Vesper (Deviants, #1)

Dec 29, 2011 Maja rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: are-you-kidding-me, cover-lust, huge-disappointment, totally-saw-that-coming, wake-me-up-next-year, werewhatevers, horrible-whiner, ya, reviewed-in-2011

1.5 stars
Well, color me disappointed. I’ll try to keep this short and very clear: I expected a lot form Vesper. Perhaps I was curious because a male author wrote from a teenage girl’s perspective - it usually works so well when it’s the other way around (case in point: White Cat or Anna Dressed in Blood). That’s not something that happens very often and I wanted to find out if it worked. It didn’t. I feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time and got nothing but annoyance in return.

Emily Webb is a hor...more 1.5 stars
Well, color me disappointed. I’ll try to keep this short and very clear: I expected a lot form Vesper. Perhaps I was curious because a male author wrote from a teenage girl’s perspective - it usually works so well when it’s the other way around (case in point: White Cat or Anna Dressed in Blood). That’s not something that happens very often and I wanted to find out if it worked. It didn’t. I feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time and got nothing but annoyance in return.

Emily Webb is a horribly insecure 16-year-old. She only has one friend, she rarely leaves the house unless it’s to go to school and she avoids confrontations at all costs. One night her classmate Emily Cooke gets shot and dies and, at the same time, our Emily starts behaving very strangely. The two things are seemingly unconnected, but as Emily experiences complete change of personality night after night, she starts suspecting that the other Emily found a way to possess her.
Suddenly she’s sneaking out the window every night, crashing parties and judging people by their smell. A small voice inside her head is making her do things she never even thought of doing before. She is stronger and faster at night, nothing like the clumsy Daytime Emily. Her best friend is convinced that Emily’s trying to ditch her for the cool kids and her parents have grounded her for the first time ever.

It all sounds very interesting, but in reality it was dull and unconvincing. Everything about this book was wrong. Emily’s voice was that of a not-too-bright 12-year-old. Her best friend Maggie was downright obnoxious and instead of worrying about the kids that were getting shot, I found myself wishing that someone would shoot her just to shut her up. The pacing was yet another disaster: after being utterly bored and skimming through the last 150 pages, the ending came as a shock and left me completely confused. One minute Emily was at school dealing with one issue and apologizing to her idiot best friend, and the next she was inside the company that changed her and other kids like her, all her fellow deviants were organized, and they were fighting back. And then it all stopped. Huh?

So to make the long story short: the characters were flat, the pacing was all wrong and the romance… *shudders*…. Let’s not even go there.
I think it’s safe to say that I won’t be reading the sequel.

For this review and more, visit The Nocturnal Library (less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Levina C. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormaux, death-by-trope, novels

With the recent surge in paranormal fiction - the vampires, the werewolves, the fairies, the dark angels et al - I was relieved to find a 2011 novel that wasn't about one of those. But guess what? It was! It turned out that Emily's "transformation" turns her into one-of-the-above. But I won't tell you which. Spoilers, you know.

So, what a beeping surprise, right? And here I thought the author would make up something of his own to perplex us. He could've easily made the one-of-the-above into a spi...more With the recent surge in paranormal fiction - the vampires, the werewolves, the fairies, the dark angels et al - I was relieved to find a 2011 novel that wasn't about one of those. But guess what? It was! It turned out that Emily's "transformation" turns her into one-of-the-above. But I won't tell you which. Spoilers, you know.

So, what a beeping surprise, right? And here I thought the author would make up something of his own to perplex us. He could've easily made the one-of-the-above into a spirit possessing Emily for revenge, or, god help us, use his imagination. But no. Anyway, moving on.

How many times have I seen this? How many times? When will people think up something new? Lab experiment goes wrong, turns regular homo sapiens into freaky superhumans with enhanced strength, smell, speed, sight, blah blah. Evil biotechy company somewhere in the background. Is that not, like, the basis of half of all comic superhero origins?

Only this time, it happens out of nowhere, no explanation at all - Emily did not take any secret chemical enhancement formula, did not get bitten by any radioactive insect - She just magically turned into Superwoman overnight. While this is probably explained in the very obviously planned sequel, that doesn't make the current non-existent reasoning any more plausible or easier to digest.

After all, what mousy wallflowery loner girl in high school doesn't want to transform into an ass-kicking, bitchy, slutty, confident crusader against the horrors of murder overnight? Wish fufillment much?

But of course it's not wish fufillment; the author is male. And I'm not surprised that he is. Not surprised at all. The whole book stinks of someone who has no freaking idea what it's like to be a girl in high school. I would know, because I do. And I know how tiring these stupid jock-and-cheerleader-and-rich-girls-versus-loner-girls-who-are-perfectly-normal-yet-somehow-can't-for-the-life-of-them-fit-in cliches are, since they aren't even close to the truth.

If only the the author's prose weren't so incredibly dull, without any distinction or sense of style, I could almost forgive him.
Not.
I could go on and on, but I think I've ranted enough for one book. So, bottom line: not a new book I would recommend for reading. Just an old, tired, assortment of overused ~~tropes~~ ideas that fully deserve the bland prose they're written in.
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Feb 08, 2011 TheBookVixen marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: dnf-2011, c-b

This was a DNF for me, thus no rating.

Why I Read this Book: I only just heard about Vesper about a couple weeks ago. Then it showed up in the mail. The cover is captivating and the blurb sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go.

What I Liked: Vesper’s set-up was interesting and different. The first thing you read is a transcript of the interrogation of Vesper 1 (Emily). The book then takes you through Emily’s retelling of the events that lead her to that interrogation room. Every so ofte...more

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Dec 10, 2010 faeriemyst rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, young-adult-paranormal, amazon-vine

The start of VESPERS immediately caught my attention with the transcript of an interview with Emily Webb, the protagonist, and an agent of the mysterious Vesper Company. This led to the first chapter where no time is wasted getting straight to the story. Emily is every introverted, insecure, don't-make-a-scene-or-stand-out girl out there, which made her very relatable to me; as a teen, I was just like her. Her transformations into Nighttime Emily, as she called herself, were well-done but I felt...more The start of VESPERS immediately caught my attention with the transcript of an interview with Emily Webb, the protagonist, and an agent of the mysterious Vesper Company. This led to the first chapter where no time is wasted getting straight to the story. Emily is every introverted, insecure, don't-make-a-scene-or-stand-out girl out there, which made her very relatable to me; as a teen, I was just like her. Her transformations into Nighttime Emily, as she called herself, were well-done but I felt the author could have stretched a little further than the "wild child" persona he gave Emily during those times. I got a bit bored when she was in that stage and liked when she went back to Daytime Emily, her normal self, much better. At first, I was a little disappointed in where the story actually went, mainly what Emily ended up being (and that's all I'm saying, no spoilers here), but I accepted and enjoyed it anyway. The middle of the book lagged and I was afraid it would end up an average read, with too much wild behavior and not as much development as I would have liked. However, toward the end the story picked up and kept me riveted; it's always a good thing for an author to end his or her book on a high note. This isn't a YA book with romance as its central focus, but it does have its place in the story and doesn't overwhelm the main plot. The book as a whole could have been deeper than it was, but it's still a good start to the Deviants series and opened up numerous possibilities, with many unanswered questions for future endeavors. The use of six or so transcripts interspersed throughout the book was a nice element and I quite enjoyed them; the entire book could have easily been written this way. This would probably appeal more to teenagers but some adults would enjoy it as well. I did. THE VESPERS is a breeze to read, briskly-paced, and has a few snicker-worthy moments; maybe it's not perfect, but it's far from bad and I had a good time reading it.
3.5 stars

Note: There is some graphic violence, only one scene really, but it's there.(less)

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Aug 09, 2011 Donnie Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jeff Sampson's debut YA novel, "Vesper," is like a welcome breath of fresh air for anyone craving a little girl power. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of the book, and I found myself so hooked that I blew through the story in just a few hours.

"Vesper" has the soul of "Jekyll & Hyde" with the wit and female empowerment vibe of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and the mixture makes for quite the page-turner. Just when you think you have a handle on where the story is going, th...more

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Jun 16, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya

When the lights go down in the city, Emily Webb becomes a different person. She turns more badass and less movie-geek/ book worm. Vesper by Jeff Sampson begins with a confidential interview of someone codenamed Vesper 1 by another person deemed A. Savage. What ensues is Emily’s story and several little mysteries. I almost don’t know whether to call this a paranormal or a mystery. However, I do know that I quite enjoyed Vesper.

Click here to read the rest of my review

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Oct 06, 2011 Mara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, paranormal, young-adult, dropped-series

So Emily Webb is a normal girl. And by normal I mean she has a geeky love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is a social pariah, unnoticed by all except her best friend and fellow pariah, Megan. Emily's idea of a good time is sequestering herself in her room and watching DVDs, so it comes as a surprise to everyone when she starts roving the streets at night, wearing "clubbing clothes" and acting like a cast member of Jersey Shore.

People, meet "Nighttime Emily." Don't know what's up with her? Don't...more So Emily Webb is a normal girl. And by normal I mean she has a geeky love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is a social pariah, unnoticed by all except her best friend and fellow pariah, Megan. Emily's idea of a good time is sequestering herself in her room and watching DVDs, so it comes as a surprise to everyone when she starts roving the streets at night, wearing "clubbing clothes" and acting like a cast member of Jersey Shore.

People, meet "Nighttime Emily." Don't know what's up with her? Don't worry, because neither does actual Emily. By day, she hides in sweatshirts. By night, she surfs the roofs of speeding cars, binge drinks and licks boys, and appears to have no idea where confidence crosses the line into "You need help. Seriously, psych wards are way more lovely than they used to be."

This transformation happens three times with little attempt to kick the plot forward in the meantime. By two-thirds of the way in, it finally dawns on Emily to ask some serious questions instead of pondering whether or not she should like new Nighttime Emily because apparently it's common knowledge that popular teenagers are rebellious delinquents with no social mores or fashion sense, and Nighttime Emily embodies all of these things! Being popular in high school these days must be really different than I remember. By the point the plot wakes up I was already skimming through the book, searching for answers that...surprise!...are no where to be found. Oh, YA. Your trilogies have become so irksome.

Plot comes along in this guy who's out to kill people like Emily, who just so happen to be werewolves. There's no actual explanation given for that one, but I'm going to assume it was some genetic experiment gone awry. The book ends at what should have been the middle of the story, with Emily breaking out of the lab that caused her condition. Don't worry! How she got there is not shown, nor is the breaking out, because all of that is left to us to assume through a transcript of her time in custody that breaks in the story every so often to analyze Emily's account (aka the book).

The twist on the werewolf story is interesting enough, but the book takes far too long to get going. The high school dynamic is irritating at best, since it insists on displaying the old popular cliques versus embittered loners stereotype. I found myself amused that Emily wanted to keep being Nighttime Emily, if only for her explanation to Megan that she's just started "growing up." Yes, God knows all adults act like sociopaths on a bender all the time. That's just what happens when you remove high school and add legal access to liquor.

I want to keep reading the series for the genetic experimentation plot, but the story just isn't there to keep me hooked. I'll pass on the rest.(less)

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Feb 05, 2011 Arena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-debut

I *loved* that there were so many great pop culture references in this novel!

If I didn't understand a reference (like who the heck is Ellen Ripley?), I just asked The Nerd. (Apparently, she's the chick from Alien.)

It was so nice to see the main character of a book embrace her geeky side.

This was such a great plot idea -- I haven't read anything similar to it before.

The pacing of the plot was a bit slow...you don't quite know what's going on with Emily for a while. But once it gets there the acti...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: found-randomly-at-work, ya-liked

Didn't know what to expect from this book, but that certainly wasn't it.

Maybe that's good...going into a book with little to no knowledge or expectations of just how 'epic' you think a book is going to be.

The story of Emily Webb starts out a little slow, and repetitive. The same thing happens to her 2-3 times before she figures out what's really going on.

I was this close to giving up at that point but thought I really should give it a chance. It's been so long since I've read and enjoyed a pa...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

This book started out boring and crappy, and it ended up interesting and not-crappy.

Emily Webb (Em Dub) undergoes a transformation from dull, hoodie-wearing Daytime Emily to wild, gotta-show-my-womanly-attributes Nighttime Emily after the death of the other Emily (Em Cee). Personally I could care less about Daytime Emily. She didn’t do much except judge people and shut up when her obnoxious friend Megan (Meganyuckyuck, the nickname matches her maturity) wanted her to. Em Dub was afraid to be her...more This book started out boring and crappy, and it ended up interesting and not-crappy.

Emily Webb (Em Dub) undergoes a transformation from dull, hoodie-wearing Daytime Emily to wild, gotta-show-my-womanly-attributes Nighttime Emily after the death of the other Emily (Em Cee). Personally I could care less about Daytime Emily. She didn’t do much except judge people and shut up when her obnoxious friend Megan (Meganyuckyuck, the nickname matches her maturity) wanted her to. Em Dub was afraid to be herself and have fun because Meganyuckyuck had a bad experience with popular people a billion years ago. Boo hoo cry me a river! Actually, don’t. I don’t want Meganyuckyuck soaking my library books with her poor little tears. Every time she appeared, she always managed to bring up the popular people. There was one part that really bothered me, when Meganyuckyuck was making fun of the people crying over Em Cee’s death. Sure I wouldn’t cry for the death of someone I didn’t know but I would NOT make fun of the people who cried and cared about the deceased. She also said Em Cee deserved to die because she was destined to be the next Paris Hilton. Meganyuckyuck is a real piece of work, like a pile of dog crap that even the flies won’t touch. She even did some major slut-shaming on Em Dub and it seemed to rub off on her because Em Dub eventually called herself a were-slut. I had to drop a star because Meganyuckyuck took up way too many pages with her yuckiness. Because of her, my favorite line, thought by the awesome Nighttime Emily, was,

“I was pretty, I was strong, I was graceful. And I was wasting it by being stuck in my house with big-nosed, bitter, boring Megan Reed.”

I can’t say this book was good but it wasn’t bad so not-crappy is the best way I can describe this. Nighttime Emily was what made this book not-crappy. She wasn’t afraid or held back by Meganyuckyuck. When Nighttime Emily slipped some sleeping pills into Meganyuckyuck’s milkshake has to be my most favorite scene with my least favorite character. Nighttime Emily went clubbing, partying and even attempted to kill a few relationships. I’m not so thrilled about the last part but it’s what the wild girl did and she did it without a second thought. I wish I could be like that, doing stuff without a second thought, not the boyfriend stealing. I hate boyfriend stealing because it hurts the girlfriend. Until I am as fearless, Nighttime Emily can be my inspiration. She would have been spectacular if her narrative wasn’t practically the same as Daytime Emily.

When I was reading, I kept thinking this was a boy’s fantasy. Geeky guy gets the hot girl, that sort of thing. It was cute for a while but I got over it because I didn’t really like anything besides Nighttime Emily. I was too busy being pissed that the words actually, poor, and totally were abused. Teenagers don’t go around saying, “You poor thing, poor girl, poor squirrel. Actually that’s totally off. Did she actually smile at me? She totally didn’t.” Maybe I’m being a hypocrite because I use the words maybe and awesome a lot but this was written by a grownup. I don’t know why but I always have a lot of expectations for grownups.

Em Cee was fleshed out more than I expected. I thought she would just be a dead girl, like in the dead girl in Girl Parts. When she was called the next Paris Hilton by Meganyuckyuck, I knew I would like her. But I wonder if things would be different if Em Cee hadn’t shared her name with Em Dub. Would Em Dub feel a connection to Em Cee? Daytime Emily was pretty interesting when she suspected Em Cee was taking over her body. Would Em Dub have felt something for Em Cee? Em Dub eventually thought Em Cee was cool because she liked photography. Would she feel the same if Em Cee had liked fashion? No, probably not.

Em Dub’s transformation was paced just right and I didn’t predict her to transform the way she did. I didn’t expect this to be science fiction either. That was a pleasant surprise, considering I haven’t read sci-fi since Across the Universe and The Gardener. Hope the sci-fi element gets stronger in Havoc: A Deviants Novel, because I was convinced this was a paranormal. I should have been tipped off because Em Dub was being detained by the Vesper Company. In my mind, company = sci-fi.

Vesper is far from being my favorite but it’s fun and different from most YA coming out this year. So if you have nothing else to read and can get over Meganyuckyuck's yuckiness, you won’t regret reading this.
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Mar 24, 2013 Amaryliss White rated it 2 of 5 stars

I totally wasn't expecting this.

This book was a very quick read — perhaps too quick. The story is put together hurriedly and it all just seems really surface-type stuff. We don't get to know the characters; we barely know what's happening.

A shallow book, really.

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Apr 17, 2013 Sophie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013, unfinished

I was really looking foward to reading this book. It had a great sounding synopsis as well as great reviews on goodreads. But sadly this book didn't live upto my expectations.

The plot. The plot of this book was nothing like I was expecting, when I originally read the plot it sounded very mysterious and something that I would love, but sadly it wasn't excuted in a way that I enjoyed. Sure, I only ended up reading till about half way through, but the storyline was on a path that really did not app...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Juliana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy, young-adult, werewolves

Es la primera vez que leo un libro de hombres lobo. Es algo diferente y no me lo esperaba, pero no es un libro muy emocionante.

En cierta forma la historia transcurre lento. Durante casi todo el libro nos encontramos presenciando los confusos cambios de personalidad de Emily, los que nos mandan a pensar inmediatamente en una versión de Dr. Jekyll y Mr. Hyde (El libro de hecho lo insinúa en su primer capítulo, pero tranquilos, no es así), mientras que en algunas escenas presenciamos una entrevista...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Zachary Hulet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think it's appropriate to start this review by remarking that the concept of altered personalities and states has always interested me. So, naturally, I was drawn to this book via a combination of personal interest and high expectations. Unfortunately, these expectations weren't reached, but were instead blown completely off the face of the earth and into an alternate dimension of awesomeness. Short answer: I loved this book, so much so that I could scarcely put it down after picking it up! Ho...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Jennifer Rinehart rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't usually like stories that have a second narrative alongside the main storyline, so when I realized this one did, I was pretty peeved. But the second storyline wasn't overly intrusive and actually added to the story towards the end (sadly, the ending seemed a little rushed to me and not wholly satisfying, I suspect the next book in the series will pick up where this left off and expand on the story).

This is a story of two Emilys, one is quiet, average, she has friends, a dad who spends to...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Emiliaargon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book...oh this book...it brings me back to memories of the latest Green Rider book....the ending...its just...well...

Spoilers ahead...

From what I've read about the series I think the author made a terrible mistake making it three books. It would have been better as two, because first off...THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF OF THE BOOK WAS A PROLOUGUE!

Not. Even. Kidding.

There was no plot. No real action(if we don't count the heroine getting wasted or jumping every guy she sees). And I had no idea what i...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Bitten By Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
This book is about a sixteen year old girl name Emily Webb. Who lives with her computer game dad, librarian stepmom and party girl stepsister Dawn.. And Dawn has for years tried to get Emily to get out of her shy shell and open up to people and being the tough girl inside her that just need to grow.. But Emily doesn't want that.. you see, she's a geek.. Contently hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, and she's happy that way... She's never been the kind of gi...more My Review:
This book is about a sixteen year old girl name Emily Webb. Who lives with her computer game dad, librarian stepmom and party girl stepsister Dawn.. And Dawn has for years tried to get Emily to get out of her shy shell and open up to people and being the tough girl inside her that just need to grow.. But Emily doesn't want that.. you see, she's a geek.. Contently hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, and she's happy that way... She's never been the kind of girl who would wear very short clothes or do crazy things like most girls do.. Like sneaks out for midnight parties, talk bad talk to strangers, drank beer, and she's definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girl's boyfriends...

Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that.... The same night one of her classmates also name Emily, is found mysteriously murdered with nothing but a nightgown and barefoot... The thing is, Emily doesn't know how or why she's doing any of this.. By day, she's her old boring self, but by night when the clock turns 8:00- she turns into some kind of super hero.. But, with every nightfall, Emily gets wilder.. until it's no longer just her personality that changes.... Her body can do things it could never could before... She's now super strong, fast and utterly fearless... And soon Emily realizes that she's not just coming out of her shell.. there's something much bigger going on.. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murder Emily?Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely, something not human? As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she's not the only one this is happing to... But some of her classmates are changing as well... Who is turning these teens into monsters? and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

My Thoughts:

-This so different and cool... I was very surprise when I found the truth of what is really going on with Emily and what she really is... So I really enjoy the mystery and suspense this book had, and how interesting the story was... It kept me hook on page one to finish...

-The characters in this book was very interesting to read and discover the truth behind the mystery.... Emily was a very strong and interesting character to read... To understand what she really is, and why this is happen to her..... There wasn't much of a love story in this book.. But there was a lot of mystery and action in this book....

-With all that said.. I would love for you guys to check this book out.. It's very good and keeps you hooked though-out the whole book... And I can't wait to read the second book Havoc next year...

-And I give this book 5/5 stars...
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Feb 01, 2012 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it 5 of 5 stars

VESPER is one of those gems that you don't see enough book buzz about. I am sad to say that even I passed it up on the shelves a few times, but when I got it in the mail, I was still excited! Boy, am I glad that Harper sent this to me because it is GREAT. Full of unexpected surprises and a unique plot line, VESPER is sure to become a rising star.

Emily leads a boring and uneventful life until the night when another girl named Emily is killed and her personality does a complete 180... but only in...more

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Nov 15, 2011 CD rated it 5 of 5 stars

Emily Webb is a geek. Well, that's how it starts out. Hmmm. Actually, it starts with her half in and out of a window all dressed up and uncharacteristically tarted up for a night on the town that her usual 16-year-old self would be mortified she was considering having.

What is going on with Emily Webb? In fact, what is going on in her town? Emily Cooke is murdered, and a chain of events is kicked off that has the reader racing through pages trying to figure out what is happening before something...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Jessica RiffeKincaid rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-romance

The book began a little slow in the beginning and then picked up the pace, however it was a little hard to understand at times.

A girl who has the same first name of another girl she once went to school with is shot killed after she mysteriously wonders the streets late at night dressed only in her pajamas and before this began acting "strangely" around her family members. Trying to keep herself hidden from having more than one friend and being recgonized by fellow class-mates, she hides herself...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Gemma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Huh. I'm kinda disappointed with this one.

The first 50 pages: awesome. Emily was funny, nerdy and cool. I liked her. And it starts with people getting murdered. Very attention grabbing; I was intrigued.

And then it sorta fizzles.

The premise is that every single night, Emily goes from nice, normal, boring Emily to hardcore sleazy playa Emily.

This was interesting and fun to watch the first time. But by the third, it's old news. We already know that at night, Emily turns into a comlete... well, I...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review posted here.

Rating: 3.5/5

The story starts with Emily Webb about to sneak out from her bedroom window wearing clothes that her geeky self would never have the guts to wear; exposed cleavage, short shorts and way too much make-up. The weird thing is, she doesn’t remember why and how she got dressed like that. If her best friend, Megan, hadn’t called when she was halfway out the window, she doesn’t have an idea what she would have done next.

What bugs Emily more though, is that the night she...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Kate McMurry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-science-fiction, ya-urban-fantasy, young-adult-urban-fantasy, young-adult-science-fiction

Are the horrifying changes in Emily's personality due to magic or madness?

This young adult, contemporary-fantasy novel begins with an interrogation of the teenage heroine, Emily Webb, by a man named F. Savage who is part of a shadowy organization called the Vesper Company. This opening scene is presented in transcript format, and in it Emily is, for reasons unexplained, referred to as "Vesper 1." We learn within the first page of the book that Emily and several of her unnamed friends have been k...more Are the horrifying changes in Emily's personality due to magic or madness?

This young adult, contemporary-fantasy novel begins with an interrogation of the teenage heroine, Emily Webb, by a man named F. Savage who is part of a shadowy organization called the Vesper Company. This opening scene is presented in transcript format, and in it Emily is, for reasons unexplained, referred to as "Vesper 1." We learn within the first page of the book that Emily and several of her unnamed friends have been kidnapped and are being held in a secret facility. At the request of the powers-that-be in the Vesper Company, Emily has written out her story. She declares to Savage that she hopes that her cooperation will earn the release of both her and her friends, but it is by no means clear that her wish will be granted. Emily's written statement comprises the body of the novel Vesper, which is frequently interspersed with more transcripts of her ongoing interrogation with the Vesper Company man.

At the start of Emily's story, she is behaving like someone who is either suffering from a manic phase of bipolar disorder or hopped up on some kind of dangerous street drug. She is in the midst of climbing out her bedroom window because she wants to "dive into the darkness" beyond her bedroom window and "get filthy and carefree." She's interrupted by a phone call informing her that a girl from her school, Emily Cooke, has just been murdered. The shock of that announcement shakes her out of her manic state, and she behaves like someone waking from a trance. This version of Emily is appalled to find herself dressed in flashy, trampy clothes which, her thoughts tell us, are completely out of character. The real Emily Webb is a modest, very introverted geek.

As the book progresses, we experience the traumatizing pull between what Emily comes to call "Nighttime Emily" and her normal self, "Daytime Emily." Emily has three theories: She's either going insane, possessed by the vengeful spirit of the other, dead Emily, or she is relentlessly transforming into something unimaginable. Something that isn't entirely human.

This is an intriguing paranormal story which is equal parts action-adventure plot, murder-mystery plot, and a uniquely intense coming-of-age plot. There is also a romantic subplot, and those that like to be kept guessing a bit as to who the heroine in a YA novel will end up with will enjoy the unexpected way the author handles it.

This book definitely has the potential to produce, at the least, a trilogy, because the end of the book, though satisfactorily answering the main plot questions posed in this book, brings up multiple tantalizing new questions to be handled in the next book.

Some readers may experience the literary technique of beginning the story with an event that has happened after the main story has ended as lessening some of the story's suspense, as well as resulting in the main body of the book consisting of a massive flashback. It is also a bit disconcerting that the book is interrupted several more times with additional transcripts of the same interrogation that begins the book, which rather awkwardly breaks up the forward momentum of the story.

Though it works well for the plot itself, in terms of marketing this book, it is unfortunate that the major paranormal hook that would cause teen readers to want to pick up this book and read it is not revealed until the climax. That means that any reviewer or promoter of the book who reveals it to grab a potential reader's attention is committing a spoiler. Because that plot point is so interesting, though, beware that many readers who review this book, here on Amazon and elsewhere, will be tempted to blurt out this important plot point in their reviews.

Regardless of the flaws in the structure of the novel which, of course, many readers may not find to be flaws at all, the particular strength that most recommends this book is the personality and characterization of the heroine Emily. She is a strong and dynamic heroine with a relentless drive to solve the mystery of her frightening split personality.

For parents and teachers concerned with the content of this book, I would rate it PG-13 for violence. There is no sex, but many of the scenes of "Nighttime Emily's" wild-child exploits are quite provocative and drenched in substance abuse. However, this is leavened by "Daytime Emily's" shock at these actions.

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May 23, 2011 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, finished, owned-and-still-own

Jeff Sampson, Vesper: A Deviants Novel (Balzer and Bray, 2011)

I really should have known what I was getting into with this. It's a young adult novel, the first in a projected series (really, folks, can someone just write a stand-alone novel these days? Please?), and it deals with the supernatural. Once you've established those three things, you've narrowed yourself to two or three choices. They're all overdone. They're all really, really annoying in the wrong hands, and 90% of the time they're i...more Jeff Sampson, Vesper: A Deviants Novel (Balzer and Bray, 2011)

I really should have known what I was getting into with this. It's a young adult novel, the first in a projected series (really, folks, can someone just write a stand-alone novel these days? Please?), and it deals with the supernatural. Once you've established those three things, you've narrowed yourself to two or three choices. They're all overdone. They're all really, really annoying in the wrong hands, and 90% of the time they're in the wrong hands. While I'm not sure Jeff Sampson's hands are the right ones, they're a darned sight better than most of those who have been covering this same territory, and for that I am thankful.

Emily Webb is one of two Emilys at her high school. (We will refer to her as Emily W for now.) As the book opens, Emily W is going through some rather odd changes, not in her body but in her thought patterns. What's a geek who strives not to be noticed by her peers doing crawling out her window in the middle of the night? We've no idea. But when she gets to school the next day, she finds out Emily C, the class' other Emily, was found dead in her pajamas just a few blocks from Emily W's house. The connection should be obvious, and indeed it is to Emily W, but that doesn't stop her changing every night into someone who wants to crawl out her window, shed her mousy exterior, and rock the world. There's more to it than that, of course, as she enlists the help of a few friends, struggles to stay a normal high school girl, and try to figure out who wants her dead (and who the others are this person wants dead, since she can't be the only one, right?). Which is not nearly as complex as it sounds when I explain it, and that is to the book's good. But then comes the revelation of what it is she's becoming, and if you don't groan during that scene, well, you have more intestinal fortitude than I do, or you've read far fewer books of this stripe (while I don't think it's a spoiler any more given that it's mentioned in a lot of the Amazon reviews, I'm not going to do it).

That said, as I inferred in the opening paragraph, this could have been a whole lot worse. With sexy teen vampires rapidly approaching the saturation point (and as Captain Peacock was wont to say, “thank heaven for THAT”), the second-favorite mythology is being trampled on in a raft of books. A lot of them are mediocre at best. This takes a more interesting view of the situation, in that Emily doesn't simply pop up one night changed into a different thing, and the strongest part of the book is that “what IS she?” bit, which is roughly the first two-thirds of it. But even once we get past the groanworthy Big Reveal, and Sampson just keeps going on with the mystery angle, and while I'm sure Emily's, erm, gifts will be pivotal in later books in the series (the closing scene, which lays out come of the structure of the Deviants, pretty much ensures this), here it's not something that was absolutely necessary (though it helped, a bit of extra planning would have allowed a normal human to achieve the same effect), and that's a pleasant surprise.

Not bad, not bad at all. I'll be picking up the next book in the series. *** 1/2
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Jan 13, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review originally posted at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...

Actual Rating: 2.5/5

MY THOUGHTS
Vesper is a story that leaves us in a state of suspended indecision, our emotions in constant flux as we mentally debate the merits and drawbacks of what we've just read. It's not a book that's easy to categorize or assign a label such as "good" or "bad", and this sense of being undefinable stems mostly from a complete and utter lack of knowledge despite having read clean through cover to cov...more This review originally posted at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...

Actual Rating: 2.5/5

MY THOUGHTS
Vesper is a story that leaves us in a state of suspended indecision, our emotions in constant flux as we mentally debate the merits and drawbacks of what we've just read. It's not a book that's easy to categorize or assign a label such as "good" or "bad", and this sense of being undefinable stems mostly from a complete and utter lack of knowledge despite having read clean through cover to cover. Mr. Sampson has written a novel with overwhelming potential and the potent promise for future substance, yet the story we are given lacks that which it promises so strongly. Reading Emily's story is like reading a three-hundred page prologue where interesting events are set in motion and we're taunted with the barest whispers of information, but just as we are getting excited to delve into the richness we know is just waiting for us to savor, we find ourselves on the final page, having been given a shell of a story and denied the filling we so crave.

Emily herself is as difficult to decipher as the story of which she is narrator. She starts out as the quiet, somewhat geeky, easy-to-overlook teenager with whom we can easily see ourselves eventually connecting, but with the fall of night she becomes a girl plagued by none of the inhibitions that hamper daytime Emily's social life. She quickly sheds the sweetness and innocence we've come to appreciate and embraces her latent "popular girl" behavior, thereby rendering her a complete stranger we're not sure we really want to know. She has few redeeming qualities while in this altered state of being, and any explanation for either this version of Emily or the full werewolf version of Emily remains a complete mystery. All we know with any amount of certainty is that sometime in the vicinity of eight o'clock in the evening Emily short circuits and transforms, maintaining an awareness of her daytime persona, but ultimately not caring what effect her shenanigans will have on her as long as she's having fun now.

A great deal of nighttime Emily's "fun" centers around the alluring draw of a certain musky scent her werewolf-self identifies as belonging to her mate. The search for a mate would have been a perfectly acceptable storyline if we were just provided a few of the why's for this particular behavior. We are given no explanation for her search, and once she finds the one she's been so inexplicably drawn to, we have no idea whether or not he is equally drawn to her, thus negating any potential for a romance that would have helped us understand this animalistic pull. While we are provided a hint as to the reason for Emily's physical changes, the lack of information regarding all other aspects of the story becomes increasingly frustrating, leaving us blinking in disbelief upon reaching the conclusion, shocked by the fact that we've read a full length novel but have learned virtually nothing about either the characters or the trials they face.

Periodically, Emily's narration is interrupted by the transcripts of an interview between her (though she's identified as Vesper 1) and an older gentleman who knows her secret, a deviation from the story that doesn't seem all that necessary until the end. Between the last page of the story itself and the final page of the transcript, a significant group of occurrences seem to have taken place, resulting in an Emily who is now far more informed and knowledgeable about her condition and what it means, yet we as readers remain outsiders–an unfortunate circumstance that cements our detachment from this story as the interest that was undeniably piqued is whispered away in a haze of confusion. Vesper is certainly full of potential, perhaps potential that will be mercifully tapped into in coming books, but it reads as a lengthy introduction to future events as opposed to a stand alone first installment.

Rating: 2.5/5 (less)

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Sep 09, 2010 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: by-people-i-know, childrens-lit, i-lack-objectivity-on-this-one, sf-fantasy-horror

A kind of mix of Westerfeld and Heroes (when it was good) and Veronica Mars, but entirely its own beast.

Of late, the teen genre paranormal romances announce themselves as such, with the single element the author is playing with brayed about on the cover. Bored by Wolves! or Fairy Tail or Fallen Angel Boy or what-have-you. Such books are all about cashing in by being as obvious as possible. Want paranormal romance? Here's a vampire angel zombie you can love! And so on. You know you're reaching th...more

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Jul 16, 2011 slayra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, in-english, ya-uf-and-pnr

RATING: 4 stars.

Here's another book that surprised me. Maybe because I had little to no expectations about it as the only thing I actually knew about it was that it was a werewolf story.
But now, after finishing it, I am impressed with the book. Not because it is a masterpiece, but because it just stands out among all the young adult urban fantasy I've read this year. And that is something, because with so many books of this genre coming out every month it's certainly difficult to be original.

Emi...more RATING: 4 stars.

Here's another book that surprised me. Maybe because I had little to no expectations about it as the only thing I actually knew about it was that it was a werewolf story.
But now, after finishing it, I am impressed with the book. Not because it is a masterpiece, but because it just stands out among all the young adult urban fantasy I've read this year. And that is something, because with so many books of this genre coming out every month it's certainly difficult to be original.

Emily Webb is not popular. She doesn't think she's pretty. And she knows she's a geek. Most of the time she doesn't mind having only one friend and wearing loose clothes to hide her body (of which she is ashamed). Except sometimes... she wonders... how it would be like to be a confident girl, with a confident walk and even some superpowers...
But one thing is imagining and another, completely different thing is having it happen. Really happen. Because suddenly Emily doesn't need her glasses to see clearly; she is fast, strong and... confident.
What is happening to Emily? Why is she suddenly feeling like she is in a movie adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

Here's the main reason I liked this book: Emily. I could identify myself with her. She was shy and had doubts about her body and sometimes wished she had the courage to stand up to people. I think she was very human and I can imagine that many girls feel like Emily. I don't know if all of them want superpowers (I know I wanted to be a witch when I started reading Harry Potter... but it's a secret. :D), but certainly every girl in the world has at one point or another felt inadequate and uncomfortable.

So, Emily is a relatable sort of character who suffers a transformation that allows her to be as sassy, outspoken and self-assured as she wants. It's easy to see the appeal, I think. I also liked the fact that Sampson actually cared about development of his protagonist and that we can see Emily actually changing and growing.

The story wasn't anything special really. It was Emily's journey, Emily's change that drove this book and made it interesting.

There were characters that could have been introduced earlier to the story (like Spencer; we know he is there, but his role is not very prominent although he is an important character) and some parts that felt rushed (the last chapters), but overall "Vespers" was a nice read.
And as the author included parts (the transcripts) that take place much later in Emily's life, I guess I'll have to read the second book in the series to see what else happens to her: how she will find her pack and how the relationship with her "mate". Oh and everything about BioZenith. I'll just have to keep reading until I know as much as Emily seems to know in this first book.

Overall: this is an introductory book to the series, clearly. It focuses on Emily's experiences while changing and has a very simple plot that is there just to help Emily in her 'journey'. The "transcripts" that appear throughout hint at a deeper story and several plot lines that include other supernaturals and the rest of Emily's pack. These transcripts represent Emily's present while the book is a recounting of Emily's past so if the reader wants to know more he'll just have to read the other books. I think I will. :) (less)

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Jan 05, 2011 Chibineko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, awesomeness, harperteen

Once in a while you'll come across a book that really keeps you reading. Not your average page turner, but something that really excites you & keeps you reading. This is one of those books.

Where to start? First off, I love how realistic the characters are. Emily doesn't have some unrealistic quirk to her & while she's definitely not one of the "beautiful people" she's not the specific target of anyone's ridicule. (Her friend Megan did have that dubious honor at one point in her past, tho...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Lina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fiction, fiction-general

I would like to thank HarperCollins Publishers, for sending this book for me to read.

Throughout reading, Vesper, I had mixed feelings about it due to certain characterization.

The synopsis portrays lead character, Emily Webb as a geek who is happy her with herself. However, in the beginning, it seems as if Emily is uncomfortable within her own skin, which comes of, mainly, due to her "best friend" Megan. I found Megan to be really annoying character. She is one of those girls who has been so ov...more I would like to thank HarperCollins Publishers, for sending this book for me to read.

Throughout reading, Vesper, I had mixed feelings about it due to certain characterization.

The synopsis portrays lead character, Emily Webb as a geek who is happy her with herself. However, in the beginning, it seems as if Emily is uncomfortable within her own skin, which comes of, mainly, due to her "best friend" Megan. I found Megan to be really annoying character. She is one of those girls who has been so overlooked by the popular crowd that she decides that anything "cool" is horrible. When Emily starts going through these weird changes where her "dark" side comes out, Megan starts calling her "slutty" for showing off cleavage and flirting with guys. If I was Emily I would have dropped her like a brick.

"Nightmare" Emily, is a very fun character to read about, she is a hedonist who grabs life by the balls and laughs. Whenever she came out the book took a whole new, and compelling, light. She is what kept me reading and hoping that the two Emily's would meet and become one.

The event that jump-starts our protagonist's main story, is the death of Emily Cooke, the "other Emily" and how it starts to effect her. Emily Webb starts to think that the darkness inside of her is the ghost of the late Emily. Every night she seems to come alive and become the very antithesis of herself. It's like a less dramatic "Black Swan" type deal.

A very slow start, the story does eventually progress towards the end, which comes together with a very strong sequel hook. There was a lot of red herring to try and keep readers guessing what was really going on with Emily. For in the end what really mattered most was the epiphany near the end as showed that the character was developing into her own person and that made reading all the other stuff worth it.

Besides the character of Megan, the only real problem I had with this book was the constant name-dropping to make Emily seem like a geek. It was as if the writer was trying to make us know "yeah she's one of you, she loved Dr. Who, Lord of the Ring, etc." For me all that stuff just comes off as weak characterization.

Overall a light read and I would probably pay to read the next installment.

3.0
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Dec 11, 2010 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

'Vesper' has a good idea and nice plot. The description is normally exactly what I like to read. Emily is the main character that goes through unexplained changes that transform her from a shy, unnoticed girl by day to a cool, sexy girl by night. As strange things continue to happen, she realizes teenage hormones are the least of her problems. Her best friend Megan has a chip on her shoulder and you get the feeling she has held Emily back socially. There are cute boys in this book, although the...more 'Vesper' has a good idea and nice plot. The description is normally exactly what I like to read. Emily is the main character that goes through unexplained changes that transform her from a shy, unnoticed girl by day to a cool, sexy girl by night. As strange things continue to happen, she realizes teenage hormones are the least of her problems. Her best friend Megan has a chip on her shoulder and you get the feeling she has held Emily back socially. There are cute boys in this book, although the kind of "love" tension I like to see in YA books isn't there.

Emily starts out as this awkward girl growing into this sexy and strong being. The author makes the distinction between shy Day Emily and outgoing Night Emily. The idea, I think, is to see her start to take on more of the assertiveness Night Emily displays, but in the time frame presented (a few weeks) I don't buy the transformation. A teenage girl who is as shy as Day Emily is portrayed does not make such a major change as the author writes toward the end. One example is when Emily spontaneously decides to check out a potentially dangerous biogenetic company. I didn't buy it with the time frame given. I felt it was too soon to be that assertive, maybe for book 2?

Emily lost her mother when she was young and is now being raised by her dad, step-mom, and step-sister. Everyone gets along and seems to care for each other. Her dad is preoccupied with a computer game and you can tell the author is setting the stage for him to not really know what Emily is doing most of the time. The step-sister lives at home, goes to college, and is interested in helping Emily become more social. The step-mom is said to be a nice person. In the book, the step-sister seems to know what is going on with Emily, but only when the writer needs her to be. I didn't buy the dad not knowing his daughter was missing so much in the nights or a weekend, or the step-sister not knowing. They knew the first couple of times she did something out of character, so don't you think they would all be watching more closely after that? It seems they were nowhere to be found after a certain point in the story. An example is when Emily and her step-sister go to a party, Emily leaves after acting very much out of character, a friend is shot, and the step-sister and step-mom are out all night looking for her. There was a big scene in the morning where she gets grounded, everyone is upset she worried them, etc. Yet, after this, she gets by with more sneaking out and no one notices? It didn't feel right to me.

Megan has a chip on her shoulder from popular girls a few years ago playing a trick and embarrassing her. She is portrayed a bit of a bully to Emily, making her feel bad if she wants to wear make-up or might like boys. The relationship started out at a normal pace and then as the changes start to make Emily do things like go to parties, dress sexy, flirt with boys, her best friend becomes angry. She begins to blend into the background for me as the book goes on, only to supply an argument, or provide a car for Emily to steal. As the book went on, the friendship felt disjointed and obligatory, rather than like she was a true part of the story.

With these "not buying it" pieces, I would still recommend fans of YA paranormal to read it. It just isn't a book I will have on my personal shelf to keep. Again, the plot and idea are great. I am curious to see where the author wants to take it in the sequel. I think if these "holes" could have been filled, this would have been a very good book. But, as it is, I stand by my issues previously stated that make the book rate lower for me. Always keep in mind, one reader's opinion may not be the same as another reader. I do recommend you give it your try. The things that bothered me, you may not even consider an issue or notice at all.

The writing style is fluid. I was able to read the book in a day and a half. It was not bogged down or hard to get through in the least. I just found myself thinking, " I wish that..." or "That was rushed into.." I would have loved to have been a beta reader on this one, as I think if a few things had been changed, this could have been a five star review for me.(less)

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Vesper (Deviants #1)

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