Book Review: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Summary:

Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper. 

But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .

If she even has one.

Review:
I'm going to risk certain death by Meg Cabot's legions of devoted fans and tell the unvarnished truth about what I thought of Insatiable.  I was not at all impressed.  After reading and enjoying Size 12 Is Not Fat (the only other Meg Cabot book I've ever read), I was fully prepared to love Insatiable.  However, that was not the case.  I nearly gave up on the book about 100 pages in.  The story took a long time to interest me, and I found some of the characters' backstories hard to follow.  About 150 pages in, it got better.  However, this was short-lived.  The plot took a major turn that I was not expecting near the end, a turn that seemed contrived.  Another drawback was the fact that what I understand to be the trademark Meg Cabot humor was lacking throughout the entire book.

I can forgive a lot in a book that is written well with good prose and dialogue (such as Shiver).  I cannot; however, forgive the deficiencies in Insatiable's plot, despite the fact that I like the way Cabot writes.  Don't get me wrong, this is still a cleverly written book, laden with smart references to today's pop culture (True Blood, Twilight, and the vampire craze).  I like that.  But I think what turned me off the most from Insatiable was the lack of development of Meena's love life.  She falls in love with Lucian almost immediately after meeting him and that relationship felt so flat and forced to me.  Now, maybe she was glamored by Lucian and her feelings weren't real.  I couldn't figure that out, though, and by the end of the book, I didn't care enough to try.

 

Just One Gripe:
I'm starting to realize that I just don't like books where the heroine completely loses her mind and all sense of self-preservation and falls in love at first sight with a dangerous man (see my thoughts on Hush, Hush). 

The Best Thing About This Book:
Jack Bauer.  As a huge 24 fan, I loved the addition of Jack Bauer to the story. 

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Maybe: It has no more sex or violence than Vampire Academy or Wicked Lovely.

Score:

Characters: 2/5

Plot: 3/5

Setting/Imagery: 2/5

Originality: 2/5

Ending: 3/5

Total Score:  12/25

 

Tell me what you think of Insatiable.  I want to know!