Customer Reviews

The Becoming

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

If anyone's thinking of reading The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein and giving the Anna Strong series a try, may I recommend that you don't waste your time or money and just skip it. As a fantasy book, the world that Stein presents us with is rather thin and unoriginal. As a crime/paranormal type book, well... there's not really a whole lot to worry your pretty little head over. If you're just looking for a story about interesting, well-developed, realistic characters then you're not going to find that either. The main character's most dramatic reaction to being brutally raped and turned into a vampire is to become strongly annoyed that people are able to read her thoughts. In fact, not only will you encounter thin setup, plot, and characters in this novel, but any feminist notions you might have will probably be offended along the way. Our heroine, who is described as being 'wired for sex', allows herself to be seduced by her super rich and mysterious vampire mentor time and time again. Giving into the seduction isn't even described as a cognitive choice. Instead, the protagonist is simply overwhelmed with desire whenever he gets too close and immediately swoons. It's not until later on that she even thinks about her long term relationship with another man, and the fact that this supposed guide to the vampire world is probably just using her for his own means. But that's ok, I'm sure she was just exploring her crazy new vampiric senses and, after all, she is wired for sex.

By the way, for those of you just looking for a mindless, fun read about vampires and graphic sex? Go back to Hamilton, because Stein glosses right over the juicy details.

Bounty hunter Anna Strong is viciously attacked one night by a skip who turns out to be a brand-new vampire. She lives to walk away, but she soon discovers that she's becoming a vampire herself. Anna then meets and greets the local vamps, flees from some not-too-skilled vampire hunters, and goes on the hunt again for the rogue who assaulted her. All the while she attempts to adjust to her new lifestyle.

The storyline itself is pretty basic. Of course, as an introductory novel to a series, the plot's lack of originality can be overlooked if the world and its characters are given free rein to develop. But, sadly, that doesn't happen. Very little is revealed about vampire society, and, for the most part, the characters seem straight out of central casting. Anna herself is still an enigma by the end of the book, and she's the narrator. But, despite the fact that the story bounces along with Anna from scene to scene, the reader isn't given much background information on her life or insight into her personality.

Unfortunately, what the characters lack in substance they make up for in melodrama. They are often agitated and overly-emotional, and that's what really killed the story for me. There are several conversations throughout the book where the characters treat the smallest slights as if they were mortal insults. Anna gets angry at her partner David, David gets angry at new guy Avery, and Avery gets angry at everybody. And the hissy fits aren't the only problem. There are raging hormones as well. Anna lusts after her vampire mentor, and he lusts after her, leading inevitably to a case of Instant Love Interest (which would have been more believable if Anna hadn't waxed poetically about her -still- current boyfriend only a few hours previously).

The over-the-top emotional states rang false to me, and that made the characters feel even LESS real. I got pulled out of the story several times because I felt like the characters were being manipulated into situations by their emotionally-driven snap-decisions. Plus, I just wanted to slap them for their pettiness and stupidity. Honestly, why would a supposedly street-smart woman move in with a man after knowing him for only 24 hours? And how could a vampire survive in secret for hundreds of years when he's so obviously emotionally unstable?

For a first book, The Becoming isn't awful, but it's not particularly memorable, either. It's a fantasy-mystery-romance hybrid, and, unfortunately, none of its parts feel complete. If the reader is looking for a supernatural mystery/thriller, there aren't enough clever plot twists and pulse-pounding scenes. If the reader is searching for urban fantasy/horror, there aren't enough fantastical elements and world-building facts. If the reader is hoping for a paranormal romance, the emotions feel forced, and the lust falls short of the mark. (Not only does Anna betray her boyfriend in the blink of an eye, the sex with the new love interest takes place off-screen.) The story left me frustrated because I was hoping for something "more," and all I got was a very light read. It didn't pique my interest to read any of Anna's further adventures.

(2.5 stars)

Normally, I would subtract a star because it's a series setup. But this story has a whole hog plot of its own, and stands well alone. It does not leave loose ends (or not really compelling ones, anyhow), so I'm not gonna do that this time

My book cover compared this to Mary Janice Davidson and Laurell K Hamilton. Um, it has vampires in it. Otherwise? Not so much.

Instead, it reminds me of an older series of books by a Canadian author Nancy Baker. The night inside was the first book in that series. Both involve a woman, strong, but not just how strong, who becomes a vampire.

Fans of Tanya Huff will like this also.

There's a good mythos that is explained well - enough of the basic legend with a few twists set in. There's the master/tutor vampire who is sexy as all get out. And there's Anna. We get to know anna just as anna gets to know anna, and that's the best part of the ride.

All in all a fast read with some surprising twists.

(*)>

THE BECOMING starts with a bang - as the book opens, protagonist Anna Strong is only moments away from a violent, but impermanent, death. Stein leads us through the attack, and then skips to the moment when Anna regains consciousness in the hospital. The doctor looking after her, Avery, doesn't seem to have much concern for hospital procedure - Anna has no memory of the attack, but Avery fills her in on all the gruesome details while Anna is still groggy and weak. He sends Anna home that very same day.

...Then shows up at her house later that afternoon, chipper as can be, to tell her what he couldn't before: actually, she's a vampire. He seems surprised that she hasn't already figured it out, and doesn't have any patience for her shock and disbelief. He wants to help her out, tutor her in vampire ways, but he expects her to be excited and happy about her new state pronto.

Avery is a total jerk. But he's suave and good-looking and willing to help, and Anna is completely smitten. She follows him back to his palatial home where he has a pretty easy time getting her into bed with him, despite the fact that she has a boyfriend of two years, Max.

At this point, I put THE BECOMING down. I have no patience for books about supposedly independent, kickass heroines who can't wait to fall into the arms of a big, strong man and let him solve all their problems. But this book had received so many fantastic reviews, and so many of the reviews had praised the twists and turns in Stein's plotting, that after a few days I decided I should pick the book up again and see what happens. Maybe Anna Strong would turn out to be more than just a doormat.

Well, everything I've described happens early on in the book. The plotting does have a lot of twists and turns, and I'm not going to spoil them. The problem that I had at the beginning never quite went away - either because Anna is a little stupid, or the author is a little clumsy, I'm not sure. I'm a little curious to find out what happens in subsequent books; Stein does have an interesting setup here, and if subsequent books are an improvement on the first, they could be very good. But as far as the becoming is concerned, my verdict is a great big, "MEH."

Have we read a dark fantasy from the perspective of a vampire? I hadn't. What is it, to slowly become a vampire (and a rather powerful one)? What is it, to become part of a family of immortals? How does it feel, when immortality sort of completely ruins the fun of emotions?

The story itself moves fast. The main character starts out as a bounty hunter, survives an attack, has severe problems enjoying her favorite Italian lasagna and then has to avoid being killed before her hunt for her kidnapped partner takes over the story. Speed-wise Stein keeps up with Laurell Hamilton and Charlaine Harris. Story-wise, it's excellent. (By the way, the comment in one of the reviews of the lack of emotion is rather silly - anyone well-read in the genre knows vampires have a different perspective on life).

Without any doubt the next books will prove to be highly entertaining. Hopefully Stein will keep us entertained with, what is still a morally good, vampiric main character.

Publishers must think that any attempt at writing urban fantasy makes a good book. I guess the popularity of the urban fantasy genre has everybody trying to make money off it. Well, readers still want books that have well developed characters, great writing and interesting plots. This book does not have any of those important characteristics. It is just a lame book.

This was my second time reading this book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read it! Anna Strong worked as a bounty hunter until one night things went awry and she wakes up in the hospital as a vampire. The doctor at the hospital, Dr. Avery, is also a vampire and he becomes Anna's mentor of sorts. Anna then faces one catastrophe after another, starting with being kidnapped, her home being destroyed by arson and then ending with the kidnapping of her business partner and friend, David. Anna realizes that someone is out to get her and she follows each trail, from Donaldson (the vampire who turned her), to the Revengers, to the vampire police chief, until she finds out who is behind all of it. This book has non-stop action as Anna learns what it means to be a vampire while trying to keep herself and her mortal friends alive. Highly recommended!

When one of her skips attacks her, bounty hunter Anna Strong does not realize at first how bad the attack truly is, even though she was hurt enough to go to a hospital and tests show she was raped. Not until her doctor speaks into her mind does she learn that she was changed into a vampire. That is the least startling thing she will face in days to come. The vampire community is vaster than is comprehensible to her and life as she knows it is finished. Her family and friends become targets- but of whom? Is it the Revengers? The vampire who made her? Or someone unthinkable? Moreover, who is "Casper", the strange voice in her head that guides and comforts her?

**** In an almost Hitchcockian way, this story keeps you guessing, with new twists coming almost every page. Anne is well named, strong in ways she does not even know. Though there really is not much ground to term it a romance, there is such a strong element of surprise to it and mystery that even if you don't like vampire novels- you ought to give this one a shot. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

I do not review often, but I thought I could help out those looking for a new vampire book. I love LK Hamilton, Butcher, Harrison, C. Harris, K. Chance, etc. (check out my goodreads profile, /hexgirl311 if you care to see) and Amazon recommended this book. It was quite boring and super predictable, this from someone who is surprised when watching the Friday the 13th movies that everyone dies at the end. The plot has too many coincidences, the characters are fairly stupid, and there isn't much vampire lore to immerse yourself in. Skip it.

While waiting for Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9) to ship to me, I grabbed this off the bookstore shelf in desperation and because Charlaine Harris had written a little blurb assuring her readers that they would like Anna Strong.

I don't really like her. She's a tough chick-turned-vamp not ready to give up her human life. I like tough chicks, but after awhile Anna Strong just gets boring. Loose threads are left dangling by the author over several books in the obviously planned series - not because she is stringing us along but simply because she forget to pick them up again.