Night Runner by Max Turner

Zack Thomson is 15 years old and lives in the pschychiatric ward of a hospital in Barrie. He's not mentally disturbed although he certainly has some unusual problems. For instance, he has a severe allergy to sunlight which means that he can only go outside at night. And he can't tolerate any solid food - he only drinks a frothy red beverage that Nurse Ophelia whips up for him every night.

His monotonous life, enlivened only by visits from his friend Charlie, changes abruptly when an elderly man on a motorcycle crashes into the lounge room of the ward. From him, Zack learns that his condition is vampirism, and further, that another vampire is out to kill him.

Zack bolts from the hospital, and with an unknown person (thing?) on his heels ends up at Charlie's family cottage in the Muskokas. Here, his would-be killer is still on his heels, but at least he gets to do some late-night partying with other teens and a tiny bit of a romance before the action heats up again for him.

Short chapters, lots of action, humorous dialogue make this a fast and absorbing read even for the reluctant reader.

Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly

Someone is killing the vampires of London, England by exposing them to sunlight while they rest and then draining their blood. Simon Ysibro, who has been a vampire since before the Renaissance, wants to know who is responsible for these murders. Because he and his cohorts must avoid daylight, he seeks the assistance of James Asher, former agent for the British government, currently an Oxford professor. To Asher, the vampires are monsters, and deserve their fate. But Asher agrees to search for the murderer, since Ysibro has threatened to harm his wife if he refuses.

Hambly successfully creates an eery1907 London and Paris with flickering gaslight, swirling fog, and shadowy characters. Her vampires are indeed murderers - not exactly the type you'd want to invite to dinner. But they are not card-board characters - Ysibro especially, exibits a certain faded old-world charm and noblesse oblige. Nor are the humans two-dimensional. As a government agent, Asher has committed acts which make him wonder if he is any better than the vampires. A word about Asher's wife Lydia - she is a brave, intelligent woman who is willing to take things into her own hands. For those who can't stomach Bella, from the Twilight series, she comes as a welcome changes.

A good book for teens who enjoy the vampire genre.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I know that Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" is the hot teen book right now, but I honestly couldn't get into it. The setting was great - all that rain and fog was just right for a vampire theme. But I got tired of Bella mooning over Edward the vampire and kept wanting to shriek at her "Focus on your studies!" "He's totally unsuitable!" "What are your parents going to say?" sigh..it must be my age showing.

However, I loved City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Yes, there are vampires and romance. There is also tons of action and a wonderfully twisting plot. Fifteen-year-old Clary becomes involved with teens who belong to a mysterious group called the Shadowhunters. They are embroiled in an attempt to find an ancient cup possessed of great powers, before former Shadowhunter Valentine gets his hands on it. It does sound like a pretty standard plot, but it grabbed my attention with complex characters and relationships, clever plot surprises, and entertaining dialogue.

A fun read and the first in a series.

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Claire may be brilliant but because she is only sixteen her parents refuse to let her go to a big university like Harvard or MIT. They figure that Claire would be safer and happier attending a small college in a small town. They figure wrongly. After Claire's bullying room-mates push her down a flight of stairs she finds refuge with three teenagers living in a comfortable, shabby, old house. She feels safe with her new friends but her sense of security disappears when she learns that the town is controlled by vampires who don't hesitate to dine on unprotected humans such as herself.
Part of the appeal of Glass House is the juxtaposition of the frightening confrontations with the supernatural (as well as the bullies) with the mundane activities of everday life. Claire needs to get to classes on time, groceries have to be bought, house-mates have to get along. At the same time, bullies need to be dodged and vampires dealt with. And just what is up with housemate Michael who only seems to appear at night but disappears as soon as the sun starts to rise?
Recommended for older teens