Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Companions of the Night

Title: Companions of the Night
Author: Vivian Vande Velde

What it's about: Late one night, Kerry goes to the local laundromat to retrieve a stuffed toy her young brother left there earlier. While there, a group of local vampires drag in a young man who they say is a vampire. Kerry naturally thinks this is crazy, and she helps the young man escape. He thanks her, and they part ways. The next evening, her father and brother go missing. The boy who Kerry helped escape, Ethan, turns out to be a vampire, like the vampire hunters claimed, and Kerry only narrowly avoids being bitten by promising to help Ethan find the vampire hunter still at large. This is also the only way she'll be able to find her father and brother.

What I thought: Any book where the vampires are cunning and rather alien from normal humans as opposed to being emo prettyboys who angst about what they are automatically gets points from me. Vande Velde paints a realistic, if somewhat dark, world for the story to take place in. Ethan is conniving, and Kerry is really pretty sensible about things, considering. The story had good pacing, and the relationship between Kerry and Ethan covers a lot of ground, from friendship to antagonism and lots in between.

Overall: I've always rather liked Vivian Vande Velde's books, and this is no exception. It's short, easy and fun read that'd I'd recommend to anyone who likes realistic vampire stories.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't remember if I recommended this to you, but you should read "Bloodsucking Fiends" by Christopher Moore. It's a hilarious vampire story set in San Fransisco. It avoids the Emo Vampire stereotype, too (at least, if I remember it right). I don't recommend the sequel, "You Suck," as much, because frankly, it sucked.

Amy Lynn said...

"Blooksucking Fiends", which you did recommend to me, is still on the wait list at the library. I might just have to cancel my request and try it again, because that book looked interesting.

Anonymous said...

I'm beginning to wonder if it'll just be faster to mail you my copy. :P