I swim in the shallow end of the pool, and it’s well documented that I often DO judge a book by its cover. It’s true, and a horrible fault. Which is why, when given an assignment to review Department 19, I was reluctant to read it. I felt that I wouldn’t be, in marketer’s parlance, “the target segment” for this book. All the hardware and warfare turned this peacenik hippie (it’s true! I make my own granola!) off. Give me prancing fairies or headless hotties any day. One piece of research says that women will read books tailored for men, but not the opposite. As you can see here at Geek Speak Magazine, oftentimes we are the exception that proves the rule. Male staff-members give reviews of princess novels, and YA angel-based paranormal romances, but make me read something too tailored to men? Get the smelling salts, I’m getting the vapors just thinking about it!

However, my commute to work on the subway is boring without something to read, so I picked up Department 19, as my duty dictated. And, as usual, the cover had nothing to do with the contents. Much to my delight, instead of some military-esque book about soldiers ala Battle: Los Angeles, I got an adventure novel featuring the journey of a young tween, Jamie Carpenter, who is thrust into a world he didn’t realize existed and forced to fight the Big Bad. Since I like Harry Potter, and really, all origin stories that begin with the hapless hero(ine) beginning a quest for which they are completely unprepared, I was pleasantly surprised.

Jamie Carpenter, unbeknownst to him, is descended from one of the families that aided Van Helsing in his quest to eradicate vampires from the earth. After Van Helsing killed Dracula, he convinced the Prime Minister of England to create Department 19, (known as Blacklight), and relied on Jonathan Harker, John Seward, Arthur Holmwood, and his valet (the original Carpenter) to aid him in creating this secret agency. Over a hundred years later, Jamie’s father is killed when it comes to light that he was using his Blacklight resources to help one of the oldest vampires, Alexandru Rusmanov, kill Blacklight operatives. Jamie sees his dad taken out by a military team, and moves with his mother to another part of the UK to forget and move on. However, when Alexandru kidnaps his mother and nearly kills him, he is thrust into the Blacklight world and must fight government bureaucracy as well as vampire baddies if he is going to rescue her. With the help of Frankenstein (The Monster changed his name to reflect his “parentage”) and a potential vampire love interest named Larissa, Jamie goes to find Alexandru to get his mother back and clear his father’s name.

While there have been countless books about boy heroes fighting the powers of evil before, and will continue on as long as there are kids out there who read, I think the biggest comparison to draw from is going to be Harry Potter for some time. That Jamie is initiated into this new world by a giant, has a special affinity for defensive monster-fighting, and has serious daddy and mommy issues throughout the book only adds fuel to the comparative fire. That being said, it was different enough that I didn’t find the similarities annoying and quite liked the plot line. Although I didn’t always understand Jamie’s motivations, I did find him sympathetic and likeable as a kid who was completely out of his depth and trying to win all the same.

One thing I thought was interesting and daring for new author Will Hill was his ending the book on a cliffhanger. Normally, I only put up with that kind of nonsense from authors like Stephen King (who took Six! Years! To resolve that one.), but I find myself invested enough in the characters to see what happens. This book is slated to be the first in a series, which shows as a plotline appears out of nowhere near the end of the book. I found myself thinking that the author couldn’t possibly end that storyline as the remaining amount of pages got smaller and smaller. And I was right! Cliffhanger! Additionally, the book was a little obvious with the exposition and heavy handed with the foreshadowing. I hope in the future that he refrains from telegraphing the sneaky betrayer to the audience for a hundred pages before the reveal, because he certainly did in this one. Although I also knew Bruce Willis was dead in The Sixth Sense the whole time, so maybe I’m just good with clues? [Wait. He was dead? – Ed.]

If you are mourning the end of the Harry Potter series, and looking for books with a boy hero struggling to survive in a world he is just beginning to understand, I heartily recommend this book to you. It really hits that spot. Hopefully, in the next book, Larissa gets closer to being cool enough that I can get my Hermione fix as well.

   -- Sara Paige