Vampire Kisses (novel)

Infobox Book |
name = Vampire Kisses
title_orig =
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image_caption =
author = Ellen Schreiber
illustrator =
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country = United States
language = English
series = "Vampire Kisses" Series
genre = Young adult, Fantasy, Romance novel
publisher =
pub_date = July 2003
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 253 pp
isbn =
preceded_by =
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"Vampire Kisses" is a vampire novel written by author Ellen Schreiber. It is the start of the Vampire Kisses series. The book introduces us the 16-year old Raven Madison, a goth living in Dullsville, who is constantly complaining that there is nothing to do. At least, until Alexander Sterling, a vampire, moves in. Raven falls hard for him, but they, like any other couple, have obstacles. The story is told in Raven's point of view for the entire book.

Plot Summary

The book starts out with Raven talking about her past, including the bold declaration in kindergarten that she wanted to become a vampire. The other kids thought she was weird for this, but she didn't care, really. She met her only real friend, Becky Miller, in third grade, and since Raven was the only one who didn't bully her and they were both outcasts of sorts, they got along well. She also made an enemy, Trevor Mitchell, and they fought constantly.

In the present, it's Raven's sixteenth birthday, but it begins no differently than any other day: her little brother Billy, a.k.a Nerd Boy, yelled at her to get up, and she put on her clothes and makeup, all black. She gets a pearl necklace from her family, but doesn't really like it. Becky arrives with two gifts, both of which Raven loves: a black leather choker with a pewter bat charm on it, and news of a new family, the Sterlings, moving into the mansion on Benson Hill.

At school, Trevor annoys Raven like he does every day, and they have the same old verbal swordfight, with no real winner. He asks what she'll do to make her sweet sixteen memorable, and she answers that she'll crash Matt Wells, Trevor's sidekick's, party that night. Becky whines, but Raven isn't too worried. Now she tells us about the mansion and flashes back to when she was twelve. She was around the mansion when she saw a boy named Jack having to go inside on a dare to win friends. She goes in with him and helps him with the dare, giving him her necklace, which looked very old. It was the only time, up to that point; she got to go inside because police started watching it after the dare.

At the party, Becky is clingy at first, but goes with Matt when he greets them. A lot of the kids there are glaring at Raven, but it doesn't bother her. A drunk Trevor finds her looking through CDs, kisses her full on the mouth, and takes her outside. They go somewhere more private and continue making out. She wondered if he actually liked her, but dispelled that thought quickly. She got him stripped naked, making him think they were going to do it, but steals all of his clothes and leaves the party with Becky.

Heading home now, Raven fills Becky in on what she did. They almost hit a boy with pale white skin and black clothes. When Raven goes for a look, all she finds in a dented paint can and spilled paint. The story of Naked Trevor spreads quickly, and many versions are created, but only 3 people know the real story. She gives his clothes back one by one, in a public and humiliating matter: putting them on her locker, ending with the undies hot glued to the locker door.

When Halloween comes around, Raven chooses to be a tennis player, complete with an expensive racket loaned from her dad. At school, people think she's a new kid, not recognizing her, but Trevor loves her new look. When she goes out trick or treating, she goes to the mansion, like many other people. The butler, Creepy Man, ran out of candy, so she gives him some candy and a spider ring. Trevor comes, annoys her for a bit, and tries to vandalize the house, Gothic Guy, the boy Raven almost hit the night of the party, comes out. She gets scared and runs away, leaving the racket and Trevor behind.

Creepy Man comes to the school, trying to find Raven and return the racket, but she doesn't try to claim it. Because she doesn’t, she has to get a job at Armstrong Travel Agency with Ruby and Janice. While there, Creepy Man comes and books tickets for Mr. and Mrs. Sterling to Romania. He also talks about Gothic Guy -who's apparently 17- for a bit. After earning the money and quitting, she finds out Trevor had the racket the whole time. They get into full-out verbal war, with Raven winning by accusing him of being in love with her.

Raven began to see Gothic Guy around town, and decided to break into their house to find out if they're vampires like the rumor says. When she does, she ends up meeting him again, and sees the spider ring she gave Creepy Man on his finger. Later, she finds an invitation from Gothic Guy, Alexander, for dinner the night her parents were going to Vegas. She begs Nerd Boy, now Billy Boy, to let her go, and he does. When she gets there, she is shown in by Creepy Man, Jameson, and finally meets Alexander formally.

They talked for a while and got to know each other, but she has to leave at midnight against her will. Trevor asks her to the Snow Ball the next day, but she says she's going with Alexander. She sets up another date with him, a picnic in the cemetery, and he shows her his grandma's monument. They talk more, but the date’s interrupted by Old Jim and his dog. Their next date was watching "Dracula" at his house, and they share their first kiss. He accidentally bites her, but it all ends well when she asks him to the Snow Ball and he says yes.

She gets Becky to help her see if she's turned into a vampire, but she hasn't. At the Snow Ball, Alexander and Raven fool around for a bit, then go to dance. Trevor interrupts their fun when he show up and reveals he blackmailed Becky into going to the dance with him and giving her all the info about Alexander and what Raven thought he was. Alexander gets mad at Raven, and Raven gets mad at Becky and Trevor.

Alexander isn't speaking to Raven, and she even visits his grandmother and admits she loves him. Becky tricks her into thinking something happened to Alexander and there was a party instead. Everyone is dressed in black, including Ruby, who has a date with Jameson. She talks to Alexander again and apologizes, and he shows her his room, where she sees why he wasn't speaking to her: he was painting a picture of Raven when she was dressed for the Snow Ball. As she gets ready to leave, Raven sees Alexander with a cape, slicked back hair looking like a vampire. She tries to pull his fangs thinking they are fake but they don't come off and she thinks he super glued them. Raven finds Ruby's compact that she left and checks her lipstick, and she looks in the mirror and where Alexander should be, there's nothing. Finally, she knows the truth that he really is a vampire. She doesn't take it too well, and when she goes to find him the next day, he and Jameson are gone. The only thing Raven finds is a note seeming to explain : “Because I love you".