Vampire Kisses 7: Love Bites

Raven is very serious about being a goth girl. She obsesses really. And, she seems so much younger than 16. Especially compared to Alexander. I get why she's attracted to him, he's her dream come true. His attraction to her doesn't make much sense to me though. I think their maturity levels are at completely different points. Raven is very repetitive in her thoughts and speech, but she has her good points to. She stands up for herself and others. I enjoyed her sense of humor. The story had a silliness to it, and overall, it did keep my attention.

In a small town full of pink sweaters and country clubs, sixteen year old goth Raven Madison definitely stands out. Her love of vampires and her dark choice of dress set her apart from the crowd, and make her the target of ridicule in this town. She has one friend, and she searches for something more. Someone more like her, who shares a love of darkness. But, she's sure there's no way that'll happen Dullsville.

That is, until rumors start flying that the "haunted" old mansion on Benson Hill has a new family moving in. They look creepy, they dress too darkly, and they even say that the son hangs out in a cemetery. It spells trouble in perfect Dullsville, but Raven is ecstatic. Her emotions are only made stronger when a new rumor circulates- that the Sterling family is a family of vampires.

Could she possibly find someone like her in this town, or better yet... Could those rumors be true, and can she join him in eternity?

All in all, I really like this book. It's a young adult novel that's a fast read but entertaining nonetheless. I feel that Raven is a character I could relate to, even if a bit too young. Though modern vampire romance novels seem to all fall under the misconceived "copycat of Twilight" genre, I think this one stands on its own two feet.

I recommend it for pre/early teens, or anyone looking for a lighthearted vampire book without the horror or suspense aspects in it.

There were some unexpected things in Vampireville but of course Raven and Alexander are still going strong. I wonder when he'll just give in and turn her into a vampire.

Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance was well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. <b><i>Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!! </i> </b>

What is the book about?
Even in Kindergarden Raven knew she wanted to grow up and become a vampire. It's no secret that Raven is dark and mysterious, the whole town knows her for her looks. Even her family thinks she's a little weird for how she dresses.

Trevor is one of the kids who is always getting on her case, they grew up together since kindergarden so it's been years of back and forth bickering. Raven feels like there's no one in town who is like her.

That is until Alexander moves into the creepy mansion in town that has been empty for years. He's dark and mysterious just like Raven, he also is very formal and proper. Alexander sends a hand written invitation for dinner to her home for their first date.

Raven is excited to finally have someone in town who is like her, and might also be a vampire. She has to get him to bite her, so they can live undead together forever.

Alexander and Raven are smitten with each other, until Trevor gets in the way and ruins everything. In the end, does she really know Alexander?

What did I think of the book?
It's always so funny when the characters go by all the classic myths that describe a vampire. Raven is pretty sure that Alexander is a vampire, and Ellen Shreiber wants you to think so too. She adds in quirky little comments like,

"I'm always hungry" I flirted
"And you?"
"I'm rarely hungry, but always thirsty"

"I want a relationship I can finally sink my teeth into"

I thought Shreiber has a real talent for writing cute young adult books. Raven is naive about the vampire world, and it's funny to watch her test out all the classic vampire myths to see if she's become a vampire.

The ending was quite unexpected, I thought for sure I knew Alexander wasn't a vampire, but then the last paragraph of the book makes me wonder if I was wrong the whole time reading this book.

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The first installment in the seemingly endless Vampire Kisses series, I picked this up after Schreiber made an appearance in our city to kick off the launch of her latest novel and noticed quite a few kids from the younger crowd picking this up at our store. For awhile I debated with myself about wither or not I would pick it up. After all, one must admit that "Vampire Kisses" is a pretty miserable name for a book, but still my inner demons kept urging me on. I knew somewhere deep down in my soul that I wanted to see how bad a book with this title could get - it was the same feeling I get when passing a car crash. I NEEDED to see how bad this could get. Eventually I got around to picking this up and ended up surprising myself.

VK is by absolutely no stretch of the imagination a good book. The whole thing is overly simplistic and just in general reads like a bad fanfiction of its self if that makes any sense. And yet it was an enjoyable read. Raven has got to be the perkiest of the perky goths out there, but her straightforward manner and her genuine interest in not only those around her, but her dedication to her own values made her someone fun to hang around with, and eventually won me over. And while Schreiber's writing leaves much to be desired she does a reasonably good job of making her teens and adults seem like real people. Bonus points for not making all the adults in the book into mindless, hateful drones who's only purpose is to annoy teenagers!

