Teen vampires are a dime a dozen nowadays, but how many attend Comic-Con? Doug does, under a white poncho because sunlight sears his pale, new-vampire skin. The title word "fat" stands (gratuitously) for dorkiness; this geek-culture romp bubbles with computers, comics and bodily teen-boy awkwardness. It's hilarious but also sharply meaningful—exchange student Sejal arrives from Kolkata ill and wounded from a traumatic case of "the Google." As Doug seeks blood (deer's better than cow, but human's best) and chafes at vampiric education from a creepy elderly enigma, Sejal bonds with her host family's daughter and tries to recall her sense of self, recently misplaced on the Internet. Cable TV's cult show Vampire Hunters tracks Doug, who's ever more powerful—and ever less palatable. Rex addresses kindness, ethics and racism directly but also indulges in a hipster irony peppered with race and disability jabs, romanceless-but-Twilight–esque gender dynamics and a troubling sort of post-homophobia exploitation of gay stereotypes. Nevertheless, horror chills, humor, crisp prose and excellent secondary teen characters make this one fun read. (Humor/horror. YA)

As vampires go, 15-year-old Doug Lee is an abysmal failure. Forever frozen as an overweight teenager, he's stumbling through his unlife. He can't seem to master his powers, can't score a quick nibble off a cute girl, and risks bursting into flames every time he goes to school. Worse, his escapades attract the attention of other vampires, and a sensationalistic cable show dedicated to proving that he exists (before staking him). Things take a turn for the better when he gains a mentor, learns there may be a way to reverse his vampiric nature, and falls for a cute Indian exchange student. But in typical Doug fashion, the more optimistic he gets and the more he embraces his new powers, the more it all stands to fall apart. Filled with a self-aware cleverness, Rex's (The True Meaning of Smekday) deconstruction of the vampire mythos draws some thought-provoking parallels between vampirism and elements of contemporary society, particularly the consumptive power of technology and the Internet. But like its subject matter, it seems to lack heart, and the ambiguous ending may leave readers cold. Ages 14–up. (July)

Gr 10 Up—Unlike most vampires who are drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, and irresistible, Doug is the exact opposite. Overweight, unpopular, and dorky, he seals his fate by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and as a result was attacked by a starving, newly made vampire. Now he must spend the rest of his immortal life as an unattractive 15-year-old, feeding off cows to satisfy his need for blood. With the support of some local vampire guardians and his friend Jay, the teen must now learn how to "live" life as a vampire. If events aren't complicated enough, he falls for the "new girl" at school, and has the star of the TV show Vampire Hunters hot on his trail, trying to expose him to the world. Rex's story falls flat. The back-and-forth narration between Doug and Sejal is confusing and slows down the plot. There are some promising moments, funny scenes, and intriguing themes that unfortunately just don't pan out.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY