Sweetblood
Encyclopedia
Sweetblood is a young adult novel by Pete Hautman
, first published in 2003. It is the story of a teenage girl's encounter with the vampire subculture
. The novel "was recognized as a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and received the Minnesota Book Award for Best Youth Literature".
So says 16-year-old Lucy Szabo. She has a theory: hundreds of years ago, before the discovery of insulin
, slowly dying diabetics were the original vampires. Lucy, a diabetic herself, counts herself among the modern Undead. As Sweetblood, Lucy frequents the Transylvania room, an internet chatroom where so-called vampires gather. But Draco, one of the other visitors to Transylvania, claims to be a real vampire--and Lucy's not entirely sure he's kidding. As Lucy becomes more involved with the vampire subculture
, the rest of her life comes to seem unimportant. Her grades plummet, her relationship with her parents deteriorates, and her ability to regulate her blood sugar worsens dramatically. Then she meets Draco, face to face, and he invites her into his strange world. Lucy realizes that she needs to make some difficult choices--if it isn't already too late.
's own ideas on diabetes and vampirism which he first wrote down in 1978.
Many vampire forums
actually exist.
Pete Hautman
Pete Hautman is the author of many well received young adult novels, one of which, Godless, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Hautman moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota at the age of five. He later graduated from St...
, first published in 2003. It is the story of a teenage girl's encounter with the vampire subculture
Vampire lifestyle
The vampire lifestyle or vampire subculture is an alternative lifestyle, based on the modern perception of vampires in popular fiction. The vampire subculture has stemmed largely from the goth subculture, but also incorporates some elements of the sadomasochism subculture...
. The novel "was recognized as a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and received the Minnesota Book Award for Best Youth Literature".
Plot summary
- "There are only two races that matter: the Living and the Undead.
- And with every year that passes, the numbers of Undead grow. It is inevitable."
So says 16-year-old Lucy Szabo. She has a theory: hundreds of years ago, before the discovery of insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
, slowly dying diabetics were the original vampires. Lucy, a diabetic herself, counts herself among the modern Undead. As Sweetblood, Lucy frequents the Transylvania room, an internet chatroom where so-called vampires gather. But Draco, one of the other visitors to Transylvania, claims to be a real vampire--and Lucy's not entirely sure he's kidding. As Lucy becomes more involved with the vampire subculture
Vampire lifestyle
The vampire lifestyle or vampire subculture is an alternative lifestyle, based on the modern perception of vampires in popular fiction. The vampire subculture has stemmed largely from the goth subculture, but also incorporates some elements of the sadomasochism subculture...
, the rest of her life comes to seem unimportant. Her grades plummet, her relationship with her parents deteriorates, and her ability to regulate her blood sugar worsens dramatically. Then she meets Draco, face to face, and he invites her into his strange world. Lucy realizes that she needs to make some difficult choices--if it isn't already too late.
Background
Pete Hautman himself has type 1 diabetes, like the main character. Lucy, who was diagnosed at the age of six, believes she developed diabetes after receiving excessive amounts of rabies shots. Lucy's vampire theory is based on author Pete HautmanPete Hautman
Pete Hautman is the author of many well received young adult novels, one of which, Godless, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Hautman moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota at the age of five. He later graduated from St...
's own ideas on diabetes and vampirism which he first wrote down in 1978.
Many vampire forums
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
actually exist.