Books for Teens

I Am Legend

By: Richard Matheson

Review by:  Jared B. (age 13)

The world has fallen into chaos when a deadly virus breaks out turning everyone into bloodthirsty “vampires”. Robert Neville, the main character, has to survive the constant attack every night by the night time monsters. They throw rocks at his house and yell taunts to try to convince him to leave the safety of his house. Neville not only has to survive the fight against vampires, but also has to struggle against sanity. He hasn’t seen anyone since the infection broke out two years prior, and he is slowly becoming more and more helpless. His once neighbor and friend Ben Cortman is an infected individual and the leader of the pack that hunts Neville.  You might say his “friend” does everything in his power to try to get Robert outside to be sucked dry of his blood. Then, one day Neville gets that tiny ounce of hope he has so aspired for. A dog, but not any dog a non-infected dog that has been wandering the streets and somehow surviving. Neville constantly lures him in everyday with bribes of food (the dog looked rather hungry). Eventually the dog gets close enough to grab, and Robert doesn’t miss the chance. But to Neville’s demise the dog cowered in the corner for days. Then something happened and it struck him hard and fast. Neville once again sinks back into depression -- hoping for that glimpse of hope or that drop of a new life. Will Robert Neville survive mentally and physically through the epidemic vampire disease? Or will he constantly suffer the rest of his life?