I’ve been getting hooked on Darren Shan via his ZOM-B series, and have come to the Vampire novels really late in the day, but what a treat!

I read Cirque du Freak in one sitting and adored it. Shan does a fantastic job of keeping the narrative genuinely frightening but at the same time pitching it at the perfect level for teenagers, I wish I could figure out how he does it and duplicate it. He makes it look easy, I can promise you, as someone who’s constantly trying, it’s not!

It’s a fantastic series opener, and I’m already halfway through the second in the series. I love how Shan not only moves away from the more over-tired Vampire stereotypes, but at the same time keeps the traditional level of terror up nice and high. It’s a fantastic read. And great to see YA for the boys as well as the girls.

Also, I’ve got to admit, the spider….the spider scared the bloody life out of me….

[I'd like to add, if you've seen the film adaptation, don't worry, it's nothing like the book! And if you haven't seen the film adaptation, don't even think about watching it, it's an absolute disgrace.]