by Holly Black
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| I liked this cover but it isn't really anything special. Doesn't really have anything to do with the novel. |
Easy Read
Vampire/ Paranormal / Post Apocalyptic/
Ya novel
7.5 Stars
So I picked this book up from the library on a whim, I was just looking for books that I thought I would be able to finish in one maybe two sittings (three at the most). I hadn't picked up anything paranormal in a long time and the cover caught my eye. I have never read anything by Holly Black, I knew the name but it didn't thing to me so I didn't have any expectations. This was a good read, took me two sittings and I enjoyed it. It was more complex and in-depth than what I expected. There wasn't a love triangle or too many overwhelming little irritating things that seem to be in most YA nowadays. Holly Black really didn't throw in tons of unnecessary things that I find authors have been putting in their books just to crowd please. Overall something I would but on my TBR if your a paranormal fan, vampire fan its good summer read, read-a-thon read. But its not a MUST read.
SPOILERS BELOW BEWARE! + character list, general story overview, random notes, extra stuff more something for memory or school (not that i'm in school but...)
Overview
The spread of vampirism caused the collapse of society, vampirism is a virus. The period between when you are infected and when you bite another human is called "going cold". While you are "cold" you are still a human however you will constantly crave blood, this induces a form of madness. You become dangerous to everyone around you.If you do not wish to become a vampire you must resist drinking human blood for 88 days, after the first day or two the infected cannot willfully resist the urge to drink blood only restrained quarantine will save them. Quarantine does not have a good success rate, the infected will attempt anything in order to get blood, as a result the "jailer" often a family member will take pity on them and set them free from their restraints, the "jailer" is then most often killed as the infected drains them of all blood. The infected is also at risk of starving or dehydrating (because they are still human they must eat and drink but they will not want to). If you make it through the 88 Days you remain a normal human.
If you do drink human blood after going cold you die and are reborn as a vampire. A newborn vampire will kill the first person they see, lost in the initial bloodlust. A wounded or staving vampire also has very little control over their feeding. Other than that these "people" are supposed to be much like they where as humans.
Coldtown - If you are a vampire or have been infected by one, the USA government has built "coldtowns" where you are quarantined from the rest of the population. Once you enter a Coldtown the only way to leave is with a Token. The only way to obtain a token is by capturing a "rogue" vampire (any vampire outside of a Coldtown).
Inside a Coldtown there are humans, the infected and vampires.
Humans can sell themselves or just their blood to vampires,
There are many humans who wish to become vampires,
Old Vampires
Before the vampire disease was widespread their was the Oldones, they always killed victims never creating new vampires, their king was known as The Spider. they kept themselves a secret from humans.
Characters
Tana
- traumatic past
- her mother was infected
- her father attempted quarantine
- Tana set her mother free and was attacked
- her father killed her mother to save Tana
- Father never recovered
- Tana grew up raising her younger sister Pearl
- strong attachment/protectiveness Pearl
- Her Ex is Aiden, he broke up with her
Caspar Morales
- The vampire who caused the "apocalypse" he spread the virus all over the world creating new vampires wherever he went.
Gavriell
- Thorn of Istra, Old World vampire who hunted vampires. killing any new vampires, thus keeping them a secret and not spreading the virus
- He was tortured for 10 years by The Spider after Caspar "ended the world" for not killing Caspar before he could spread the disease.
- Killed his brother as a human = traumatic past
- His brother had slept with his girlfriend and drove her to suicide
Lucien
- Old world Vampire
- Created Gavriell
- Created Caspar Morales
- Celebrity Vampire preferring the New world to the old world, has a tv show
Pearl
- Tana's younger sister
- a fan of Lucien's TV show - celebrity enamoured a little, starstuck into not seeing vampires 100% as they are (having more humanity than they do)
Story
House party everyone is killed by vampires but Tana and Aiden. Aiden is infected, enter Gavriell the captive vampire of the killer vampires. Escaping the enemy vampires Tana is possibly infected. They head for the nearest Coldtown. On their way they run into Midnight and Winter who are also going to the Coldtown they wish to become vampires and join the group. As they enter Coldtown Tana gets a Token, so that she may leave if she is not infected.
Gavriell splits from the group as they enter Coldtown, he is going to kill Lucien
Winter and Midnight along with friends lock up Aiden and Tana.Giving Aiden blood so that he will rise as a vampire, kill Tana and then be able to infect them thus making them vampires. Tana escapes (Adien steals her token). Aiden rises killing one man, infects Midnight who then kills Winter.
Tana goes to Lucien's mansion (eternal parties lots of vampires and humans) looking for Gavriell. Tana is attacked by Midnight and bitten (definitively infected now), Tana kills Midnight.
Lucien and Gavriell confront each other and decided to join forces to kill The Spider,
Lucien has Tana captive (under the guise of helping her) to control Gavriell, and invites Pearl to Coldtown so that he can control Tana, Tana finds out that her sister is in danger.
Tana kills Lucien and finds out that Gavriell is The Spider having killed his captor.
Liked
The thing that I liked most about this book was that it does not tell you on the cover, the back or the synopsis that this is a vampire novel.I liked that while there was somewhat of a "love triange" setup it was not a love triangle there was nothing but friendship between Tana and Aiden. Non of this "I can't decide they are both so amazing" cliche ect. BS
Crushing just a little bit on Gavriell.
Disliked
I felt like Pearl being as much of a character was unnecessary, hearing about her in the past tense or from memory would have been enough. I did not need the change of perspective, in order to justify Pearls trip to Coldtown.
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