Brilliantly plotted, inventive, and outrageously fun to read, ReVamped is a book that rocked my socks off, made me shiver with excitement, and sent me into dangerous fits of laughter. It's deliciously geeky, potent, beautifully imagined, emotionally engaging, and incredibly (and I mean INCREDIBLY) compelling. This is not your usual sucky vampire story. This is easily one of the most original, totally badass takes on the vampire world ever!
Dawn is a vampire, and not just any vampire but a Born. She's the daughter of the US Vampire President, living in the Scarlet House (it's like the White House, only for the Vampire President and his family), and she's highly skilled in martial arts and combat tactics. On top of that, she's a trainer, responsible for teaching youngsters how to fight and defend themselves. The world is no longer afraid of vampires. Quite the opposite, ever since they announced their presence to the public, they've become more loved and more popular than human celebrities ever were. The two races coexist peacefully. There are certain laws and rules that both parties have to follow (like "no snacking on humans" and "no turning humans into vampires"). When rebel groups of vampires start popping up in various areas of the country, and the human population is suddenly in danger, Dawn's father sends her on a special mission to Angel Creek. She is to gather a group of vampires living there and train them to become guardians. The only problem is... those vampires are absolutely and utterly clueless and they suck at being vamps! Dawn not only has to train them in martial arts, but she basically has to teach them how to be proper vampires.. she has to revamp them. Like that's not enough, Dawn soon discovers that there is way more going on in the small town of Angel Creek than what everyone originally assumed, she stumbles upon an evil plot to take over the world (why start small? go big or go home!) and she finds herself right in the middle of a dangerous intrigue.
I loved everything about this book, really. The plotting was skilful and thorough, down to the very last detail. The world building and the premise were simply masterful, I loved how original a world Ada created. I can't rave enough about the fascinating society, complete with all the social structures and politics. It was cool, unique and completely believable (despite its paranormal aspects). The characters were just awesome. Dawn was down-to-earth, kick-ass, smart, smoking hot and just sooooo sweet! She was also very strong, brave and a great leader. I loved her sense of humor and occasional sassiness. Both Sebastian and Ethan were great love interest. Obviously, I loved Sebastian more - he's gorgeousness impersonated, and I totally dig his "I'm so mysterious, baby, you don't even begin to comprehend it" act. He also seemed wise, experienced (hey! no dirty thoughts there!) and emotionally mature, though slightly damaged by his tragic past. A very complex and intriguing character, indeed. The villains were exceptionally fleshed-out, too, and I certainly appreciated the back story behind their evil plottings - it's a nice change to see bad guys that are not just evil for the sake of being evil, but their nasty behaviour (while it's still not acceptable) is somewhat motivated by the past events and experiences.
While it's a greatly entertaining and fun story, ReVamped is also so much more than just that. There's some family drama involved, social issues weaved into the plot, convincing romance (no insta-love, no "I love you to death" after 10 pages, just the beginning of something that could potentially turn into a serious relationship), ingeniously plotted intrigue, tension, and a whole lot of unexpected developments. It's an unputdownable book, and one that you'll simply love and remember for ever. I quickly grew attached to all the characters and really enjoyed observing the dynamics of their relationships. Ada Adams' writing style is unexpectedly amazing (I say unexpectedly because it is, after all, her debut novel), and I was amazed how interesting and deep a story she created.
All in all, ReVamped is an excellent YA debut novel, and one that I will be coming back to time and time again. I said that before and I'll say it again: to me, Ada Adams is Rusty Fischer on high heels. If you liked Fischer's Vamplayers or/and Zombies Don't Cry, you will fall head over heels for ReVamped. If you like your books entertaining, action-packed, sassy, intelligent and with a healthy dose of humour - this should be your next read. Trust me, you absolutely can't afford to miss it!
