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Department 19 #1
Department Nineteen
Jamie Carpenter's life will never be the same. His father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous man named Frankenstein. Jamie is brought to Department 19, where he is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing and the other survivors of Dracula. Aided by Frankenstein's monster, a beautiful vampire girl with her own agenda, and the members of the agency, Jamie must attempt to save his mother from a terrifyingly powerful vampire.
Department 19 takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond - from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia to the treacherous mountains of Transylvania. Part modern thriller, part classic horror, it's packed with mystery, mayhem, and a level of suspense that makes a Darren Shan novel look like a romantic comedy.
Department 19 takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond - from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia to the treacherous mountains of Transylvania. Part modern thriller, part classic horror, it's packed with mystery, mayhem, and a level of suspense that makes a Darren Shan novel look like a romantic comedy.
540 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
320 people are currently reading
7188 people want to read
About the author
Will Hill
53 books577 followersBefore quitting his job in publishing to write full time, Will Hill worked as a bartender, a bookseller and a door-to-door charity worker. He grew up in the north-east of England, is scared of spiders, and lives in east London with his girlfriend. He is a big fan of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 662 reviews
April 25, 2011
It is awfully generous (and atypical) of me to give a book I do not intend to finish 3 stars. But honestly, there is a lot of merit to Department 19 and it seems unfair to penalize it for the fact that I am not its intended audience.
First, it is nice to know that some publishers still remember that boys read too. A lot of YA urban fantasy has been published over the last couple of years, but almost none of it that would appeal to guys. Department 19 takes a non-sparkly vampire approach. Vampires in this books are violent and dangerous. The whole plot is built upon hunting and killing them, as the book's cover suggests.
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Department 19 is a secret government organization whose purpose is to protect humanity from vampires. The department was organized by none other than Abraham Van Helsing and his friends from Bram Stoker's Dracula years ago when they found out after killing Dracula that he was not, unfortunately, the only murderous vampire on the loose.
The department is still active now and the novel's main character, Jamie Carpenter, finds out about its existence when his mother disappears. It turns out, Jamie's dead father was once an employee of Department 19 and the boy now has a right to be a member of this organization too. Jamie is determined to use all the department's resources to find his mother who he suspects was kidnapped by vampires.
There is plenty for a boy to like in this book - there is action, blood and gore, weaponry, some familiar characters from several beloved gothic horror stories, interesting historical flashbacks. The story moves along quickly and is written well.
For me, however, it didn't hold much appeal. Besides the fact that I felt it wasn't quite the type of book I could enjoy, I had issues with a couple of things:
1) Frankenstein - he is Jamie's guardian. Even though I liked the presence of other fictional characters - Van Helsing and his crew - Frankenstein somehow felt like an overkill.
2) I really hate it when authors withhold vital information after mentioning a piece of it. It infuriated me in The Maze Runner and it slightly annoyed me here, to a much lesser degree. I dislike it when someone reasoning for not telling the main character some information goes like this - I am going to mention this important thing/secret here , but I am too busy to tell you now/You will not need this information/It is dangerous to tell you. I say - if you can't tell something, DON'T MENTION IT AT ALL!
Night Owl Reviews
First, it is nice to know that some publishers still remember that boys read too. A lot of YA urban fantasy has been published over the last couple of years, but almost none of it that would appeal to guys. Department 19 takes a non-sparkly vampire approach. Vampires in this books are violent and dangerous. The whole plot is built upon hunting and killing them, as the book's cover suggests.
[image error]
Department 19 is a secret government organization whose purpose is to protect humanity from vampires. The department was organized by none other than Abraham Van Helsing and his friends from Bram Stoker's Dracula years ago when they found out after killing Dracula that he was not, unfortunately, the only murderous vampire on the loose.
The department is still active now and the novel's main character, Jamie Carpenter, finds out about its existence when his mother disappears. It turns out, Jamie's dead father was once an employee of Department 19 and the boy now has a right to be a member of this organization too. Jamie is determined to use all the department's resources to find his mother who he suspects was kidnapped by vampires.
There is plenty for a boy to like in this book - there is action, blood and gore, weaponry, some familiar characters from several beloved gothic horror stories, interesting historical flashbacks. The story moves along quickly and is written well.
For me, however, it didn't hold much appeal. Besides the fact that I felt it wasn't quite the type of book I could enjoy, I had issues with a couple of things:
1) Frankenstein - he is Jamie's guardian. Even though I liked the presence of other fictional characters - Van Helsing and his crew - Frankenstein somehow felt like an overkill.
2) I really hate it when authors withhold vital information after mentioning a piece of it. It infuriated me in The Maze Runner and it slightly annoyed me here, to a much lesser degree. I dislike it when someone reasoning for not telling the main character some information goes like this - I am going to mention this important thing/secret here , but I am too busy to tell you now/You will not need this information/It is dangerous to tell you. I say - if you can't tell something, DON'T MENTION IT AT ALL!
Night Owl Reviews
March 31, 2021
3.5 Stars
Well this was surprisingly gory with heaps of bloody deaths!
I actually really liked the concept and enjoyed the story, however, Jamie isn't a particularly likeable character with his tantrum type outbursts. The situation is quite stressful with his mum kidnapped and the vampire blood baths happening in front of him so emotions are absolutely running high. I am interested to see what happens so will eventually continue on to book two but it won't be at the top of my TBR.
Well this was surprisingly gory with heaps of bloody deaths!
I actually really liked the concept and enjoyed the story, however, Jamie isn't a particularly likeable character with his tantrum type outbursts. The situation is quite stressful with his mum kidnapped and the vampire blood baths happening in front of him so emotions are absolutely running high. I am interested to see what happens so will eventually continue on to book two but it won't be at the top of my TBR.
May 6, 2011
I think I'm just not the target audience for this book. I don't know who is, maybe a gawky teenage boy? What is the target audience who doesn't care about character development or an engaging story? Zombies, maybe?
This is one of those books that makes me kick myself in the ass for having a bit of the OCD. I can't not finish a book. What if it starts getting awesome in the next chapter, huh?
Yes, I have issues.
I should have known when I posted a status update at page 230, wondering when the story was going to kick it into gear. Yes, I was still wondering this at page 230, because I wasn't even at the halfway point yet. I hate when I don't like a book. But I really hate when I don't like a fatty book. That's like a double waste of my precious reading time.
So, why didn't I like it? Oh, let me count the ways...
* I didn't give a rat's ass about the main character. That's an automatic fail for me--I need to give a shit about this person I'm supposed to be rooting for.
* The characters were all two-dimensional. I need characters that have a bit more substance than a cardboard cutout. The only one with even a smidge of depth was Frankenstein. Yes, Frankenstein. No, not the doctor, the monster. Don't be silly.
* I'm not good at analyzing writing style, so don't ask me to be more specific. All I can say is this book was B-O-R-I-N-G. Yes, there was blood & guts & flying evil vampires all that good stuff. And don't get me wrong, I like blood & guts, but I also need an engaging story to fill in all the little nooks & crannies around the blood & guts. I can't tell you how many passages I had to reread because I processed absolutely nothing I had just read. The descriptive passages were especially prone to make me space out. This would have been a good time to decide to become a skimmer. Alas, the bit of OCD rears it's ugly head again.
* Badass-ery is not an inheritable trait. So you were a puss who got picked on by bullies all your life, but all of a sudden, you're a vampire killing machine? Just because your great-great grandpa was Van Helsing's ass-kicking valet? Whateva.
So if you're a gawky boy who gets picked on by bullies, you might enjoy living vicariously through this boy who learns at 16 that he comes from a long line of ass-kicking vampire hunters. And gets to hang with Frankenstein to boot. Otherwise, skip it.
This is one of those books that makes me kick myself in the ass for having a bit of the OCD. I can't not finish a book. What if it starts getting awesome in the next chapter, huh?
Yes, I have issues.
I should have known when I posted a status update at page 230, wondering when the story was going to kick it into gear. Yes, I was still wondering this at page 230, because I wasn't even at the halfway point yet. I hate when I don't like a book. But I really hate when I don't like a fatty book. That's like a double waste of my precious reading time.
So, why didn't I like it? Oh, let me count the ways...
* I didn't give a rat's ass about the main character. That's an automatic fail for me--I need to give a shit about this person I'm supposed to be rooting for.
* The characters were all two-dimensional. I need characters that have a bit more substance than a cardboard cutout. The only one with even a smidge of depth was Frankenstein. Yes, Frankenstein. No, not the doctor, the monster. Don't be silly.
* I'm not good at analyzing writing style, so don't ask me to be more specific. All I can say is this book was B-O-R-I-N-G. Yes, there was blood & guts & flying evil vampires all that good stuff. And don't get me wrong, I like blood & guts, but I also need an engaging story to fill in all the little nooks & crannies around the blood & guts. I can't tell you how many passages I had to reread because I processed absolutely nothing I had just read. The descriptive passages were especially prone to make me space out. This would have been a good time to decide to become a skimmer. Alas, the bit of OCD rears it's ugly head again.
* Badass-ery is not an inheritable trait. So you were a puss who got picked on by bullies all your life, but all of a sudden, you're a vampire killing machine? Just because your great-great grandpa was Van Helsing's ass-kicking valet? Whateva.
So if you're a gawky boy who gets picked on by bullies, you might enjoy living vicariously through this boy who learns at 16 that he comes from a long line of ass-kicking vampire hunters. And gets to hang with Frankenstein to boot. Otherwise, skip it.
April 11, 2011
What if the story of Dracula wasn't fiction? What if it was history?
That is the basic premise of this breakout new series. Jamie Carpenter's life hasn't been the same since his father was killed two years ago on charges of terrorism. He is angry and disconnected from his mother, until the day she is kidnapped by a vicious monster. From there, Jamie is taken by Frankenstein (yes, that Frankenstein) to Department 19, a secret sect of the British government that deals with supernatural. Department 19 was started over a hundred years ago by the group of hunters that slayed Dracula, and has been keeping vampires in check ever since. Jamie is a descendant of one of the founding families, and his father was one of the organization's top members. Jamie begins to train as a vampire hunter, learning the history and practicing with weapons, while also uncovering some secrets of the Department, secrets that some would kill to keep hidden. Jamie is determined to rescue his mother, even if his only allies are a hulking green monster and an imprisoned vampire girl.
