Review Detail

Team Human made me laugh–a lot. It was exactly what I needed to get out of a mild reading slump I had, but moreover, it definitely deserves bonus points for being a great read filled with laughs at every page and a novel that’s much, much more than just a vampire book.

PLOT

If someone read a plot summary to me without getting me to read the actual book, I would have been disinterested. It’s not my kind of plot. I am an action girl. I’m all for punches and epic battles and roundhouse kicks and war between good and evil. I’m just dramatic that way. But Team Human didn’t focus on action whatsoever. (No vampires out to drink your blood either.) There’s a running theme of friendship and love–there’s so much more than vampires in this book. It’s a mystery/contemporary disguised as a paranormal comedy.

Larbalestier and Brennan had me laughing every minute I read this book. The book is chock full of witty jokes and hilarious moments, and never once did Mel disappoint in humor. The romance was subdued but nevertheless adorable–both in Cathy and Francis’s “getting-lost-in-the-other’s-eyes” relationship and in Mel and Kit’s “trying-hard-to-make-you-laugh” relationship. I never felt overwhelmed with “oh-my-gosh-he’s-so-hot-how-can-I-talk-to-him-without-making-a-fool-of-myself” or with steamy romantic scenes that might go a little too far (in my opinion). Things just clicked for both couples. It was just natural.

This book was probably the most original vampire novel I’ve ever read. I’m glad that Larbalestier and Brennan decided to make vampires already a known existence to everyone in their world–it would have been a pain to go through the finding-out-what-species-that-mysterious-guy-is trend again. And though there were a ton of clues pointing out the solution to the mystery, I never caught it until the page before it was revealed! Larbalestier and Brennan were masterful at diverting my attention until the last second.

CHARACTER

Mel is the best protagonist. Ever. I can relate to her on so many levels–mostly because she’s an ABC (American Born Chinese) like me. We deal with the same problems–trying to decide what to do when we’re set loose into the world, trying to please our parents (though she rebels more often than I do), and trying to solve other people’s problems.

But not only is she relatable, she is the funniest protagonist I’ve ever encountered in my entire reading life. Her jokes cracked me up every single time, and never once did I get bored of her. She’s not a Mary Sue, and she’s got her own problems just like a normal teenage girl.

WRITING STYLE

I didn’t find many grammatical errors, and Larbalestier and Brennan kept the description to a minimum–no flowery language and no ambiguous settings or characters. I powered through this book in three days (though I totally think that if I didn’t have massive loads of homework, I could have read this in one sitting).

Team Human is not a vampire novel. Even though the entire plot revolves around the existence of vampires, this mystery/comedy could be suitable to anyone–both vampire lovers and vampire haters. Themes of friendship and love with amusing characters and a curious mystery would definitely hook anyone in. Larbalestier and Brennan have created a story to remember.