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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful story that gripped me entirely, October 6, 2009
This review is from: Thirsty: A Novel (Paperback)
Review by Jill Williamson
Alcoholic Nina Parker has lost everything. But she's just completed her ninety days of rehab and is ready to try and put her life back together. She doesn't know if her ex-husband will ever forgive her or consider mending their relationship. So she takes her teenage daughter to her childhood home to try and rebuild that relationship as well as the one with her parents. But there are horrors in her past she isn't ready to face and a murderer loose in town. Can she deal with all this and stay sober?
I've heard a lot of people talking about this book as a Christian Twilight. It is not that at all. Thirsty is a combination women's fiction and Brandilyn Collins-like suspense. That said, this was a powerful story, vampire subplot aside. Whereas the vampire subplot fit well with the story and had some intriguing parallels, the book would have been just as good without the vampire subplot.
Nina's story--her life--was so real it gripped me entirely. It got me thinking about my own addictions to busyness and work, my husband's side of partnering with me in life, my father and grandfather's alcohol addictions. I was overcome with intense emotions after finishing this book. Maybe that's because it was two am... I started it at nine and had to stay up until I finished. Always a good sign of a powerful story. But through Nina's husband's points of view especially, I was able to relate to my husband a bit more. I was able to thank God for sparing me from my family's generational addiction of alcohol and was able to consider the effect my addiction to busyness might have on my family. For that, I am grateful. Perspective is a hard thing to get in life, and here Tracey Bateman has done it with fiction by writing characters you become.
As to whether this book is a good one for teens, it depends on the teen. It is an intense book. But the characters are so real that any teen dealing with addiction--be it their addiction or a loved one's--could benefit from the perspective this novel offers. A very highly recommended book.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A decent novel, but not one about vampires, April 10, 2010
This review is from: Thirsty: A Novel (Paperback)
Nina Parker is a recovering alcoholic fresh out of rehab. The rehab was court ordered after she was arrested because of a drunken display in front of her ex-husband's house. She hit rock bottom, losing both her husband and her children. She moves back to her home town to start fresh, taking her teenaged daughter with her for a short time. Nina is really trying to reconnect with her daughter and make amends for her past mistakes, but Meagan is an obstinate teenager who doesn't forgive easily. Meanwhile in the town, there have been a rash of ritualistic killings of animals, and later a human, that are gruesome and shocking to the small town. Do these murders have to do with Nina's attractive neighbor Markus, who seems to follow her around? Or is it the work of something else more sinister?
I liked this book, but it did have some problems. The story flowed very well and compelled me to read on. I stayed up way later than I expected to some days because I just got sucked into the story. Nina is a great flawed character, whose life and journey was the most interesting part of the novel. Her childhood dealing with an alcoholic parent to her adult life as an alcoholic (very much like her father) was interesting and heart wrenching. I was very emotionally invested in her life, her family, and what happened to her.
On the other hand, I love vampire novels and I don't really consider this one. The main focus is on Nina and her personal journey. The vampires serve as a means progressing in that journey and act as a reflection to her alcoholism. The vampires weren't as fleshed out as the human characters and seemed to just be props in the story. It also bothered me that Markus was just viewed by author as pure evil even though he did good things and struggled against his nature as a vampire. The ending was conveniently wrapped up perfectly. With the rest of the novel being so vivid, I felt it was contrived. Also, I didn't realize it was a Christian novel when I started reading it, which didn't bother me at first. However, near the end, the Christian message became very heavy handed, which didn't match the fluidity of rest of the novel.
Thirsty is an interesting novel about a woman and her addiction. If you are a fan of supernatural fiction, you might be disappointed. The novel has some flaws, but as a whole was a good, easy read.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Redemptive and Relevant, October 25, 2009
This review is from: Thirsty: A Novel (Paperback)
Nina Parker has her demons like we all do. It just so happens that her demons live in the bottom of the next bottle. Alcohol has taken over her life and the thirst has separated her from everyone she loves. Saddled by guilt and desperation she makes another attempt at rehab, hoping she will find the strength to fight through her addiction.
After a successful stint of sobriety, Nina decides to return home to Abby Hills with her estranged daughter. Soon Nina befriends a mysterious stranger who seems to be more than infatuated with her. When a series of grisly animal deaths and a murder occur in her peaceful hometown, Nina begins to suspect that something sinister is lurking in the shadows. Nina must now turn to an unlikely ally to fight the both the darkness within and the terror that threatens to harm everything she holds dear.
Everywhere we look vampire novels are crowding the shelves and it comes as no surprise that the Christian market is suddenly becoming more open to the concept. At the risk of being lost in the shuffle and alienating herself from a conservative readership, Tracey Bateman has set out to write a vampire story that is both redemptive and relevant. I think Bateman does just that in her first foray into supernatural suspense.
To be fair, readers who are looking for the next Twilight or True Blood may not appreciate the story they find here. Yes there are vampires, but they are mild compared to the violent and sensual blood suckers that are so often portrayed in the genre. One could even argue that this story could have been told effectively without the vampire angle at all. Nevertheless, Bateman does a great job of effectively using the vampires to give this story a strong suspenseful feel.
The strength of this novel is found in Nina's battle with addiction. Her fight to win back her family and conquer her demons is inspirational for anyone who has ever lived through similar situations. Nina's personal journey alone is enough reason to pick up this novel, and this is a great story to pass on to friends and family who are dealing with addiction.
Is Thirsty the greatest vampire novel ever written? Well, I don't think it was meant to be. Take the vampires or leave them. The choice is yours. Just don't let your fear of the unknown or your overexposure to a familiar genre get in the way of experiencing this powerful story.
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