Cirque du Freak

After watching the superb movie, I decided to read the books (mostly because Alice kept mentioning how the film had altered the original story).

The Vampire's Assistant is told in the first person, coming from main character Darren's perspective. He's your typical teenage boy; his best friend, Steve, isn't. They both have unusual interests- Darren adores spiders and Steve is obsessed with vampires.

One night, they go to the Cirque du Freak- an illegal freak show. After a few events that I won't share here, Darren discovers that Steve would willingly give up everything to become a vampire. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you view it), Steve is denied his request. Darren steals one of the show's stars, a spider named Madam Octa and from there onwards he spends as much time as possible training her.

Eventually, Steve finds out about Madam Octa and offers to help Darren train her. Inevitably, this ends disastrously, with Madam Octa biting Steve. He lapses into a coma and Darren almost loses his mind with worry, fear and guilt. He decides to visit the vampire he stole the spider from, and realises that he'd been deceived from the start.

He makes a deal with the vampire- he will become his assistant in return for a serum that will save Steve's life. Both ends of the bargain are kept, but in the crossfire Steve turns against Darren, believing he deliberately plotted against him in order to steal the future Steve so desperately sought.

It's a great book, if a little short and suspenseful. But I can't wait to read the others and find out more about Darren's new life as the vampire's assistant. :)