Wow, this book is a thrill! It's a gory, violent, action-packed thrill ride that will appeal to boys and girls, teen and adult audiences alike. I've been looking for a novel like this for a while. I'm so used to YA paranormal pussying out on me, focusing on romance rather than plot. Trust me. This book breathes a breath of fresh air into the genre. At times, it would almost be too graphic. The last battle scene.....whoa....I got a little queasy. The monsters in this book are real monsters. They rip, tear, kill, and torture....sometimes just for the fun of it. Both bad guys and good guys die, sometimes in gruesomely horrific ways. For example, when vampire die, they just don't crumble into a pile of dust, they freaking explode into showers of blood. SHOWERS OF BLOOD. If they ever made a movie out of this, it would be a CGI dream.
I also enjoyed how the chapters alternated to get the full scope of the story. Some chapters would focus on the past, such as the formation of Department 19, which gave some insight as to the dynamics of the Department. However, as what happens with omniscient 3rd person POV, the reader can sometimes feel disconnected from protagonist. I am nearly certain this is just my personal taste, however, as some reviewers said they felt genuinely attached to Jamie. I enjoyed the plot overall, rather than just Jamie as a character.
I'll be honest here. The writing isn't the best. I read an ARC, but I doubt the writing would change that dramatically for its publication. It was serviceable, a little chunky, but this is understandable. This is an action/horror novel. Beautiful writing isn't the point, and could actually distract from the story.
The story overall was unique. Yes, it clearly borrowed from Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.......but that is kind of the point. It was slightly predictable who the turncoat in the story was, but so what? It was a fun ride, and I enjoyed getting there.
This is the start of an excellent series that will do great in its target audience. It managed to resolve many loose ends, but also has a level of suspense that will leave reader's eager for the next installment. Bloody, thrilling, with a tad bit of romance, and a whole lot of fun.
That is the basic premise of this breakout new series. Jamie Carpenter's life hasn't been the same since his father was killed two years ago on charges of terrorism. He is angry and disconnected from his mother, until the day she is kidnapped by a vicious monster. From there, Jamie is taken by Frankenstein (yes, that Frankenstein) to Department 19, a secret sect of the British government that deals with supernatural. Department 19 was started over a hundred years ago by the group of hunters that slayed Dracula, and has been keeping vampires in check ever since. Jamie is a descendant of one of the founding families, and his father was one of the organization's top members. Jamie begins to train as a vampire hunter, learning the history and practicing with weapons, while also uncovering some secrets of the Department, secrets that some would kill to keep hidden. Jamie is determined to rescue his mother, even if his only allies are a hulking green monster and an imprisoned vampire girl.
Wow, this book is a thrill! It's a gory, violent, action-packed thrill ride that will appeal to boys and girls, teen and adult audiences alike. I've been looking for a novel like this for a while. I'm so used to YA paranormal pussying out on me, focusing on romance rather than plot. Trust me. This book breathes a breath of fresh air into the genre. At times, it would almost be too graphic. The last battle scene.....whoa....I got a little queasy. The monsters in this book are real monsters. They rip, tear, kill, and torture....sometimes just for the fun of it. Both bad guys and good guys die, sometimes in gruesomely horrific ways. For example, when vampire die, they just don't crumble into a pile of dust, they freaking explode into showers of blood. SHOWERS OF BLOOD. If they ever made a movie out of this, it would be a CGI dream.
I also enjoyed how the chapters alternated to get the full scope of the story. Some chapters would focus on the past, such as the formation of Department 19, which gave some insight as to the dynamics of the Department. However, as what happens with omniscient 3rd person POV, the reader can sometimes feel disconnected from protagonist. I am nearly certain this is just my personal taste, however, as some reviewers said they felt genuinely attached to Jamie. I enjoyed the plot overall, rather than just Jamie as a character.
I'll be honest here. The writing isn't the best. I read an ARC, but I doubt the writing would change that dramatically for its publication. It was serviceable, a little chunky, but this is understandable. This is an action/horror novel. Beautiful writing isn't the point, and could actually distract from the story.
The story overall was unique. Yes, it clearly borrowed from Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.......but that is kind of the point. It was slightly predictable who the turncoat in the story was, but so what? It was a fun ride, and I enjoyed getting there.
This is the start of an excellent series that will do great in its target audience. It managed to resolve many loose ends, but also has a level of suspense that will leave reader's eager for the next installment. Bloody, thrilling, with a tad bit of romance, and a whole lot of fun.
May 21, 2011
This book was wicked fun!
I'm going to save you from the very long plot description and just skip to the part where I tell ya'll that this book is an absolute blast!
Department 19 is a very well thought out story that combines some of the greatest legends in paranormal and turning it something plausible. It's enriched with old history, old blood, but the same all consuming hate.
This one has it all, a little romance, mystery, suspense, action, intrigue and gore. Oh the gore! Lots of it in this book. The good kind. The graphically-gross kind and while I thought all that exploding blood and torn body parts would put me off, it ended up having the opposite effect.
It really was like watching a movie in my head.
The writing is very well done, not only does Will Hill pull you into the story from minute one but he successful does it by adding flashbacks from another time, connecting past to present and keeping the readers up to speed while drawing out there own conclusions. I was confused a bit since there are so.many.characters under these pages and it was a lot to keep track of, but once I got more into the story it became easier. Plus, all good mysteries has to be somewhat confusing. Right?
Great characters development, loved them all. Even the evil dudes. It was so refreshing to meet an actual villain who is just as terrifying as you would want them to be, and the same respect goes for the good guys. This book also kept me on my toes. Didn't know who to trust and who not to. I didn't even expect one of the characters who was behind it all, so that shocked me. One more thing,
Basically I loved this book to bits! It's fun and exciting and fascinating and I had a great time reading this!
Bring on the sequel!!
I'm going to save you from the very long plot description and just skip to the part where I tell ya'll that this book is an absolute blast!
Department 19 is a very well thought out story that combines some of the greatest legends in paranormal and turning it something plausible. It's enriched with old history, old blood, but the same all consuming hate.
This one has it all, a little romance, mystery, suspense, action, intrigue and gore. Oh the gore! Lots of it in this book. The good kind. The graphically-gross kind and while I thought all that exploding blood and torn body parts would put me off, it ended up having the opposite effect.
It really was like watching a movie in my head.
The writing is very well done, not only does Will Hill pull you into the story from minute one but he successful does it by adding flashbacks from another time, connecting past to present and keeping the readers up to speed while drawing out there own conclusions. I was confused a bit since there are so.many.characters under these pages and it was a lot to keep track of, but once I got more into the story it became easier. Plus, all good mysteries has to be somewhat confusing. Right?
Great characters development, loved them all. Even the evil dudes. It was so refreshing to meet an actual villain who is just as terrifying as you would want them to be, and the same respect goes for the good guys. This book also kept me on my toes. Didn't know who to trust and who not to. I didn't even expect one of the characters who was behind it all, so that shocked me. One more thing,
Basically I loved this book to bits! It's fun and exciting and fascinating and I had a great time reading this!
Bring on the sequel!!
June 1, 2011
*3.5 Stars*
It’s not very often that I read a book labeled as YA. I dislike the drama and love triangles that seem to be a requirement of them. But a Goodreads friend of mine read this book and loved it so much that I became intrigued. I snatched it up when it was offered for review, after she swore up and down that I wouldn’t find any of the high school drama that makes me want to claw my eyes out. (FYI, she was right.)
I’m really starting to wonder if I just don’t like reading YA’s with girls as the main characters. It didn’t seem to bother me when I was younger and reading about girls in Christopher Pike’s books, but it does now. However, the few I’ve read with a boy as the main character didn’t have the drama that irritates me so much. Maybe I just need to stick to boy protagonists if I’m in the mood for YA?
I thought this book had a really fun premise. The author has taken a lot of the classic figures, like Van Helsing, Dracula, Mina Harker, and Frankenstein, and woven a new story around them. When I first realized that the author had borrowed characters I wasn’t quite sure how I felt. Especially about Frankenstein! (I don’t why, but he was kind of overkill for me.) But I eventually adjusted to it and even came to appreciate the fact this might be a gateway book for younger readers to seek out the original stories if they were curious enough. It’s a fun way to get them interested in the characters.
I liked that Jamie seemed like a teenage boy. Sometimes I felt he came off a little younger than his age, but it didn’t bother me much because I know teenagers can mature differently. He was occasionally sulky and moody, and it took a while for him to realize that fighting vampires wasn’t a game.
I felt bad that Jamie was thrust into a world where he already had a bad name for himself. It was through no fault of his own, it was because of his family’s history with the department. I liked that he wasn’t easily accepted because it made him question and argue in ways that I don’t think he would have otherwise. I was glad he wouldn’t easily shut up and do what he was told, because at times I almost thought some of the “good” guys were worse than the vampires.
The gore and violence shown were a big surprise to me. I knew that there would be fights, but I didn’t expect them to be shown with such detail and relish. Good guys and bad guys alike were killed and the fight scenes were bloody. The vampires were not cute and cuddly creatures. They were just like humans in the sense that they all made personal decisions about their behavior and how they lived, but they all housed a barely controlled hunger deep inside. The bad vampires were genuinely bad. They killed and caused pain, and they did it just for fun. Even the vampire Larissa, who is more than meets the eye, is shown to possess a rather callous disregard for life.
I don’t bring up the violence as a complaint. I actually enjoyed that feature a lot. I just wanted to give a head’s up to anyone who doesn’t enjoy books like that. I also, personally, wouldn’t have a problem letting a Tween or young Teen boy or girl read this. I think they’d like the gore. But you may feel differently, so be aware of the violence level in this book!
While I did like a lot of things about this story—especially Larissa—I tend to look for different things in most of the books I read. I prefer a lot more depth to the characters. Here, the characters felt almost like you were watching them in a movie. You never really got into their head, but you enjoyed watching them kick some vampire butt. I feel more forgiving in this than I would in an adult book because most kids aren’t looking for complex layers and hidden depths. I remember the YA books I read when I was younger and they were written the same way. So I can’t criticize the author for writing to his audience, but I can’t exactly say it rocked my world either.
Also, I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks. I understood (and appreciated) their purpose, but I think there had to have been a smoother way to accomplish it. At times the flashbacks slowed the momentum of the story to a crawl and made it feel clunky. I had absolutely no investment in the people that we saw in the flashbacks so it was hard to care while reading about them.
I think this will be a big hit with a lot of young male readers, but I also think it’s interesting enough that it will grab a wider readership than that. If you’re intrigued and glad to hear about genuinely vicious vampires then I recommend you pick this book up and give it a shot.
