Darren Shan - Vampire blood trilogy

MorbidMaiden

MorbidMaiden

Well, I finished the Darren Shan troilogy last night also. Okay, fair enough, I can see the appeal here, I suppose, but I still find myself fretting about authors with less recognition who have crafted much more captivating children's books.

bochok

Hi MM, my youngest son has started reading Darren Shan's books and loves them.  It gets him away from computer games so I'm pleased! I haven't read DS books myself though.

Anyanka

Trilogy? I thought there were TWELVE books in the series...  Haven't read them, but my older daughter is a Shan-fan. She started reading that series when she was fourteen or fifteen, which is hardly a 'kid', and probably the age range they are aimed at.

Anyanka

Tracy, there is some terrific writing for children, but unfortunately a huge amount of dross as well. Especially in the girlie section - Meg Cabot makes me spit and hiss.

MorbidMaiden

I was reading Stephen King, Robin Jarvis and James Herbert as a child too, along with Anne Rice from thirteen. I adored RL Stein when I was really young. Well, okay, I was obsessed! I do take off my hate to Darren Shan, and I suppose my first post may have seemed a little harsh. I admit, I adored the parts where his best friend is attcked by a wolfman!

Vampire Blood contains the first three of the series
Cirque dr freak (which I adore as a title)
The Vampire's assistant
Tunnels of blood

Neph

I just got Liam the first demon one he did, Lord somethingorother.  He was quite surprised at how nasty it was, but said he liked it.  He is into the darker stuff.  I haven't read it yet and I must.  But yea kids have changed since we were their age.  I was reading Agatha Christie at nine and Guy N Smith at thirteen (still not a big fan of crabs).

Anyanka

Tracey, the 'Dark Materials' trilogy is indeed magnificent, but not really a children's book as such - in spite of the marketing.  Pullman said he had no specific age, gender etc in mind at all.  It's cross-over fiction at its best. I need to read it a second time soon.

The first book, Northern Lights, has been made into a film, to be released from December under the US title of the book, 'The Golden Compass'. I'm not confident that a film can do justice to the complexities of the novel.

One of my current top favourite authors is Meg Rosoff, who has recently won the Carnegie medal for her second book 'Just In Case'. You'll find it in the teenage/YA section.

MorbidMaiden

I really struggled to enjoy Northern Lights. Am I the only one? I simply couldn't escape into the story at all, and continued to feel like an outsider , so I quit half way through.

Lauren

I agree MM. "Northern Lights" was really difficult to get into. I felt really disconnected from the book. Normally when I'm reading, I can shut out the everyday sights and sounds, but with this book I was longing for distraction. I've never been happier to finish a book before (with perhaps the exception of Anna Karenina).

Neph

MM I too found Northern Lights hard work.  I didnt enjoy it and found that all the bits that I really started to get lost in, finished without actually getting started.  Didnt enjoy it one little bit.

MorbidMaiden

'I find it fascinating how people can have such polarised views.'

Can we have a little more emphasis on this please?

ana

It is fascinating - the polarised view thing, worth remembering that agents and publishers have just as varied views. I daren't read any kid's stuff at the moment, don't want to be influenced.

Tracy - you worked on a HP film, doing what?

Tessa Tangent

Maybe we adults aren't meant to read it (Northern Lights et al), so let's just leave the kids to it, shall we? 

Dragontamer

I agree with northern lights. i just wnated to get trhough that trilogy. It was a slog- a good one, but I can't remember anything about it.

It's ;like Lord of teh rings. it's really good (or so they say, I haven't managed to actually read it yet) but my gawd a bit of a chore.

yet I read a big fat book like 'as the crow flies'(Archer) and found it easy to read.

As for the vampire books of Darren Shan- I really enjoyed them as a younger teen :)

Soobdoo

I havent read any Darren Shan it doesnt really appeal.

The Northern Lights Trilogy I read ages back and really loved it.

I have just brought Tunnels didnt know it was being hyped as next HP just saw it and thought it looked interesting.
It reminded me of some stuff I read ages ago about tunnels under the earth a sort of lost world thing.
It intrigued me at the time. Agharti or something like that.

MorbidMaiden

Hi Soobdoo. Darren Shan didn't really appeal to me either...I'm just trying to get into the minds of those children's writers making a fortune from their creations...

Soobdoo

Hi MorbidMaiden I love all the childrens fantasy books but am not at all sure if I could write one myself. 

Maybe I'll change my mind at some later date.