Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore

Most of Danny’s classmates at Carpathia Night High think he’s half-vamp, half-human, and he’d rather not correct their mistaken assumption. True, being thought of as half-human puts Danny near the bottom of the high school hierarchy, but Danny knows how most vampires treat werewolves, so why not pretend he’s half-human.

Humans, vamps, and wulves co-existed for thousands of years. Over the past century, the status of vamps rose considerably, thanks to the development of synthetic blood for vamps to drink instead of, you know, human blood. But wulves? They have few rights, are often discriminated against, and are generally poorer and less educated than humans and vamps. Worst of all, wulves are required to register with the government so they can be herded into compounds every month during the full moon, when they undergo the Change. The compounds are dirty and brutal, surrounded by electric fences and armed guards. Not registering is illegal, and anyone aiding moonrunners—unregistered wulves—is breaking the law as well.

So when Danny starts feeling poorly—and his headaches are accompanied by enhanced vision and sense of smell—he knows something is not right. Is his wulf side emerging, in spite of the genetic treatments he received as a child? With the full moon coming up soon, Danny doesn’t have much time to figure out what’s going on. Or what he’ll do if he Changes.

If you're looking for a different take on werewolfs and vampires, one that is less about exploring supernatural abilities and more focused on everyday issues like identity, class, and discrimination  (with often clever wulf/vamp twists on contemporary culture and a few historical figures), give Peter Moore's Red Moon Rising a try.

Book details:
YA fiction
First published 2011 by Hyperion
Paperback ISBN (2012): 9781423119395