Author: Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan
Release Date: July 3, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 352
Source: Bought
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Summary:
Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she stays in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity!
On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.
Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.
My Thoughts:
Just when you think you know everything about the vampire genre, Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan write a novel together which completely proves otherwise! Team Human is a highly entertaining standalone novel that will leave you torn between choosing Team Human... or Team Vampire.
When her best friend, Cathy, falls in love with a vampire named Francis, Mel makes it her mission to save Cathy's humanity before it's too late. Convinced Francis has started attending their school for a dark purpose, Mel does whatever she can to drive apart the smitten pair. And as if that weren't enough to keep a teenage girl busy, Mel must also help her other best friend, Anna, investigate why her mother has been acting so strange lately...
To say that Mel isn't crazy about vampires would be an understatement. They may be immortal, but she shudders at the thought of never being able to feel the sun on your skin, enjoying the bliss of food like chocolate, or a life without any sense of humour. Mel is also a truly loyal person, always sticking up for her friends and trying to protect them in her own way. She can be tough, witty and quick to come up with a snarky remark, but she also has her vulnerable moments, not that she would ever admit it.
Vampire satire aside, Team Human is also surprisingly thoughtful, showing that knowledge can help to overcome ignorance and discrimination. It's only after Mel meets Kit, a young man who's grown up among the living dead and lived his entire life in the vampire side of town, that she begins to see that maybe vampires aren't so bad as she'd always imagined, and in turn, she shows him what it's like to be human. Kit was adorable, sweet and totally clueless when it came to human customs, and the flirting between them was cute, making me smile whenever they were together.
Team Human is absolutely hilarious and I couldn't resist laughing aloud at Mel's antics. Along with a touch of mystery and tons of laughs, it's also a heartwarming story of friendship too. It may be my first time reading a novel by either Justine Larbalestier or Sarah Rees Brennan, but it certainly won't be my last. I'll be looking forward to reading more novels by the authors in the future!