My only gripe about the book is Raven's romance with Alexander. Prior to them going out the book was going along just fine. I had a lot of fun reading about Raven's various plots to try and get closer to the supposed vampire teen and the different degrees of mayhem that followed each one as they either fell through or gave our protagonist another boost up. Heck I even liked the shy, completely bashful way she wrote their first date that came out of nowhere! It was after the date was over that I started having trouble with the book. Immediately after dinner Raven and Alex end up going outside to sip sodas and eat dessert and the two of them end up getting physical. Now, sex in YA doesn't bother me, but this came out of the wild blue yonder, no build up, no emotions to connect the two and make this more than just senseless touching. On top of that the contact was just . . bizarre. One teen would pin the other and then the other would return the favor and crawl in the other's lap. But for all the intent the scene felt devoid of tension and instead I was left with the distinctly uncomfortable impression of watching two children simply mimic the physical moves behind foreplay.

And then things skidded further down hill.

Up until their becoming a couple Raven would talk in detail about almost everything in her life, and yet her dates with Alex are completely skipped over for the most part. We see a few here and there, but the everyday stuff is missing. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but for this book I think we needed to see it - Raven is such an energetic character that I can't help but think it would have been fun to hang around with her as she went through a few more dates or at least expanded upon why she was so head over heels for this guy.

Things eventually wrap up after a few tried and tired plot devices that are necessary to prove just how twu their luv for each other really is, although I did like the fact that the author kept it low key and didn't seek to involve any massive cosmic fights to the death or vampire councils into the plot. The book ends on a light and fluffy note that seemed perfectly in tune with the rest of the story line and opens the way for the next book in the series to slide on in.

So, over all what were my thoughts on this?

It's brain mush. Light, fluffy reading that can be just funny enough to make it not a bore. Raven is a likable character who's a lot more fun and not as detrimental to the reader's emotional health as some other YA characters now a days. If you're looking for something deep, don't bother, but there are worser ways to spend your time on the beach or stuck on an airplane than with this young girl and her vampire beau. This book is perfect for the younger tween crowd, and while the awkward physical contact in the book made me head desk, its nothing a parent should be concerned about. Four stars well earned for what it set out to be.

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

I warn you now that this is in no way a fair review. This book and the three that follow it changed my life when I was thirteen and even though I have come to realize almost every one of its flaws, I still love it. Another series in this situation might become the bane of my existence, but not this book because of two reasons: 1) they're fluffy reads that are never meant to be taken seriously and 2) I owe too much to it.

Goth girl Raven Madison has lived in boring old "Dullsville" all her life as an outcast, being the only girl in town that's not into khaki and pastel colors. On her sixteenth birthday, a family moves into the mansion on Benson Hill that Raven has always regarded as her "Barbie Dream House" and as rumors go around that the elusive family is one of vampires, Raven's curiosity is piqued. She's wanted to become a vampire her entire life and after meeting the son of this "vampire" family, the handsome Alexander Sterling, she finds herself attracted to him. Could he and his family truly be creatures of the night or is it but a rumor? She's willing to risk her relationship with the one guy she can connect with to find out the truth.

This book is cheesy and silly and not good at all, but I still love it. Raven is highly stereotypical, both as a Goth and as a teenager, but in rare moments, she rings true as a teenage girl instead of a stereotype. Those little moments make her one of the most realistic teenage portrayals I've read and trust me, I've read a lot of them. The way Dullsville (which is what the town is called throughout the entire novel; you never find out the town's actual name) is shown, as a small town where rumors spread quickly and different is never a good thing to them, is also fairly true. I'm a big city girl, but both of my parents grew up in small towns and they've described small town life to me numerous times.

Close to the end of this book, Raven's motive for dating Alexander and first meeting him are exposed and they break up, but eventually get back together. I found this very sweet, in a strange way. Their relationship started under partway false pretenses, but as they got to know each other better over time, genuine feelings for each other developed. These feelings proved to be so strong that even when everyone found out that Raven originally started dating Alexander to find out whether or not he was a vampire (which would permanently end most relationships), they still care so much about each other that they disregard that and get back together. That appeals the little romantic in my soul, you know?

I wish I didn't have the point out the flaws because I really don't mind them, but not even my totally-unfair review is allowed to leave them out. No amount of love could make me forget the flaws, though I can certainly overlook them.

Raven is a Mary Sue- specifically, a Gothic Sue. For her, being Gothic means wearing lots and lots of black, being an outcast from society because she's not like them, hating preppy people, and wanting to become a vampire, but that's not what being Gothic is about at all. It's... I don't know how to explain it. I had two good links to site that explained what being Gothic is about quite well, but the store wouldn't let me link to them. Back on subject, everything ends up in Raven's favor no matter what and when she screws up (which is hardly ever because everything goes right for her), people forgive her easily. She can do no wrong.

The sorts of actions she can get away with is amazing. She breaks into the Benson Hill mansion that belongs to Alexander's family multiple times, but Raven never gets in trouble for it, even when Alexander catches her in the act! He asks her about it multiple times, but he never gets an answer and eventually gives up. I mentioned further up about how Raven and Alexander's relationship began with her wish to figure out whether or not he was a vampire and even after that motive was exposed, they still ended up together. That's both a good thing and a bad one. Personally, if I find out a guy's got a hidden motive for dating me, he's gone and never coming back, even if I have genuine feelings for him and he has the same for me. There are couples out there, I'm sure, who were in a situation like Alexander and Raven's and are still together, but I imagine most people would make a decision like my hypothetical one.

