6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, November 12, 2006
This review is from: Bloodlust (Vampire Beach) (Mass Market Paperback)
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 The author was eager to portray authentic-sounding teen dialogue, but it seemed forced and, at times, outdated.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.
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Malibu Vampire Scene, August 29, 2006
This review is from: Bloodlust (Vampire Beach) (Mass Market Paperback)
Jason Freeman's Family has just moved from Michigan to an exclusive neighborhood in Malibu. Jason is thrilled even if his younger sister has her doubts. Things go well at first as Jason quickly makes friend, makes the swim team, and falls in lust with a beautiful rich girl. But then he notices some odd things. For instance, everyone raves about a party he thought was mediocre. But then after a party on a boat, one of the guest turns up dead on the beach.
The death is tragic enough but one of Jason's new friends shows Jason evidence that he thinks a vampire is involved. And not just one. He suspects there is a whole clan of bloodsuckers in Malibu. Jason does not believe at first until he comes face to face with the truth. There are vampires in the area but they don't kill. Now there is a rogue suffering from bloodlust who cannot keep control. While the rogue is about, no one is safe. Can Jason find out who is the villain and save the day?
This is a fast and fun books. The vampires and stuff do not appear for the first half as Jason acclimates himself to the new life but it really sets things up for how everything works. There is a pretty good-sized cast in this one so you have to pay attention. Although the bad vampire does kill a victim, this is not really a horror story. Jason and most of the characters are quite likeable. I don't know how many books are going to be in this series, but this is a very good start.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
The start of a promising series......, March 30, 2011
This review is from: Bloodlust (Vampire Beach) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a book which is aimed at teens/young adults yet still manages to entertain and hold the attention of older readers too. This is a really easy, quick read but there's plenty packed into the pages to make it a solid story.
Vampires seem to be 'on trend' at the moment and there are countless vamp books out there to choose from, for anyone on a paranormal kick, but Vampire Beach - Bloodlust (which is the first in the series), has enough differences from those other works to make it seem new. It's a cross between 'The Lost Boys' and 'The OC' and if you like either of those then this is definitely for you.
Because this is the first book in the series a lot of time is spent on character and world building, but it still manages to weave in an interesting story and pull off a few twists and turns which lead nicely onto the second book in the series 'Initiation'.
I'm about to start the second in the series and I look forward to getting to know the characters better as each book progresses. Bloodlust is the start of a very promising series.
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