Mel is horrified when Francis Duvarney, arrogant, gorgeous, and undead, starts at her high school. Mel’s best friend, Cathy, immediately falls for the vampire. Cathy is determined to be with him forever, even if having him turn her could inadvertently make her a zombie.
And Mel is equally determined to prove to her BFF that Francis is no good, braving the city’s vampire district and kissing a cute boy raised by vampires as she searches evidence in this touching and comic novel.
You know the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, this one definitely fits that. If you thought you were getting a dark, edgy, super serious book about humans fighting vampires in a dystopian world, or something like that, yeah not so much. The title works fine, but that cover art is way out of line with the tone of the actual story.
Mel and crew live in a world where vampires have existed and been recognized since (at least) the American Revolution. Other creatures too, but vamps just so happen to mainly congregate in Maine, in this town of New Whitby. There are laws and regulations for vampires, where all windows in public spaces have to be UV blocking, and vampire law enforcement is a thing along with human law enforcement, and making new vampires is highly regulated. In other words, this world sounds fascinating and I want more of it. Historical, modern, I don't care, I want more.
The characters were great. Mel especially hit all my favorites for a main YA protagonist, and kept the tone witty, light, and fun. It was a fun book to read. That's not saying it didn't have dark, more serious themes - it totally did - but the lens we got it through kept it from being really disheartening and deep. Which may definitely not be some people's preference, but it makes a good fluff book to enjoy and move on.
My only major complaint is how the parents were handled. Mel makes a big deal about how mothers and fathers should act (it's a main part of the plot and subplot), and do act. Yet we see/hear her parents all of two times in the course of the story. I think the pacing worked well as is, but it would have been a bit more credible and weighty for her to have a first-hand comparison to draw from, instead of just saying, "That's how moms are."
Anyway, loved the story, the mystery, the characters, and absolutely loved the setting. Not nearly as serious as the cover conveys, which may be a plus or minus depending on what you're looking for. But a fun read if you're looking for a stand-alone paranormal romance-ish book.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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