The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod comes straight from the heart for me because the first time I ever wrote my opinion on the series, it was a few blogs ago and I had fallen in love with the blood-drinking boy's story. The author, Heather Brewer, is a hero of writing to me. I had the honour of meeting her and talking to her about my own writings as well as getting my pre-released edition of
The Slayer Chronicles signed (Her spin off series about slayer Joss, from
TCoVT). It was like getting directing advice from Hitchcock or painting advice from Picasso. Although, I might be over-exaggerating just a tad.
In my opinion, what makes her significant in writing for me is how she can make a main character so average and make him the perfect example for young teens in school while also making him as interesting as a vampire. I always thought that if I met Vlad, or went to school with him, I wouldn't have noticed him at all. I would only fall in love with him as a person if I got to know him. It's like an internal apocalypse between Fan Girl and Realist inside me and one person was able to do this to me with words on a page. That is what I want to do with
my readers one day.
For me, this series started out in seventh grade with the first book
Eighth Grade Bites about a boy, who is also a vampire, that goes through hard times. Not the "
Orphaned young boy" type of hard times but the "
I'm being hunted by my own kind" type. I found it interesting because I loved vampiric scary stuff and I was looking into a kind of future, reading about a boy a year higher than me.
Eighth Grade Bites consists of the main issues that a vampire tween would have: An older, much more experienced vampire out for his crazy blood that was super special and important. It was quite the adventure for the both of us but one thing I couldn't understand was why he didn't kill. It was almost confusing to me. I'm used to uncontrolled, psychotic, blood-thirsty, animalistic vampires, not quiet, normal, near-boring vampires that suck out of blood bags like bags of milk and hide it in everyday food. I thought that was a little weak on Vlad's part. And then I read the last ten chapters. I felt so bad for Otis during that ending but I think that was and amazing way to end it. Fairly worn book now.
The next book,
Ninth Grade Slays, was something I couldn't handle. There was mystery and twists and Joss was a thing. A really difficult and frustrating thing. I swear, if books could create mental instability, this book was up there in the list of most potent because I had so many emotions going on at once. I stopped in the middle of it and told myself I would wait until I got to ninth grade to read the rest but I finished it by August. I couldn't make it to September, it was too much suspense and craziness. I didn't like Meredith. I still don't really like Meredith all that much. I don't know if that was intentional but it defiantly happened that way. I don't' really know how I feel about Joss, this is not including
TSC.
D'Ablo should stay dead. Just saying.
The next book in this series is
Tenth Grade Bleeds and boy, does it ever for Vladimir Tod. VLAD IS THE PRAVUS case closed. I thought it as soon as this series started mentioning the whole Pravus thing, I was on it. I totally believed it all. All the doubts that anyone else had just didn't matter to me, he was it. Also, Meredith...just...okay sure fine whatever, you keep being your ignorant self, it's cool. D'Ablo is someone I was getting so tired with, like this guy should just die and stay dead. Henry doesn't understand how important being Vlad's drudge actually is. Ignatius pissed me off so much. More than D'Ablo, or Meredith, or Eddie Poe, who needs a serious talking to. Also, sucks for Vlad that he got his Pravus blood taken out. But I seriously doubt blood that is within his entire body can fit in one syringe. SO yeah not the end of this Pravus boy.
The most controversial book in the series is
Eleventh Grade Burns. I only say this because there are so many things, mostly at the end, that make this book come closer and closer to my heart. My mother had to be separated and then divorced from my father for many reasons that make him unfit to be around my mother and I. So when Vlad started having re-occurring dreams and visions about his father, this fell into the deep corners in my heart to rest. I really love the name Dorian and I found he was an attractive character to read about. Meaning he made my girlhood tremble. I've always loved slightly misunderstood sub-characters that have more for the story than you think they can offer. It left me on a good note with him and stayed that way into the last book. However, because of what I mentioned earlier, the ending of this book was so incredibly crazy to me. Just a big
what the fang is going on scared kind of feeling. For Vlad and all of the characters. Except Meredith. And Eddie.
And here it is. Last but not least,
Twelfth Grade Kills. This book, I had stopped reading for two years at chapter fifteen and didn't come back until just recently and I'm okay with that because I was going through lots of moving and other obstacles that made it difficult for me to read one book completely to the end. But I did finish it and that book itself was one big internal apocalypse for me. Snow is an angel sent down from Heather Brewer's gothy heaven. I loved her so much. She was a good character from start to finish. And Vlad
was and idiot. Like, through
all the books. So this was so perfect for him. Seriously, grade twelve and you still can't bare to bite down on one person? Jeez, you are lucky you're attractive. So glad Snow was there. I feel like I enjoyed Henry trying new things. And new people. It was cute. Meredith can suck a tree's branch. She was so sour grapes, I think she went from concerned friend to full-on itch with a capital B. There was no need to put awesome, independent and confident Snow down like that just because pink wasn't in her wardrobe. Rude. Also, YES VLAD. KILL. FIND YOUR INNER BAD BOY. Oh god Snow. YES YOU FIGHT VLAD. OMG KILL EDDIE LIKE SERIOUSLY HE SHOULD JUST GO.
The ending was
extremely symbolic. I felt like there was a kind of release for me personally when Vlad had to do that to his father. But also what his father was trying to make Vlad understand, as crazy as it was. That the entire time, his birth wasn't for anyone but his father. I felt the feelings Vlad felt when he first found out. When he saw the vision himself and when his father was opening his eyes...but Vikas? No...not Vikas...You can't take that lovable Santa-like character and do that. That was just plain cruel.
This entire series has been quite the journey. Here are some general questions and silly answers:
Which character do you compare yourself to?
If I had to compare myself to a character, I would say October, Snow's friend. She stands up for herself and is still very helpful and caring. She also has her own sense of humour, which I have and doesn't like sticking to other people's point of views. Just brushes them off and does her own thing.
Slayer or vampire?
I was originally pushing on Vlad to start being awesome but Joss ended up winning me over with his courageous drive and obvious way of annoying everyone. So, I'd go with Slayer.
If you could put yourself in the books, what character would you want to be?
I would want to be Snow because her wardrobe sounds so awesome and because Vlad all over me just sounds somewhat crazily awesome.
~^v^~
Heather Brewer is an awesome human being and writer who lives an awesome life with her family of awesome. If you wanna go check her out and all her awesomeness, here's the stuff:
Website:
http://www.heatherbrewer.com/index.php
Vlad:
http://vladtod.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/HighSchoolBites
My info:
Tumblr:
http://quest4cupcakes.tumblr.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Ichi_Ni_Pandas
