This second installment in the My Sister the Vampire series continues the story of long-lost identical twin sisters Olivia and Ivy. As we are reminded, they are identical in all aspects but one; Ivy is a vampire and Olivia is a human (or, in the parlance of vampire slang, a “bunny”). Despite this major difference, despite being separated since infancy, and despite having markedly different personalities, these sisters get along beautifully. Their differences actually serve to make their relationship a strong and complex one, as they learn to understand and appreciate each other.
In this installment, the Olivia is getting used to her sister’s secret status, and learning to separate the vampire myth from reality (“Most of them…were really nice.”). In fact, these are vampires living among humans, sharing their same values and feelings (drinking human blood is so last century…a trip to the BloodMart serves their needs without having to resort to something as utterly barbaric as human sacrifice). And when nosy reporter Serena Star shows up in town, determined to uncover the town’s secret, and hence destroy the vampire community, the sisters need to work together to throw her off the scent.
This book does a great job of portraying middle-school life, and many of the dramas, challenges and joys that go along with it. This is a suspenseful, fun and satisfying read, while remaining age-appropriately chaste on the topic of vampires and young love. (Grades 4-8).