Favorite Quote:
My review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
It’s not very often that I read a book labeled as YA. I dislike the drama and love triangles that seem to be a requirement of them. But a Goodreads friend of mine read this book and loved it so much that I became intrigued. I snatched it up when it was offered for review, after she swore up and down that I wouldn’t find any of the high school drama that makes me want to claw my eyes out. (FYI, she was right.)
I’m really starting to wonder if I just don’t like reading YA’s with girls as the main characters. It didn’t seem to bother me when I was younger and reading about girls in Christopher Pike’s books, but it does now. However, the few I’ve read with a boy as the main character didn’t have the drama that irritates me so much. Maybe I just need to stick to boy protagonists if I’m in the mood for YA?
I thought this book had a really fun premise. The author has taken a lot of the classic figures, like Van Helsing, Dracula, Mina Harker, and Frankenstein, and woven a new story around them. When I first realized that the author had borrowed characters I wasn’t quite sure how I felt. Especially about Frankenstein! (I don’t why, but he was kind of overkill for me.) But I eventually adjusted to it and even came to appreciate the fact this might be a gateway book for younger readers to seek out the original stories if they were curious enough. It’s a fun way to get them interested in the characters.
I liked that Jamie seemed like a teenage boy. Sometimes I felt he came off a little younger than his age, but it didn’t bother me much because I know teenagers can mature differently. He was occasionally sulky and moody, and it took a while for him to realize that fighting vampires wasn’t a game.
"I got hurt today. Not as badly as you, I know, but I got burned. And it made me realize something, you know? It made me realize that this isn't a game, or a film, where the good guys win in the end and the bad guys get what's coming to them. It's real life, and it's messy, and it's complicated, and I'm scared, and I just don't know what to—“I liked that he made mistakes—although it was a little odd that he was so good at fighting after only a couple days of training. He has real fears and strives to ignore them while he rescues his mother. I think that he’ll be easy for a lot of younger teenage boys to relate to.
I felt bad that Jamie was thrust into a world where he already had a bad name for himself. It was through no fault of his own, it was because of his family’s history with the department. I liked that he wasn’t easily accepted because it made him question and argue in ways that I don’t think he would have otherwise. I was glad he wouldn’t easily shut up and do what he was told, because at times I almost thought some of the “good” guys were worse than the vampires.
The gore and violence shown were a big surprise to me. I knew that there would be fights, but I didn’t expect them to be shown with such detail and relish. Good guys and bad guys alike were killed and the fight scenes were bloody. The vampires were not cute and cuddly creatures. They were just like humans in the sense that they all made personal decisions about their behavior and how they lived, but they all housed a barely controlled hunger deep inside. The bad vampires were genuinely bad. They killed and caused pain, and they did it just for fun. Even the vampire Larissa, who is more than meets the eye, is shown to possess a rather callous disregard for life.
I don’t bring up the violence as a complaint. I actually enjoyed that feature a lot. I just wanted to give a head’s up to anyone who doesn’t enjoy books like that. I also, personally, wouldn’t have a problem letting a Tween or young Teen boy or girl read this. I think they’d like the gore. But you may feel differently, so be aware of the violence level in this book!
While I did like a lot of things about this story—especially Larissa—I tend to look for different things in most of the books I read. I prefer a lot more depth to the characters. Here, the characters felt almost like you were watching them in a movie. You never really got into their head, but you enjoyed watching them kick some vampire butt. I feel more forgiving in this than I would in an adult book because most kids aren’t looking for complex layers and hidden depths. I remember the YA books I read when I was younger and they were written the same way. So I can’t criticize the author for writing to his audience, but I can’t exactly say it rocked my world either.
Also, I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks. I understood (and appreciated) their purpose, but I think there had to have been a smoother way to accomplish it. At times the flashbacks slowed the momentum of the story to a crawl and made it feel clunky. I had absolutely no investment in the people that we saw in the flashbacks so it was hard to care while reading about them.
I think this will be a big hit with a lot of young male readers, but I also think it’s interesting enough that it will grab a wider readership than that. If you’re intrigued and glad to hear about genuinely vicious vampires then I recommend you pick this book up and give it a shot.
Favorite Quote:
"Why did you spare me?" he asked.
She smiled again. "I didn't feel like killing you," she replied.
"That's not really sparing me, is it? That's just not feeling like it."
"Semantics."
"Not to me."
My review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
October 15, 2017
My rating 3.8
Department of Nineteen (Department 19 # 1) by Will Hill is a fun book for all vampire lovers and vampire fighters. Vampires exist and secret organization The Department 19 is in charge of fighting with them. The organization was founded by Van Helsing and several powerful people to stop the plague spread by Count Dracula. The writer leads us into a secret world in which the only shield against vampire hordes is the members of the Department 19. The story begins with a teenager named Jamie Carpenter who witnesses the murder of her father, two years after that event, his mother is kidnapped and vampire Alexandru attempted to kill Jamie but Jamie rescued Frankenstein who is a member of the Department 19. In order to save him from the next vampire attack, Frankenstein takes him to the secret location of the Department 19. But Jamie was not welcomed with ovations because his father was supposed to be a traitor. Since membership was hereditary because one of the founders was his grandfather, Jamie became a member of the Department 19. After a short training, Jamie tries to save her mother from the crap of the notorious vampire Alexandru who tried to kill him, but Jamie will have very little support from the Department 19. Despite all this, Jamie will go looking for her mother. If you love vampire stories this will be fun reading, I hope the sequels will be better because I have the intention to read it. But all in all this is an interesting and entertaining book.
Department of Nineteen (Department 19 # 1) by Will Hill is a fun book for all vampire lovers and vampire fighters. Vampires exist and secret organization The Department 19 is in charge of fighting with them. The organization was founded by Van Helsing and several powerful people to stop the plague spread by Count Dracula. The writer leads us into a secret world in which the only shield against vampire hordes is the members of the Department 19. The story begins with a teenager named Jamie Carpenter who witnesses the murder of her father, two years after that event, his mother is kidnapped and vampire Alexandru attempted to kill Jamie but Jamie rescued Frankenstein who is a member of the Department 19. In order to save him from the next vampire attack, Frankenstein takes him to the secret location of the Department 19. But Jamie was not welcomed with ovations because his father was supposed to be a traitor. Since membership was hereditary because one of the founders was his grandfather, Jamie became a member of the Department 19. After a short training, Jamie tries to save her mother from the crap of the notorious vampire Alexandru who tried to kill him, but Jamie will have very little support from the Department 19. Despite all this, Jamie will go looking for her mother. If you love vampire stories this will be fun reading, I hope the sequels will be better because I have the intention to read it. But all in all this is an interesting and entertaining book.
June 13, 2017
Es war leider nicht meins, sorry =(
June 12, 2011
Lux E Tenebris – Light out of darkness. Remember that...
Well this book just proved it. I knew vampires were real! I just knew it! I could have called this situation a LONG time ago. You know what I’m talking about - the government secret service whose number one responsibility is to keep society safe from those paranormal baddies that roam the streets in search of mayhem and lots of gore and blood. Well, they’re out there and they’re REAL!! So watch out! :0
Department 19 is an extremely entertaining book that’s not even my normal type of read, but I do have to say that I got carried away with this fast paced, full on gore adventure. To say this book has it all is a huge understatement. Its pages are fully loaded with knuckle punching adventure, high stakes intrigue, constant mystery, mind blowing action and a light romance that is all perfectly blended and wrapped with glossy paranormal packaging.
I was actually a bit shocked to find myself sucked into this book no pun intended. The writing is smooth and constantly progressive, the characters are a great cast of entertainers, including Van Helsing, Frankenstein (who I happen to be a big fan of... ahem...ahem... Hannah^^:D), and Bram Stoker; and the setting is so vividly described that you can’t help feeling like you’re in the middle of the fray.
Department 19 takes place in two time settings. There’s the present where our main progtag Jamie Carpenter finds himself immersed in the troughs of this secret government agency when his mother goes missing. He discovers that he’s a descendant of one of the six great families of Blacklight that was founded back in 1892 by Van Helsing who was entrusted the protection of the Empire by the government. However, Jamie is weighed down by the traitorous actions of his father who died two years prior during an event that endangered the agency; and this secret service is not easy to forgive or forget the acts of his father. Not to mention he is suddenly slammed with the hard fact that vampires ARE REAL!! FOR REAL!! and his mom was taken by one of the biggest most baddest of them all. So when Jamie goes in search of his mom, with the help of Frankenstein and Larissa the vampire, he discovers he can redefine himself despite his past. Jamie’s strength and skill prove him to be a force to be recognized by the very organization that casted him aside.
All great stuff that is both unique and highly entertaining. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and surprisingly didn’t find myself creeped out by the massive amounts of gore and pages and pages of violence. Great read for paranormal fans that are looking for something different but fun.
Thanks Morgan for challenging me to read this. Great pick!!
Song Choice: This song is pretty harsh and violent, but so is this book, so listen with caution.Breaking Benjamin - Lights Out
Well this book just proved it. I knew vampires were real! I just knew it! I could have called this situation a LONG time ago. You know what I’m talking about - the government secret service whose number one responsibility is to keep society safe from those paranormal baddies that roam the streets in search of mayhem and lots of gore and blood. Well, they’re out there and they’re REAL!! So watch out! :0
Department 19 is an extremely entertaining book that’s not even my normal type of read, but I do have to say that I got carried away with this fast paced, full on gore adventure. To say this book has it all is a huge understatement. Its pages are fully loaded with knuckle punching adventure, high stakes intrigue, constant mystery, mind blowing action and a light romance that is all perfectly blended and wrapped with glossy paranormal packaging.
I was actually a bit shocked to find myself sucked into this book no pun intended. The writing is smooth and constantly progressive, the characters are a great cast of entertainers, including Van Helsing, Frankenstein (who I happen to be a big fan of... ahem...ahem... Hannah^^:D), and Bram Stoker; and the setting is so vividly described that you can’t help feeling like you’re in the middle of the fray.
Department 19 takes place in two time settings. There’s the present where our main progtag Jamie Carpenter finds himself immersed in the troughs of this secret government agency when his mother goes missing. He discovers that he’s a descendant of one of the six great families of Blacklight that was founded back in 1892 by Van Helsing who was entrusted the protection of the Empire by the government. However, Jamie is weighed down by the traitorous actions of his father who died two years prior during an event that endangered the agency; and this secret service is not easy to forgive or forget the acts of his father. Not to mention he is suddenly slammed with the hard fact that vampires ARE REAL!! FOR REAL!! and his mom was taken by one of the biggest most baddest of them all. So when Jamie goes in search of his mom, with the help of Frankenstein and Larissa the vampire, he discovers he can redefine himself despite his past. Jamie’s strength and skill prove him to be a force to be recognized by the very organization that casted him aside.
