Kick A** 2011 Debut Author Spotlight

Was there a book that debuted this year that you read and LOVED? The awesome Christina Lee started this Kick A** 2011 Debut Author Spotlight to celebrate just that. I've loved a lot of fabulous books this year, but my focus today is on Department 19 by Will Hill. 

What's it about?:

Jamie Carpenter's life will never be the same. His father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous man named Frankenstein. Jamie is brought to Department 19, where he is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing and the other survivors of Dracula. Aided by Frankenstein's monster, a beautiful vampire girl with her own agenda, and the members of the agency, Jamie must attempt to save his mother from a terrifyingly powerful vampire.

Department 19 takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond—from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia to the treacherous mountains of Transylvania. Part modern thriller, part classic horror, it's packed with mystery, mayhem, and a level of suspense that makes a Darren Shan novel look like a romantic comedy.

This isn't a sparkly Twilight vampire book. I enjoy a sparkly vampire tale as much as the next girl, but this book returns to the traditional vampire. These vampires have fangs. They can be killed by a stake and sunlight. They aren't vegetarian. And some of them are out for world domination. Jamie is thrown into the middle of this world trying to save his mother, learn more about the mysterious Department 19 and try to stay alive. Typical day really. This is 540 pages of wonderful reading. Now I just need to wait for book 2... 

Want to know more? Check out the Department 19 website here. Will Hill also blogs: Blog

What was your favourite debut read this year?