Throat

Nelson (Days of Little Texas) proves that the vampire genre is not entirely sucked dry with this fast-paced adventure featuring an enjoyably flawed heroine. Emma's epilepsy has made her something of an outsider: she's prone to anger and rash decision-making, and her condition prevents her from getting a driver's license. On her own following a disastrous soccer game and car accident, she's attacked by a vampire; waking up in the hospital, she discovers that she's acquired a vampire's powers. When the vampire who assaulted her, Wirtz, comes back to finish the job, Emma flees to protect her family. She takes refuge on a NASA base, where she meets science geek Sagan, an unexpected friend and ally. With Wirtz relentlessly stalking her, Emma must rally Sagan and several local vampires to save both herself and everyone she cares about—Wirtz may have centuries on her, but Emma has her own advantages. With a pseudoscientific take on vampires, a smattering of Germanic lore, and a strikingly unconventional showdown, this is a robust alternative to the forbidden love tropes of wispier vampire novels. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)