Summary:
In her small town, dubbed "Dullsville," sixteen-year-old Raven -- a vampire-crazed goth-girl -- is an outcast. But not for long...
The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people -- especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.
Ellen Schreiber's spooky and stirring romance tells the story of two outsiders who fall in love in a town where conformity reigns, and ends with a shocking surprise.
The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people -- especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.
Ellen Schreiber's spooky and stirring romance tells the story of two outsiders who fall in love in a town where conformity reigns, and ends with a shocking surprise.
Review: This was a sweet, quirky book told by a rather perky goth girl. Vampire Kisses reminds me of cotton candy: light and sweet but insubstantial. The book is YA but read like middle grade to me. I confess that I was waiting for the entire book for the story to take off, but it never really did for me. It could be that I never adjusted to Schreiber's writing style, which is very light and fluffy. I have read other reviews calling the writing ditzy. I wouldn't go that far, but the writing style is what made this book feel middle grade to me.
I really had no idea a goth girl could be so perky, but Raven was. She is obsessed with vampires and becomes convinced that the new family living in the haunted mansion in town are vampires. Raven's dream in life is to become a vampire, so she sets out to find out the truth.
One thing I really liked was Raven's sense of self-awareness and self-esteem. She could very easily have gotten played by the most popular boy in school who was trying to make a fool out of her, but instead she turns the situation around and makes him out to be a laughingstock. She keeps the same can-do attitude and refuses to let people get the best of her throughout the entire book. I think that was my favorite thing about this story.
I would recommend Vampire Kisses to fans of YA vampire novels only.
Just One Gripe:
The whole book was just too light for me. It was fine while it lasted, but I won't be buying the rest of this series.
The Best Thing About This Book:
Raven's high self-esteem.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes
Score:
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Setting/Imagery: 2/5
Originality: 2/5
Ending: 2/5
Total Score: 11/25
I dig light :) I should check this out :)
ReplyDeleteReading the summary, this sounded like my kind of book, but having read your review I think I've changed my mind. I like my vamps a little darker! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteI have this book. I've actually had it for over a year. I got the book soley for its cover; I got the edition with this cover. I'm afraid my interest in reading this book has vanished. Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll take a crack at it.
ReplyDeleteWill pick it up when I'm in a light mood then :)
ReplyDelete