I tried to read this book when it first came out, and didn't get very far. Having it not read affects my NetGalley rating, so I was motivated to give it another go. I finished it this time, but without enthusiasm. It felt a little too 'sophisticated'? 'adult'? to be a YA novel. The subtleties of dry humor would take a special reader to become engrossed in the prose as well as the story. It felt heavier than its humorous intentions. Not that stereotypes are humorous, but the more recent book, Spliced (about chimeras) dealt with society's reaction to 'others' in a more interesting way. Although Spliced by Jon McGoran wasn't around when Meehl's book was written, I now have the understanding for why Suck It Up and Die didn't work for me; because Spliced did.

Super vampire Morning McCobb is back, and trying to help the Vampire League get the Vampire Rights Act passed. While vampires are now out, they have also been stripped of many of their rights, such as voting and owning businesses. People like the MOPs, led by Becky-Dell Wallace are still afraid that vampires will go back to drinking blood, and also don't like that vampires can CD (cell differentiate, or shape shift). While Luther Birnam, president of the League, thinks vampires should toe the line and behave so they can have rights, Morning just wants to get on with his life. He wants to be able to marry Portia, but is glad that he can participate in the New York Fire Department Academy while "officially" 16, due to his vampire powers. Problems arise when Ikor DeThanatos comes back from the dead, and not surprisingly, has it out for Morning. He gets into an odd arrangement with Becky-Dell, setting up a consensual bloodlust online dating service which makes the League look bad and leads to the defeat of the VRA. Luther realizes that vampires can regain their mortality if they embrace the dreams they had while mortal, and Morning realizes that he is aging very slightly. Before this becomes an issue for him, Ikor impersonates him and turns Zoe, and is caught on camera! Leaguers are all told to report to Leaguer Mountain for screening, but are then attacked. Epic battles ensue. Will the League be able to survive, much less get rights back for vampires?
Strengths: Here is a guilty confession: I have THREE copies of Suck it Up (2008) in my library. No matter how carefully I go over orders, there are occasionally duplicates, and I ended up with copies from Baker and Taylor AND from Follett. The good news? None of them are ever on the shelf, so it was money well spent. These are a nice twist on vampire lore, have some romance, and are a good recommendation for students who only want to read vampire books.
Weaknesses: This one was more Young Adult. Not that there was inappropriate content (there is a little sexuality, but not too bad), but it was VERY political, and the whole concept of becoming mortal again got to be a little confusing. I couldn't quite tell what the political direction was, but it incorporated elements of the Civil Rights movement, Women's Rights movement, and Gay Pride movement. A lot of heavy stuff for middle school, but it would be fantastic for high school! That said, I have to buy a copy to satisfy all the readers of the first book!