That to me reeks of lazy writing - instead of rushing out this book she should have taken the time to craft each event carefully. Each of these major topics is given only ONE chapter in which to resolve it's self and not one of those chapters comes in at over 5 pages long. Throughout the series Heather has set up several major problems that seemed to be building up to a huge climax and yet instead of giving each one the page time it's due she deals with them one after the other in lightening quick secession.

The next major problem is the complete and utter lack of pacing in this book. Someone in your life has just died? Your world has been turned upside down? The apocalypse seems to be around the corner? I don't need to be told that you're feeling upset and anxious. I wish I could remind her first hand that the best way for any author to relate what their character is feeling on the page is to SHOW us, not to TELL us. Once again, 12th grade suffers from the same problems that Heather has refused to address in her writing throughout the entirety of the series, either from sheer laziness or stubbornness I can't say which, and in no other book was it so apparent as here - namely shoddy pacing and childish rendering of motivations and feelings.

review courtesy of What a disappointing way to end the series. I look forward to seeing what you pull out of your bag of tricks next. Brewer, for entertaining me most heartily. It feels good to say goodbye to these characters. I’m very pleased with the conclusion to this series. That may be a spoiler, but I couldn’t resist the comparison. I’m happy to see that Vlad has finally found his Ginny after he’s been chasing Cho Chang for so long. It’s great to be reintroduced to these characters once again. Several of my favourite characters make an appearance – Henry, Nelly, Otis, Joss, Snow, Kristoff… even weasley little Eddie Poe. He’s grown into a very fine young man by this book. Very much has changed, and with every change Vlad’s level of responsibility goes up a notch, as all good children born of prophecies do. Fast forward four books and nothing has changed! No, joke joke. He’s obsessed with video games and the pretty girl in class. This means we start with Vlad as a naive young boy. Vlad begins the series in eighth grade, which each successive book upping to the next grade level. These books are light, especially at the start.

It was exactly what I wanted.įor those who have not read it, a warning. The final book, Twelfth Grade Kills (yes, I screwed up the spelling again), is now out for all to read. I’ve been a fan of Heather Brewer’s The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod books since the very first one released three years ago. I think it’s the lispy L F T H combination. It’s a problem, my whole life it’s been an issue. Why can’t I spell twelfth right ever on the first try? Seriously.

Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer