Review: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

           Book: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brenan
           Pages: 344
           Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
           Source: Bought

Short Synopsis: Mel lives in in New Whitby which is infested with vampires, and it isn't until a vampire starts going to the same school, that Mel is starting to get fed up with vampires, especially when the new vampire student starts having feelings for Mel's best friend.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this novel very much. Though a bit cheesy at times, it was still a refreshing read on the vampire genre. 

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.
--From Goodreads

First off, Mel, the main character, is a strong, independent minority, as she refers herself as an ABC (American Born Chinese). Race does play a small factor in this novel, and I found it refreshing that the main character was a minority, let alone from a chinese background. Mel is also a bit sarcastic at times, but I still found her an enjoyable character to follow along to. 

Mel has a distaste for vampires. So when a vampire first starts to attend the same school, she's not exactly the first one to welcome the "monster," but she still tries to remain civil. But things go haywire, when the new vampire, Francis, starts to  show interest in Mel's best friend, Cathy. Cathy is a hopeless romantic, and is immediately smitten with Francis. I wasn't a fan of the insta-love with Cathy and Francis, but other factors come into play, which made the novel much more interesting.

And if things weren't bad enough for Mel, another friend is distraught over her dad, and thinks that her father didn't really run away. Mel does everything she can to find more information for Anna, as Anna is constantly worried about her mother, who seems to be acting strange.

And then, Mel meets Kit, a human who was raised amongst Francis' vampire family. Kit teaches Mel, that not all vampires are monsters, and that not everything is as black and white, as Mel thinks. As Kit and Mel become friends, he in turns help Mel with Anna's problems, and together they find out that zombies play a mix in the situation as well. I didn't really enjoy the zombie part of the story, but loved reading Mel and Kit's chemistry, and how their differences came together. Overall, a hint of Twilight, and The Vampire Diaries, but still a cute, interesting read. I look forward to reading more from these authors.

Would I recommend this book: Yes

Rating: I give this book a 4/5.