He Has Risen

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. 

Young Frankenstein Finds Adventure

Have you ever wondered what school was like for Harry before he became a wizard? Or what Hamlet was like as a kid? Do you think George protected other kids when he was young, just like he protected Lennie? Was Bella always so awkward, or was she only awkward in the presence of shimmery bloodsuckers? How did Sonny and Michael grow up so different in the same home and the same family? Sometimes a story doesn't give you the whole picture of the character and what they were like before the story takes place, but if you are lucky, someone got the bright idea to fill in the blanks like Kenneth Oppel did in This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. Because before there was a monster, there was a quirky, snarky, punk of a teenager ready to solve the biggest mysteries!

Victor is always just a step behind his twin brother Konrad, even in realizing he has a crush on the distant cousin who was brought to live with their family after her father abandoned her. Except, of course, when it comes to getting in trouble. Victor is a professional at mischief and mayhem, much to his family's dismay. When the kids stumble across a hidden library full of alchemy books, Victor is the first to start snooping around... until their father catches them and forbids them to ever enter the Dark Library again. But when Konrad falls gravely ill and no medicine seems to be making a dent, Victor is willing to try anything to save his brother.

Convinced alchemy is the only way, Victor finds a book that might contain the secret of the Elixir of Life. He tracks down the only alchemist known in the area only to find a man confined to a wheelchair who was forbidden to practice alchemy by Victor's own father. When Victor pleads for his brother's sake, the alchemist agrees to help them at least translate the code for the recipe. But as the code gets cracked and the ingredients are revealed, the alchemist is just as anxious to try the recipe himself. Being confined to the wheelchair, the kids must get the rare ingredients themselves, even if it risks their lives. But with Konrad's life hanging in the balance, no risk is too much for Victor.

Here is the thing about Victor Frankenstein... he is kind of a wise guy. He is an arrogant teen boy who isn't afraid to plod head on into situations despite the possible consequences... actually, without much regard for the possible consequences at all. But he loves his brother. And he is fallible. I liked this fun prequel to the Frankenstein we all read about in high school. I think it was a great way to explain the man he eventually became. It really made me think about Frankenstein differently, which is the reason this would be a fun series to give a young adult who is reading the classic Shelley story. It might also encourage them to write a little fan fiction of their own about their favorite characters from books or movies they have enjoyed! Add to that the beauty in the lesson of different perspectives, and you have quite a fun lesson on your hands!

This book is appropriate for any middle through young adult reader who likes to read about adventure, but it would mostly likely have the most impact on someone who has read Shelley's original. Therefore, an older student would probably get the most, but I wouldn't hold a kid back from this story if they hadn't read the original. In all honesty, other than the name, there isn't much keeping you from understanding this story without the original. It's a fun adventure filled with silly kids, emotions, and a mystery to be solved. You will most likely enjoy it just as much as I have, especially as Victor gets himself in and out of one tough spot to another!

Supernatural Like You Have Never Seen Them Before

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!