Another Review

NightBiters Review
Current mood: giggly
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

Jamilah and Omari Jackson are in Oakland to spend the summer with their aunt and uncle. They soon find that some of their friends have become vampires and are dealing with personal issues of their own like abusive stepfathers, drugs, gangs and police.


This book has a diverse group of hip hop characters from the Bay Area that are actually intelligent and not based on stereotypes. The book has teens in the Bay dealing with regular teenage issues, as well as vampires gang violence. The characters are cool, there's African American's, Vietnamese, Latino's, Filipinos, Jews, Goths, ravers, taggers and possibly dirty cops and a guy who eats a rat. If you LOVE hip hop, or you're from the Bay Area you need to read this book. I love Night Biters because it's real hip hop, it's not derogatory or dogmatic, it's just real and entertaining.

Adrian Harper skillfully depicts the story's teens as youth who regret some of the poor choices they have made and the impact those decisions have on their families while avoiding stereotypes. Adrian also offers some interesting views on vampirism, viewing it more to an addiction than a spiritual damnation reminding the reader that there is always hope. Filled with clever twist and surprises, Night Biters is a delight.