Youngblood
Available July 19, 2022
from Razorbill
Pre-Order Campaign to Come
High school sucks. Especially for the undead.
For fans of Vampire Diaries and dark academia, two queer teen bloodsuckers at an elite vampire-only boarding school must go up against all of Vampirdom when they uncover a frightening conspiracy on campus.
Kat Finn and her mother can barely make ends meet living among humans. Like all vampires, they must drink Hema, an expensive synthetic blood substitute, to survive, as nearly all of humanity has been infected by a virus that’s fatal to vampires. Kat isn’t looking forward to an immortal life of barely scraping by, but when she learns she’s been accepted to the Harcote School, a prestigious prep school that’s secretly vampires-only, she knows her fortune is about to change.
Taylor Sanger has grown up in the wealthy vampire world, but she’s tired of its backward, conservative values—especially when it comes to sexuality, since she’s an out-and-proud lesbian. She only has to suffer through a two more years of Harcote before she’s free. But when she discovers her new roommate is Kat Finn, she’s horrified. Because she and Kat used to be best friends, a long time ago, and it didn’t end well.
When Taylor stumbles upon the dead body of a vampire, and Kat makes a shocking discovery in the school’s archives, the two realize that there are deep secrets at Harcote—secrets that link them to the most powerful figures in Vampirdom and to the synthetic blood they all rely on.
Praise for Youngblood
"Prepare to fall in love with a whole new kind of vampire. Equal parts swoony and mysterious, Youngblood is so, so, so much fun." —Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of They’ll Never Catch Us and The Counselors
"This book bites – in the best possible way! Seeped in vampire lore but existing in its own fresh, new world, Youngblood delivers a slow-burn boarding school romance while its central mystery has the pages almost turning themselves." —Kelly deVos, author of Eat Your Heart Out and Go Hunt Me
"A fresh new take on vampires, with a compelling mystery and a romance that will keep you turning pages long into the night. I was immediately hooked by Kat and Taylor’s story—ex-best friends forced together as roommates, fighting their feelings at a school full of secrets, drama, and the undead. Youngblood is everything you could ever want in a boarding school book—plus vampires!" —Cameron Lund, author of The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreakers and Fakers
"Youngblood is an achingly sweet queer romance, a creepy as hell mystery, and a thoughtful, chilling portrayal of how vampirism might exist in the modern age of capitalism. This is the lesbian vampire boarding school story I've always needed, but it's smarter, nastier, and more fun than I ever could have dreamed." —Kylie Schachte, author of You're Next
"A boarding school mystery with family drama, deep secrets, and an unyielding social conscience—Youngblood is the new generation of vampires you've always needed!" —Andrea Contos, author of Tell Me No Lies
What a book! Youngblood is mesmerizing and original, with tightly-drawn characters, a mystery that had me obsessively turning the pages and a romance that had me screaming: now kiss! This is the queer vampire boarding school book of your dreams. —Cale Dietrich, bestselling author of The Love Interest and If This Gets Out
KIRKUS
Secrets abound at a boarding school for young vampires.
Kat Finn, like the rest of her vampire generation, is a Youngblood, someone born a vampire rather than turned. Twenty years ago, vampires nearly went extinct when a virus swept through the human population, infecting their blood; now, vampires drink a blood substitute to sustain them. Kat has wonderful human friends from her public school, but when she gets accepted into Harcote, an elite school for vampires, she’s excited to be among her kind. Taylor Sanger is shocked when she finds out that Kat, her former best friend, is her new roommate, since a betrayal severed ties between them years ago. Taylor is not filled with enthusiasm for Harcote like Kat: As an out lesbian, she’s stifled by the school’s conservative values. Despite an initially rocky reunion, Kat starts questioning her own sexual identity as her feelings for Taylor grow. As the girls uncover secrets and lies about vampires they know, the possibility of romance simmers—but first they have to shake Vampirdom to its core. The mystery elements in this fun spin on boarding school stories and vampire lore are exciting, but the messy relationship drama creates the most intrigue. Privileges based on lineage, class, race, and sexuality are explored through Taylor’s and Kat’s queer, White, authentically teen lenses. The worldbuilding is smartly woven through the story, and although the middle is a bit slow, the dynamic ending satisfyingly wraps up all threads.
Frothy, angst-y fun. (Paranormal. 14-18)