Serena RobarBesprekingen

'Fangs for freaks' is like watching a comedy show only with some action and love in it. I laughed out loud so many times. I love Colby and love her personality. Such a small book, but full of a little bit of everything. If you want an easy and fast read, full of humor, action and love, then definitely pick up 'Braced to bite' and 'Fangs for freaks' by Serena Robar. Very entertaining!

Braced to bite was an easy and fast read. I finished this book in four hours and I enjoyed it a lot. There were some parts in the book that did bother me, but I will get to that in a bit.What I liked the most about this book was Colby. She was very funny and VERY bold. She was not afraid of anything and knew just what buttons to push. This book was only 224 pages and had a little bit of everything. I found myself laughing out loud so many times and rooting for Thomas and Colby. Now, what I did not like about this book was that once Colby finds out what had happened to her and what she became, she was not shocked at all. I just wasn't convinced at all. It sort of bugged me that her family was just okay with everything and no one really cared or asked questions. Even when Colby's friend finds out what she is, she is not really fazed by it. This was the only issue I had with this book. It just seemed so fake and unreal. Other than that, it was a page turner. A good read and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book of this series.

'Fangs for freaks' is like watching a comedy show only with some action and love in it. I laughed out loud so many times. I love Colby and love her personality. Such a small book, but full of a little bit of everything.If you want an easy and fast read, full of humor, action and love, then definitely pick up 'Braced to bite' and 'Fangs for freaks' by Serena Robar. Very entertaining!

There is something about cheerleaders crossing over to the dark side that just gets me. This book was exciting! I loved reading about Colby and loved her attitude. She acted just as I thought she would and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The one thing about this book was that is was a fun, easy, quick, read. The plot and drama was good and nothing was overrated. Her maker I was definitely interested in. He was very intriguing. Also, I like how Colby was feeling attracted to the vamp counsel dude. Totaly ironic that she fall for a guy who is way out of her league.

Now on the other hand, I felt this book needed more. Although it was fun and easy, I would like to read more into the story and learn more abou the vampires. I did however buy the second book, and will read that one soon to see what more is in store.

If you like an over achiever cheerleader going vamp with all the drama read this. Its was fun and witty read and will satisfy your vamp side.

It is hard to take this type of novel too seriously. I enjoyed the fact that this story focused more on Piper, the sidekick, rather than Colby. I've found Colby to be quite an annoying character. She is too self-centered and takes the cheer leading stereotype too far. I was struggling through the last book in this series because I just can't stand that character. Piper on the other hand has some meat to her that doesn't drive me batty. She is more down to earth and solves mysteries in her own way. In Robar's Dating4Demons, we find out more about Piper and she ends up with a love interest. Yay for the normal, not preppy girls! As in the first two of this series, Colby is set to save the half breeds, and possibly the world, in this tale. There is more teamwork involved and trust issues. Colby has to learn that all important lesson that she is not the most important thing in the world in order to save the world. What a concept. There are some adult situations that may be inappropriate for younger readers, but in general Robar is the author of fun books that are quick and easy. This is not something I would walk around in public reading, but it would only take a few hours at home to enjoy.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

How can you not like a story that starts off with the main character having to endure her first gynecological exam because she has a forward-thinking mother?

Spencer is the last girl that needs a prescription for the Pill. She has never had a serious crush on a boy in all of her sixteen years. But her mother wants Spencer to be prepared. She's not giving her carte blanche to be promiscuous, but she wants Spencer covered if hormones override common sense.

Spencer's medication is the talk of her group of friends, the Crew. The guys in the group all offer to be her first.

Spencer has always been the girl her friends confide in. Her tight group of friends include Ryan, the player; Morgan and Justin, the on-again/off-again/on-again rocking couple; her best friend, Alyssa, who is so petite she looks like she is only twelve; and good old Zach. It isn't until Spencer lays eyes on the new transfer student, Ben, that she even considers putting her pills to good use.

But problems ensue when Alyssa shares her list of possible boys to lose her virginity to with Spencer. Spencer hasn't told anyone about her crush on Ben (and she's getting the vibe that Ben is into her as well), and she's conflicted when she sees Ben has made it to #1 on Alyssa's list. She's torn between keeping her friend happy and following her own desires.

It doesn't help when her friend Zach starts keeping his distance from her. Though he assures her that everything is okay, Spencer isn't so sure. And she's also confused when she realizes that Zach has started to sport some well-defined muscles of his own.

I really enjoyed GIVING UP THE V from start to finish. Spencer could be any teenage girl struggling with the emotions of her first crush. She's flattered that she's captured his attention, but then uncomfortable with his fast moves. There's girl drama, romance, and amusing situations that the characters find themselves in. Some of the most entertaining parts are Justin's attempts to win Morgan back in their up and down romance.

The story doesn't promote sexual activity even though the title may suggest otherwise. It's a good look at the pros and cons of going all the way the first time.

Reviewed by Karin Perry for TeensReadToo.com

Four months have passed since Colby was given permission to exist as a half-blood vampire. Not only does she have her license, but she has been given the added responsibility of Protector of all the half-bloods. Colby takes this title in stride and sets about making preparations.

The Vampire Tribunal, the governing board for the vampire community, makes it possible for Colby and the other half-bloods to blend in with society while still being together to train and learn about the vampire ways by securing land on the campus of a local university in order to create a sorority. Colby names it Psi Phi (Sci-Fi, get it?).

With the help of her boyfriend/Vampire Investigator Thomas, Colby expects no problems when it comes to dealing with the other half-bloods. In fact, she expects them to consider her a hero for "saving" them from execution. Instead, she gets a mixed group of girls from extremely different backgrounds who don't think much about her as a Protector.

When one of her charges is murdered right in the sorority house, Colby begins to doubt her ability, as well. With the help of familiar faces from the previous book, Carl and Piper, she begins to unravel the mystery and learns of a spy that is in their midst.

One area of irritation is Colby's attitude toward Thomas. While BRACED2BITE, the first book in this series, was appropriate for middle school and above, FANGS4FREAKS gets a little closer to the edge. The sexual situations are increased and cause arguments between Colby and Thomas. Colby's tendency to blow up in anger over his actions seem a little over the top and happen too often and take too long to resolve. These arguments usually stem from the fact that Colby is very frustrated that Thomas won't take their physical relationship past the make-out stage.

Overall, even though the resolution to the story was rushed at the end, the story leading up to the conclusion was enjoyable. While not as good as the first, FANGS4FREAKS is definitely worth the time to read.

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

After being bitten, becoming a half-vampire, discovering that she was part of a prophecy, defending herself in front of a council on why they should keep her alive, getting a boyfriend and trying to keep him, entering college, and keeping her sorority safe -- Colby Blanchard has basically survived it all.

Except for the part where vampires are still attacking her since they believe that she will destroy them. Colby just needs that prophecy to be deciphered (and quick!), since she can't walk around worried all the time.

That's where Piper, Colby's best friend, comes in. She may not know what the prophecy really says, but she is on the case.

But the prophecy isn't the only thing on Piper's mind these days. There's also her love for bad boys, and the new guy she met at the mall, Hunter, who has all of the qualities she looks for and more. If only she could figure out if he really likes her or is just using her. He is a good asset to have in translating the prophecy, but is he worth trusting? Then there's the whole fact that staking a demon leads to her discovery that she might not be the person who she thought she was. Who knew saving someone's life, in this case Colby's, could lead to so much confusion?

What's a girl to do when she has so many problems -- and friends with so many problems? How about slaying some demons?

Charming and witty, DATING4DEMONS continues the hilarious adventures of half-vampires and demons, this time interchanging the narratives between Colby and Piper. What seems like the last novel in the series, Serena Robar wraps up the story nicely, leaving fans with a satisfied grin.

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

As soon as I began reading BRACED2BITE by new author Serena Robar, I was immediately reminded of another one of my favorite vampire series--the "UNDEAD..." series by MaryJanice Davidson. Both authors have a smart-mouthed heroine, an annoying yet total hottie vampire hero, and a set of circumstances that makes you throw everything you ever thought was true about vampires right out the window. And believe me when I say that this comparison is not a bad thing! Ms. Robar has managed to pen a fun, exciting vampire story that will have you reading long into the night--and the comparison to MJD is nothing but outright flattery.

Sixteen-year old Colby Blanchard is the typical blond-haired, blue-eyed cheerleader. She's also very intelligent, has plans to get hunky Aidan Reynolds to ask her to the Homecoming dance, and, while she's at it, will finalize plans for her upcoming seventeenth birthday party. What Colby didn't plan on, or enter into her BlackBerry, was getting knocked out by the Eastside Attacker on the way home from a football game. Where, she might add, Aidan the slimeball went off with Allison to an after-game party.

When Colby comes to and returns home, she's very surprised to learn she's been missing for nearly forty-eight hours. Even more surprising, though, is drinking her mother's blood and healing her wound when she cuts herself with a knife. Oddly enough, although frightened, it's not until her Great-Aunt Chloe points out the puncture wounds on her neck that Colby realizes something weirder than a nighttime attack has happened to her. Colby is now a vampire, with the pale, pasty skin, yellowish eyes, and thirst for blood to prove it.

Her family seems to take the change in their daughter relatively in stride--Aunt Chloe even had to stake a few vampires years ago during the War when she was a nurse. Her father rushes to help in the only way he knows how (he's an orthodontist) and makes her a hideous headgear apparatus so she can feed, since her canine teeth were removed years ago. So not only is she a freak vampire, she's a mutant freak vampire.

To add insult to injury, two vampires come a-calling, informing Colby that she's been summoned to make an appearance to the Tribunal for, and get this, being Undead without a license. The fact that Thomas, the cute, helpful vampire, wants to help her make her case before the Tribunal is one thing. The fact that he's asked to be her Executioner if the Tribunal rejects her plea for a license is quite another.

BRACED2BITE is a fun, hilarious read. All of the characters are well-rounded, and the fast-paced dialogue makes the book a delight to read. If you like vampire stories with a dash of romance and a whole bunch of humor, this is definitely the book for you. And thankfully, the next book in the series, FANGS4FREAKS.

With all of the teen lit out there that revolves around sex, this one is refreshing. Serena Robar sends a positive message to teenage girls who are contemplating sex for the first time. Robar's main charater, Spencer, shows that it is okay to wait for sex.

You know this book is going to be interesting when the opening scene is a trip to the ob-gyn!

The Good: This is a hilarious book! It's not the small chuckle once in a while type, but rather the laugh out loud, leaves you grinning from ear to ear! Does that make sense?

Also, it's really relatable. Unlike some books that make you think, "Are you effing serious, there is no way in hell that can happen", Giving Up the V makes you go, "Wow, that totally happened in my school" or "I know someone exactly like that!" Spencer could be any one of us and she faces the same problems that we all face when we're in high school.

This book is mostly character driven, and luckily for us, the characters are awesome! Spencer's friends a.k.a The Crew are a delightful cast of characters that have a certain quality that make you actually care about them.

I think the one thing that really makes me like this book is the fact that Ms. Robar shows both the cons and the pros of losing your virginity. There are only a handful of books that show both sides and I'm very glad Giving Up the V is one of them!

The Bad: It's a little crude (duh). I'm sure the title is a dead give-away because the V sure as heck, does not stands for vegetables (Giving Up the Vegetables... *snort*). Even though I'm okay with some of the things that are said in this book, some people might not. So, I would not recommend it to everyone. Basically, it's a quick and nice book that you pick up when you have free time, but that's it.

Overall: Giving Up the V is a great book that shows both ends of the losing your virginity spectrum. It's entertaining, believable, and just fantastic!

Grade: B

16-year-old Spencer is a virgin, and is happy to be. She is happy to wait until she’s with the right person to have sex, rather than get obsessed about it like all her friends in her crew. But then Benjamin Hopkins joins the school. Gorgeous, funny, athletic, Spencer can’t help but go weak at the knees when she’s around him, and Ben starts giving her the right kind of attention. How far will she go to get her guy?

