I’m afraid this book review is a DNF – did not finish
Not because it was grossly offensive, not because it was
completely awful, not because it enraged me or offended me or left me outraged.
No, it’s a DNF because I was bored, because I saw little that engaged me or
drew me in and I was just bored by the time I made it half way through the
book.
It felt very paint-by-numbers to me. We have our
protagonist, Felicity, going to college in a new town. Which turns out to have
vampires in it (a fact she absorbs quickly) including Cain (yes, Cain. Cain.)
This is the good vampire, on first meeting he saves her life from the bad
vampires and the inevitable crushes begins. We’re quickly railroaded in them heading
together with him finding this college student he barely knows as super
compelling. We even have the extra lines about how he never ever lets himself get
close to other people any more but for some reason Felicity is just too
compelling for reasons that are never made clear. Oh wait, later there’s a line
that he finds her attractive because she’s a human who knows he’s a vampire and
isn’t wary about being all alone with him
Awww… lacking survival instincts is totally sexy guys!
This building romance has speed bumps in the form of
misunderstandings, occasional worries and introspection none of which lasts
more than a few pages and really doesn’t generate a whole lot of worry or
introspection
Which was another irritant – I mentioned that Felicity
accepted vampires quickly – well it was pretty ridiculous. It was like “vampires
are real!” ok… and she moves on. She doesn’t have a whole lot of questions, she
doesn’t take much time to adapt to this, she doesn’t change her behaviour a
great deal, she doesn’t make many enquiries, she doesn’t talk to people about
this, she doesn’t ask why this town is vampire central or whatever else is out
there or whether there is anything stopping the vampires attacking. When she
learns Cain is 300 years old she decides to… research the Salem Witch Trials…
…I have no idea why. Not even the slightest clue.
I’m also not entirely convinced by her characterisation –
she’s a student going to college and there’s a scene where she is asked if she
has Myspace
No, she doesn’t have Myspace. Because it’s the 21st
century. No-one has Myspace.
She also doesn’t have a mobile phone. Doesn’t have a
computer. Doesn’t have any social media presence and didn’t even know that social
media can be accessed via mobile phone
