Saturday, November 6, 2010

Book Review: Slayed by Amanda Marrone




SlayedSlayed by Amanda Marrone
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publish Date: October 5, 2010
Paperback, 272 pages
Young Adult, Paranormal





My Review:
Why I read this: Loved the cover and the blurb sounded interesting.

How is the novel driven: Action with some character development.

My thoughts: I read this in one evening.  Pretty much one sitting, just a break to eat and play on the computer a bit.  This is a quick, light and easy read.  I really liked the three main characters, Daphne, Kiki, and Tyler.  It's a fun story of a girl that travels with her parents killing vampires and she never gets to settle down and have a normal teenage girls life.  That wonn't change when she reaches the coastal Maine town or will it?

Suddenly she has a best friend and a potential boyfriend.  The problem is the town is overrun with vampires that are stronger than what she is use to.

Lots of fun and laughs mixed in with the serious.  Yes the story is about the group coming in to take over the vampires, but it's more about Daphne and her desire for a normal childhood.  She has those typical in books, missing parents, ones that are more caught up in vampire hunting than raising their child.  This is pointed out more than once and you feel for Daphne.  But Daphne makes the best she can in her situation which she thinks improves with the introduction of Kiki and Tyler.

I loved Kiki, yes she has her own problems and her own absentee parents, but when given a situation to channel her energy she really shines.  And Tyler, that typical goth boy ends up completely different than first expected as well.

Full of action, laughs and character development, Slayed is a fun quick read.  Perfect for one of these cool autumn evenings.  I'm hoping to see more of the characters though the way it is tied up at the end I'm not sure we will.  Either way, I'm glad I spent an evening reading Slayed.  It's pure fun.

 

My Rating: 4.0/5.0


About the Book:

The Van Helsing family has been hunting vampires for over one hundred years, but sixteen-year-old Daphne wishes her parents would take up an occupation that doesn’t involve decapitating vamps for cash. All Daphne wants is to settle down in one place, attend an actual school, and finally find a BFF to go to the mall with. Instead, Daphne has resigned herself to a life of fast food, cheap motels and buying garlic in bulk.

But when the Van Helsings are called to a coastal town in Maine, Daphne’s world is turned upside down. Not only do the Van Helsings find themselves hunting a terrifying new kind of vampire (one without fangs but with a taste for kindergarten cuisine), Daphne meets her first potential BF! The hitch? Her new crush is none other than Tyler Harker, AKA, the son of the rival slayer family.

What's a teen vampire slayer to do?

About the Author:
Amanda Marrone grew up on Long Island where she spent her time reading, drawing, watching insects, and suffering from an overactive imagination. She earned a BA in education at SUNY Cortland and taught fifth and sixth grade in New Hampshire. She now lives in Connecticut with her husband, Joe, and their two kids.
Website
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FTC Information: I received this book from Star Book Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.