All great stuff that is both unique and highly entertaining. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and surprisingly didn’t find myself creeped out by the massive amounts of gore and pages and pages of violence. Great read for paranormal fans that are looking for something different but fun.
Thanks Morgan for challenging me to read this. Great pick!!
Song Choice: This song is pretty harsh and violent, but so is this book, so listen with caution.Breaking Benjamin - Lights Out
November 21, 2019
I am SO EXCITED to come back to one of my old favourites! – 22.01.19
It was just as brilliant as the first time around! –28.01.19
It was just as brilliant as the first time around! –28.01.19
August 15, 2017
A-freaking-mazing, that's what that book was.
I'd read it again if it weren't so long, but it was so good. I absolutely loved every minute of this book. While this was definitely no James Patterson, or Anthony Horowitz, it was just as good. I'll admit at some points I got confused with what was happening given how the chapters were organized so that the reader gets both the past and the present, but still it's so good.
I'd read it again if it weren't so long, but it was so good. I absolutely loved every minute of this book. While this was definitely no James Patterson, or Anthony Horowitz, it was just as good. I'll admit at some points I got confused with what was happening given how the chapters were organized so that the reader gets both the past and the present, but still it's so good.
April 9, 2012
Edit: I recently went out and bought my own copy. :) Yay. I will need to re-read this before I start on The Rising.
Gore, gore, gore. That was exactly what I needed to get me out of this YA novel slump.
With recent uprise in dystopian novels and the forever tainted paranormal genre, I was beginning to give up on YA authors. That was before I picked up this beautiful debut by Will Hill.
It's the TV show Supernatural meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Full on ACTION and GORE. :) This book got me right from page 1 and stepped right over me at the end just so Mr. Hill can enjoy a good cry from me. The ending, although too rushed, left something with me and made me want to hug my Artemis Fowl books because the relationship between Frankenstein and Jamie reminded me of the young mastermind and his Butler.
(Most of) the characters in this book have my undying respect due to their "fight to the end" attitude and the honour code that they follow to their death. Let's just say, if Department 19 was ever real, I couldn't feel anymore safe with people like that guarding over my city/country/world.
My favourite, FAVOURITE part about this novel was the multiple perspectives: ranging in gender, time periods and different regions of the world. Every part gave incites into the story and build up to a fantastic finale at the end of the book. Like building a nice house, everything came together with great care and the result was FANTASTIC!
A superb debut from author that I will no doubt return to time after time. Looking forward to April 2012.
Gore, gore, gore. That was exactly what I needed to get me out of this YA novel slump.
With recent uprise in dystopian novels and the forever tainted paranormal genre, I was beginning to give up on YA authors. That was before I picked up this beautiful debut by Will Hill.
It's the TV show Supernatural meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Full on ACTION and GORE. :) This book got me right from page 1 and stepped right over me at the end just so Mr. Hill can enjoy a good cry from me. The ending, although too rushed, left something with me and made me want to hug my Artemis Fowl books because the relationship between Frankenstein and Jamie reminded me of the young mastermind and his Butler.
(Most of) the characters in this book have my undying respect due to their "fight to the end" attitude and the honour code that they follow to their death. Let's just say, if Department 19 was ever real, I couldn't feel anymore safe with people like that guarding over my city/country/world.
My favourite, FAVOURITE part about this novel was the multiple perspectives: ranging in gender, time periods and different regions of the world. Every part gave incites into the story and build up to a fantastic finale at the end of the book. Like building a nice house, everything came together with great care and the result was FANTASTIC!
A superb debut from author that I will no doubt return to time after time. Looking forward to April 2012.
April 21, 2011
2.5 stars. Did I read the same book as everyone else?
The things that ultimately lowered my rating were:
1) Jamie - I just didn't like him. Yes, he's a typical teenager, but he was also annoyingly stubborn, strong-willed, and insolent. I want to LIKE my lead characters but instead, I found myself frequently wanting to slap him.
2) Depicting fictional characters as historical figures - This annoyed...and DISTRACTED...me the most. The story would have been much better with original characters, rather than using literary figures such as Frankenstein, Dracula, Van Helsing, etc.
3) The plot - It didn't really interest me. And it was SLOW. I actually had to take a break from boredom and read another book while in the middle of this one. The break did nothing to improve my attitude about this book, however.
The things that ultimately lowered my rating were:
1) Jamie - I just didn't like him. Yes, he's a typical teenager, but he was also annoyingly stubborn, strong-willed, and insolent. I want to LIKE my lead characters but instead, I found myself frequently wanting to slap him.
2) Depicting fictional characters as historical figures - This annoyed...and DISTRACTED...me the most. The story would have been much better with original characters, rather than using literary figures such as Frankenstein, Dracula, Van Helsing, etc.
3) The plot - It didn't really interest me. And it was SLOW. I actually had to take a break from boredom and read another book while in the middle of this one. The break did nothing to improve my attitude about this book, however.
November 13, 2010
What can I possibly say to do this book justice?
It's not a horror story.
It's not a love story.
It's not a historical story.
It is all of the above. Woven so intricately and with an amazing cast of characters that it instantly transports you right into its pages with no effort at all. The characters are incredibly real - especially Jamie, my heart went out to him countless times and I loved his ferocity and passion. Definitely topping my favourite reads for 2010 (though this is not released until 03/2011) after Mockingjay, iBoy and Forbidden.
It's not a horror story.
It's not a love story.
It's not a historical story.
It is all of the above. Woven so intricately and with an amazing cast of characters that it instantly transports you right into its pages with no effort at all. The characters are incredibly real - especially Jamie, my heart went out to him countless times and I loved his ferocity and passion. Definitely topping my favourite reads for 2010 (though this is not released until 03/2011) after Mockingjay, iBoy and Forbidden.
August 5, 2016
Jamie Carpenter discovers the existence of the secret government agency Department 19 the hard way after his father died and his mother was captured, and he was rescued by a giant of a man who just happens to be named Frankenstein. The department was founded by Abraham Van Helsing and those who put a stop to Dracula over 100 years ago in order to police various supernatural threats. If Jamie wants to save his mom from an insanely powerful vampire, he'll have to work with the Department and come to terms with his family history.
Department Nineteen by Will Hill is absolutely perfect for fans of The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey and the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan. I'm so pleased to have stumbled upon this novel at a bargain outlet store. This is my kind of YA horror/ urban fantasy. Thankfully, the vampires are also my sort, i.e. they don't sparkle and are actually pretty scary. I also particularly enjoyed the alternate history lesson featuring Bram Stoker and those very real people who took that titular vampire, Dracula. Plus, seeing how the secret government agency that combats the paranormal got started was great. The only reason I knocked this down to four stars is that Jamie can be difficult to like in his anger and sullenness. Overall, though, this is just the kind of vampire book that I was looking for. I will definitely be continuing this series with The Rising!
Department Nineteen by Will Hill is absolutely perfect for fans of The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey and the Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan. I'm so pleased to have stumbled upon this novel at a bargain outlet store. This is my kind of YA horror/ urban fantasy. Thankfully, the vampires are also my sort, i.e. they don't sparkle and are actually pretty scary. I also particularly enjoyed the alternate history lesson featuring Bram Stoker and those very real people who took that titular vampire, Dracula. Plus, seeing how the secret government agency that combats the paranormal got started was great. The only reason I knocked this down to four stars is that Jamie can be difficult to like in his anger and sullenness. Overall, though, this is just the kind of vampire book that I was looking for. I will definitely be continuing this series with The Rising!
May 18, 2012
Evet , DEX ten gerçekten farklı bir kitap 19. Departman. Baştan iltibaren saran macera dolu bir serüven vaat ediyor size.
Bir gece evlerini polis basan Jamie'nin babası gözlerinin önünde kendini öldürmüştür. Bunun üzerine sürekli taşınmak zorunda kalmışlardır. Jamie uyum sağlayayamaktadır. Bu olayın üzerinden 2 yıl geçmiştir ve bir gün Jamie eve gelince Jamie annesinin evde olmadığını fark eder , yabancı biri evlerindendir. Ve Jamie yi öldürmek üzere iken garip bir adam odaya girer ve bu adam babasının en yakın arkadaşı olduğunu iddia eder. Jamie kendine geldiğinde kendini hiç bilmediği bir yerde bulur. Devlet in 19. departmanı hiç kimseyenin bilmediği "GİZLİ" olarak adlandırılan yerdedir. Jamie babsının en yakın arkadaşı Frankestein'dan bu departmanın doğaüstü olayları incelemek ,onları engellemek ve insanlardan gizlemek için kurulduğunu öğrenir. Kurucusu Van Helsing dir. Kendi ailesi de dahil birkaç ailenin bu departmana dahil olduğunu nesilden nesile geçmektedir bu görev. Drakula dan beri süregelen bu görev en yaşlı ikinci vampir Alexandru nun annesini kazanması ile Jamie için başlamıştır.Jamie annesini kurtarmak için birçok tehlikeyi göze alacaktır karşısındaki tehlikeli vampirler olsa da.
Bir gece evlerini polis basan Jamie'nin babası gözlerinin önünde kendini öldürmüştür. Bunun üzerine sürekli taşınmak zorunda kalmışlardır. Jamie uyum sağlayayamaktadır. Bu olayın üzerinden 2 yıl geçmiştir ve bir gün Jamie eve gelince Jamie annesinin evde olmadığını fark eder , yabancı biri evlerindendir. Ve Jamie yi öldürmek üzere iken garip bir adam odaya girer ve bu adam babasının en yakın arkadaşı olduğunu iddia eder. Jamie kendine geldiğinde kendini hiç bilmediği bir yerde bulur. Devlet in 19. departmanı hiç kimseyenin bilmediği "GİZLİ" olarak adlandırılan yerdedir. Jamie babsının en yakın arkadaşı Frankestein'dan bu departmanın doğaüstü olayları incelemek ,onları engellemek ve insanlardan gizlemek için kurulduğunu öğrenir. Kurucusu Van Helsing dir. Kendi ailesi de dahil birkaç ailenin bu departmana dahil olduğunu nesilden nesile geçmektedir bu görev. Drakula dan beri süregelen bu görev en yaşlı ikinci vampir Alexandru nun annesini kazanması ile Jamie için başlamıştır.Jamie annesini kurtarmak için birçok tehlikeyi göze alacaktır karşısındaki tehlikeli vampirler olsa da.
