Finbar is a 6-feet 11-inches, 130-pound 16-year-old whose problems asserting himself—both with bullies and girls—has labeled him a weakling and/or gay (despite his claim that he has “the sex drive of Bill Clinton”). A move to a different school coincides with a newly diagnosed allergy to the sun, which plants in Finbar an idea—a totally insane, totally wonderful idea. Girls swoon over the pale, sickly vampires of novels and movies, so why not pretend to be one? After boning up on his Twilight and True Blood, Finbar debuts his moody new attitude and soon has his first full-fledged “vampire groupie.” The only trouble is that the girl he is falling for, Kate, would not find his deception very funny. There’s not much plot to speak of, but Meaney’s debut is the right book at the right moment, poking fun at the glowering Robert Pattinsons of the world while delivering an occasionally hilarious reminder that, in the long run, being yourself is usually the least-deadly option. Grades 8-11. --Daniel Kraus
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From Booklist
Finbar is a 6-feet 11-inches, 130-pound 16-year-old whose problems asserting himself—both with bullies and girls—has labeled him a weakling and/or gay (despite his claim that he has “the sex drive of Bill Clinton”). A move to a different school coincides with a newly diagnosed allergy to the sun, which plants in Finbar an idea—a totally insane, totally wonderful idea. Girls swoon over the pale, sickly vampires of novels and movies, so why not pretend to be one? After boning up on his Twilight and True Blood, Finbar debuts his moody new attitude and soon has his first full-fledged “vampire groupie.” The only trouble is that the girl he is falling for, Kate, would not find his deception very funny. There’s not much plot to speak of, but Meaney’s debut is the right book at the right moment, poking fun at the glowering Robert Pattinsons of the world while delivering an occasionally hilarious reminder that, in the long run, being yourself is usually the least-deadly option. Grades 8-11. --Daniel Kraus