In addition, most of the characters in this book are flat and two-dimensional, if not all of them, and there is little depth to the story. Raven can be shallow like a kiddy pool. This novel pains some negative things such as breaking into someone else's occupied home in a somewhat positive light. I'm kind of surprised that this book is categorized as "young adult," which is labeled as ages 12-18; I would peg it more in the 9-12 range at best. I probably wouldn't let a nine-year-old handle this book, though.

A year ago, I would have given this book five stars because of my strange, defiant love of it. Then my house got broken into and I could no longer disregard my disapproval when Raven broke into Alexander's house multiple times. Despite that, this series is one of my all-time favorites and I recommend it with the warning of blatant stereotypes, Mary Sues, prep hate, and general stupidity.

Raven Madison is not your typical teenage girl, not even by the standards of a goth girl stuck attending high school in Dullsville. For one thing, Raven's boyfriend, Alexander Sterling, happens to be a vampire --- a handsome and mysterious vampire who is a gifted artist to boot. Raven wants nothing more than to be made a vampire by Alexander, but quiet, reserved Alexander is resisting her appeals to be turned. He prefers to leave his girlfriend a mortal. Indeed, he wishes fervently that he can live a normal teenage life with her --- a life that involves such mundane things as high school and homework, and a life in which his time with her isn't limited to the darkest hours of night. His firm resistance to turning her is putting a serious damper on her plans to become one of the undead, but she is convinced that she can eventually persuade him to her way of thinking, and then they will be together forever.

Since the time that Alexander's parents returned to their native Romania, Raven has been spending nearly all her waking hours at the Mansion on Benson Hill --- Alexander's beautiful and spooky home replete with arched doorways and ceilings, rusty doors, ghoulish things, and a wine cellar equipped with centuries-old bottles of human blood. Luckily, Alexander's butler, Jameson (aka Creepy Man) tends to the Mansion and to Alexander's needs, so that Alexander can focus his time and energies on making art and on building his relationship with Raven.

One night, as Raven and Alexander steal a few moments together in their cellar love nest, a knock at the door brings a visitor --- another handsome and alluring vampire about Alexander's age. Bedecked in blond dreadlocks, tattoos and earrings, he manages to draw Raven's immediate attention. The new vampire is Sebastian, Alexander's childhood friend from Romania, who is in Dullsville for a surprise visit. Going by the size and number of pieces of luggage Sebastian has brought with him, he is intending to camp out at the Mansion for a while, a plan to which Alexander raises no objection. Sebastian settles in quickly, albeit not without a few well-aimed zingers about Alexander's strange aversion to modern amenities and luxuries.

Raven finds herself torn by Sebastian's visit. On the one hand, she finally has a chance to learn a little about Alexander's life before they met, and who better to fill her in on all the details than his childhood friend? But she is also jealous that Sebastian and Alexander get to hang out together all night, doing whatever it is vampires do, while she has to go home to catch up on sleep and other boring mortal matters.

Raven's curiosity about Sebastian turns to alarm when she finds him falling for her best friend, Becky Miller. Becky and Raven had been friends since third grade, and Becky has come through for Raven time and time again, especially since they are outsiders together at their school. Raven is convinced that the last thing Becky will want is to be turned into a vampire herself, especially since Becky is so obviously in love with her good-guy boyfriend Matt. But as Sebastian's powerful attraction to Becky threatens to cast a spell on Becky and draw her into his sphere, it begins to look like Becky might in fact become a vampire before Raven herself. Now Raven has to keep Sebastian away from Becky by any means she has available to her, while also planning and co-hosting a major party at the Mansion, promoting Alexander's gift for art and keeping nosy reporters from discovering Alexander's secret. It's a good thing our plucky heroine is up for the challenge!

LOVE BITES, the seventh installment in Ellen Schreiber's popular Vampire Kisses series, is a mild-mannered vampire fantasy novel, focusing more on the intense and romantic relationship between Alexander and Raven, with little in the way of sex or violence. Since the vampires in the story do nothing more gruesome than discreetly lick a drop or two of blood from a loved one's wound, they appear not to be particularly different from human boyfriends, albeit ones in possession of supernatural good looks. Similarly, Alexander and Raven spend much of their time pining for each other; the physical relationship depicted between them is limited to kisses and cuddles. This makes LOVE BITES very appropriate for young teens and those who are looking for a supernatural fantasy focused more on teen romance and less on gore. The book, told from Raven's point of view, has a casual, chatty and confessional tone to it, although there is not much here in the way of plot tension or complexity.