July 26, 2015
"Departamento 19" foi a minha estreia com o autor Will Hill e confesso que foi uma agradável surpresa. Com uma sinopse que pode afastar vários leitores por nos indicar uma história recheada de personagens já nossas conhecidas, como: Van Helsing, Drácula, Frankenstein e vampiros (incluindo história de amor entre um deles e um humano)o comum leitor pensa de imediato: mais do mesmo. Foi o que eu pensei, inicialmente, até começar a ler o livro e perceber que o autor fez um excelente trabalho com estas personagens dando-lhes uma vida completamente nova e criando uma história capaz de agarrar o leitor.
Recomendo!
Recomendo!
December 19, 2020
Bevor ich das Werk angefangen hatte, wusste ich nicht, dass es sich hierbei um Jugend- Action-Fantasy handelt. Was aber keineswegs gegen das Werk spricht, man sollte sich nur auf den Jugendbuchstil einstellen.
Sowohl Handlung als auch Schreibstil fesseln den Leser an das Werk und haben zumindest bei mir dafür gesorgt, dass ich das Werk in einem Rutsch durchgelesen habe.
Jamie als Protagonist ging mir zwar manchmal gehörig auf den Zeiger mit seinen Stimmungsschwankungen und seiner eher impulsiven Art. Auch hat er mich in seiner Art sehr an Alex Rider von Anthony Horowitz erinnert (was keineswegs schlecht ist), nur eben mit Vampiren. Überhaupt ist Jamie gefühlt ein Naturtalent in jeder Hinsicht, was für mich manchmal zu viel Perfektion war.
Wie vor allem an den Charakteren, aber auch am übrigen Schreibstil bemerkbar, handelt es sich bei diesem Werk trotz bisweilen blutiger Details um ein Jugendbuch.
Fazit: Spannendes Action-Fantasy-Jugendbuch für Jugendliche ab circa 14 Jahren.
Sowohl Handlung als auch Schreibstil fesseln den Leser an das Werk und haben zumindest bei mir dafür gesorgt, dass ich das Werk in einem Rutsch durchgelesen habe.
Jamie als Protagonist ging mir zwar manchmal gehörig auf den Zeiger mit seinen Stimmungsschwankungen und seiner eher impulsiven Art. Auch hat er mich in seiner Art sehr an Alex Rider von Anthony Horowitz erinnert (was keineswegs schlecht ist), nur eben mit Vampiren. Überhaupt ist Jamie gefühlt ein Naturtalent in jeder Hinsicht, was für mich manchmal zu viel Perfektion war.
Wie vor allem an den Charakteren, aber auch am übrigen Schreibstil bemerkbar, handelt es sich bei diesem Werk trotz bisweilen blutiger Details um ein Jugendbuch.
Fazit: Spannendes Action-Fantasy-Jugendbuch für Jugendliche ab circa 14 Jahren.
April 25, 2011
(5 Out of 5 Stars)YA Debut from British author William Hill is a gem in the bottomless pile of vampire novels.
DEPARTMENT 19 is a superb novel. It blends together old fashion horror with modern action, creating an excellent book for readers with hard stomachs. Though it is very violent and does go mainly for gore, it does not thin the plot, not in the least. It was intelligently written and very well researched, which formed an overall very intriguing premise. Will Hill managed to carry the premise well, maintaining very complex characters. Readers who read Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ or Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ will have a much richer experience when reading this book.
Hill manages to go back and forth, from past to present, when keeping up his two stories. On one side, we have the vampire organization when it was conceived in the early 1900’s, and on the other, we have Jamie Carpenter, son of legendary John Carpenter, training to become a vampire hunter and save his mother—throughout Jamie’s story, we get hints that his antagonist isn’t the real threat—clues are revealed back and forth through the back story, and at the end, the dots begin to connect themselves. It was very clever plot manage it, and Hill deserves much praise, because he had quite a lot to manage.
Department 19 starts out with 14-year old Jamie Carpenter. His father arrives home early one day, acting suspiciously and trying to hide he and his mother. A bunch of armed men break into the yard, and before they can take his father away, John Carpenter shoots himself. Fast forward to two years later- Jamie is sixteen years old. He is told that his father was a terrorist, who unsuccessfully worked for a country that was trying to destroy Britain. Jamie grows to hate his father- hates him for the lies he fed to him.
Little did Jamie knows that he was right about the lying part. After being attacked one day in his home by a violent teenage girl, Jamie is saved by a large, wide man. Frankenstein. He wakes up in Frankenstein’s car, where he is told that his mother has been kidnapped. They go to Department 19, where Jamie learns what his father had been hiding all those years.
After the discovery of vampires, the British government opened up an organization called Department 19. It was a vampire organization, dedicated to hunting those who had been bitten by the first vampire, Dracula, and his vampire horde. The two second and third oldest vampires, who were almost as evil as Dracula, still roam the earth. Alexandru was the second oldest, and he kidnapped Jamie’s mother. His father had killed Alexandru’s vampire wife, who was just as dangerous.
After weeks of intensive training, Jamie learns that vampire hunting is in his blood. He is a natural at it, getting farther in his first simulation than any other operative. He leaves with Frankenstein, as well as an attractive female vampire who claims to know where Alexandru is.
Through a few plot developments (filled mostly with flashbacks of how Department 19 was formed) Jamie, frustrating himself as well as the readers, searches for his mother but unfortunately, to no avail. Jamie unhinges some hidden secrets about his past, as well as some about his ancestors and Frankenstein’s, Jamie uncovers some things that determine his search for his mother. By the end of the book, Jamie turns into a vampire hunter, and that’s no spoiling the ending—there is SO much more to it. A purpose for the series is set at the end, (and do not skim through the flashback pages- they’re important!) which makes the conclusion all the more satisfying.
Again, Department 19 really was a great read. It’s got classic horror, modern horror, GREAT gore and blood, (and that’s coming from me, the guy who says sunny days are best spent curled up with a book…) and basically makes Darren Shan look like Nicholas Sparks. It’s got intricately drawn characters, and surprising plot twists at every corner, which is so vital for a book like this to succeed. I cannot stretch how great this novel is—the internet hype over the past few weeks has been totally warranted.
There’s also a little romance, too. (Though it’s kind of gross, i.e. he has the strange urge to lick the blood of his vampire girlfriend’s face…) It is kind of sweet though, because it represents two average teens, forced to toughen up under involuntary circumstances, finding solace in each other. The girl, Larissa, is a bit provocative, though, so no strong role models there.
Read this book. Just read it. Unless you don’t like having to visualize a vampire’s heart being squished by someone’s bare hand. In that case, go see a Pixar movie.
DEPARTMENT 19 is a superb novel. It blends together old fashion horror with modern action, creating an excellent book for readers with hard stomachs. Though it is very violent and does go mainly for gore, it does not thin the plot, not in the least. It was intelligently written and very well researched, which formed an overall very intriguing premise. Will Hill managed to carry the premise well, maintaining very complex characters. Readers who read Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ or Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ will have a much richer experience when reading this book.
Hill manages to go back and forth, from past to present, when keeping up his two stories. On one side, we have the vampire organization when it was conceived in the early 1900’s, and on the other, we have Jamie Carpenter, son of legendary John Carpenter, training to become a vampire hunter and save his mother—throughout Jamie’s story, we get hints that his antagonist isn’t the real threat—clues are revealed back and forth through the back story, and at the end, the dots begin to connect themselves. It was very clever plot manage it, and Hill deserves much praise, because he had quite a lot to manage.
Department 19 starts out with 14-year old Jamie Carpenter. His father arrives home early one day, acting suspiciously and trying to hide he and his mother. A bunch of armed men break into the yard, and before they can take his father away, John Carpenter shoots himself. Fast forward to two years later- Jamie is sixteen years old. He is told that his father was a terrorist, who unsuccessfully worked for a country that was trying to destroy Britain. Jamie grows to hate his father- hates him for the lies he fed to him.
Little did Jamie knows that he was right about the lying part. After being attacked one day in his home by a violent teenage girl, Jamie is saved by a large, wide man. Frankenstein. He wakes up in Frankenstein’s car, where he is told that his mother has been kidnapped. They go to Department 19, where Jamie learns what his father had been hiding all those years.
After the discovery of vampires, the British government opened up an organization called Department 19. It was a vampire organization, dedicated to hunting those who had been bitten by the first vampire, Dracula, and his vampire horde. The two second and third oldest vampires, who were almost as evil as Dracula, still roam the earth. Alexandru was the second oldest, and he kidnapped Jamie’s mother. His father had killed Alexandru’s vampire wife, who was just as dangerous.
After weeks of intensive training, Jamie learns that vampire hunting is in his blood. He is a natural at it, getting farther in his first simulation than any other operative. He leaves with Frankenstein, as well as an attractive female vampire who claims to know where Alexandru is.
Through a few plot developments (filled mostly with flashbacks of how Department 19 was formed) Jamie, frustrating himself as well as the readers, searches for his mother but unfortunately, to no avail. Jamie unhinges some hidden secrets about his past, as well as some about his ancestors and Frankenstein’s, Jamie uncovers some things that determine his search for his mother. By the end of the book, Jamie turns into a vampire hunter, and that’s no spoiling the ending—there is SO much more to it. A purpose for the series is set at the end, (and do not skim through the flashback pages- they’re important!) which makes the conclusion all the more satisfying.
Again, Department 19 really was a great read. It’s got classic horror, modern horror, GREAT gore and blood, (and that’s coming from me, the guy who says sunny days are best spent curled up with a book…) and basically makes Darren Shan look like Nicholas Sparks. It’s got intricately drawn characters, and surprising plot twists at every corner, which is so vital for a book like this to succeed. I cannot stretch how great this novel is—the internet hype over the past few weeks has been totally warranted.
There’s also a little romance, too. (Though it’s kind of gross, i.e. he has the strange urge to lick the blood of his vampire girlfriend’s face…) It is kind of sweet though, because it represents two average teens, forced to toughen up under involuntary circumstances, finding solace in each other. The girl, Larissa, is a bit provocative, though, so no strong role models there.
Read this book. Just read it. Unless you don’t like having to visualize a vampire’s heart being squished by someone’s bare hand. In that case, go see a Pixar movie.
