The Society of S: A Novel

Thirteen-year-old, half-vampire Ariella Montero struggles with the daily realities of her condition while harboring an unflinching desire to unravel the darkest secrets of vampire nature, a longing that leads her to learn about the gentle, wise, and even vegetarian lifestyles of vampires. A first novel. 100,000 first printing.

From Publishers Weekly

Identity issues involving a child of mixed heritage get a supernatural spin in this affecting coming-of-age tale. Ariella Montero's mother vanished the day she was born, leaving her to the care of her overprotective scientist father, who homeschools her and limits her contact with the outside world. Only when she reaches adolescence does Ari discover that her special diet and insular home life set her apart from her peers. Her father's confession that he was vampirized shortly before marriage, and that Ari can choose whether to be undead like him or mortal like mom, set her off on a road trip that eventually brings her to her mother and into an understanding of tough truths about her family. Hubbard (Walking on Ice) delineates Ari's world of innocent and uncertain adolescence with uncommon poignance and forgoes sensationalism for sensitivity in her depiction of vampirism as one of many emotionally charged challenges Ari faces as a child of estranged parents. She doesn't do much original with the vampire theme, but the novel's open ending suggests inevitable sequels where this may develop further. Author tour. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Think of a jigsaw puzzle, Ariella Montero writes in her journal. Even when it isn't assembled, the pieces scattered in the box contain the picture. Ariella is 13 and very sheltered. She is homeschooled by her father, a scientist, and lives in a large Victorian house. Ariella wants to know all about her mother, who disappeared when the girl was born, and about the world and where she fits into it. Through Mrs. McGarrit, the housekeeper, she meets other teens and starts questioning her own lifestyle. Going to the library with Mrs. McGarrit's daughter, Ariella finds the Internet, and the answers to her questions lead her into danger. It seems that the Monteros are vampires. At least Mr. Montero is, and now it is more important than ever to Ariella to find her mother. How she solves the mystery of her family's unhappiness, as well as how to cope with her own feelings and problems, form the plot. This is a solid story of a girl coming of age, wanting her family to be together, and wishing to belong to something. The author doesn't use supernatural elements as a crutch, but instead they enhance an already strong narrative.–Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Ariella Montero comes from a broken home, always a stigma for a teenager trying desperately to fit in. After Ari's mother disappeared on the night she was born, Ari was left in the care of her charismatic but secretive father, an overly protective recluse who, Ari comes to suspect, is a vampire. But wait, it gets worse. [...] Ari begins to wonder if she might be one, too. The girl's got questions, but Dad doesn't have all the answers, so Ari runs away from home, embarking on a picaresque journey to find her mother, the one person Ari believes holds the key to her true identity. As she hitchhikes her way through the country, Ari discovers much about herself but nearly loses her life in the process. Eschewing the sleep-all-day/prey-all-night school of vampire lore, Hubbard instead creates marginally mainstream characters, ones whose desires and fears, plans and dreams have nothing do to with the thrill of the kill. Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Susan Hubbard is the author of The Society of S and The Year of Disappearances, as well as two short story collections, Walking on Ice and Blue Money, for which she received the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. She teaches at the University of Central Florida and lives with her husband in Orlando and Cape Canaveral.

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