NIGHT ROAD: A.M. Jenkins: HarperTeen: Young Adult: 362 pagesWhen Cole and Sandor are assigned to teach Gordo, a new vampire (“hemavore”), the practices of their parasitic life, they set out on a road trip that causes Cole to battle with his memories of a failed relationship and to constantly struggle to keep Gordo, and himself, safe.
This is a vampire tale that portrays vampires in a more traditional role than the Twilight series. The vampires burn in the sun and suck human blood to sustain life, but they also struggle to remain undetected, appearing as average American teenagers who frequent bars. The story is thoughtful, considering choices and consequences, but the plot moves slowly and the most interesting part of the story, an encounter with a stray vampire, plays a minor role that could have been expanded to pick up the pace of the novel.
MBC
1 comment:
The primary readers of this novel should be adults, not young teenagers. I wonder if it was originally packaged for adults but then marketing changed the target audience due to the "Twilight" craze. Jenkins manages to infuse the vampire mythology with a fresh twist in this novel. Just like there are carnivores and omnivores, there are also hemovores, who happen to detest the term vampires. The eternal beings grapple with the concept of immortality, sometimes without success. Take away the vampire twist and this is a road trip book where an adult mentors a teenager and questions his own reality. This book almost has a Nick Hornby feel without the wry humor. The characters debate and question the concepts of humanity, sexuality, loyalty, and change. This is not another teenage vampire book but almost a philosophical treatise.
Post a Comment