Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com
I like vampire stories. If you've read any of my other reviews, you might already know that. Because of my prejudice, I dove into the first in the series of VAMPIRE BEACH books with high expectations. And I did enjoy it. Yes, it has some problems in execution, but more about that later. First the good stuff.
As BLOODLUST begins, high school senior, Jason Freeman, has just moved into an exclusive Malibu subdivision with his sister and their nouveau rich parents. He experiences the typical teenage angst: the girl he likes is taken, he can't have a good time at parties because he's always watching out for his younger sister, one of his new friends isn't exactly riding the top rung of the social ladder, etc. The usual stuff. But something seems a little odd in Malibu. Then a girl turns up dead, and Jason discovers that the popular crowd at his high school is made up of vampires.
This book put a fun spin on both the traditional vampire story and the "high school popular crowd" story. I stayed up late, turning pages to see what would happen. That's a good sign. When I was done with BLOODLUST, I was grateful that there was another VAMPIRE BEACH book on hand and I tore right into it.
Unfortunately, BLOODLUST did have some problems that detracted from my enjoyment. First, it was too short. There was clearly a lot of stuff going on in Jason's high school, but relatively little of it was explored. When he discovered the vampires and began learning about them, I ended up with more questions than answers. And by the time the real mystery began, the author seemed in a hurry to resolve it. Seemingly, no sooner did Jason realize there was a problem than it was solved. That was a letdown. I wanted more investigation, more conflict, more story.
Another thing that bothered me was the use of slang. The author was eager to portray authentic-sounding teen dialogue, but it seemed forced and, at times, outdated. That is often the problem with trying to write the way modern teens speak. By the time the book is published, the dialogue already sounds like it was written about two centuries ago. And be warned that this one is for older readers. It contains frequent references to alcohol use and some sexual activity.
I found VAMPIRE BEACH: BLOODLUST to be an enjoyable, light read. No deep human truths will be revealed, but there is plenty of good, old-fashioned, escapist fantasy. This slender volume is the perfect companion for your next plane trip. It should keep you entertained all the way from check-in to baggage claim.
I like vampire stories. If you've read any of my other reviews, you might already know that. Because of my prejudice, I dove into the first in the series of VAMPIRE BEACH books with high expectations. And I did enjoy it. Yes, it has some problems in execution, but more about that later. First the good stuff.
As BLOODLUST begins, high school senior, Jason Freeman, has just moved into an exclusive Malibu subdivision with his sister and their nouveau rich parents. He experiences the typical teenage angst: the girl he likes is taken, he can't have a good time at parties because he's always watching out for his younger sister, one of his new friends isn't exactly riding the top rung of the social ladder, etc. The usual stuff. But something seems a little odd in Malibu. Then a girl turns up dead, and Jason discovers that the popular crowd at his high school is made up of vampires.
This book put a fun spin on both the traditional vampire story and the "high school popular crowd" story. I stayed up late, turning pages to see what would happen. That's a good sign. When I was done with BLOODLUST, I was grateful that there was another VAMPIRE BEACH book on hand and I tore right into it.
Unfortunately, BLOODLUST did have some problems that detracted from my enjoyment. First, it was too short. There was clearly a lot of stuff going on in Jason's high school, but relatively little of it was explored. When he discovered the vampires and began learning about them, I ended up with more questions than answers. And by the time the real mystery began, the author seemed in a hurry to resolve it. Seemingly, no sooner did Jason realize there was a problem than it was solved. That was a letdown. I wanted more investigation, more conflict, more story.
Another thing that bothered me was the use of slang. The author was eager to portray authentic-sounding teen dialogue, but it seemed forced and, at times, outdated. That is often the problem with trying to write the way modern teens speak. By the time the book is published, the dialogue already sounds like it was written about two centuries ago. And be warned that this one is for older readers. It contains frequent references to alcohol use and some sexual activity.
I found VAMPIRE BEACH: BLOODLUST to be an enjoyable, light read. No deep human truths will be revealed, but there is plenty of good, old-fashioned, escapist fantasy. This slender volume is the perfect companion for your next plane trip. It should keep you entertained all the way from check-in to baggage claim.
