Blood Orange Soda

Fifteen-year-old Darius is a goth who will someday become a vampire if he stops taking "reds," pills that help suppress the blood cravings and allow vampires to lead normal lives. However, when constant bullying by Asian gang members at school gets to him, Darius decides to forgo the reds and transition early. His uncle hooks him up with blood orange soda, which accelerates the transformation while amplifying his physical changes and prowess. As Darius romances the sultry Shelby, likewise a vampire-in-transition, he must resist the temptation to take things to the next level. He's also coping with his mother's declining health, the result of V2, the vampire version of HIV. The allegories fly fast and furious in this overwrought story%E2%80%94one that never entirely settles on an identity. Is this a story about bullying or drug abuse? Are readers meant to empathize with the teen who juices up on prohibited substances to settle his problems through fighting? With awkward slang ("furreal," "fugger") and a confused plot, this tale doesn't take full advantage of its unique spin on vampires in high school. Ages 12%E2%80%93up.