Fans of the series will enjoy spending time with their favorite characters, especially with Raven and her boyfriend, and getting to know Sebastian and, through him, more about Alexander's past.

--- Reviewed by Usha

VampireVille is the third book in the Vampire Kisses series, and I found it to be more engaging than either of the first two.

Once the only goth in Dullsville, Raven Madison is soon finding that the city is earning a darker side. It started with the arrival of her knight in black metal armor, Alexander Sterling, who moved into the haunted, abandoned mansion in town. Then, it was the too skinny inked up boy named Jagger Maxwell, who thirsted for far more than just Raven's attention. And in this installment, Jagger's sister, Luna makes her way to the Dullsville scene. But she has an odd interest in one of the boys in town- Raven's own nemesis, Trevor. It's up to her and Alexander to figure out what Jagger and Luna are really planning, and they better do it quick; there are lives on the line.

Funny, dark, and addictive as always, Raven Madison continues to be a character that I simply adore. This novel didn't disappoint, and made me eager to start the next book almost immediately

Though it is technically written/promoted for a teenage audience, Vampire Kisses is a great, light read for anyone who enjoys a book filled with wit and humor, mystery and romance, and of course, the much beloved vampire plot.

Though Vampire Kisses can be a bit 'immature' at times *That is how one reviewer put it, though I would never call it that. It's too harsh for a book that, over all, is still a good read!* reminding you that it is told by a teenager for a teenager. But that's the fun thing about VK-- its not always heavy and complicated, but instead it's a lighter, fluffy read. The author, Ellen Schreiber, meant for the story to come out more laugh- out- loud than deep-in-thought-must-save-the-world kind of plots. It's a quick read, really quick. In fact, I finished this book in under 5 hours.

Raven is an interesting character, to say the least. She's never felt like she fits in, and practically from birth she's been obsessed with vampires and all things Gothic related. Her biggest goal in life? To meet a vampire and get turned into one. So when she meets this dark, mysterious Gothic boy that just moved into the deserted Mansion on the hill, it seems like fate is finally making her dream come true. But can she make it work when everyone in town, including her friends and family at first, are still against her and her weird ways? I don't want to spoil anything, so you'll have to read it yourself. But warning-- the ending is a big cliff hanger, and you will want to have the next books at hand because as soon as you finish VK, you will need to find out what happens next!

I think my favorite part in the book, besides some of the melt-into-a-puddle-on-the-floor quotes that Alexander says to Raven, is when Raven decides to screw with her nemisis, Trevor, one of the most popular boys in her school. I was laughing through the whole thing! It makes more sense, and you'll laugh more, if you read it yourself, so I won't say too much about it other than this: Underwear on a locker. Are you scratching your head, trying to figure out what this scene could be? I'll bet you are, but I'm not saying any more about it!

4.5/5 STARS! For a charming and witty vampire romance, Vampire Kisses is the perfect option! (

Author: Ellen Schreiber
Pages: 253
Publisher: HarperTrophy (July 26, 2005)

When other girls wanted to be princesses or ballerinas, Raven wanted to be a night-walking bloodsucker...
A vampire.

Raven lives in "Dullsville" where nothing ever happens...Until now.

The mansion on top of Benson Hill has been empty and boarded up for years. But a new family has moved in. A family that never ventures out during the day. Who are these creepy people--especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town gossip possibly be true? Are they vampires?

Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.

In this light, enjoyable read, Ellen Schreiber reinvents the classic vampire in Alexander. He can't go out in the sunlight, he has an aversion to garlic, and he has no reflection. But he is also almost human in the way he acts towards Raven, and in his emotions. He's an extremely talented artist with soulful black eyes and a loving, almost vulnerable air to him. Much different than your average "Edward Cullen" vampire.

This book is full of cookie-cutter stereotypes. You have your meek best friend/sidekick; the popular jock who acts snarky and rude, but secretly is in love with the protagonist; creepy butler who looks almost skeletal and has a name like Jameson; and of course your typical Goth Girl--combat boots, an affinity for black, and a love of vampires. She immediately falls for her "Gothic Guy" (did NOT see that one coming) and he is smitten with her as well.

But for all is predictability, I enjoyed this book more than most of the others in its genre. It was funny and just an all around amazing read. 5 stars.

3 1/2 stars, actually. . .

While I did enjoy reading this cute, fun book, it also sort-of fell flat for me, mostly in terms of the characters. We never really got to know any of them, with the exception of Raven, our main protagonist, and she was just slightly annoying. At every point in her life, she seemed far too grown up for her age while at the same time coming across as exceedingly immature. Because of this, I found it exceedingly hard to relate to her at times, even when I tried to channel my old high school self.

I did enjoy the romance aspect of the book, but at the same time, we never actually got to know the love interest - aside from a small tidbit here and there. It was therefore hard to really care about their relationship. Still, seeing Raven in like/love felt very real to me.

