Thirsty

* Bibliographic information
Anderson, M. T. Thirsty. Candlewick Press, 1997. ISBN: 9780763638955

- YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 1998
- YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults: Death and Dying (2009)


* Plot Summary
Chris wants to be a normal teen; he wants to fit in at school and he REALLY wants to date Rebecca Schwartz. The only problem is that he is becoming a vampire. His thirst for blood is growing stronger and it is getting harder to control it. Chris wants to stay human more than anything, so when Chet the “Celestial Being” offers him a way to stay human, Chris is interested. The town is about to have its annual ritual where they secure the bonds that imprison the vampire god, Tch'muchgar. Chet say if Chris goes to where Tch'muchgar is and secures the lock that holds him, Chet will make him human again. Chris does not know if he can trust Chet or if he is who he says he is. Chris is also distracted by a seductive vampire named Lolli who wants him to embrace his vampire side and drink. Chris is having a hard time with his current situation and worries he will die soon if he does not get help or drink human blood.


* Critical Evaluation
A great vampire story for older teens. Chris is a reluctant vampire who is trying his best to stay human; his commentary is very funny at times. Chet is a very manipulative character that Chris wants so badly to trust because it means he will stay a human. Anderson has created a very interesting, suspenseful story with clever dialogue. All male teens can relate to the hormonal urges that Chris feels but with the vampire aspect added it makes for a comedic story. Anderson has amplified the struggle teens face as a result of the physical changes they are going through, especially teen boys who have a harder time hiding their hormonal impulses like Chris with his vampirism. Anderson employs some great twists with the character of Chet leaving people guessing to the very end.


* Reader’s Annotation
Chris just wants to be a normal teenager and date girls, but now he has to deal with becoming a vampire and the thirst that comes with it.


* Information about the author
Anderson is an American author; he mainly writes children’s picture books and novels for young adults. He was born in Massachusetts and currently lives there. He attended Syracuse, Harvard and the University of Cambridge. He has worked as a music critic and a college professor. He is on the board of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. In addition to Thirsty, many of his novels have won awards, including Feed and his volumes of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing.


* Genre
Teen Fiction; Fantasy, Issues


* Curriculum Ties, if any
English:
According to the English–Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools, found at http://curriculum.suhsd.k12.ca.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=66, this book would tie into the Literary Response and Analysis part of the curriculum, the student must “Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy” (p.57). There is a lot to learn about Chris in this novel through what he says about himself as a teenager and a vampire.


* Booktalking Ideas
1) Discuss the character of Chet, were you tricked by him?
2) At the end of the book Chris said being human “is a thousand choices every day,” what did he mean by this?
3) The end of the book is left open, what do you think will happen next?


* Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 9 and Up / 14-17 year olds


* Challenge Issues and Defense
N/A


* Why did you include this book in your titles you selected?
I picked this book up to read because I had heard M. T. Anderson was an amazing author, from two youth librarians. I chose this specific book of his because of the cover. I think the cheesy plastic vampire teeth on the cover is a great touch; it lets people know they are in for a fun story. The book does a great job of mirroring the turmoil inside a teen boy as he goes through the physical changes of puberty with the changes associated with vampirism. Chris is a troubled character who knows what it means to be human and that is why he is holding tight to whatever bit of humanity he has left; a great character for older teens.