Drain You

Jun 26, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, edelweiss-arc, young-adult-fiction, supernatural-fiction, 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, reviewed, great-potential-awful-execution, you-call-it-love-i-call-it-hormones, bring-on-the-cliche-parade

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

No.

Just no.

I think it's fair to say I hated this book. A lot. For a variety of reasons.

High hopes and huge disappointments - What are my two key emotions for this odd, disjointed and often off-putting supernatural endeavor called Drain You, Alex? It all sounds so good at first glance - a unique, quirky protagonist, evil vampires, a humorous and dry tone - but none, none of that lives up to expectations. The title is the most appropriate thing about...more Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

No.

Just no.

I think it's fair to say I hated this book. A lot. For a variety of reasons.

High hopes and huge disappointments - What are my two key emotions for this odd, disjointed and often off-putting supernatural endeavor called Drain You, Alex? It all sounds so good at first glance - a unique, quirky protagonist, evil vampires, a humorous and dry tone - but none, none of that lives up to expectations. The title is the most appropriate thing about the whole book: I felt the will to read drain out of me the more pages I turned. The "humor" here wasn't funny, the main character is one of the most unlikeable people I've ever had the misfortune to have to read about, there was no real presence of any tension in the novel, and the "plot" is MIA for the majority of the novel. It's a mess, and not a fun one.

If you don't like main character Quinlan, chances are high you are not going to like the rest of what Drain You has to offer. I hated Quinn. Hated, hated, hated, like I haven't disliked a fictional being in a loooong, long time. She's self-centered, selfish, rude, annoying, stupid, ungrateful, unthinking... I could go on and on with what's wrong with Quinn and her "characterization". Pages of my reading notes for this book are littered with things like: "WHAT did she just say?" "Why does she treat everyone around her like shit?" "Why am I supposed to care for a character that doesn't have the decency to warn other people when she is putting their lives and their entire families' lives!, in mortal danger?

And what else do I hate in YA novels besides dumb, superficial female protagonists? Instalove, and with a murderous, mysterious vampire! (How original! I've never read another YA paranormal book/series like that!) Be warned: Drain You has that hackneyed romantic element in spades. Quinn is astonishingly like the hated Bella in regards to her undead lover: they both consider their lives as "meaningless" when separated from their vampire boyfriends (in Quinn's case this is after knowing James less than three weeks' time. And her life is "meaningless" without him? GET A GRIP), they both fail to understand the danger of what they're involved in, they're both flat and dull girls who don't really know what they're getting into. Quinn is Bella - just with a "punk" twist and a much more liberal wardrobe. She even has the normal human boys that just can't help but fall in love with her! (and that she summarily rejects, uses, rejects, and then uses again. It's gross.)

Despite the (or maybe as a direct result of) complete lack of tension or suspense in the novel, I was majorly, majorly underwhelmed by both the final conflict and the denouement shown here. Maybe that's a direct result of the lack of plot, or antagonist presence but the end of the novel is flatter than the cardboard Quinn was made from. Either/or, it could go both ways because really neither the plot nor the villains play much into the storyline. The bulk of this disjointed, choppy narrative is devoted purely to all angst and emo and melodrama about how lonely and bored and cool poor little Quinn is, when really all she is is insufferable. Even when she is the direct cause of ALL THE PROBLEMS she faces with Morgan, Naomi. Whit and James, Quinn feels the most for...herself, takes no responsibility or ownership over the danger she puts everyone in. Not once. Fuck, I hated this character. GTFO.

Drain You was an entirely underwhelming disappointment, one I wish I had DNF'd halfway through. If I could tell past-Jessie "it doesn't get any better, any funnier, any cleverer" I would've set this down after Quinn decides two stalker-y nightwalks with a creepy, blood-covered boy constitute the beginning of a good relationship. No. Just no. Lots of potential, extremely poor execution is the final verdict on the mess that is Drain You.

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Jun 28, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, netgalley-or-edelweiss, insta-love, coverlove-booksuck, boooooring, too-painful-to-finish, sorry-excuse-for-a-romance, i-am-disappoint, hot-mess, unlikable-heroines, vamps, pile-of-crap

This review is also available over at my blog.

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I really don't like not finishing ARCs, but this one was just too painful to finish.

I was expecting a lot from this book, but all I got was just teen angst and drama with some vampires thrown in there. I immediately disliked Quinn because, really, I couldn't find anything remotely likable about her. I tried to, but I just couldn't. She was annoying and self-absorbed and just plain unlikable. And she was also completely ob...more This review is also available over at my blog.

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I really don't like not finishing ARCs, but this one was just too painful to finish.

I was expecting a lot from this book, but all I got was just teen angst and drama with some vampires thrown in there. I immediately disliked Quinn because, really, I couldn't find anything remotely likable about her. I tried to, but I just couldn't. She was annoying and self-absorbed and just plain unlikable. And she was also completely oblivious to all the weird things happening throughout the first few chapters.

There was one scene where she saw her best friend Libby's wrist being bitten by her vampire boyfriend, and it said that she saw how Libby was weakening and all, but she didn't do anything. She just drove on home without even being the least bit freaked out. Like, what the hell? If I were her, I would've jumped out of my car and ran over there, saying "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO MY BEST FRIEND YOU FUCKING PSYCHO?!" And I would've made sure she was okay and gotten her the hell out of there.

James, the love interest, was the typical mysterious vampire guy that I didn't really care for. Actually most of the characters in this book, I didn't really care for. I hate how they used "dude" way too much. "Like" and "cool" is understandable, but I don't think anyone uses "dude" THAT much nowadays. Like, it was so overused and it really just annoyed me.

The romance was ridiculous. Before it even reaches page 100, Quinn has decided that she's in love with James, and they barely even spend time together. After that I just stopped. I was planning on continuing, but there's nothing I hate more than insta-love, and that was my breaking point.

I think the only thing I liked about this book was the writing style. Well . . . Actually, no, I didn't really like it that much, either. It sort of reminded me of John Green's writing style, but with really bad characters.

This book might appeal to some people, but I personally couldn't stand continuing it due to the unlikable characters, nonsensical plot and facepalm-worthy insta-love. It has a very accurate title, though, because this book drained my interest.

A review copy of this book was sent to me by HarperCollins through Edelweiss.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Anya Singh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, romance, paranormal-fantasy, humour

Kurt Cobain sang ♪♫♪ It is now my duty to completely drain you♪♫♪ Muahahaha. Talk about vampiric tendencies.Anyway, just mentioned this here cos the book and the song share the same title and *shrugs* Kurt Cobain is well, Kurt Cobain. O.o

Quinlan Lacey is like Bella-I-am-a-Doltwad-Swann on an acid trip.Unlike our nutty Bella,she-
1)is snarky

2)Has a life even though it only contains-
a)~~working~~ snoozing at a video store
b)ranting about her sad existence in a very haha way
c)fending off the romantic ad...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Debbie (at) I Heart YA Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss, blog-tours-books

Drain You is really a different kind of book than I normally read. But I fell in love it. M. Beth Bloom’s writing style has a deep, dark and eerie feel to it. There's no doubt Drain You is unique and so are its characters. I had the feeling while reading this novel that Bloom wanted me to dislike her main character, Quinn, but at the same time wanted me to fall in love with her. And I did fall in love. Yes, I wanted to slap her for being a selfish, self-centered little brat, but I also understoo...more Drain You is really a different kind of book than I normally read. But I fell in love it. M. Beth Bloom’s writing style has a deep, dark and eerie feel to it. There's no doubt Drain You is unique and so are its characters. I had the feeling while reading this novel that Bloom wanted me to dislike her main character, Quinn, but at the same time wanted me to fall in love with her. And I did fall in love. Yes, I wanted to slap her for being a selfish, self-centered little brat, but I also understood her. This is definitely a very different kind of paranormal romance. Bloom plays no games with her dark, sadistic storyline, or the dark characters. And I have to say that I love it. I also loved James, who is Quinn’s vampire boyfriend. James pulls no punches in what he is and what he has to do to live. I loved this totally opposite of Edward. The only thing that did disappoint me was the ending. I felt like it was unfinished—too many questions left unanswered. But I can live with this if there's going to be a sequel. That's how much I did love this book.

Quinn is a pretty messed up girl who thinks the universe centers around her. Though she hates herself for being like this, she just can't seem to change. Even when she tries to help her best friend Libby, she’s only thinking about herself— and not how other people are going to get hurt by her actions—even die because of her selfishness.

I love Quinn and James’s intimate dark romance, but I kept thinking even a dark, sadistic vampire like James has his hands full with a girl like Quinn. I also loved James’s human brother Whit and friend Morgan. No, there was no love triangle going on with Quinn. Morgan, who is Quinn's co-worker, has feelings for Quinn and was trying to have a relationship with her, but this just left him open for Quinn to easily use him, which Morgan understood this about Quinn. This is why I liked Morgan, he understood this about Quinn and he was a strong, self-assured person and accepted Quinn for who she was. Whit was strong, too, but I felt like he just couldn't handle his feelings for Quinn, and I’m going to have to wait for the second book to really figure his and Quinn’s relationship out.

Drain You is a very dark, eerie, and wicked novel, and I think you have to really open your mind to read this one to see who the characters are. Dig deeper than just the surface. I love this sinister and wicked side of the paranormal. I recommend Drain You as a fantastic dark read.

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Jun 05, 2012 Hayden Casey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: odd, really-weird, original-ish

Advanced copy obtained via Edelweiss. Thank you, HarperCollins!

Drain You is a very interesting book. It's the first one I've read (and the first I've been accepted for) on Edelweiss.

The only word I can really come up with to describe Drain You is unique. The book is truly unlike anything else I've ever read, and I can't tell if that's for better or for worse.

First of all, the book doesn't really go anywhere. It does have a plot, but it doesn't necessarily follow the structure plots are supposed...more Advanced copy obtained via Edelweiss. Thank you, HarperCollins!

Drain You is a very interesting book. It's the first one I've read (and the first I've been accepted for) on Edelweiss.

The only word I can really come up with to describe Drain You is unique. The book is truly unlike anything else I've ever read, and I can't tell if that's for better or for worse.

First of all, the book doesn't really go anywhere. It does have a plot, but it doesn't necessarily follow the structure plots are supposed to. The book just kind of does whatever it wants to, which is refreshing, but it might throw some people off.

The writing is very conversational. When I say very conversational, I mean very conversational. The characters actually say and think "like," which is commonly done in reality, but I've never actually seen it written in a book. I can't tell whether it shoots the maturity of the book to the ground or is perfection. Probably both.

The characters aren't exactly memorable, but they're not ignorantly stupid and annoying, either. They don't make Drain You one of my favorite books, nor do they make it my least favorite. I'm curious as to whether or not the book is part of a series.

In case the cover didn't let you know or the summary didn't let you know, this book is about vampires. There, I said it. But the thing I like about Drain You, the thing that gave it four stars instead of three, is the fact that the vampires aren't the main story. The main character isn't completely preoccupied with the fact that her boyfriend is a bloodsucker to the point where she can't think or act straight and ends up just acting like an idiot. Drain You is mostly about the MC's friendships and relationships. The vampire thing is off to the side. I haven't read a vampire book in years where they're not the main focus of the book. This is the reason Drain You is so unique and different from all the other books.

M. Beth Bloom, I'll be keeping an eye on you. If you come out with anything else, I might just pick it up. You never know.(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Ornella rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The synopsis made it sound like an awesome book, but I just couldn't get into it at all. The first person writing and the way the characters talk were ridiculous. I get they are teenagers, but they overused, Dude, Like, and Cool to the point were I was just rolling my eyes every time it came up, and it came up A LOT, so it made it kinda hard to read with all the eye rolling. It was all very choppy and the relationships with her friends all fell flat. And then there was the Undead guys, which was...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

M. Beth Bloom’s Drain You is uniquely written story with very intriguing characters. We follow Quinn, a selfish girl who believes the world should center around her. Even the good deeds she does like helping out a friend, she can’t help but thinking how it could benefit her. She could care less about people getting hurt by her actions. Quinn comes off dislikable at first, but there is something there to understand that will ultimately change that around. James, Quinn’s vampire boyfriend, is exac...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Piano & Scene rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a writer and teacher who just spent her summer teaching a bunch of teenaged girls how to write, I can tell you that this book is a refreshing delight. I mean, yes, haters, it's another vampire book, but don't be so quick to toss it in the "Twilight" pile. After all, Quinn is a young woman with a strong personality and unique voice, which is--ahem--more than I can say for some characters. She's a quirky teen from LA who's equal parts strange, cool, insecure, funny, insightful, refreshing, roma...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full disclosure: I read this book because I was going to interview M. Beth Bloom for my blog. But honestly, I was pleasantly, nay rapturously, surprised by how much I loved reading it, how quickly I tore through the pages, how many times I laughed out loud. Though marketed toward teens, which I am decidedly not, this book will doubtlessly appeal to readers who were teens in the '90s, when it is set -- I was awash with a lovely nostalgia for the days of Nirvana, Manic Panic, Sassy Magazine, Doc M...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Amanda rated it 1 of 5 stars

See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I was extremely hesitant about reading Drain You for good reason. It’s a vampire book. It’s another vampire book. But what can I say? Even though Stephanie Meyer completely destroyed my chances of ever liking another vampire book again (okay, I’m being dramatic), the plot of this book sounded unique and I was giddy with excitement over being able to read this book. I got completely suckered in with this one. The...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This novel fell far below its potential, turning into a Gossip Girl meets the Twilight Saga that relied heavily on YA cliches. The writing, however, was talented.

Opening Sentence: The canyons were hot at night, even with the desert winds whipping through the hills.

The Review:

I want to start out by saying that I am so angry at this book. At Bloom. There was so much potential in this story, in the voice and it not only didn’t deliver, but it r...more

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Jul 21, 2012 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll admit that I feel as if I've had it up to HERE with vampires and vampire stories. Oh, Stephenie Meyer, I do blame you, sister. And I'm sure I'll blame E. L. James when the inevitable rush of BDSM books comes my way.

So it was with no small amount of trepidation that I started reading this book. Yet before I knew it, I'd been sucked in to the story. GET IT? SUCKED IN? HAHAHAHA. Okay, maybe not. I'd love to say no pun intended, but I intended it.

Anyway.

Quinlan Lacey is on the cusp of her senio...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Jen Ryland added it

Shelves: debut-challenge-2012

LOVED. Read the full review, which includes my "Helpful 90s Glossary for the Tragically Young" on my blog. Just click on the link below.

Review of Drain You

My summary: Quinlan "Quinn" Lacey is a 1990s L.A. princess, an only child who sulks her way through shifts at the video store and torments her co-worker Morgan with her skimpy outfits and her refusal to acknowledge his infatuation. She's spoiled and bored, the VJ of her own MTV universe. One night after work, she spots a classmate, Naomi Sheet...more

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May 24, 2012 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Drain you is an great read. At times I will admit that I was laughing out loud. I just loved how Quinn was able to mock herself in the way that she does. I got this as an ARC and I almost did not read it as I am about done reading vampire books as they are all the same but I was pleasantly pleased with Drain You. Drain you is not your ordinary Vampire book, it is like no vampire book that I have ever read before.

The characters were hilarious. I love Quinn’s fashion sense. She has the greatest cl...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a laugh out loud kind of book! The main character is just priceless and she'll keep you laughing.

Quinlan is weird but in a good way. She is someone people are drawn to for some unknown reason. Quinn has a co-worker in love with her but she doesn't feel the same way and she has no idea how to break it to him lightly. Then she meets James who is mysterious and who walks her home without really walking with her. She is way too interested in him at first but doesn't question it just kin...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Aeicha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Drain You by M. Beth Bloom has such a cool cover and intriguing premise that I went into expecting a chilling, refreshing vampire story. What I got was a predictable, trite, hot mess of a story!

Quinn Lacey’s life isn’t exactly exciting, even if her BFF is the daughter of a famous rockstar. She thinks her summer will be spent at her boring job at the video store, hanging by the pool, partying with her BFF, obsessing over music, avoiding her clueless parents and keeping her way-too-interested co-w...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have seen so many poor ratings for this book on Goodreads, but couldn't understand why it got such a low rating. Throughout the book I've enjoyed the story. Its exciting, fun and is a COMPLETELY new take on vampires, because if I'm honest I avoid vampire books like the plague now. Yet this story was good. Its well paced and the synopsis doesn't come close to doing it justice.

So, you are wondering why it has such a low rating? 2 words, the ending. The only way I can describe how this book ends...more I have seen so many poor ratings for this book on Goodreads, but couldn't understand why it got such a low rating. Throughout the book I've enjoyed the story. Its exciting, fun and is a COMPLETELY new take on vampires, because if I'm honest I avoid vampire books like the plague now. Yet this story was good. Its well paced and the synopsis doesn't come close to doing it justice.

So, you are wondering why it has such a low rating? 2 words, the ending. The only way I can describe how this book ends (As abrupt doesn't even come close), is like reading a book and getting 50 pages off the end and the pages being missing. The books concludes strangely, you are left with too many questions and no real closure. In fact you don't know the outcome of almost all the characters throughout the book. So, maybe the author wants you to make your own conclusions? Maybe. But, in honesty this book needs a sequel - we need more, plain and simple.

I love Quinlan as a character - her spunky personality is unique, her thoughts, feelings and emotions. It reminded me much of myself back in the early to mid nineties, without the extensive use of the word - DUDE! I liked James at first, although Whit became the love of my life. I loved his attitude, the way he thought and that he wasn't your typical looking, good guy. Mason was also another great character and only one character did wind me up, Libby. Still, the characters are all pretty strong and likeable, even the bad ones.

If you are not a 90's child, some of the language and terms may be lost on you. I was a teenager in the 90's and found it fun with all the references to fashion, music and lifestyles. Others however, may get lost with the general 'language' of this book. A recommendation of a 90's dictionary if that's the case may help you.

If this book had a santisfying ending or I knew there was a sequal to it, without a doubt it would be getting a 4-5 star rating (Nearer 5 Stars). However, due to the ending and no closure what so ever I can't give this book more than 3. Which is a total shame! I really enjoyed reading this book, I was just godsmacked the author left it like that. Maybe the word count had been reached, maybe saving trees and using less paper was the reason? Either way, don't expect closure with this book!

Aimed at older teens and adults, this book is a good read for people who enjoy the YA, Modern, Paranormal type categories. I would still recommend reading it, just don't expect to know what happens in the end. 3 out of 5 stars from me.
Book review taken from my blog - http://www.30somethingmel.co.uk/categ...(less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: hipsters, or if you like Brick or Lana del Rey

Shelves: vampires

I might be experiencing an extremely strong reaction to a rather mediocre book, which is strange. I’ve never liked the phrase “guilty pleasure.” Why should you feel bad about anything you enjoy? But I enjoyed this book, and I kind of feel like I shouldn’t have.

The voice is going to annoy the hell out of a lot of people. It is a product of its setting – Los Angeles, circa late 90s I think, considering the lack of cell phones and the continued unironic relevance of The Cure and James Spader – and...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Book Twirps rated it 3 of 5 stars

"I don't care what you think unless it is about me. It is now my duty to completely drain you." - Nirvana

Quinlan Lacey lives a very ho-hum life, spending her time slacking at her job, sleeping away the summer days, fighting off the advances of Morgan -- a boy who might be good for her, but is just too easily attainable for her to give a damn. Things change the night she sees her prim and proper classmate, Naomi, wandering along the street covered in blood. Naomi's brother, James, appears and Qui...more "I don't care what you think unless it is about me. It is now my duty to completely drain you." - Nirvana

Quinlan Lacey lives a very ho-hum life, spending her time slacking at her job, sleeping away the summer days, fighting off the advances of Morgan -- a boy who might be good for her, but is just too easily attainable for her to give a damn. Things change the night she sees her prim and proper classmate, Naomi, wandering along the street covered in blood. Naomi's brother, James, appears and Quin is immediately drawn to him. Of course James is all wrong for her (he's a vampire), but having someone that feels so right yet is oh so wrong might give Quin the sense of excitement her life seems to be missing, but is Quin's need for a little excitement worth risking her life?

I'd read very mixed reviews of this one, and I was a little hesitant when I started it. I'm happy to say that I didn't find it as awful as a lot of other reviewers, but I still wasn't blown away by it. I found it just okay. The characters are all pretty bland and not very likable. I could see where the author was going with Quin, and her obsession with Kurt Cobain was pretty apparent in a lot of her behavior (bored, put off, rebellious), but it just didn't grab me. I found it difficult to connect with her, which, in turn, hampered my enjoyment of the story. I will say that Quin's voice is very authentic, and bleeds off the page, but that voice started getting on my nerves after a while. The use of "like", while very realistic, begins to grate on my nerves after a while. I felt as if I were reading subtitles on an episode of "Keeping up with the Kardashians".

I also felt that the pacing was off. There were times when it dragged and other times when I felt there was a missed opportunity for some really meaty stuff. The ending also left a lot to be desired. I would have liked more of a resolution.

In a market that has been bled out by an over-saturation of vampires over the last few years, coming up with something truly original is no easy feat. The story was okay, but I felt as if I'd read it before. At the same time, if you are a fan of Twilight, or you aren't sick of the typical YA vampire, you may want to give this one a try. For me it was just okay.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, own

Review was originally posted on Books Complete Me

After first reading the synopsis, Drain You sounds like an interesting debut, with a fun main character and romance. After reading Drain You, I found that the book sort of just fell flat for me.

I had a hard time liking Quinn. At first I thought she was kind of awesome, with her different style and quirky attitude, but as the story progressed, I really stopped liking her. Quinn just wasn't very nice, to her friends, especially them, and to her pare...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Caitlin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-goodreads-first-reads

I received an ARC of Drain You by M. Beth Bloom from HarperTeen along with three other summer releases.

Where to start...

Putting it in the simplest terms possible, Drain You is about Quinlan Lacey (I think she's seventeen or eighteen, but I can't remember...) and her romance with James Sheets, a vampire. Whilst falling in love with a dead guy, Quinn's also determined to save her sort of best friend Libby from her vampire boyfriend, who's draining her of blood. That's basically all there is to it....more

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Jul 05, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, galley, characters-i-hated, cliffhanger-ending, cover-love, douchery, drama, female-pov, insta-love, modern-day, paranormal-romance, romance, supernatural, urban-fantasy, vampire, was-excited-to-read-but-in-the-end, why-the-hype, wtf-ckery, ya, reviewcopies

For this review and more (including an awesome giveaway!) visit my my blog

*The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*

Have you ever read a book that made you so, so angry, not because it is bad or offencive but because it could have been amazing? That is how Drain You made me feel.

M. Beth Bloom is clearly an incredibly talented writer. Her style is poetic and beautifully descriptive. Her world building is strong and she is clearly very creative. The problem...more For this review and more (including an awesome giveaway!) visit my my blog

*The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*

Have you ever read a book that made you so, so angry, not because it is bad or offencive but because it could have been amazing? That is how Drain You made me feel.

M. Beth Bloom is clearly an incredibly talented writer. Her style is poetic and beautifully descriptive. Her world building is strong and she is clearly very creative. The problem is that Drain You has a plot that I feel I’ve read a million times and a character that I just couldn’t like, not even a little bit.

Let’s start with the plot. It is nothing we haven’t seen before. Bored teen falls in love with dark and dangerous vampire. She completely ignores/abuses/uses her male best friend who for some inexplicable reason is head over heels for her. Vamp boyfriend leaves and she falls into an extremely dramatic depression, etc, etc. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? What Drain You does do differently from the other books like it is focus on a different type of character. There are no self-conscious plain girls here. This is Gossip Girl meets Twilight; everyone is beautiful, spoiled and completely self-absorbed. Their time is taken up with parties, alcohol and sex. The writing also does its best to remind us that these kids are ‘cool’ there is a lot of descriptions of (barely there) clothes and a large use of the words ‘like’ and ‘cool’. All of this didn’t help me like the characters at all especially Quinn.

Quinn has to be one of my least favourite characters of all time. She is unbelievably selfish and the worse thing is that she knows it. She goes on about how selfish she is but doesn’t once try and change herself. She uses people for what she needs without even caring about the consequences. She was at her worse when James was around she doesn’t care that he is a murderer she falls in love with him straight away and that is all that matters. In reality I am not even sure she is in love with him, she sleeps with him, gets depressed when he goes away (for only a week or two) but it doesn’t stop her from throwing herself at her best friend and developing a possessive attraction to James’ brother Whit. It is implied that something will happen between them in the future, so much for love! I think the truth is that she expects everyone to love her whilst she remains free to love who she wants when it suits her. I quite honestly hated her.

Yet, despite the plot and the terrible characters there are moments of brilliance in this book. The dark side of the vampires are great and the moments when the villains are around are creepy and spine-tingling good. Bloom is not afraid to take her writing to dark places and that combined with her writing style creates sparks of magic. Unfortunately there is just not enough of these moments, instead the pages are crammed with teen angst and relationship issues.

I don’t think I have ever come across a book with such unused potential before. The good parts of this book are outstanding but it is all weighted down by unlikeable characters and an all too familiar plot.

I think Beth Bloom is an author to watch, I may not be a fan of this book but I look forward to reading something different from her, hopefully with characters I can get behind.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Xander rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Drain You" was a pleasant reading experience from start to finish. There is a calculation and substance to the book that I find fascinating. Future entries into the Teen Paranormal genre should take notice of this title. I appreciated the insertion of cultural milestones into the narrative that presently are experiencing new commentary as decades and anniversaries pass. Nods to important female empowerment tools like Sassy Magazine, Riot Grrl, and DIY aesthetics that hopefully will translate in...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Tammy Cordeiro (devadasi7) rated it 2 of 5 stars

meh.......I've read better vamp books and this leading character aggravated the snot out of me.

You can find my full review on my blog here: Into the Mystic
You can visit there to see the song links....

MY REVIEW

Initial impression
hmmmmmmmmmm..............

Title and Cover
The title is good, especially for a vamp novel and it has the Nirvana tie-in, which was cool. The cover is so-so. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible. The title would make me look at it because I would know it’s a vamp book.

Plot,...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Heather Wood rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel like I’ve been through an emotional wringer after reading this book. I’ve gone from despising it to getting into it to feeling sort of blase about the whole thing. I think this comes from the book having many highs (the main character’s wicked sense of humor) and many lows (James and Quinn’s relationship). If you do pick up this book, don’t expect your run of the mill YA paranormal romance.

What I Liked: I love non-traditional main characters and Quinn certainly fits that bill. She’s snark...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Raelynn Fry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Drain You
By M. Beth Bloom
YA Paranormal Romance (light romance)
HarperTeen, July 24th, 2012
Rating: Strong PG-13. Open door sex scenes, but no really details given
Coffee Beans: 4/5
Favorite Lines: So I loved Libby, but in a vintage way. Like a childhood blanket, or my dad’s mac and cheese. A deep love, but not one you tap into on a daily basis. (Ebook, pg 25)

Okay, no big deal, I’d just call Stiles…at his underground lair, where he most likely had Libby chained to a radiator and she was loving it. St...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Nereyda Gonzalez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

***ARC provided by Harper Teen for review***
She ignored me, sang more. “‘It is now my duty to completely drain you…’” Nirvana.

Drain You was nothing like what expected. Although I admit, I really had no idea what to expect with this book. The book summary is very vague, but it managed to intrigue me. Plus, I think the cover is pretty cool. Reminds me of a melted lollipop. I’ve never heard a Nirvana song before even though I LOVE rock. (I know, I know. Maybe I was scared that Courtney Love would c...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

A good book.A quick read for me since I am into vampire and werewolf books.I thought it was fast moving and the end was left open so that a second one could be written. Hint, hint!

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Jul 23, 2012 Lisseth (Read-a-holicZ) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, summer-read, ms-q-summer-reads

**Originally on Read-A-holicZ**

Going into this book i was interested and bit cautious, i had heard mixed things but decided to give it a try and i just could NOT finish it or even get into it much. I won't say much about it because i don't wan to be overly negative.

The summary of the book is a bit confusing & starting it, I was really confused. I thought it was a YA book set in the early 90's BUT NOPE it is set in the present time.

The Language & references are ALL so out of my generation...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Kayla Eklund rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, vampires, reviews-completed, to-trade

Note: On the blog, this review got 3.5 stars.

Drain You is very hard for me to rate. I loved the story line. It held my attention and was a lot of fun to read. However, it had quite a few flaws. The biggest flaw for me was the irresponsible parenting. Seriously, who tells their teenager, "Be back whenever, I don't care"? When Libby (the main character's best friend) is gone for days at a time with her boyfriend, her mother doesn't care at all or do anything to stop the behavior. Most of the paren...more

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