My favorite aspect of the book, perhaps oddly, was the relationship between Raven and Trevor, the school bully. Their interactions were quirky, enjoyable, and spot on. I kept hoping that Trevor would show up random moments, and happily for me, he did!! Unfortunately, though, this aspect of the book didn't play out as I had hoped.

The last thing I have to say is that, as an adult, I felt like things fell into place way too easily, which made it very hard for me to believe (and I'm REALLY good at believing unbelievable things). After much thought, though, I've decided that this was not necessarily a negative thing, as it works well in a middle grade book, and I think, for the right age group, it will make the reading process run far more smoothly and enjoyably.

So, good, but not great! Cute and fun, but also very young and immature!

Who Should Read It? This book was very clearly aimed for a middle grade audience, and I think most people in its target audience (middle grade readers interested in vampires) will love it. Unfortunately, I don't think it has much reach outside of that.

Who Should Read It? This book is for middle grade vampire lovers! Also, if you enjoyed the first two, you will like this one even more. If you were only so-so about the first two, I'd say still give this one a try!

What I Have to Say: This series is FINALLY starting to get to me! I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I enjoyed the first two. In a way, I feel like Ellen Schreiber is finally starting to find her groove.

Raven is finally starting to act her age, and in the process, she's turned into a cool, understanding, likeable character - no longer the annoying brat I found her to be in the first two installments. There were still cliches, but they were immensely downplayed. I think the term "gothic mate" was used only twice (maybe more, but not much more) throughout the entire book. What a relief! In my head, this is a major improvement.

The story itself also finally took off. While I wouldn't go so far as to say it was action-packed, there was definitely some major good-guy/bad-guy action going on. The bad guys are evil, but understandably so, and through their interactions with Raven, Alexander, and Trevor, we really begin to feel the loneliness and solitude that comes from being an outcast, something I thought was missing in the first two books.

Thanks to the new-found action and the new characters introduced, I actually enjoyed reading this book the entire way through (not so for the first two). While I was once again glad that it was short, I was also shocked to never once find myself bored.

I wouldn't go os far as to say this book was excellent, as it still had its fair share of problems, but it definitely opened me up to the possiblity of reading the 4th book. It's good, and I think most middle grade readers will thoroughly enjoy it and finally begin to relate to Raven.

Vampireville is a Romance U can really sink UR teeth into!!! Gorgeous goth girl Raven and her Smokin' Hot vampire love, Alexander, must save Dullsville from an invasion of the undead! and Jagger and Luna, are back with a thirst for revenge! this is the best yet in the VK Series!!!

one of my fave quotes “Alexander and I sat together on a backyard swing. "This is like a dream come true," Alexander said as we gently swung back and forth. "We can finally just focus on us now. Continue the traditional 'Boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, boy turns out to be a vampire' story.”

Vampire Kisses was one of those novels for me that I thought I would never read. It sounded too blah and overdone. However, I love to admit when I am wrong, and this one I was definitely wrong about. I thought I would have a hard time connecting with Raven, a self proclaimed Goth girl, since I am not exactly a lover of the night. But I ended up loving her character. She is funny, caring, and just like any normal teenage. Plus she has an amazing sense of humor. This alone caused me to love this book since I think every chapter had some little quirk that made me laugh out loud.

The only thing I would have like to have seen was more of Alexander. It seemed that the novel seemed to focus too much on Raven and her enemy. I seriously would have thought she would have ended up with him, if Alexander did not show up in the last 1/4 of the books. All in all, I am not sure if I will keep reading this series. I like Raven and Alexander, but I am not sure of them as a couple. I think I may need to give the second book a try before I make any final decisions. This is a great book for those who enjoy a quick vampire romance, and would be wonderful for a rainy day.

On Goth girl, Ravens, 16th birthday, she sees a moving truck at an old abandoned mansion. On Halloween night, Raven and her best friend Becky go trick-or-treating; the last stop is to go to the old abandoned Mansion. Raven goes up to the door, but Becky goes home, Raven gives the butler a snickers bar and a plastic spider ring. Trevor, Ravens enemy, comes to get some candy, but Raven said that they have no more candy left so Trevor tries to spray paint the mansion but Raven hit Trevor's hand with a tennis racket, Raven broke his hand. Raven starts to go to work at the Armstrong travel agency to pay her dad back for the racket that she lost, to Raven the Armstrong Travel agency is like prison.

Raven sneaks into the mansion when the butler is out shopping; she starts in the basement and finds Mirrors, and a drawing of Dracula and boxes with the word Soil, and Alexander's watercolors on them. She goes upstairs and sees someone that she has seen before she runs downstairs into the basement and leaves the mansion. She Sprints out so fast that she is as fast as a Cheetah. I like this series of books by Ellen Scheiber because it is spooky, weird, and funny all at the same time. There are three books after this one Vampire Kisses 2, Vampire Kisses 3, and Vampire Kisses. To me the Genre is gothic fiction.

