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Department 19 has done everything it can to keep supernatural beings under control, but nothing could stop one of the three most powerful vampires alive, and the most insane vampire ever, from bringing Dracula back. In Department 19: The Rising, Will Hill explains just how terrifying of a notion that really is.
Having barely survived Lindisfarne, the battle of Jamie's lifetime, the group is trying to regroup at the Loop, but it is difficult to come down from a battle such as that. Jamie managed to kill Alexandru, one of the oldest and certainly the craziest vampires on the face of the planet. But something bigger was happening behind the scenes. Alexandru's brother Valeri was bringing back his master, Dracula, the first and most powerful vampire the world has ever seen. This was a slow deliberate process, and it would take months to get Dracula to his full power, but once he was fully restored, he would be essentially unstoppable. Zero Hour. Now Blacklight must stop Dracula from fully recovering from his century of ashed dormancy.
But that isn't so easy. Personally, Jamie is struggling with his own grief and confusion. His mom was turned into a vampire (and is being held in the Loop), his girlfriend is a "vegetarian" vampire working for Blacklight, and his best friend is dating a different guy, throwing him for a loop. Not to mention, Frankenstein sacrificed himself to save Jamie, a guilt Jamie still cannot put behind him. However, he must put his personal struggles behind him as the vampires of the world are starting to act out with the knowledge that Dracula rises. All the operatives must remember their number one priority right now- making sure Dracula does not fully rise and end life as they know it.
I love Will Hill's books for a number of reasons, but the primary reason is how he can have a huge book with only two or three major action scenes, but the whole book is so fascinating you never hit a slow part! I don't know how that is possible, but he does it. The characters are so dynamic and the exposition is intriguing. I also absolutely love how he throws historical and mythological figures in the story with new and surprising twists (hello Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway!). I always hope those fun references would convince a kid to check them out and discover a whole new literary world out there.
This second book was just as strong as the first. You had a lot more of the emotional angle for both Jamie and the rest of the teens involved in Blacklight. I also really enjoyed the extended history that brought more and more levels to the story. This story reaches back centuries and still remains present and relevant in modern times. It was a great way to build the world around the story. And what a world this is! Sometimes the story really feels like an action-packed summer blockbuster, and then other times it becomes a true examination of morals and how far you can truly go in the name of protecting society.
Even though this is a huge story, it reads like it was 20 pages. If you can get a kid over the intimidation factor of the sheer size of this book, you will find they (or you) will be hooked instantly. This would be a great boy book for a teenaged boy who is interested in supernatural stories, but not so much in twinkly vampires (and not quite ready for the terrifying vampires in Del Toro's The Strain). I absolutely enjoy this series from first page to last page. I can't get enough of them (which is fabulous because there is a LOT of them!). So now I wait for the third book! And it is going to be an impatient wait, because this was a wild ride.
If you couldn't tell from the cover of this book that it was an intense story, then you need some lessons in visual imagery! Will Hill's debut young adult novel Department Nineteen kicks off a fast-paced trilogy about the British Department in charge of maintaining supernatural order. Don't worry, the US has one too, but you won't believe the usual suspects who make an appearance!
Jamie Carpenter watches his father killed right before his eyes, right outside their home. He was told his father was a traitor who was selling information to terrorists. The repercussions are wide spread as jamie and his mother must move time after time once their neighbors realize they are the family of a man who betrayed their country. When Jamie is attacked by a strange woman, he rushes home only to find his mother gone, kidnapped. In fact, Jamie is almost taken as well if not for the arrival of one very large man/monster... complete with bolts on the sides of his neck. Victor Frankenstein saves Jamie from what is clearly a vampire- a very old, very angry vampire who wants Jamie.
Frankenstein takes Jamie back to the hub of Department 19 and explains to him that Jamie's dad worked at the Department, a government agency designed to protect humans from supernatural beasts like vampires, zombies, and werewolves. Jamie's father was indeed a traitor, but he didn't betray his country to terrorists, at least not in the sense Jamie originally thought. He betrayed mankind to the vampires, endangering Department 19, the lives of operatives, and the rest of the unsuspecting humans the Department protects. While Jamie has been disenchanted with his father for years now, he finds this all very hard to stomach, especially when most people in the Department aren't happy to have the son of Julian Carpenter in their midst. But Frankenstein vowed to protect the Carpenter family, and when Jamie insists on traveling all across the continent to find his mother, Frankenstein comes along to protect him. What they don't know is the death of Jamie's father was not the death of a traitor, and that traitor is still inside the Department. Now they are not only battling the creatures who want to destroy people and use them for cattle, they are battling the very people they expect to protect them.
Oh, this book was exciting from the very first page to the last. They bounced all over the continent and between the present time with Jamie's dilemma to the past when Van Helsing and the other founders of Department 19 battled and killed Dracula. And you won't want to miss the hilarious truth behind Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker! I loved the excitement and repurposing of old stories in this action-packed supernatural thriller. In fact, I can totally see this story being made into a killer movie (no pun intended!).
The story definitely has some violence in it, and it is a rather long story (over 500 pages). I think it would catch anyone's attention once they started it, but it might be too long for a student who struggles to finish stories. I see this as a great book for guys who need action and anyone who is interested in supernatural stories. I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series, as I am sure you will too once you read this one!
