Tessa’s voice in the synopsis simply spoke to me. I could hear her slightly snarky attitude right from the start and the concept of her being an outcast among her “kind” due to “human genes”, begged to be explored. It seems that her “condition” is rather rare, especially coming from a pure blood line and yet, here she is in all her vampire-human glory. It lends several interesting talents to her full arsenal like being able to see normally (human) and enhanced (vampire)…and maybe even something halfway between (nope…not telling you…that’s for me to know and you to discover). Even her gawkiness that’s plagued her (she is only 16 after all) turns out to be something advantageous that she has simply yet to understand.


Her relationship with her family was rather interesting as it seemed oh-so-close at times and yet at others like they were from different planets. I suppose that’s not just the vampire issue getting in the way there because let’s face it, teenagers and parents don’t always see eye to eye but regardless of the difference of opinion, they were always there for her …and not just her parents, but her brothers as well. They play minor roles in the story overall, but if she’s ever in the need for some tail kicked, they’ll be there in a flash. Speaking of brother’s there’s one particular friend of a brother that DOES end up playing a rather key role by the name of Cody. In Tessa’s quest to rescue her friend (and human crush) Jared, he ends up playing sidekick, ally, defender…and just maybe something more (I’ll let you read into that what you may).

It’s a fight for their lives as they struggle to uncover just who or what stole her friend and ends up being oh-so-much bigger than they could have imagined. As people…err, vamps too…keep disappearing along the way; you’ll be on the edge of your seat hoping against hope that your favorites won’t be next. But just when the real mystery is starting to reveal itself…BAM…something new is added to the mix…and you know what? It TOTALLY works…and not in a pretentious, I’m-just-saying-that sorta way either. As I drew closer and closer to book’s end, I was completely ensconced in Tessa’s story as well as her character’s growth. At book’s end, my mind was blown…so be prepared. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)


To summarize, though relatively short in pages this story packs a YA punch you might not have expected. It explores the value of friendship, the strength family can provide, the glow of your first (and/or second) crush, and the fact that growing up is hard to do, even if you have vampire genes to help you out along the way. We’re all looking for our place in the world, for those we fit in with best to make our lives complete. It’s not always easy an road to that discovery, but the journey makes the reward that much sweeter.

Recommended reading for Young Adult fans in their teens and above…there’s nothing truly controversial here that would limit the book’s audience, but the little kiddos may not fall in love with the evil plans working behind the scenes (best to keep their dreams sweet and happy). Happy reading! ( )

Set in a world where vampires are born, Tessa, the youngest in her family is odd man (or girl) out. She appears to be some kind of half vampire. Feeling rejected by her family and the vampire community, her friends are human and she’s done her best to fit in with them while keeping her secret.

That is until a boy she’s interested is kidnapped by vampires and wow, look out. Her need to find and rescue her friend has her standing up to her family and shaming vampires into getting involved. And wouldn’t you know it; she’s got abilities that others don’t have.

It’s fun to watch Tessa come into her own and garner respect from her family and the others involved in the rescue that had never been evident before. And what they discover is pretty big and could result in a war.

As an adult I found I really enjoyed the characters as well as the issues and feelings of the three teens the story is centered on. I could easily relate to Tessa and felt a connection with the character. And it appears that the major conflict in this story will carry through a number of books.

This is my first book by this author. It won’t be the last. I’ve already downloaded the next book in the series. ( )

I chose not to read the full synopsis before diving into this one, because I didn't want to ruin anything for myself. Based on the title alone, I thought it would just be about a teenage vampire who would rather be human. I was way off! It's even better!