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber was a very quick read for me. I finished it in one sitting. It was fast paced, funny and even though this book is written for a much younger reading audience, say about ... 12+ year's old. I found Vampire Kisses to be a light and enjoyable read for this 27 year old book addict.

The main character 'Raven' is a perky Goth that wants to be a vampire and the new boy in town called Alexander is a home schooled vampire that wants to be human. This book sounds like so many other YA vampire books that are out on our book store shelves doesn't it! What sets this book apart from them is the way Ellen Schreiber makes Vampire kisses a easy read with funny moments among dark themes. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, funny read. If your looking for more than a quick, simple, funny read, I suggest you give this book a miss and maybe try The 'Vampire Academy Series' by Richelle Mead. I happily give Vampire Kisses a 4 star review.

Everything seems perfect with these two love birds besides Alexander's firmness to not turning Raven. She is convinced though that she can persuade him and they can live their lives forever together.

Alexander's parents have returned to Romania and now there is a new guest in the mansion; Alexander's childhood friend from Romania. Is he staying here for good or just stopping by? Either way Alexander has no objections.
Raven is torn by his visit, she is losing time with Alexander but also learning new information about his past.

Raven's liking for Sebastian turns to alarm when she finds him falling for someone very close to her. So this is Raven's story on how to continue keeping her town safe and a her best friend safe.

Alexander's best friend arrives to town; he gets smitten with Raven's best friend and Raven is not having another girl turn into a vampire before her, so she and Alexander make planes to find a vampire girl for Sebastian.

Ok this is definitely a series that is not that big of a deal, I mean we have a Goth girl who all her life had wanted to be a vampire, she met one and she falls in love, she wants of course to be turned, meanwhile his boyfriend doesn't like the idea in fear she'd regret it. This girl has me rolling my eyes with her dreamy scenarios and every time she hassles in her pursue to be helpful, there's nothing going on besides a silly cutesy story in a little town and the trouble with dating a vampire, there're not villains, there's not anything but every time one of this books is released I read it, it's fun, is silly, is fluffy, guy and girl madly in love, not that spectacular leading characters, although Raven's parents are awesome, I really like how they accept their daughter even when she's so different from them.

So if you like vampires, romance and a simple read this is the series for you, but I consider it between kids and teens read, yes the characters are 16 but there's no more than five stars kissing (her description).

I personally thought that this book was awesome.It has the interesting idea of vampires and the romantic idea of a sort of forbiden love. Raven who lives in the middle of "Dullsville" is a gothic sixteen year old girl with a deep interest in vampires.On her sixteenth birthday Raven is told by her best friend Becky that a family has moved into the masion atop of Beson Hill.The mason is suposably haunted,and is my idea of a gothic dream house.The Sterlings are rumored to be vampires,they have rarly been seen during the day and when they are they are always wearing sunglasses.As well as that, their son Alexander Sterling has been sen at the graveyard at night.Raven has an automatic interest in the Sterlings and where they are from.So Raven decides to find out the truth, with Becky by her side raven goes on a mission.One night she goes into the mansion and is caught by the dark and elusive Alexander, that is when she begins to all in love with him.Then end of the book is some wnat depressing becaues a lot of bad things happen to Raven and Alexander.

If you have an interest in gothic or punk people and vampires then you should definantly read this book. Also you should read the next book as well.

This book is great for a young generation. I love the story line and I have thoroughly enjoyed 1 and 2.

You know the author is aiming for a young Raven and Alexander, there is no depth to their love. It is as is with no reasoning behind it, like young love is. You also get aggravated with her for the vampire situation. She should be accepting and understanding that Alexander keeps to his own time. Yes, I do root for her sometimes, I do want it to happen BADLY!

ANYWAY, this installment is about Jagger's sibling coming into town and who she has her eyes on!! This also includes Raven and Alexander time and them having to stop these bad siblings from doing something that could affect the town.

REGARDING INITIAL REACTION
I picked this book up more because I like to keep up with popular YA novels, to see what people are reading, than because I had any real desire to read it. The result of that motivation is predictable, in a way that the book itself is not: it sat and sat and sat on my shelf for months. When I finally dragged it out, and tried the first page, I found myself riveted to my seat for the next hour and a half, heh-hehing through the very end of the book. Highly recommended when you are not surrounded by people on a crowded subway.

REGARDING STYLE
Schreiber writes with a fun, colloquial voice that has an easy flow to its sentences. The book is thoughtful without becoming erudite or angsty, which I think is just perfect for her style. I often find that funny books get laughs at the expense of becoming trite, and Schreiber does a good job of staying funny without veering away from important issues. I thought she did a good job of creating multi-dimensional figures, with a few flat characters thrown in for laughs (Trevor) and plot momentum(Trevor). The one character whom I felt was lacking, and who couldn't quite escape unscathed from her light characterization, was Becky, but alas, the sidekick often gets the worst treatment. Otherwise, this is a sexy read with some surprise twists, both in Raven's development and in the plot's.

