When I heard that Francesca Lia Block wrote a vampire novel (and later, a werewolf one), I was pretty skeptical. I'm also not particularly interested in reading about paranormal creatures so I didn't think I'd be into this book as much as I was. Block's take on vampire mythology, while not entirely unconventional, does have its own twists. But the book is not even really about vampires or romance. Those elements are secondary to the real story: a story about a girl who experiences pain and suffering, witnesses beauty and destruction, and slowly comes alive again. She realizes that while immortality has helped her amass a collection of all the beautiful material items a girl could ever want, it's never as good as just being with the one person you love, even briefly, as a human. ( )

The cover drew me in, even though I feel as if vampires have been overdone lately and far too often I find myself reading the same story with a different title. But this novel is eloquently written and not your run-of-the-mill teen vampire love story. Throughout the entire novel Charlotte's grief and depression can be felt. I find myself filled with sympathy for her loss. Otherwise the book falls emotionally flat.
It is not often that you get to hear of a vampires past. Sure, they've lived 100 years, but what was the Holocaust like? In Pretty Dead Charlotte shares the horrors of the past with you. It sounds incredible to live for eternity, but this novel reminds you that humanity and love are more important. I do wish that there was more on the fact that Charlotte was a vampire. You could exchange the word vampire for immortal and you'd practically have the same story. Overall this one falls short for me. ( )

Like most Francesca Lia Block books this book is all about ambiance. The prose makes it very easy to feel what the characters are feeling. Narration jumps around and various parts of the story are told by different people. It's a quick satisfying read that reminds me of the book Silver Kiss.
( )

Like most Francesca Lia Block books this book is all about ambiance. The prose makes it very easy to feel what the characters are feeling. Narration jumps around and various parts of the story are told by different people. It's a quick satisfying read that reminds me of the book Silver Kiss.
( )

Like most Francesca Lia Block books this book is all about ambiance. The prose makes it very easy to feel what the characters are feeling. Narration jumps around and various parts of the story are told by different people. It's a quick satisfying read that reminds me of the book Silver Kiss.
( )