Teenager Alice Bonham’s life feels crazy after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave, he’s unlike anyone she knows. Then she meets his brother, Peter. Even though he can’t stand the sight of her, she’s drawn to him. Falling for two guys isn’t even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood.
I believe this is Amanda Hocking’s first self published book and honestly you can see it. When I first opened the book I couldn’t help noticing the similarities to the TWILIGHT SAGA and MY BLOOD APPROVES. I mean, seriously, it’s a vampire with a vampire family and a girl who isn’t affected by them like most humans are. But really, that’s where the similarities end.
I really liked this book. I’m a big fan of Hocking and I loved her TRYLLE TRILOGY so much that I had to give this a shot. Yes, there are distinct editing errors such as word choice, punctuation, and slight grammar, but it wasn’t bad enough to deter me. The characters are well thought out and I could vividly see them.
For the people who compare this to TWILIGHT. The similarities are all I’ve listed above. The vampires don’t sparkle, they can walk in daylight (though aren’t big fans) and they do sleep. Like Meyer, Hocking makes the vampires her own. She twists old vampire movies, myths, and puts a dash of Hocking in it to make the vampires believable enough for me. Though you won’t see much biting, there is enough sexual tension to keep me going.
For a first book, it isn’t bad. I’m sure it isn’t for everyone, but the ending had me hooked enough to keep up with the series. That and I honestly love the way Hocking weaves pop culture, cult classics, and the young adult urban fantasy together. She has her own unique voice and I love that about her. I’m looking forward to seeing what more her vampires do.
Casia's Corner 