REGARDING THE MISSING STAR
Well-- I think that for what it is, this book deserves 5 stars. I only give 5 stars to books with a greater depth, subtlety, and/or complexity than this type of book is supposed to have. "Vampire Kisses" is NOT a subtle read, nor is it meant to be. Schreiber put a lot of thought into Raven, but the book is supposed to be more of a light read than a heavy weight. Not at all a criticism, but rather an explanation of the missing star in the ratings.

OTHER RECOMMENDED READING
"Blood and Chocolate" by Annette Curtis Klause is not a simple read in the same way as "Vampire Kisses," and it's about werewolves rather than vampires. It's slightly more heavy-weight (to its credit), and slightly sexier(also to its credit).

In the hopelessly small town she calls "Dullsville," sixteen-year-old Raven longs to become a vampire. She stands out among the soccer preps at school with her black nails, her black clothes, and her fascination with Anne Rice.

A haunted mansion in the town has new tenants after being empty for years. A mysterious family moves in, but strange rumors pop up about them all over town --- they don't like garlic, they have a strange accent, etc. Raven particularly longs to be acquainted with the family's seventeen-year-old son who is seen only at night. Readers will enjoy her spying methods, including breaking into the mansion.

Surprises appear in every chapter. For example, Raven dresses preppy on Halloween instead of in her usual black and goes trick-or-treating. She also must take a boring part-time job, where her boss insists she not wear black anywhere and cover herself in pleasant red or pink accessories. Raven still manages to keep her unique style throughout.

Overall Raven is fairly normal, with a best friend, an annoying little brother (called "Nerdboy"), and school dances to attend. She stands up for what she wants, even when it's unpopular, and she even enjoys a little romance with the mysterious Alexander at the mansion --- though it's more exciting than she expects.

VAMPIRE KISSES is a wonderfully funny story. Even non-vampire fans will enjoy this one!

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

VAMPIREVILLE follows right on the heels of its predecessors, and it is strongly recommended that the previous books in the series, Vampire Kisses and Vampire Kisses 2: Kissing Coffins (Vampire Kisses), be read first, otherwise things will not make sense and you're sure to be confused and unable to fully enjoy the story.

Alexander Sterling is back in "Dullsville," and Raven couldn't be happier about that. However, Jagger and his twin sister, Luna, are also hanging around, which is the reason why Raven has started carrying garlic in her purse. To make matters worse, now that Luna has been turned into a vampire, she's on the search for her true love, and she's convinced she's found him in Trevor.

Trevor may have been Raven's arch nemesis since kindergarten, but that doesn't mean that she wants him to fall victim to Luna's charms. Not to mention her fangs. So Raven takes it upon herself to protect Trevor--after all, the last thing "Dullsville" needs is a vampire-Trevor!

Raven is also trying to deal with having a nocturnal boyfriend. She mourns the loss of Alexander's company during the day, just as she despises the school that prevents her from being able to keep the same hours as he does. The time they do have together is spent searching cemeteries and other spooky deserted areas for Jagger and Luna's hideout, determined to drive them away before they turn "Dullsville" into someplace infinitely less dull--"Vampireville."

VAMPIREVILLE is a fun continuation of the VAMPIRE KISSES series, and will definitely leave readers eagerly awaiting the fourth book, Vampire Kisses 4: Dance with a Vampire (Vampire Kisses). The writing and storyline doesn't quite live up to some of the other young adult books in this genre, but it is nevertheless an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

Reviewed by: Andie Z.

"Vampire Kisses" is one of those books that leaves you wondering if the author wrote the thing ghastly mess as an elaborate parody.

And it honestly would not shock me if Ellen Schreiber intended the first book of her series to be that way -- it's basically an extended "Twilight"-style personal fantasy, with a pallid style and a pedestrian, shallow romance. The worst offense is Schreiber's Mary Sue heroine, a self-absorbed little Hot Topic goth with the depth and wit of a kitten's wading pool.

Raven (cliche name alert!) has always been obsessed with vampires and goth trappings, to the point of sitting outside Anne Rice's house, and scorning the "combed, conservative, rich soccer snobs" at her "Dullsville" school. So she's delighted when the local mansion is purchased by a mysterious rich family, and even more so when she is rescued (from a "preppy" guy) by a mall-goth "Gothic Guy, Gothic Mate, Gothic Prince."

And because you can tell everything about a person by how they dress and look, it's love at first bite.

While unwillingly working in a travel agency (with a conservative dress code... HORRORS!), Raven starts to hear rumors that Rich Goth Hottie may be a vampire. After she starts prowling around, she finds herself invited to Rich Goth Hottie's mansion -- and of course because she wears black, he knows she's the only girl who can "accept him for who he really is." Yep, he's a vampire -- and a soap-opera misunderstanding might disrupt her potential romance.

