Carla G. (readragon) - reviewed From Barnes and Noble on 9/20/2008 + 49 more book reviews

Life isn't easy for Johnny Shapiro, despite his mother's success as the author of a book about his Lakota grandfather. He finds it hard to "fit in" in his new school--until he meets Rebecca, a new student as well, and the half-human daughter of a vampire.

Johnny Raitt has identity problems: His mix of Lakota, Jewish and Polish cultures leaves him squarely in the middle of nowhere. So he can relate when the most bewitching girl he's ever seen says that she's half human and half vampire. Trouble is, she's not kidding, and life becomes increasingly complicated for Johnny, who's having enough trouble adjusting to Los Angeles after a quiet life in South Dakota. With help from his grandfather, a Native American spiritualist with a practical streak, Johnny realizes that he can embrace more than one heritage - unlike Rebecca, who must be one or the other. This novel is a real find, deftly mixing teen angst and pop horror with the universal notions of identity and one's place in the world. To his credit, Somtow does NOT give the book a pat or even a particularly happy ending.

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