Rachel Caine

College should be an exciting time, but for brainy 16-year-old Claire Danvers that's too mild a word. Due to advanced placement, Claire can start college early, but her parents refuse to allow her to go to the distant Ivy League school of her dreams. She goes to Texas Prairie University where she is tormented by the popular girls—but that's the least of her worries. Morganville, home of the university, is also home to vampires and vampire hunters. Claire finds protection from the horrors of the town in the Glass House with three fellow outcasts, Goth girl Eve, rebellious Shane, and Michael, who disappears during the day. Claire falls for Shane and would do anything to protect her friends, including facing down bloodthirsty vampires and dangerous bikers. Rachel Caine's first two books (Penguin, 2006, 2007) in the series flesh out the characters and the setting, allowing listeners to really visualize the town. These suspenseful titles are filled with violence, language, and sensual situations. Cynthia Holloway's narration has a supernatural quality that is perfectly suited to the story, and she does a nice job of switching between characters and capturing the changes in Claire as she grows more mature and confident. Older teens will fall under Caine's spell as she weaves together scary moments with romantic situations, which are at times overly descriptive, but not graphic. Those looking for books like Twilight, but with more bite, will enjoy this series.