Youngblood

impossible. I couldn't eat fries, and the sun tended to make me queasy. But still, something in me pulsed with longing. "I just want to feel what it's like to be a country club member, you know?"

 

"Uh-huh, I do know, I'm pretty sure my whole family knows, including everyone we left back in El Salvador. And no, I absolutely do not think they'll let us take an afternoon off to pretend like we belong. We wear the uniforms around here."

 

I turned back toward the dim kitchen, my vision throbbing after the brilliant light of the pool scene. "We'll have to become millionaires first. We could be members ourselves."

 

Guzman was rooting through the fridge. "I love the long-term vision, but as an immediate act of resistance, I'm making a quesadilla. This institution robbed us of our lunch break. You want half?"

 

The truth was, I hadn't skipped lunch because we were busy. I'd skipped it because Guzman had been there. Summer break meant I could work enough to have some savings left over for the school year. Guzman was planning to do the same, and we'd both applied to the Snack Shack. With Shelby lifeguarding, it had seemed like the perfect setup for a perfect summer-even if Guz and I would be spending it in a tiny, overheated kitchen.

 

There was only one problem: I'd forgotten to factor Hema into the plan. Having Guzman around all day meant that the human blood substitute I drank at breakfast would have to hold me until my shift ended. The first few days, I'd gotten so hungry by closing I'd caught myself looking a little too long at the bare wrists and exposed necks of the club members. I considered sneaking some Hema into the kitchen, so I could grab a sip when Guzman wasn't looking. But having to explain why there was a bottle of blood next to the burger patties was far worse than going hungry.

 

I pressed my hand to my forehead, slightly dizzy. Most days, I could manage. I was no stranger to self-control. But my mom and I often had only

boarding school stories and vampire lore are exciting, but the messy relationship drama creates the most intrigue...Frothy, angst-y fun." Kirkus Reviews



"[A] vibrant, voice-driven paranormal romance....Laurens elevates this fresh look at vampire society, which is briming with classic boarding school tropes, by astutely tackling timely issues, including homophobia and classism." Publishers Weekly (starred review)