March 20, 2011
Jamie's life was turned upside down when his father was killed 2 years ago. Suspicion over the circumstances of his death is pulling Jamie and his mother apart but things take a turn for the worse when his mother is kidnapped. Jamie only survives an attack himself because he is rescued by a mysterious stranger, a stranger who takes him straight into the heart of a secret government agency. It turns out that Bram Stoker's Dracula was not a work of fiction it was a true story, a story that prompted the creation of Department 19 - a secret agency that has protected UK citizens from supernatural creatures for over 100 years. Jamie's ancestors, including his father, have been working for Department 19 since it's creation and now Jamie has to decide if he's prepared to join the fight.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Department 19 which left me feeling a little nervous when I first picked it up. I've read a number of books that have obviously had huge marketing budgets only to find I was disappointed by the story but that was definitely not the case with Will Hill's debut novel. In fact I can happily say that this is one of the best debuts I have ever read and I'm sure it is going to be a huge success. The story is an action packed thrill ride that will leave you breathless with anticipation for the next novel.
Jamie is an incredibly realistic character and one that it is easy to route for. He is thrown into the middle of a nightmare world and needs a lot of courage to face up to what is happening around him. I love the fact that he isn't perfect, he makes mistakes and we even get to see a bit of his moody teenage side coming through but that just makes him easier to relate to. We are introduced to Department 19 through Jamie's eyes as he slowly discovers more about the organisation's origins and how it developed into the high tech arm of the military that it is now. Trust me they have some very cool gadgets and weapons that would make anyone want to sign up just to play with them! For Jamie though the most important thing is finding a way to use these weapons to try and rescue his mother, if he can only work out where she actually is.
The vampires in the story are definitely the more traditional blood thirsty villains that we haven't been seeing as much of in fiction recently. They are often cold hearted killers who will strike with absolutely no remorse and kill their victims in various horrific manners. Department 19 doesn't shy away from the gruesome details and the fights are stunningly detailed and graphic.
One of my favorite things was the use of flashbacks to show exactly how and why Department 19 was created. Sometimes I can find that flashbacks distract from the main story but in this case Will Hill manages to build the suspense in both story lines simultaneously so you can't wait to go back for more. I already mentioned that the story is action packed and I wasn't exaggerating - there are edge of your seat moments that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. This is one of those books that I stayed up until gone 4am just to finish reading because I had to know how it would end. Although this is the first book in a series I was pleased that some of the main plot lines are resolved by the end but don't worry you are left with plenty of questions that will have you itching to read the sequel (as soon as I get my hands on a copy it will be jumping to the top of my to read pile!)
Department 19 is sure to be a massive hit with teenage boys but will have just as much appeal for female horror fans. The story is one that can and will be enjoyed by both teens and adults and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you're only going to read one YA thriller / horror this year make it this one.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Department 19 which left me feeling a little nervous when I first picked it up. I've read a number of books that have obviously had huge marketing budgets only to find I was disappointed by the story but that was definitely not the case with Will Hill's debut novel. In fact I can happily say that this is one of the best debuts I have ever read and I'm sure it is going to be a huge success. The story is an action packed thrill ride that will leave you breathless with anticipation for the next novel.
Jamie is an incredibly realistic character and one that it is easy to route for. He is thrown into the middle of a nightmare world and needs a lot of courage to face up to what is happening around him. I love the fact that he isn't perfect, he makes mistakes and we even get to see a bit of his moody teenage side coming through but that just makes him easier to relate to. We are introduced to Department 19 through Jamie's eyes as he slowly discovers more about the organisation's origins and how it developed into the high tech arm of the military that it is now. Trust me they have some very cool gadgets and weapons that would make anyone want to sign up just to play with them! For Jamie though the most important thing is finding a way to use these weapons to try and rescue his mother, if he can only work out where she actually is.
The vampires in the story are definitely the more traditional blood thirsty villains that we haven't been seeing as much of in fiction recently. They are often cold hearted killers who will strike with absolutely no remorse and kill their victims in various horrific manners. Department 19 doesn't shy away from the gruesome details and the fights are stunningly detailed and graphic.
One of my favorite things was the use of flashbacks to show exactly how and why Department 19 was created. Sometimes I can find that flashbacks distract from the main story but in this case Will Hill manages to build the suspense in both story lines simultaneously so you can't wait to go back for more. I already mentioned that the story is action packed and I wasn't exaggerating - there are edge of your seat moments that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. This is one of those books that I stayed up until gone 4am just to finish reading because I had to know how it would end. Although this is the first book in a series I was pleased that some of the main plot lines are resolved by the end but don't worry you are left with plenty of questions that will have you itching to read the sequel (as soon as I get my hands on a copy it will be jumping to the top of my to read pile!)
Department 19 is sure to be a massive hit with teenage boys but will have just as much appeal for female horror fans. The story is one that can and will be enjoyed by both teens and adults and I would highly recommend it to anyone. If you're only going to read one YA thriller / horror this year make it this one.
March 31, 2012
Jamie Carpenter is a perfectly normal boy, with a perfectly normal life – until the night his dad dies. Suddenly he doesn’t know what his place is anymore, as his mother moves him from town to town. It seems he cannot take much more when a creature from his nightmares once more turns his life upside down, and forces him into the world of Department 19.
Department 6 is the Army. Department 13 is MI5. Department 19 is the reason you’re alive...
Will Hill’s debut novel is a storming read, showing us the world of Jamie Carpenter as he realises that the monsters from the fairytales are alive and living amongst us. It presents a vivid image of a secret governmental department – all James Bond or Spooks - rescuing the civilians from a world they don’t even know exists, with first-class weaponry and insane courage.
Jamie is a very likeable hero – realistically portrayed as he recovers from the death of his father, only to realise that life will never be the same again. His fear, bravery and even the teenage strops are perfectly portrayed, and I think that any teenage boy (or, indeed, girl) will be able to identify with Jamie. The secondary characters are equally well drawn – from Frankenstein (who is brought to life so capably that you never even have a moment where you don’t believe it could be true) to Larissa to the villains of the piece.
And what villains! Did someone say sparkly vampires? With a T-Bone, Hill has wiped them from existence – his vampires are the real deal! No sexy mooning after teenage girls. We have here three dimensional characters, with motivations such as envy, revenge and bitter memories. No two vampires are alike, just as no two people can ever be the same. With villains like Alexandru, you genuinely believe that none of these characters are safe as the blood begins to spill.
I’m not going to lie – blood really is spilled. Daubed. Smeared across most of the pages in Department 19. Vampires and their victims die, alike, in various bloody and imaginative ways. This is a deliciously ghoulish read at times, with moments of horror that might give a child nightmares – but in a Doctor Who manner. They will recall wanting to turn their face away from the page as they read, just as I fondly reminisce now about hiding behind the sofa while watching Doctor Who.
Hill also shows a dab hand at portraying moments from history. Not only do we have the high tech gadgetry of a James Bond film, we also have a London from the 1890s and a 1920s New York – all feel so authentic that I believe Hill could turn in a decent historical novel as well. The historical and military details are all woven into the story subtly, but convey the sheer amount of research that has gone into Department 19.
The prose is smooth and gripping – told so simply and directly that the pages keep on turning. Hill injects a number of moments with real emotional heart, as well as writing action sequences that have the blood pounding.
I am gushing, but with good reason. This book is going to be a phenomenon – you heard it here first. To all those publishers looking for the “next Harry Potter”? Harper Collins have found it in the form of Will Hill’s debut novel Department 19. This is going to be huge. Get in there from the very beginning.
Department 6 is the Army. Department 13 is MI5. Department 19 is the reason you’re alive...
Will Hill’s debut novel is a storming read, showing us the world of Jamie Carpenter as he realises that the monsters from the fairytales are alive and living amongst us. It presents a vivid image of a secret governmental department – all James Bond or Spooks - rescuing the civilians from a world they don’t even know exists, with first-class weaponry and insane courage.
Jamie is a very likeable hero – realistically portrayed as he recovers from the death of his father, only to realise that life will never be the same again. His fear, bravery and even the teenage strops are perfectly portrayed, and I think that any teenage boy (or, indeed, girl) will be able to identify with Jamie. The secondary characters are equally well drawn – from Frankenstein (who is brought to life so capably that you never even have a moment where you don’t believe it could be true) to Larissa to the villains of the piece.
And what villains! Did someone say sparkly vampires? With a T-Bone, Hill has wiped them from existence – his vampires are the real deal! No sexy mooning after teenage girls. We have here three dimensional characters, with motivations such as envy, revenge and bitter memories. No two vampires are alike, just as no two people can ever be the same. With villains like Alexandru, you genuinely believe that none of these characters are safe as the blood begins to spill.
I’m not going to lie – blood really is spilled. Daubed. Smeared across most of the pages in Department 19. Vampires and their victims die, alike, in various bloody and imaginative ways. This is a deliciously ghoulish read at times, with moments of horror that might give a child nightmares – but in a Doctor Who manner. They will recall wanting to turn their face away from the page as they read, just as I fondly reminisce now about hiding behind the sofa while watching Doctor Who.
Hill also shows a dab hand at portraying moments from history. Not only do we have the high tech gadgetry of a James Bond film, we also have a London from the 1890s and a 1920s New York – all feel so authentic that I believe Hill could turn in a decent historical novel as well. The historical and military details are all woven into the story subtly, but convey the sheer amount of research that has gone into Department 19.
The prose is smooth and gripping – told so simply and directly that the pages keep on turning. Hill injects a number of moments with real emotional heart, as well as writing action sequences that have the blood pounding.
I am gushing, but with good reason. This book is going to be a phenomenon – you heard it here first. To all those publishers looking for the “next Harry Potter”? Harper Collins have found it in the form of Will Hill’s debut novel Department 19. This is going to be huge. Get in there from the very beginning.
July 11, 2012
'Department 19' could very well be an 'adult horror' in a similar vein to Del Toro and Hogans 'The Strain Trilogy' by transposing the protagonist from a 16yr old to a grown man and the damsel in distress from his mother to a missing wife/girlfriend. Will Hill has loaded up on gore, violence, action, suspense and genuine horror - all the elements that lead to a successful and enjoyable form of escapism with even a hint of forbidden attraction (I'm thinking along the lines of Stephen Leathers' 'Once Bitten') thrown in for good measure - while targeted at the YA crowd, this is definitely not your soapy run of the mil twilight romance. Hill does a great job at controlling his characters emotions and building tension at every opportunity; no matter the mood or place-setting - Jamie's brutal battles or softer encounters are executed with the same precision and timing.
As the first in a planned series, 'Department 19' brings the reader up to speed with cut scenes introducing the founding members of the top secret department and establishes Will Hill's own take on the vampire lore. A number of familiar faces accompany Jamie in monster Frankenstein, Dracula and a few other tried and true namesakes commonly associated with the genre; though its the new faces in Larissa and Tom Morris which provided the most entertainment in this latest edition.
