Infinity

Gr 7—10—Sherrilyn Kenyon's book (St. Martin's Griffin, 2010) combines elements of all of today's popular genres—mythology, vampires, and werewolves—and provides the background for her Dark-Hunter novels for adults. In her new series for young adults, we meet Nick as a teenager, pulled in many directions, especially by his diminutive but overly protective and fierce mother. He is always trying to meet her curfews while fighting zombies, demons, and other creatures out to destroy or control him. Within Nick, the battle for good and evil is constant, while he seems oblivious to it. The novel is populated by football heroes who are zombies, best friends who are demons, and advisors who belong to the dark side (maybe). While action abounds, listeners are never sure who the good guys are and whether they should be rooting for Nick. Holter Graham successfully paces the action to keep things moving and gives voice to a myriad of non-human characters, most often in life-threatening, over-the-top situations, easily switching from the New Orleans lilt of Bubba to the sweet cadences of Nekoda, Nick's would be love interest.—Edith Ching, formerly Washington Latin Public Charter School, DC