thirsty

Author: M.T. Anderson

ISBN:978-0763638955

Publication Information: Candlewick

Plot Summary: Chris is at a crossroad in life. His family is constantly arguing, his childhood friends are beginning to disband... and Chris is turning into a vampire. Chris lives in Bradley, Massachusetts, where executing vampires is a way of life. Chris doesn't know what to do, if he tells anyone, they might turn him in and kill him. But he also isn't ready to embrace his vamprism and begin to kill people. He is sure where to turn until celestial being Chet turns up and offers him a deal he can't refuse; help Chet destroy the great vampire lord Tch'muchger and Chet will cure Chris and turn him into a regular human. Although dangerous, it seems like an amazing opportunity, until someone or something starts to follow Chris to warn him of Chet's ulterior motives. Who is lying and who is telling the truth? Is there anyone that Chris can trust?

Critical Evaluation: With the abundance of Twilight fans, it is no wonder that M.T. Anderson's thirsty has become a popular book among the teen set. But aside from sharing the common theme of vampires, thirsty couldn't be different from Stephanie Meyer's series. There is very little romance in the book, and the story isn't tied up into an easy happily ever after scenario. In general, thirsty is a much darker take on the subject of the supernatural, and draws upon the historical horrors of the Salem Witch Trials to draw upon how heartless a community can be when caught up in a mob mentality. Anderson creates a pitch perfect tension for Chris, who alternates between being terrified that his blood lust will get the best of him, and terrified that his family or friends will find out and turn him into the authorities for imprisonment and death. Despite the hopeless situation that Chris is in, Chet is used well as a plot device to provide hope to Chris, however dubious. This book is a great recommendation for all teens, because it strikes a fine balance to being deep without being dense, and dramatic without devolving into melodrama. Highly recommended.

Reader's Annotation: Chris is thirsty, really thirsty. Things are getting really weird and Chris is worried that his worst case scenario is happening. Chris thinks he is turning into a vampire.

Author Information: M.T. Anderson was born and spent most of his childhood in Massachusetts. He also spent several years in Italy, and spent a year studying abroad at a boarding school in England. He received an undergraduate degree at Cambridge University and a MFA in writing at Syracuse University. As an author, Anderson has published a wide spectrum of books, from picture books for small children to novels for adults. He has published several YA titles, his most recent effort, the two part series about Octavian Nothing, has garnered lavish praise, and the first book in the series won the National Book Award. In his spare time, Anderson loves to ski and travel.

Curricular Ties: American History (tie into the Salem Witch Trials)

Genre:Fantasy, Horror

Book talking ideas:

• Why were the citizens of Bradley so desensitized to killing vampires? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
• What do you think Chris should do, become a vampire or die?
• Why did Chet use Chris? Who does he really work for.
  

Challenge issues: Violence,mild sexuality

• Familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
• Check the library for specific policies on challenged books.
• Check the ALA website for advice on how to respond and react when a book has been challenged. (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/index.cfm)
  
• Find positive reviews from reputable websites.
• Ask the challenger for their specific objections and try to address them using information from the above research.

Interest Age: Grades 9 and up

Why I selected this piece: M.T. Anderson is one of the YA heavy hitters. I had to read at least one of his books.