Vampire Kisses

Book Review

Title:  Vampire Kisses

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Genre: Young Adult, Dark Romance

Price -

Amazon.com:

           (Hard cover) = $11.39

           (Kindle Edition) = $5.99

         

Tagline: “A new guy in town. Rumors of vampires. Dangerous first love.”

Summary:

The mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood empty for years. But one day it seems to be occupied, and its mysterious, handsome inhabitant Alexander Sterling becomes the source of much talk around town. Raven, a vampire obsessed Goth-girl who has always considered herself an outsider in “Dullsville,” is determined to uncover the truth surrounding the secretive Alexander. As she gets to know him, and their spark intensifies. Raven finds herself in some unanticipated situations. 

Can Alexander make her lifelong dream come true? But love always has its complications—especially when it can only be awakened in nightfall.

Critical Reviews:

“All in all, a good read for those who want a vampire love story without the gore.” – School Library Journal

“Raven is exactly the kind of girl a Goth can look up to.” – Morbid Outlook Magazine

“Schreiber’s writing style is frank and funny, and she captures the angst of first love perfectly.” – VOYA

Rating:

✰✰✰✰

4 out of 5 stars

Review:

Vampire Kisses is Ellen Schreiber’s first novel in the Vampire Kisses Series. It is one of the very first dark romance novel I had read way back in high school that got me hooked up in vampire x human pairings. Yeah, surprise, surprise, it was not Twilight. So just to be candid, I may appear biased during this review. (Haha)

Anyhoo, Vampire Kisses is a simple novel with a simple plot that revolves around a quirky Goth girl named Raven, the one I should say that made the story extraordinarily interesting. She’s your ironic foil to the normal girl that was suddenly dragged to the world of vampires because to start in the first place, Raven wanted to become a vampire since she was in kindergarten. Yeah, what a funny little adorable imp she is. I love her character and remind me a lot of anime characters; it was so easy to get tune with her brain’s wavelength. I did get comments from some readers that she appears to be a Mary Sue (an over-exaggerated, non-realistic character) but even if she is, I hardly care; I enjoy her attitude and her wits a lot (so sue me).

And that doesn’t end there, the hero Alexander Sterling was, of course, so hot for me. The way he dress, he typically reminds me of a younger Johnny Depp (Ellen Schreiber says too in her site). Although having a stereotype character outline you would mostly see in male protagonist (such as being a gentleman, kind, mysterious), Alexander knows when to be feisty and when to fight back as the series progresses. He’s very charming for me and though I have grown out this story, he still never fails to amuse me.

There’s also this bad-rich guy who always tease Raven named Trevor, Raven’s country girl bestfriend Becky, her nerdy brother Billy Boy which I learned to love as a cute little boy in the story and other vampire villains. One could perceive them as typical characters but there’s this magic that exist within this character and how Raven sees them makes them more realistic especially when it comes to her parents and grown-ups.

Vampire Kisses is exactly a light vampire novel you would love if you’re looking for something fun to read minus all the major complications and problems that seem to never end in long novels. It’s a refreshing break from all the serious reading. The best part is, Vampire Kisses also has a manga, which depicts Alexander in a stunning bishounen that’s worth drooling for.

Most Memorable Part: is during Halloween when Raven was trick or treating in the Sterling Mansion where she saw Alexander the second time around after stopping Trevor from vandalizing the Mansion’s gate:

“I was ready to make my escape when I felt something I had never felt before: a presence. I turned around and let out a soundless gasp, because fear had taken my breath away. I stood frozen.

There he was…

His long black hair lay heavy on his shoulders. His eyes were dark, deep, lovely, adoringly, intelligent, dreamy. A gateway into his dark soul. He, too, stood motionless, breathing me in. His face was pale like mine…”

- Chapter 7, Happy Halloween, pg.61

Most Memorable Line:

“It’s beautiful here, don’t you think? There aren’t many lights to block out the stars. It’s like the universe is a huge canvas, with sprinkles of light that twinkle and glisten, like a painting that is always there, just waiting to be looked at. But people don’t notice it because they’re too busy. And it’s the most beautiful work of all.”

–  Alexander, Chapter 17, Dream Date, pg.141