I really like this book! It reads a lot like it could be part of an American TV teen programme; the teens were so lifelike and believable. I found myself literary crushing on pretty much all the guys in the book, even the guys who weren’t so great. Ryan, for example; he may use girls a lot, but he was hot and funny, so it was easy to see how he could get away with it.

I loved how Spencer wouldn’t give in to the jokey “peer pressure” from her friends over being a virgin, that she was determined to have sex when she wanted to , when things were right, and not when others felt she should – before Ben arrived. It kind of annoyed me she went a little crazy over him, as I was thinking “pull yourself together, he’s just a guy”, yet it was believable, we girls do get a little “oh my god!” when it comes to guys. I also admired how she was still able to pretty much be herself around him despite it all, it was cool. I identified with her a lot when she wasn’t sure what she should do when things started to happen between her and Ben; very true to life.

What was also interesting was the sub-plot in the story; Spencer’s best friend Alyssa was determined to lose her virginity, a one-night-stand so she could get it out of the way, and planned and organised for she was going to get it done. It was a little disturbing how tenacious she was, and how she made it seem like some school project, like no big deal, but something that had to be done – with no feelings. It was great to see these two different attitudes and stories running along each other.

There were no actual sex scenes in this book, but there were some almost-sex scenes that were really well written. It was a great depiction of how Spencer was feeling AND thinking towards what was happening, and keeping those two things clearly separate worked well.

This was an awesome book overall dealing with a sensitive subject with great characters and a lot of humour. I loved it!

Colby never asked to be undead. Nor did she ask to be a hated halfblood. To to it all off, she has no fangs thanks to an overzealous orthodontist when she was twelve. Could things get any worse?

Now that Colby has been nominated as protector of the newly emancipated half-blood community (such as it is) she has created the college sorority, the Psi Phi House (pronounced "sci-fi", get it?) as a safe haven for the persecuted. However, things don't go quite as smoothly for Colby as she expected considering her venerated status; her first sorority sisters wind up tossed on her lawn bound and gagged, the full-blood vampire prejudice is still in full swing and now she is fighting with her gorgeous, over-protective boyfriend, guardian, Thomas. As always, just when you think things can't get worse, they obviously do.

This is another campy little installment in the Colby Blanchard series. Although you can tell Colby has matured (slightly) she still has many teenage type hang-ups, which is expected since she'll forever be 16. I like that she's tough and proves that she can protect herself over the course of the book, didn't like how she interacted with her boyfriend so much...a little too desperate. Overall a fluffy yet enjoyable book with likeable characters and a bit of mystery.

I picked up this book thinking it would be a vapid, fluffy little vampire story. While this isn't exactly an incorrect assessment, I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it.

Colby is really a total opposite of who I was in high school. A perky, driven, honor roll ascending, cheerleader, pretty girl with a superiority complex...at least in the beginning. When Colby is ambushed by the Eastside Attacker she discovers that there are things worse than a bad hair day...like becoming an undead half-vampire whose only means of feeding were removed at the age of 12 to improve her smile. It is enough to make anyone's outlook on life (and death) go through a little metamorphosis.

Although the story really is a little too silly to be taken seriously, which I think was the point, it still had a pretty good plot and there were a lot of things I really liked about it. The characters were well done even without having a lot of room for creative depth (with the exception of Colby) and by the end I found I had become fond of them all, including Piper, Thomas and even uptight Carl.

Ultimately I have to say that this one really is a very charming, quick story with a lot of heart and I'll certainly be on the look out for the sequel, Fangs 4 Freaks.

I was at a bit of a disadvantage with this story, which is the second in a series, because I hadn't read the first one. There was enough information that I wasn't lost completely, but there were still some things that weren't quite explained and left me wondering.

Colby Blanchard is a young woman (teenager?--one of those things that wasn't explained), a half-blood vampire (another thing that wasn't explained, though I surmised that it's someone who was turned into a vampire by a sire who's not powerful enough to make a full-blood vampire). Because she's won the right for half-bloods to exist (another question), she's been put in charge of training and protecting the other half-bloods, and keeping them under control. To that end, she's established a sorority house on the campus of a local university.