The main character, Tessa, is 16 years old and a member of a powerful vampire family, but she also has a lot of human characteristics that separate her from her mom, dad, and brothers. This causes her family to severely miscalculate her abilities and also causes her to underestimate herself. She finds it easier to try and fit in with her human friends; that is until a group of vampires kidnap her crush, Jared. She really steps up to the plate at that point because she knows that most vampires look down on humans and see them as little better than animals. She certainly surprised me with her conviction, since at the beginning she didn't want much to do with her vampire traits, but she knew she needed to embrace them to save Jared. She not only showed her family just how strong she was but also discovered that she was more extraordinary than any of them thought. I loved seeing her become more confident and gain more respect, especially from her father. Their relationship at first was rocky, but it strengthens greatly over the course of the book; when she finally fully embraces who she is, they are able to bond over it, which was exactly what she needed to finally feel like she belonged in her family.

I assumed that Jared would be her love interest throughout the entire story, but I was wrong. Her feelings for him get the action rolling, but in the process of searching for him she becomes closer with her brother's best friend, Cody. With her new-found self-confidence, they see each other in a different light, but unfortunately with all of the chaos they aren't able to explore their blossoming feelings. The chemistry is definitely there, however, and I look forward to seeing what develops in the next book.

This book managed to stand out amongst the plethora of vampire novels out there. I liked how vampires had different abilities and how some of them, like Tessa, seemed more human than vampire (i.e. could be out in the daylight, didn't crave blood). It added a bunch of new dimensions to the world and I'm liking where the series is going.

This really was a great read. I was entirely able to relate with Tessa and enjoyed watching her change throughout the story. Just a warning, the author leaves us with one heck of a cliffhanger, so I can only hope that the next book comes out soon! ( )

Tessa’s voice in the synopsis simply spoke to me. I could hear her slightly snarky attitude right from the start and the concept of her being an outcast among her “kind” due to “human genes”, begged to be explored. It seems that her “condition” is rather rare, especially coming from a pure blood line and yet, here she is in all her vampire-human glory. It lends several interesting talents to her full arsenal like being able to see normally (human) and enhanced (vampire)…and maybe even something halfway between (nope…not telling you…that’s for me to know and you to discover). Even her gawkiness that’s plagued her (she is only 16 after all) turns out to be something advantageous that she has simply yet to understand.

Her relationship with her family was rather interesting as it seemed oh-so-close at times and yet at others like they were from different planets. I suppose that’s not just the vampire issue getting in the way there because let’s face it, teenagers and parents don’t always see eye to eye but regardless of the difference of opinion, they were always there for her …and not just her parents, but her brothers as well. They play minor roles in the story overall, but if she’s ever in the need for some tail kicked, they’ll be there in a flash. Speaking of brother’s there’s one particular friend of a brother that DOES end up playing a rather key role by the name of Cody. In Tessa’s quest to rescue her friend (and human crush) Jared, he ends up playing sidekick, ally, defender…and just maybe something more (I’ll let you read into that what you may).

It’s a fight for their lives as they struggle to uncover just who or what stole her friend and ends up being oh-so-much bigger than they could have imagined. As people…err, vamps too…keep disappearing along the way; you’ll be on the edge of your seat hoping against hope that your favorites won’t be next. But just when the real mystery is starting to reveal itself…BAM…something new is added to the mix…and you know what? It TOTALLY works…and not in a pretentious, I’m-just-saying-that sorta way either. As I drew closer and closer to book’s end, I was completely ensconced in Tessa’s story as well as her character’s growth. At book’s end, my mind was blown…so be prepared. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

To summarize, though relatively short in pages this story packs a YA punch you might not have expected. It explores the value of friendship, the strength family can provide, the glow of your first (and/or second) crush, and the fact that growing up is hard to do, even if you have vampire genes to help you out along the way. We’re all looking for our place in the world, for those we fit in with best to make our lives complete. It’s not always easy an road to that discovery, but the journey makes the reward that much sweeter.

Recommended reading for Young Adult fans in their teens and above…there’s nothing truly controversial here that would limit the book’s audience, but the little kiddos may not fall in love with the evil plans working behind the scenes (best to keep their dreams sweet and happy). Happy reading! ( )

Blood doesn't just make her who she is...it also makes her what she is. Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn't hard enough, Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can't get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the ...blood. Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle--high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He's smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tessa's dream of having a perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date. Once again, Tessa finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what? ( )