Team Human
by Justine Larbalestier, Sarah Rees Brennan
Hardcover, 352 pg.
HarperTeen, 2012
Read: Jul. 19-21, 2012
Much more than a Twilight spoof (although, that’s there) this is a heckuva read. Mel’s a spunky high schooler with a lot on the ball, her friends see her as a fixer, the one who can help them deal with whatever crisis they’re dealing with. It’s a role she relishes, it’s her way of identifying herself. Particularly this time, when she’s trying to stop one friend from falling for a vampire, while another is coping with her dad abandoning the family for a vampire lover. Vampires are pretty low on Mel’s list.
Mel’s a flawed hero, in an endearing way. She’s bullheaded, fierce, dives into things without looking, she makes mistakes, but picks herself up and charges back into the fray with a minimum of self-doubt.
The rest of the cast are almost as well-rounded, were I in high school, I’d love to hang out with them (they’d probably be a bit too wild for me, honestly).
A fun, emotionally-satisfying novel for teens and adults who don’t mind reading below their grade level.
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