Not everyone is happy with her accomplishments, though, and her life (un-life) and those of the young women in her care, are in danger. Then one of them is murdered, and it seems as though there's a traitor in what she'd expected to be a happy little group of sisters (another thing I'm assuming was addressed in the first book--why all the half-bloods are female).

So Colby has to find the killer, with the help of her best friend Piper and her boyfriend, vampire investigator Thomas--when she allows him to help, that is.

The mystery aspect was pretty good, almost Christie-esque. The limited pool of suspects, all living together, all with opportunity, and all seemingly innocent, except the one suspect that no one likes, so you know they can't be the guilty party.

The world-building, on the other hand, was such that I'd say it's important to read the books in order. I could follow the story, but there was quite a bit that left me scratching my head.

Then there's the story of Colby herself, how she's growing into her role as protector, and the relationship between her and Thomas. And that, I think, was the book's biggest weakness. I realize that, as an ongoing series, you don't want the character to change too much, but Colby didn't change at all, and I was expecting her to. She's blundering ahead, thinking she knows everything, refusing to listen to advice, and angry when things go wrong. I'd have liked the book much better if she'd learned that sometimes you need to ask for help.

I was also a little confused by the tone of the relationship between Colby and Thomas. Throughout the book, she's pressuring him for sex, and reminds me of the girlfriend in 40 Days and 40 Nights with her either/or attitude. Either they have sex, or they break up. There's a brief, very erotic scene about drinking blood, and quite a lot of frank discussion about desire, but the actual sex scene is blurred over. Here's where knowing her age might have helped make some sense of it. And despite my liberal beliefs about sexuality, I was still a little squicked that this is a YA book--intended for readers the age of my younger son.

(postscript: in the previous book, Colby is 16, making her 16 or 17 in this one. Thomas's age isn't mentioned, but he's obviously much older. I'm squicked.)

The voice, also, didn't grab me. It's too much like too many other paranormal and chick lit voices--rude, bossy, and know-it-all, even, or maybe especially when she obviously doesn't. And it doesn't have the saving grace of humor, except at the expense of others. In short, I didn't like the main character. She sounds very much like Betsy from MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series, but without the warmth. Maybe it's her immaturity.

Still, it was an entertaining story. The characters of the other half-blood vampires were interesting and unusual, and the mystery was very well done. I'm not intrigued enough to search out the first book in the series, but other readers might. Bottom line: it seems like a good series for teens who aren't quite old enough for MaryJanice Davidson, and who'd presumably be more tolerant of Colby's voice.

Sequel to Braced 2 Bite. Colby has now entered college and been put in charge of all the other female halfbloods. She is their protector and head of "Psi Phi House", the sorority she set up as cover for them.

Colby gets accosted walking home from school one night and gets turned into a vampire. She then becomes embroiled in a half-blood vampire rights activity and works to prove that halfbloods have a right to existence too.

In the third book, Colby is still the Protector of the Half-blood vampires and running the soroity house, Psi Phi. She is also the target of many demon-possessed vampires because a prophesy seems to indicate that she will bring about the end of vampire existence. So Colby is forced to investigate the world of demons, like she doesn't have enough to do. Piper, her long time best friend, is back with a bigger role.

This book continues the fun that started with Braced2Bite. In this one, Colby and Piper share the narration from chapter to chapter, which makes the story even more interesting. And with their full-blood associates out of action for one reason or another, they are mostly on their own, except for a new tall, dark and handsome.

Having survived her own trial and legitimizing all Half-Blood vampires, Colby is made the Protector of the Half-Bloods. Now she is in charge of a sorority house for Half-Blood girls. After all, a little thing like death should not stop a girl from achieving her goals in, uh, undeath. It does not take long to relize that all is not well and Colby faces the hardest fight yet.

These are fun. They are fast reads and the characters are nicely drawn. I will be reading the next installment.

Colby is your average over-achieving cheerleader on the fast track to college and homecoming queen. But her plans are changed when she is attacked by a rogue vampire. Soon she finds out that her future depends on the Vampire tribunal who really don't like new "Half-Vampires". With help from her family and friends, she prepares to face the most important test of her life.

I really enjoyed this book. It is funny and interesting. Her family's reaction is great. Really quick read. I know I will enjoy the next one.