Customer Reviews

The Making of a Monster (Abyss)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got this book off a supermarket rack and bought it on a whim. It has a fairly plain cover, and a cheesy back cover description, but I thought it might be a fun read. What I got though, was a phenominal story that I ended up staying up all night to finish.

The storyline keeps you guessing, the charecters are believeable (insomuch as is possible given preternatural circumstances), the narrator and main charecter Kate is so well developed... the reader finds themselves identifying with Kate right away, and then gets sucked down with her, into her gradual charecter shift from 'Suzie homemaker' to 'monster at heart'. And at each step the shift is so subtle, you never stop identifying with Kate as fate makes a monster out of her.

11 years later, its still my favorite book. I've read it more often than any other book i own... which is saying a lot, my book collection is well over a thousand books at this point. I even bought additional coppies to loan out to people, my first copy stays at home.

I absolutely loved this book. I am an avid vampire reader and of all the books I have read, this rates at the top. I will say that Gail Petersen isn't better than Anne Rice, so much as different. I only wish she had written more books about Kate. Did she ever find Justin? Did they finally find the love that kept eluding them? Anyway, I definetly recommend this book.

Really cool vampire novel about a female vampire in LA. I loved the detail of hearing about Kate (main character) changes as she first became a vampire, then hated it, then eventually learns to live with it. There's some great plot twists and a real sense of humor here and this vampire has a sense of morals that she doesn't want to have. A lot has been written about "Bitten" about a female werewolf being the latest thing but I think "The Making of A Monster" covered this territory back in 1993 and did it much better. I just ordered a used copy - since it's out of print and I no longer have my original one but I really think this should be published again and I'd really like to know what else this author has written cause I'm ready to read it. Great vampire novel!

It is such a shame that this book is out of print. The author wrote a very compeling story that kept me hooked from the first page on. The evolution of the main character, Kate, from being a bored housewife taking acting lessons, to a Vampire performing in her own rock group was fantastic and very believable. Considering that Gail, the author, is in a band, Kate's interaction with her band is very believable, more believable than that very famous vampire's rock band. The auther did a great job in making this story intriguing by combining old vampire lore with a modern lifestyle. I highly recommend it and I hope it goes into print again. This book should be read by horror and vampire fans alike. It's just one of the all time best vampire novels around!

I love this vampire book! It's so cool and it's got sex, and death, and rock 'n roll in there too. Really great writing and a dark sense of humor. I read the book when it first came out in 1993 but I lost my copy. Now - there's no more available. Will somebody please, please print my fave book? Or does anyone know another book written by Gail Petersen? Vampires rule!

I think the writer sure had a handle on this here book. I very much enjoyed the fine writtin and wouldn't mind running into the little lady in a dark alley. Evin tho she's a rock and roll vampire. Someone saw my copy of the book and told me, that the writer is also a musican and singer lady. well what do you know!

This is one of the best books I've read about vampires. The main character, Kate, is tragic while still retaining a sense of humor about the intricacies of being undead. The love story within the book and the way the novel explores the nightime world of music is very alluring. I can't wait to see this author's next effort. I wish more horror authors could write this well and with this much sensitivity.

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles from New York with her husband (Ben), 27-year-old Kate Davis meets a seductive man named Justin in her acting class, who she has a short but horrifying affair with. After that one night, Kate is made into a vampire against her will and then ultimately abandoned.

After spending a couple years aimlessly roaming L.A.'s streets and befriending an elderly woman (Lil) who is later killed by a werewolf (Henry), Kate takes a gambling hiatus in Las Vegas, where her love for music is renewed. She then returns to Los Angeles to become a musician, by targeting and then snuffing out a band's (The Uninvited) bass player and taking his place.

Despite the band's growing success, Kate can't ignore her quarterly blood lust or her weakening humanity. There is also the added danger of being discovered, whether by the detective who is still investigating the previous bass player's death or by her paranoid band mate (Charly). And then there's Drew, the lead singer of The Uninvited, who Kate has fallen hopelessly in love with. But can she suppress her need to kill while she's with him--or will Drew just be another one of her victims?

"The Making of a Monster" isn't one of my absolute favorite vampire novels, nor is it as erotic or scary as I had expected, considering the suggestive front cover and the tagline; but it's a relatively quick read and quite enthralling. Gail Petersen's previous experience as a musician/songwriter in the alternative rock band, The Catholic Girls, comes into play a lot in this book (after all, this book was inspired by a vampire song she had written), as well as her strict Catholic upbringing. Both elements give Kate's own musical and religious struggle a bit more credibility. This book is certainly worth a try if you're a vampire lover. Also recommended: Anne Rice's "The Vampire Lestat" (vampire musician).

I've read most, if not all of the vampire books out there, and without a doubt this is one of top 10. Gail Peterson does such great work, it's a shame that there wasn't a sequel. It has an incredibly engaging story, that you just can't help reading it over and over again.

I read this book when it first came out along with all the other vampire books. It really is the best vampire book out there. Too bad it's now out of print because I know others would really enjoy it.