Rampant [Hardcover]

Diana Peterfreund (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 25, 2009

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . .

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one attacks her boyfriend—ruining any chance of him taking her to prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient Cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.However, all is not what it seems at the Cloisters. Outside, unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from bone-covered walls that vibrate with terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Unicorns are not magical, sparkly creatures of fairy tale, but violent, venomous beasts that could only be killed by virgin girls descended from Alexander the Great and that were hunted to extinction more than a century ago—or so Astrid Llewelyn's mother always told her. Naturally, the 16-year-old is dismayed to learn that all but the last part is true. Like her ancestors, Astrid fits the criteria for a unicorn hunter, and her obsessed-with-glory mom sends her off to Italy to train for battle against the latest wave of unicorn attacks. The scientifically inclined Astrid is reluctant to enter this mysticism-laced world, but her interest is piqued by research into the Remedy, a panacea somehow connected to the unicorns. Astrid is a believably strong and reluctant heroine, but only a few of her fellow hunters emerge as fully developed characters. Bloody battles abound, but the book is at its best when the characters discuss the moral and social aspects of their situation. How does a cloistered order dedicated to exterminating a species fit in with modern ideas of feminism and environmentalism? The hunters must be virgins, and Astrid and the others discuss the fact that they often feel pressured by their peers to have sex. A solid addition for libraries needing to beef up their girl-centric fantasy-adventure collections.—Christi Esterle, Parker Library, CO
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Review

“As swift and sure-footed as a killer unicorn, RAMPANT weaves a vibrant new mythology from venerable threads.” (Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series )

“RAMPANT is a thrilling read, with strong girls, unusual and scary unicorns, and hidden dangers everywhere. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish! Please, miss: might I have some more?” (Tamora Pierce )

“Tired of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Try Astrid the unicorn hunter.” (Locus )

“With an atmospheric setting, personable ensemble cast and some reasoned discussions about virginity, this gripping page-turner evokes the same grrl-power spirit as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, packed with action, mystery and a complex and intriguing mythology.” (Publishers Weekly )

“A fresh folklore twist amid the wave of vampires and zombies.” (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; First Edition edition (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061490008
• ISBN-13: 978-0061490002
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,082,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Peterfreund is the author of eight novels for adults and teens, as well as several critically acclaimed short stories and a handful of essays on popular children's literature. She grew up in Florida, and lives with her family in Washington, D.C. When she's not writing, Diana enjoys taking long hikes with her dog, Rio, reading, working in her garden, watching far too much Netflix Watch It Now, and being addicted to Twitter. her website is http://dianapeterfreund.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brave story with Brave powerful girls...a Must read! August 26, 2009

By Vania Stoyanova

Format:Hardcover

Diana Peterfreund's Rampant is a story about young high school girl, Astrid, who's a descendant froma long line of Unicorn hunters but since they've been extinct for centuries she's had no real reason to ever try her hand at hunting. In fact, she's having a hard time even believing her mother's ancestor stories until her boyfriend is attacked by one mid makeout one night. That night and that unicorn force Astrid to move to Italy to train as the unicorn hunter her mother believe she's meant to be but it is not all it is cracked up to be when Astrid realizes the ethics and morals involved if she is to step into the shoes of a hunter and take hold of her destiny.

Killer Unicorns. That is what Rampant is about. No, it's not the only thing, but it is nonetheless centered on a concept that is unique and original. It was hard to get around the idea of killer unicorns for the sole reason that I have grown up around the idea of happy go-lucky unicorns and to make a 180 into the dark and twisted world Diana Peterfreund's Rampant took me a few pages.

Right from the start Diana throws us into the gnarly world of killer unicorns, sex, and death. Diana doesn't spare us the nitty gritty and goes for it with the highest of bravery. The romance is not in any way safe or easy and the relationships are difficult and troubled. The characters are tough and clever who deal with `real' issues even among killer unicorns. Best of all, Diana makes this concept believable and with ease threw me deep into the book knowing that I will be able to swim through this book enjoying every minute.

What I most admire Peterfreund for is the brilliant re-imagination of the unicorn myth blending mythology and history and new found ideas into a seamless plot arc with deep and multi-dimensional characters. Though at times the plot took a toll on me (meaning, the world building was extensive, but needed) I was still captivated and immensely intrigued by Astrid, Phillipa and Giovanni's adventure. The supporting characters left me apathetic to their outcome. Perhaps because the stage needed to be set and they were merely extra bones in the whole skeleton of the story that eventually will be used more and we'll be able to learn more about them.

I am looking forward to the sequel and cannot wait to see what Astrid's future hold. How will Astrid and Giovanni's relationship grow, and how will Phillipa's role shape the remaining of the story. But most of all I am intrigued to see what the unicorns are planning and how the myth is retold in this modern world setting.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unicorn Hunting Virgins = Very Compelling Read! August 25, 2009

By Darcy Wishard

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great.

Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods -- thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom -- Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters, all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to -- perhaps most dangerously of all -- her growing attraction to a handsome art student... and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

What image comes to mind when you think of a unicorn? Rainbows and green meadows? Goodness and purity? Well these my friends, are not the unicorns we discover in the world of Rampant! These unicorns can kill you with their venomous acid breath or rip a hole in you with their poisonous horns. Yeah, not too pleasant...

I was caught up in this book from the first few pages. Astrid's adventure starts in chapter one and the roller coaster continues all the way to the last page. She is a strong willed, head strong character whose only weakness seams to be the will of her mother. For years Astrid's mom has been telling her about vicious unicorns and her families destiny to destroy them.

When a strange course of events leads Astrid to Rome she starts to realize that maybe her mothers stories aren't so crazy after all. There she meets other girls who share a similar legacy as her own and together they train to battle the deadly unicorns. When the motives of a wealthy benefactor come in to question, Astrid must take things into her own hands in order to fulfill her promise to an unlikely co-conspirator.

Lots of action and actually, quite a bit of gore! Diverse characters including the cloisters resident unicorn (because there are many different breeds, some much smaller and with different intentions towards the girls) her name...Bonegrinder, a breed of unicorn called Zhi that worships the hunters. Of course we have the love interests who at one point, are the center of a huge tragedy. The love story is always an essential part of the story :) but the best part of Rampant is the story surrounding the girls and their unicorn hunting legacy...it's captivating!

Wonderful writing and a great story...paranormal action/romance at its best!

Perfectly suited for 7th grade and up!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars killer unicorns attack! January 10, 2010

By P. Travis Millet

Format:Hardcover

Diana Peterfreund would like to take a moment to kindly rip to shreds everything you previously thought you knew about unicorns. Unicorns are not the fluffy, magical creatures from your childhood storybooks. In actuality, they are vicious, killer beasts whose horns can kill with a single scratch. Oh, and another happy thought? These man eating monsters aren't fiction and they aren't extinct.

These are the facts Astrid Llewelyn has heard from her certifiable mother since birth. Needless to say she's a skeptic. But all that changes when her boyfriend is gored by a rampaging unicorn and Astrid is suddenly shipped off to a convent of sorts in Italy where she will be trained to hunt (and kill) unicorns. Her qualifications? Astrid is descended from a long line of unicorn hunters; women who posses special abilities (like running or archery) which only manifest when they are in the presence of a unicorn, thus turning them into the perfect hunters of these killer beasties. It also doesn't hurt that Astrid is a virgin - much to her teenage chagrin. Female virgins are the only individuals immune to the deadly poison from a unicorn's horn and they also act as a sort of homing device for unicorns. Once again aiding in the Hunt and Kill agenda. But Astrid is a reluctant hunter to say the least. She doesn't feel like it should be her destiny to hunt unicorns like her fanatic mother believes. That is until she meets Giovanni in Rome and unicorns begin to attack her fellow hunters and Astrid discovers she has no choice but to join the fight against the unicorns.

Like many readers, I was eager to pick up Rampant. Come on! Killer unicorns - who would not read it on that premise alone? It's got to be one of the more ingenious concepts I've come across in quite a while. Astrid herself is a likable character although I did have some problems with her fanatical mom, Lillith. In essence she seemed a bit more like a plot tool than anything else. Lillith floats in and out of Astrid's life when convenient and never really acts like a mother figure at all. To be fair, Peterfreund never sets Lillith up as a model guardian - quite the opposite - her unicorn fascination has previously led to unemployment and general population shunning. So her actions are not necessarily out of character, they just didn't sit quite right with me.

In contrast, Astrid's interactions with Giovanni are blindingly real and absolute perfection. If you've read the Secret Society Girl series then you know just how well Peterfreund does relationships and Rampant is no exception. My only complaint? There simply weren't enough scenes between the studious Giovanni and Astrid to satisfy my inner romantic.

Another stumbling block to my enjoyment had to be the book's constant preoccupation with sex. I understand that a large part of Astrid being able to hunt unicorns is due to the fact that she is a virgin, but it was constantly pushed and seemed to be incorporated into every new plot development. After a bit, I felt like all Astrid did was: fight unicorns, wait around convent, talk about sex, fight unicorns, talk about sex, wait around convent, rinse, repeat. Perhaps the reason I was less than impressed with this cycle is simply because there were so many other interesting things that could have been discussed. She's in ROME! And a really cute boy wants to spend time with her! And there are killer unicorns after her! Sheesh. I'll get off my soapbox now and just hope that Ascendant offers more in the way of killer unicorn action and face time with cutie-boy Giovanni.