Vampire Books for Young Adults

It's heartening to see the recent spate of fantasy fiction that has led to renewed reading among the young adult population - teenagers, who were hooked onto PlayStations and gaming. Vampire books have taken the world by storm, with authors, like, Stephanie Meyer, P.C. Cast, and Kristin Scott to name a few, bringing out best sellers with every book release.

Perhaps it's the fascination for paranormal phenomena or the mystery in the story. Also, the romance that these stories contend, makes them very popular among the young population, though the protagonist's age group mirroring those of its readers could also be a factor. Whichever way you look at it, the vast land of fantasy fiction is only getting better.

Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight Series, took the world by storm with her four book saga. Her epic journey, widely regarded as one of the best vampire books written, tells the tale of a young girl, Isabella Swan, who moves in with her father, the Chief of Police, Charlie Swan, in the rainy city of Forks, Washington.

Little did Bella know that her world was about to change forever. Young readers will find it easy to identify with the typical problems faced by Bella as a teenager. The following is an introduction to the four books in the series.

This is the first novel in the book series. It's in this book that Bella meets and falls in love with Edward Cullen, the youngest son of the Cullen family, who incidentally happens to be a vampire.

As she navigates through the difficulty of a new school, and adjusting to her new life, she struggles with the first stirrings of attraction for the forbidding and elusive Edward while trying to unravel the mystery that he and his family seem to be shrouded in.

"About Three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."  ~ Isabella Swan

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward seems both, irresistible and impenetrable.

Until now, Edward has managed to hide his true identity, however, Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn't realize is that the closer she gets with him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back...

Deeply seductive and irresistibly compelling, Twilight is an extraordinary love story that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

The second installment of the Twilight Series is New Moon, where Bella embarks on a solitary journey, left in a perilous state, when Edward moves away. She finds herself in a downward spiral, unable to cope with the loss and separation. Her friendship with Jacob Black, the son of one of her father's closest friends, gives her the strength to face life.

'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage.
A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.
It all happened so quickly then.
'No!' Edward roared. . .Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright-red blood pulsing out of my arm - into the fevered eyes of six suddenly ravenous vampires.

For Bella, the only thing more important to life itself is Edward Cullen. However loving a vampire turns out to be more dangerous than Bella could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may never end.

The third book in the Twilight Series, Eclipse, finds Bella torn between her love for Edward, and her friendship with Jacob Black. Caught in the conflict between friendship and love, Bella finds her fate entwined with the age-old battle of vampire versus werewolf, embittered over time, and about to break out again.

In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between a vampire and werewolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

In this, the final book in the series, Stephanie Meyer brings this four book saga to a close. In a final battle between Volturi, the ancient ruling vampire family and the supporters of the Cullens, there comes the time to choose sides, and swear fealty. Where will each person's loyalties lie?

When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be in love with a vampire is both, fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point.

Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life, has become the thread from which, two tribes hang.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

Here are some more vampire books:

• The House of Night Series - P. C. Cast and Kristen Scott
• Vampire High - Douglas Rees
• High School Bites - Liza Conrad
• Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
• Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith
• Blue Bloods - Melissa De la Cruz
• The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
• Vampire Beach - Alex Duval
• Tantalize - Cynthia Smith

Vampire books for young adults aren't limited to the Twilight Series, but it does deserve a special mention for the fame it's garnered, and the skill with which it's written.

As with every fantasy fiction fan, vampire novels will find their own place in the sun, or the moon for instance perhaps, beside the incomparable genius of J.K. Rowling's creation Harry Potter. Whichever way you look at it, it's a good time for book lovers indeed.