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Jamie Carpenter discovers the existence of the secret government agency Department 19 the hard way after his father died and his mother was captured, and he was rescued by a giant of a man who just happens to be named Frankenstein. The department was founded by Abraham Van Helsing and those who put a stop to Dracula over 100 years ago in order to police various supernatural threats. If Jamie wants to save his mom from an insanely powerful vampire, he'll have to work with the Department and come to terms with his family history.
Department Nineteen by Will Hill is absolutely perfect for fans of The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey and the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan. I'm so pleased to have stumbled upon this novel at a bargain outlet store. This is my kind of YA horror/ urban fantasy. Thankfully, the vampires are also my sort, i.e. they don't sparkle and are actually pretty scary. I also particularly enjoyed the alternate history lesson featuring Bram Stoker and those very real people who took that titular vampire, Dracula. Plus, seeing how the secret government agency that combats the paranormal got started was great. The only reason I knocked this down to four stars is that Jamie can be difficult to like in his anger and sullenness. Overall, though, this is just the kind of vampire book that I was looking for. I will definitely be continuing this series with The Rising!
I read this book from July 13 - 21, 2016 and my review is also on Goodreads.
I always hear that this is a really good series! It sounds very action packed. :D
ReplyDeleteOh, yes!
DeleteSounds like a good one for my students. I am adding it to my next book order. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI hope they'll like it! :D
DeleteI don't know when I read "government" I always imagine something very heavy to read but at the same time the paranormal aspect attracts me. Ugh, the dilemma of the day : To read or not to read.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely read!
DeleteI'm pretty sure I tried giving this book a read a couple of years ago, and then just fizzled out. Given your review though, I might have to re-evaluate the decision to stop reading, and give it a go again, aha!
ReplyDeleteGreat review :)
Thanks! If you get back to it, I'd definitely like to know what you think of it.
DeleteI applaud your usage of Buffy gifs.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read! I will have to look it up :)
Thanks! :D
DeleteI hope you'll enjoy it.
Really?! It's so good - definitely deserves all the attention it can get! I can't wait to try the next book in the series!
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