"Vampire Kisses" is one of those embarrassing stories that many teenage girls write about themselves -- they are edgy, dark and oppressed by the two-dimensionally alike "snobs" who don't appreciate them, until they find eternal love with a Hot Immortal Rich Dude. Most of these stories go unnoticed on fanfiction.net or other such sites, but sadly this one actually made it to print.

Unfortunately Ellen Schreiber's writing style is pretty much on the same page. Most of the book is Raven whining about how painfully oppressed the poor wittle "gawthe" is, and how awesome her Rich Immortal Hottie is. Her style is painfully flat ("He stood before me, like a knight of night!"), and the dialogue is the stuff of nightmares, especially since Raven is supposedly mature and deep ("You people just don't understand the pressure of being a teenager in my generation!").

Yet there are moments where you wonder if Schreiber is actually playing an elaborate prank -- such as Raven's coworker (a fan of Lucite, white vinyl and red rhinestones) being referred to as "major class." Is this woman for real? Not to mention the hilariously shallow approach to the world -- according to Schreiber, if you dress like a Hot Topic Goth, you're smart and wonderful; if you appear "normal," you're a pathetic mindless loser who hates anyone "different."

Raven herself is the biggest joke of all -- a selfish, shallow, whiny, malicious and pretentious Hot Topic Goth. All the other characters are two-dimensional cutouts -- her lackey Becky, the Lurch clone, her clueless parents, and the random small-town jerks. Alexander the Rich Immortal Hottie (aka "the most fantabulous guy in the solar system") is the only character explored, and he's as boring as Raven.

"Vampire Kisses" is a romantic fantasy as shallow and pretentious as its heroine, to the point where it actually seems like a genre parody. As vampire stories go, this is completely bloodless.

Alexander and Raven take it to make Sebastian's stay fun. They do a good job until he meets Raven's best friend Becky. That is not going to work since Beck is dating Matt. Sebastian does not care and continues to love her, he sends her flowers, and full blown stalks her. To Stop this Alexander and Raven host a party hoping to find him someone who is a vampire. Onyx and Scarlet are back and join the party. Everything is going fine until the humans arrive. Leave it to Trevor to tell everyone and cause a mess. What will Raven and Alexander do when humans and vampires are mixed. I give this book 4 stars.

The Vampire Kisses Series By Ellen Schreiber is a totally awesome series! who doesn't love to read a good vampire romance these days...lol...I read these awhile back when they first came out and fell in love with them right away. Raven the only goth in a straitlaced suburban town is in love with the creepy old house on the edge of town. Then when a equally creepy family move into the house she is convinced they must be vampires! never really thinking that she might be right...lol....These are awesome books with love, action, and intrigue. I fully recommend them to all!

Raven Maddison is a goth, and a keeps to herself. She dresses differently by only wearing dark clothes. She likes the night and she loves vampires. Ever since her she was a little girl she wanted/wished for one thing- to be a vampire. She grew up watching horror movies like bed time story. But when a mysterious guy who isn't seen during the day, moves into the mansion up at Benson Hill things are about to change and Raven just might be one closer to her wish.

Since the whole Vampire thing has started to get more popular with tons upon tons of new books coming out to be the next Twilight or even Interview with a Vampire, I naturally thought the same for this one. But I was very much mistaken. This novel series is indeed about all that vampire love but not with this first edition to the series. For this one, Schreiber writes about a teen age girl who has always dreamed of becoming a vampire. So when a new mysterious family moves in to her boring town naturally rumors start flowing that they are a family of vampires. The heroian of the book tries to dispell the rumors for the town and herself but she cant stop wondering if it is possible that they may actually be vampires. In the end Schreiber leads us thinking that reality is exactly what it seems reality until of course she disproves it all and leaves us hungry for the second helping of Vampire Kisses.

I read this years ago, before I read Twilight. (haha)
And while it isn't totally groundbreaking...it is, let's face it, every (goth) girl's wet dream.
Lonely, misplaced, misunderstood gothy chick (let's face it, many of us have been there) finds a real, live (sorta) vampire boy who moves into her neighborhood. Yay! How lucky, amirite?
I mean, who wouldn't jump at that chance?
I'm going to be honest with you.
This is what my dreams consisted of as a teen. (they still do, erm...lalala)
It is simply an adorable story. I love it to this day, and I am indeed, a grown adult. (technically, anyway)
Great for teens and young 'adults' alike.
Not a Twilight fan? That is absolutely cool, because these vampires do not sparkle. Bahaha!
Some are even quite vicious. Yay! And they actually have fangs, for pete's sake.
Girls, (or guys even, hehe) you'll like this. If you like mooshy, cutesy, Vampire novels.
C'mon, it's sweeeet. :3