Despite being aimed towards the younger reader, the over arching story and epic sense of proportion will appeal to readers of all ages. You just have to put the teen-boy-obsessed-with-searching-for-his-mother element to the back somewhat and enjoy the gory ride minus the corny adolescent thoughts of Jamie. The sequel 'The Rising' had just been bumped up in my TBR - I cant wait to see where this story is heading. 4 stars.
As the first in a planned series, 'Department 19' brings the reader up to speed with cut scenes introducing the founding members of the top secret department and establishes Will Hill's own take on the vampire lore. A number of familiar faces accompany Jamie in monster Frankenstein, Dracula and a few other tried and true namesakes commonly associated with the genre; though its the new faces in Larissa and Tom Morris which provided the most entertainment in this latest edition.
Despite being aimed towards the younger reader, the over arching story and epic sense of proportion will appeal to readers of all ages. You just have to put the teen-boy-obsessed-with-searching-for-his-mother element to the back somewhat and enjoy the gory ride minus the corny adolescent thoughts of Jamie. The sequel 'The Rising' had just been bumped up in my TBR - I cant wait to see where this story is heading. 4 stars.
February 1, 2015
Wow. I really liked this book. To me, it is very much of an "R" rated Young Adult action thriller. The young hero (Jamie) may only be 16, but he could easily have been written in as a 21 to 24 yr old adult character. This thriller also features a romance in the beginning stages, but that pales to the gruesome vampire carnage that fills this book. Very graphic at times. No clean vampire kills here.
Good vs evil. The good is a secret organization (Department 19) that is tasked by the British government to track down vampires. The evil is the vampires, followers of Dracula. And these vampires are deadly and very cruel.
Young Jamie gets caught into this world due to his father being a former member. Dept 19 likes to wait until a potential member is 21, but had no choice in this case. Also features a pretty cool version of Frankenstein as a Colonel in Department 19.
I read this an e-book (epub) via my Entitle book club. But halfway thru I went out and bought the 2nd Department 19 thriller:
as a used hardback from Hastings (under $4). Big deal? It is to me, as I have not bought nor read a hardback/paperback in over four 1/2 years. I could not pass by a sweet deal like the one I got for The Rising.
Department 19 gets my 2015 off to a good start. I will be comparing all other books this year to Department 19.
Good vs evil. The good is a secret organization (Department 19) that is tasked by the British government to track down vampires. The evil is the vampires, followers of Dracula. And these vampires are deadly and very cruel.
Young Jamie gets caught into this world due to his father being a former member. Dept 19 likes to wait until a potential member is 21, but had no choice in this case. Also features a pretty cool version of Frankenstein as a Colonel in Department 19.
I read this an e-book (epub) via my Entitle book club. But halfway thru I went out and bought the 2nd Department 19 thriller:
as a used hardback from Hastings (under $4). Big deal? It is to me, as I have not bought nor read a hardback/paperback in over four 1/2 years. I could not pass by a sweet deal like the one I got for The Rising. Department 19 gets my 2015 off to a good start. I will be comparing all other books this year to Department 19.
May 31, 2011
I liked this book, even though there were some problems with it. Primarily, I felt that all the leaping around in time to tell every character's story in detail was a bit... excessive. It took away from the primary story. I felt that so many pages were spent detailing past events that I only really got to know the main characters half as well as I should have, and in the meantime, I knew about 3 times more than I needed regarding most of the secondary characters. It slowed the book down, significantly. It also made it probably 1/3 longer than it needed to be (total page count). It took away the adrenaline underlying the race to find Jamie's mom - with all the bouncing around, it felt like weeks had passed, instead of what was probably only days in "real time".
Despite that, it was a fun story (despite the villain being exactly who you suspected it was about 75 pages in). Not really twisty-turny, but then, not every book has to be. It did well in establishing the world of this series, and it should be fun watching it progress.
Despite that, it was a fun story (despite the villain being exactly who you suspected it was about 75 pages in). Not really twisty-turny, but then, not every book has to be. It did well in establishing the world of this series, and it should be fun watching it progress.
February 7, 2016
Loved this not sure why its taken me so long to get around to it.
Vampires and Frankenstein. Do I need to say more? This is a glorious take on vampire tales, Dept 19 having existed in the shadows for years - Cue young Jamie Carpenter getting all caught up in the shenanigans by virtue of his family connection and lots of adventure ensues...
Highly entertaining, very enjoyable, beautifully written and incredibly imaginative. A secret history that feels terribly authentic **glances nervously over shoulder** as if it could actually be that way.
Characters are great. Adored Frankenstein, loved the vampire girl Larissa, Jamie as our main protagonist is mostly not annoying (and often very funny) and the mythology started with this book one of a series looks set to grow and grow.
Great plotting, both likely and unlikely heroes, a touch of class and a great deal of fun in and around some really quite scary, intense and emotional moments.
Clever. I do like clever. I have purchased more and shall be finding out what is next for Jamie very soon.
Vampires and Frankenstein. Do I need to say more? This is a glorious take on vampire tales, Dept 19 having existed in the shadows for years - Cue young Jamie Carpenter getting all caught up in the shenanigans by virtue of his family connection and lots of adventure ensues...
Highly entertaining, very enjoyable, beautifully written and incredibly imaginative. A secret history that feels terribly authentic **glances nervously over shoulder** as if it could actually be that way.
Characters are great. Adored Frankenstein, loved the vampire girl Larissa, Jamie as our main protagonist is mostly not annoying (and often very funny) and the mythology started with this book one of a series looks set to grow and grow.
Great plotting, both likely and unlikely heroes, a touch of class and a great deal of fun in and around some really quite scary, intense and emotional moments.
Clever. I do like clever. I have purchased more and shall be finding out what is next for Jamie very soon.
January 10, 2013
2.5 stars Fantastic prologue and promising premise, but the narrative jumps around all over the place and loses much of its momentum. I read roughly 100 pages and skimmed a bit more before deciding that it just wasn't keeping my interest.
May 8, 2019
5 günde okumam ne kadar ortalama birckitao olduğunu gösteriyor zaten
March 11, 2015
"Die Zeiten ändern sicht. Die Jagd bleibt die gleiche."
Zum Inhalt
Jamie Carpenter ist 14, als ein mysteriöses und brutales Ereignis seinen Vater aus dem Leben reißt.
Zwei Jahre und drei Umzüge später ist Jamie an einem Tiefpunkt angelangt. In der Schule ist er ein Außenseiter und zwischen seiner Mutter und ihm klafft ein Abgrund, den er nicht zu überbrücken weiß.
Doch dann holt ihn die Vergangenheit ein, seine Mutter wird entführt und ein großer Hüne namens Frankenstein taucht auf, um ihm das Leben zu retten. Nichts wird mehr so sein, wie es war, denn er wird in die geheime Basis des Departments 19 gebracht, die geheimste Organisation des britischen Geheimdienstes. Dort erfährt er die Wahrheit über seinen Vater, den Kidnapper seiner Mutter und er muss sich den gefährlichsten Wesen stellen, die seit Jahrhunderten Jagd auf die Menschen machen: den Vampiren.
Meine Meinung
Das Cover hat mich vom ersten Moment an schon angesprochen. Ich hab zwar dahinter keine Vampire vermutet, aber jetzt, wo ich das Buch kenne, erinnert es natürlich schon an die van Helsing Zeiten. Das witzige ist, dass auf dem Buchrücken auch eine Person von hinten zu sehen ist, und zwar der Junge Jamie im Kapuzenpulli :)
Der Anfang startet gleich mit einer Menge Action und es passieren brutale und unheimliche Ereignisse, die Jamies Leben von Grund auf ändern. Der Schreibstil ist temporeich und man merkt, dass es ein Jugendbuch ist, auch wenn es einige heftige Szenen gibt. Gerade so ein paar kleine Ungereimtheiten, die zwar nicht ins Gewicht fallen, haben mich ein bisschen gestört. Die kommen nur zu Beginn vor und ich entdecke sowas meist bei Jugendbüchern - verstehen tu ich das aber nicht. Ich denke, auch Jugendlichen können sehr wohl logische Zusammenhänge erkennen, oder auch überzogene Reaktionen, unglaubwürdiges Verhalten ... aber im Großen und Ganzen ist es flüssig zu lesen und mit einem gewissen Charme. Die meiste Zeit wird aus Jamies Perspektive erzählt, mit ein paar Abstechern zu anderen Figuren, die eine wichtige Rolle spielen.
Jamie wird ja sehr unvorbereitet mit unglaublichen Entdeckungen konfrontiert, die er mir ein bisschen zu schnell annimmt. Auch lernt er alles in einem Tempo, als sei er ein "Naturtalent", auch was den Umgang mit Waffen betrifft. Das hat er jedoch auch bitter nötig, denn die Vampire sind hier keine glitzernden Vegetarier, sondern blutrünstige Monster, wie man sie aus Bram Stokers Dracula kennt.
Es gibt drei kleine (Vor)Geschichten, die in Rückblicken erzählt und geschickt eingeflechtet werden. Sie erzählen die Entstehungsgeschichte vom Department 19 und beginnen in London im Jahr 1892. Das fand ich sehr geschickt gemacht. Die Zusammenhänge verbindet Will Hill mit Bram Stokers Vampirmythos und man trifft auf einige bekannte Namen: van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, Dr. Seward und sogar Stoker selbst hat hier eine kleine, wenn auch etwas undankbare Rolle erhalten.
Genauso wie das Vampirmädchen Larissa, das Jamie durch die Verkettung unglücklicher Umstände näher kennenlernt. Sie schmeichelt ihm, damit er ihr hilft und man weiß nie so recht, woran man an ihr ist. Auch Jamie zweifelt oft an ihrer Aufrichtigkeit und kann sich selbst nicht verstehen, weil er ihr mehr und mehr vertraut. Denn auch Larissa zeigt die typischen Eigenschaften, mit denen ich die klassischen Vampire verbinde. Hier gehts richtig zur Sache, mit brutalen Zerstückelungen, gierigem Blutdurst und den allseits bekannten Methoden, die Vampire mit Pflöcken zu pfählen.
Leider hatte die Handlung dann einen kleinen Einbruch. Ich hab mir eine spannende Vampirjagd erhofft, stattdessen wurde viel geredet, von der Vergangenheit erzählt und falschen Hinweisen nachgelaufen. Das hat für mich alles etwas ausgebremst, was sehr schade war, denn am Anfang klang das ganze doch vielversprechend. Nach dem Mittelteil wurde das Tempo dann wieder angezogen und das letzte Drittel wurde nochmal richtig spannend! Hier hat der Autor richtig Gas gegeben und einen guten Showdown mit viel Blut und Überraschungen hingelegt. Da war ich dann doch positiv überrascht und freu mich jetzt auf die Fortsetzung!
