked, stabbed or bitten?

This is Mina's second adventure, and now she's getting mixed up not only with vampires, but also with the police and the newly discovered slayers. Add to that her newly-turned vampire boyfriend and there is more than enough to keep her busy! I love that Mina didn't just immediately become an amazing professional vampire slayer right away, and some of her attempts were pretty funny.

I never would have guessed who the killer was and there is a perfect ending to make you crave book 3, without an annoying cliffhanger.

Big Bad Me by Aislinn O'Loughlin

Book Summary

‘I’ve got two claws, Katie. Two giant, evil, freaking Freddy Krueger monster things. I am not calm.’

Evie Wilder is living a very normal life. Except for the fact that her mum has gone missing, she’s just found out she’s a werewolf, she and her sister have to go into hiding from supernatural beings, and there’s not a single

helpful vampire slayer to be found.

With the help of Kevin, the dorky-hot teenage manager of the guesthouse where Evie and Kate go to lie low, Evie begins to learn to harness her wolfish abilities. But there’s something a bit odd about Kevin that Evie can’t quite put her finger on.

Meanwhile, reports of animal attacks are increasing, local teenagers have started to go missing, and Evie is about to find herself at the centre of a supernatural showdown.

A fantastic start to the book, the prologue gets you hooked in right away! There's lots of mystery running all the way through the book to keep you intrigued. The alternating points of view of Evie and her older sister Kate were great, I really enjoyed getting both sides of the story. I also liked the way the characters kind of talk back at the reader, as if we're there with them.

The poppy seed thing is a hilarious twist. I had never heard such a thing before, but just after this I read a book with something similar for fairies and salt. I won't spoil the fun here but look out for it!

To make a Blue Monster cocktail, fill a short glass with ice and pour over 30ml of vodka and a 30ml of rum. Add a drizzle of Blue Curacao, then top up with 30ml each of lemonade and lemon/lime soda (I had to improvise with lemon juice and tonic). Mmmmm I will definitely be making this one again!