Books for Boys (and men) have no feelings

Given, Cirque Du Freak is a book for younger boys than most of the teen lit i've been reading. It probably falls aroud the 5th to 8th grade range and most of the Gossip Girls books would be about 7th-9th grade, although Princess Dairies, and even the Travelling Pants books would be read a little younger, but maybe that's because they are sweeter. Still I could see a boy at 12 enjoying Cirque Du Freak while his twin read Princess Diaries.

Maybe this is because boys mature later, but I think maybe it's because boys don't care about love or sex or people as much as they care about sports and adventure, and at age 12 they're a little more honest about it and less a slave to their biology than they are at 14, when they still care more about sports and cars and whatever it is than about love or sex, but their bodies keep reminding them to think about girls. That's why boys don't read romances, (or Gossip Girl) they watch sports, play video games and read comics. While the sports and the video games are about doing something the comic books are also about being or becoming something stronger and more powerful. sure comics have hot chicks in underpants, but they only get a panel or two.

Cirque du Freak fits this catagory, along with Raymond Chandleresque cold male writing. Darren Shan (who is also supposedly the writer, as in "this is a true story. you're reading my diary" sort of rubbish. the writer's real name is Darren O'Shaugnessy) is about fourteen, good at soccer, good at school and likes his family. He cares most about soccer, which he scores the most points at during lunchtime than any of the other kids, but he also likes spiders, comic books, and his little sister. He's kind of sweet and treats his family well, a thing not seen too often in teen books.
It's funny that this is another one of the successful series of books. Many of them in the top 150 (i think they even do better in the UK and in Ireland, where O'Shaugnessy is from) because i thought they were a little boring.
but boys like stories of talent, which the character of darren has in both spider taming and in soccer, and then gets turned into a vampire.

do kids really want to be vampires?
they don't have a fear of flying or getting old yet. they don't know how much it sucks to have to get a job or deal with complicated issues. even things that seem hard as a teenager don't seem like they'd make you want to be a vampire.

but darren gets turned into a half vampire, fakes his death and that's where the story ends. even though i thought it was boring, i'm still a little interested to see where it goes. what happens to him now that he's a vampire. and the vampires aren't all hot and sexy like spike and angel and dru on buffy; the vampire is just old.