Fazit
Ein klassisches Vampirabenteuer in der modernen Welt, für Jugendliche, die sich eher an den altbewährten Mythos orientieren. Die Hintergründe zu Bram Stokers Dracula haben gut in die Geschichte gepasst und dem ganzen eine stimmige Atmosphäre gegeben.
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Department 19
1 ~ Die Mission
2 ~ Die Wiederkehr
3 ~ Das Gefecht
4 ~ noch nicht auf deutsch erschienen
Zum Inhalt
Jamie Carpenter ist 14, als ein mysteriöses und brutales Ereignis seinen Vater aus dem Leben reißt.
Zwei Jahre und drei Umzüge später ist Jamie an einem Tiefpunkt angelangt. In der Schule ist er ein Außenseiter und zwischen seiner Mutter und ihm klafft ein Abgrund, den er nicht zu überbrücken weiß.
Doch dann holt ihn die Vergangenheit ein, seine Mutter wird entführt und ein großer Hüne namens Frankenstein taucht auf, um ihm das Leben zu retten. Nichts wird mehr so sein, wie es war, denn er wird in die geheime Basis des Departments 19 gebracht, die geheimste Organisation des britischen Geheimdienstes. Dort erfährt er die Wahrheit über seinen Vater, den Kidnapper seiner Mutter und er muss sich den gefährlichsten Wesen stellen, die seit Jahrhunderten Jagd auf die Menschen machen: den Vampiren.
Meine Meinung
Das Cover hat mich vom ersten Moment an schon angesprochen. Ich hab zwar dahinter keine Vampire vermutet, aber jetzt, wo ich das Buch kenne, erinnert es natürlich schon an die van Helsing Zeiten. Das witzige ist, dass auf dem Buchrücken auch eine Person von hinten zu sehen ist, und zwar der Junge Jamie im Kapuzenpulli :)
Der Anfang startet gleich mit einer Menge Action und es passieren brutale und unheimliche Ereignisse, die Jamies Leben von Grund auf ändern. Der Schreibstil ist temporeich und man merkt, dass es ein Jugendbuch ist, auch wenn es einige heftige Szenen gibt. Gerade so ein paar kleine Ungereimtheiten, die zwar nicht ins Gewicht fallen, haben mich ein bisschen gestört. Die kommen nur zu Beginn vor und ich entdecke sowas meist bei Jugendbüchern - verstehen tu ich das aber nicht. Ich denke, auch Jugendlichen können sehr wohl logische Zusammenhänge erkennen, oder auch überzogene Reaktionen, unglaubwürdiges Verhalten ... aber im Großen und Ganzen ist es flüssig zu lesen und mit einem gewissen Charme. Die meiste Zeit wird aus Jamies Perspektive erzählt, mit ein paar Abstechern zu anderen Figuren, die eine wichtige Rolle spielen.
Jamie wird ja sehr unvorbereitet mit unglaublichen Entdeckungen konfrontiert, die er mir ein bisschen zu schnell annimmt. Auch lernt er alles in einem Tempo, als sei er ein "Naturtalent", auch was den Umgang mit Waffen betrifft. Das hat er jedoch auch bitter nötig, denn die Vampire sind hier keine glitzernden Vegetarier, sondern blutrünstige Monster, wie man sie aus Bram Stokers Dracula kennt.
Es gibt drei kleine (Vor)Geschichten, die in Rückblicken erzählt und geschickt eingeflechtet werden. Sie erzählen die Entstehungsgeschichte vom Department 19 und beginnen in London im Jahr 1892. Das fand ich sehr geschickt gemacht. Die Zusammenhänge verbindet Will Hill mit Bram Stokers Vampirmythos und man trifft auf einige bekannte Namen: van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, Dr. Seward und sogar Stoker selbst hat hier eine kleine, wenn auch etwas undankbare Rolle erhalten.
Genauso wie das Vampirmädchen Larissa, das Jamie durch die Verkettung unglücklicher Umstände näher kennenlernt. Sie schmeichelt ihm, damit er ihr hilft und man weiß nie so recht, woran man an ihr ist. Auch Jamie zweifelt oft an ihrer Aufrichtigkeit und kann sich selbst nicht verstehen, weil er ihr mehr und mehr vertraut. Denn auch Larissa zeigt die typischen Eigenschaften, mit denen ich die klassischen Vampire verbinde. Hier gehts richtig zur Sache, mit brutalen Zerstückelungen, gierigem Blutdurst und den allseits bekannten Methoden, die Vampire mit Pflöcken zu pfählen.
Leider hatte die Handlung dann einen kleinen Einbruch. Ich hab mir eine spannende Vampirjagd erhofft, stattdessen wurde viel geredet, von der Vergangenheit erzählt und falschen Hinweisen nachgelaufen. Das hat für mich alles etwas ausgebremst, was sehr schade war, denn am Anfang klang das ganze doch vielversprechend. Nach dem Mittelteil wurde das Tempo dann wieder angezogen und das letzte Drittel wurde nochmal richtig spannend! Hier hat der Autor richtig Gas gegeben und einen guten Showdown mit viel Blut und Überraschungen hingelegt. Da war ich dann doch positiv überrascht und freu mich jetzt auf die Fortsetzung!
Fazit
Ein klassisches Vampirabenteuer in der modernen Welt, für Jugendliche, die sich eher an den altbewährten Mythos orientieren. Die Hintergründe zu Bram Stokers Dracula haben gut in die Geschichte gepasst und dem ganzen eine stimmige Atmosphäre gegeben.
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Department 19
1 ~ Die Mission
2 ~ Die Wiederkehr
3 ~ Das Gefecht
4 ~ noch nicht auf deutsch erschienen
April 30, 2011
After reading the summary of this story, I was pretty intrigued and thought it could be quite interesting. Sadly, I quickly realized that the book would not be for me. There were a myriad of things that I did not like about this book: the characters (none of whom I gave a flip about), the jumps in time (which made it even harder to care about the characters, because so rarely did a scene continue on in the next chapter), the rather pompous chapter headings, the fact the vampires can fly (just leap up in the air and fly like birds), and the fact that there are two epilogues.
The timing and plotting of the story seem a bit weak. As an example of the former, I should like to discuss vampire killing. Readers of YA fiction are probably expecting Jamie, as the hero of the piece to be a bit of a badass. And he is. After only two days of training (upon the conclusion of which he does the best job of like anyone ever on some simulation test thing). And it's not like he was particularly athletic in school. He seemed really average at the outset and then suddenly he has crazy vampire killin' mojo? I just wasn't buying it; yeah, there's a family history for it, but that really doesn't mean anything.
Not to mention the fact that the whole plot line of it being possible to bring Dracula back to afterlife could have been avoided if everyone were not stupid. Seriously. Spoiler Alert. It occurs to Van Helsing's crew several years later that reanimation from his cremated ashes might be possible, so they go back to Transylvania to make sure he's still there. He is, hurrah! The world is saved. Except that the guys just take the ashes and stick them in a super secure, totally unsinkable room. Which is, of course, breached. Whoever could have seen that clever plot twist coming?!?! What they should have done was dumped the ashes out on a windy day or throne them in the ocean. Good luck finding all of his pieces again.
In the climax of the story, Jamie finally finds Alexandru, having purposefully walked into a very obvious trap, what with Alexandru having left notes for him and all. Alexandru has killed hundreds of people to get Jamie's attention and make sure he comes. After all of that, when Jamie gets there, Jamie's mother yells for him to run to safety and Alexandru tells him "Listen to your mother, boy" (492). These are not the words of the man who's been writing "Tell the boy to come" all over the place in blood.
Another frustrating element was his obsession with Larissa. She tries to kill him at their second meeting. Then, he comes to visit her in her cell and has trouble concentrating on saving his mother, because she looks so lovely with her face all covered in blood. Right... I'm not saying he can't be into a vampire, but, seriously, she's not going to be looking her best just then. Being covered in blood just isn't sexy and, as a True Blood fan, I should know.
For a story with a lot of promise, I thought Department 19 was a major clunker. I was bored pretty much the whole way through (and it's a long way through). Recommended to teen boys with more interest in action scenes and gore than in plot. For me, this is the end, even though a sequel is likely planned.
The timing and plotting of the story seem a bit weak. As an example of the former, I should like to discuss vampire killing. Readers of YA fiction are probably expecting Jamie, as the hero of the piece to be a bit of a badass. And he is. After only two days of training (upon the conclusion of which he does the best job of like anyone ever on some simulation test thing). And it's not like he was particularly athletic in school. He seemed really average at the outset and then suddenly he has crazy vampire killin' mojo? I just wasn't buying it; yeah, there's a family history for it, but that really doesn't mean anything.
Not to mention the fact that the whole plot line of it being possible to bring Dracula back to afterlife could have been avoided if everyone were not stupid. Seriously. Spoiler Alert. It occurs to Van Helsing's crew several years later that reanimation from his cremated ashes might be possible, so they go back to Transylvania to make sure he's still there. He is, hurrah! The world is saved. Except that the guys just take the ashes and stick them in a super secure, totally unsinkable room. Which is, of course, breached. Whoever could have seen that clever plot twist coming?!?! What they should have done was dumped the ashes out on a windy day or throne them in the ocean. Good luck finding all of his pieces again.
In the climax of the story, Jamie finally finds Alexandru, having purposefully walked into a very obvious trap, what with Alexandru having left notes for him and all. Alexandru has killed hundreds of people to get Jamie's attention and make sure he comes. After all of that, when Jamie gets there, Jamie's mother yells for him to run to safety and Alexandru tells him "Listen to your mother, boy" (492). These are not the words of the man who's been writing "Tell the boy to come" all over the place in blood.
Another frustrating element was his obsession with Larissa. She tries to kill him at their second meeting. Then, he comes to visit her in her cell and has trouble concentrating on saving his mother, because she looks so lovely with her face all covered in blood. Right... I'm not saying he can't be into a vampire, but, seriously, she's not going to be looking her best just then. Being covered in blood just isn't sexy and, as a True Blood fan, I should know.
For a story with a lot of promise, I thought Department 19 was a major clunker. I was bored pretty much the whole way through (and it's a long way through). Recommended to teen boys with more interest in action scenes and gore than in plot. For me, this is the end, even though a sequel is likely planned.
January 16, 2022
This book hits different🥴🥴🥴 10/10 would recommend.
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