** spoiler alert ** 
 GENRE: Fiction: Horror. 
 SUBJECT/THEMES: High School, vampires, friendship, tolerance, the occult. 
 SUMMARY: Darren Shan feels that he is meant to go see the upcoming Cirque Du Freak show, and when he opens his hand to discover that he is holding the second ticket (and thus the right to go to the show with his best friend Steve), he can't wait to go. The sights and sounds that Darren experiences are the late-night show are scary, freaky, and unparalleled in excitement. Darren especially enjoyed the large, talented and highly poisonous spider that was owned by one of the performers, Mr. Crepsley. Things start going downhill, however, when Steve wants to stay after the show and Darren spies on his friend confronting Mr. Crepsley. From here, Darren is exposed to the world of vampires, and his life will never be the same. 
 EVALUATION: I liked the tactic of the author presenting his fictional novel as a sort of personal (true) journal to the readers, and having the main character named after his pen name. I think the book is very easy to read, and provided enough entertainment value for the short time it took me to get through it. I read a lot of Stephen King in my teens and 20s, and this book had a similar style. The writing is not stellar, but it packs the entertainment punch that King novels have, in a more young-adult friendly atmosphere. 
 WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: I wanted to include a horror book in the database. While I am no longer a fan of the genre, I recognize that teens are, and I needed to be able to have a recommendation for them beyond the adult Stephen King titles. After I knew I wanted a horror title, I browsed through the young adult section at my local library, and noticed this series. Anything with that many titles in the series must be popular, and if you provide teens with what they like, they will read it and ask for more. At the time, I did not realize this was a vampire novel. I am quite surprised at the vast number of vampire-oriented books in the young adult section, though I suppose that simply exemplifies its popularity. While I found the characters to be somewhat flat, I believe that teen boys will find the characters to be easy to relate to. This title would also do well for 'reluctant readers. 
 Vampire books would make a fine special display in a young adult section, as well as being easy and light reading for a teen book club. For help with a booktalk, NoveList offers one through their database (Retrieved April 19, 2009, from http://web.ebscohost.com/novelist/det...). 
 ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL: 
 *	Thirsty, by M.T. Anderson. 
 *	Midnight Predator, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. 
 *	The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, by Heather Brewer. 
 *	Sweetblood, by Pete Hautman. 
 *	Suck It Up, by Brian Meehl, 
 *	Vampire High, by Douglas Rees. 
 *	Other titles in the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan.