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Night Road
For a heme like Cole, life is a tightrope existence in which sunlight is his deadly enemy and one mistake could trap him underground, staring at the inside of a coffin lid, for eternity. After a century of wandering he may still look like a teenager, but he's known in the heme community for being observant, meticulous, and controlled—a master of life on the road. When Cole is asked to take a newly created heme out for training, however, his usual caution may not be enough. If Gordon, the rookie who really is in his teens, can't cut ties with his old life and accept his new limitations, Cole will have to discreetly dispose of the kid—the same way a mad dog would be put down for the safety of society. Cole thinks he can handle it. But no matter how carefully he plans, or how much he thinks he's in control, accidents still happen. . . .
362 pages, Library Binding
First published May 20, 2008
40 people are currently reading
1505 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Jenkins
10 books79 followersBorn in 1961. Have lived in TX all my life. Divorced with three sons, two dogs (Hobo and Tyson), two cats (Waldo and Smudge), and two gerbils (Nimbus and Gobi). Jobs throughout my life include pizza maker, ice cream dipper, day care worker, bookstore manager, aerobics instructor, high school math teacher, elementary reading tutor, and freelance writer (warning: this, kiddies, is what may happen to you if you get a liberal arts degree). Published books include Breaking Boxes, Damage, Out of Order, Beating Heart, Repossessed, Night Road, and Hallowmere #5 Queen of the Masquerade (with Tiffany Trent). Short stories include The Last Second, in Michael Cart's anthology Rush Hour: Reckless.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
September 22, 2020
Buzzword A Thon
I was originally going to say that Night Road had no plot. But that's not true it does have a plot, that plot is just boring and meandering. Which is worse if you think about it.
This is vampire book but don't you dare call them vampires. They have a special name but I don't remember it and it would take too much energy to look it up. Cole is are stereotypical depressed vampire character who's misery just loves company.
I didn't like this book and given the fact that barely anyone has read this, my feelings can't be that off base. I don't think I need to tell you that I don't recommend it.
I was originally going to say that Night Road had no plot. But that's not true it does have a plot, that plot is just boring and meandering. Which is worse if you think about it.
This is vampire book but don't you dare call them vampires. They have a special name but I don't remember it and it would take too much energy to look it up. Cole is are stereotypical depressed vampire character who's misery just loves company.
I didn't like this book and given the fact that barely anyone has read this, my feelings can't be that off base. I don't think I need to tell you that I don't recommend it.
June 24, 2008
Do you love vampire stories? Do you like it when an author takes a unique approach to the vampire myths? Well, Printz Honor winner, A.M. Jenkins, has created a very unique story indeed. Cole, a hemovore, lives a life of solitude. He travels from town to town - never staying more than a week or two in any one place. He feeds just enough to keep the Thirst at bay.
Cole receives word that he is needed at The Building in New York City. The Building is an apartment building that was purchased by Johnny, the hemovore that created Cole, in order to create a safe place for other hemovores that make up their Colony. The Building has everything a heme needs to survive. Rooms with complete darkness, humans (omnis) for feeding, and companionship. Cole is uncomfortable in The Building. He feels it makes a heme weak and less prepared to deal with the harsh realities of the world. He desperately wants to get back to his traveling routine.
Johnny has a mission for Cole. One that is suited to his lifestyle. It seems that one of Cole’s long-time friends has had an accident and created another heme. A young eighteen-year-old named Gordon. Gordon needs to learn the ways of a heme in order to survive and to keep The Colony safe by preventing people from finding out about them due to reckless behavior. Cole accepts the challenge and hits the road after only staying at The Building one day.
Together with Sandor, the heme that created Gordon, Cole prepares to become a teacher. Gordon must learn the proper place and way to feed, how to protect himself during the day, and the importance of cutting his ties with his old life. The journey leads to great revelations for both the teacher and the student.
NIGHT ROAD by A.M. Jenkins is a faced-paced book, even though it isn’t action packed. This is definately a story for those of you that enjoy character development. Cole is a character that you’ll want to see happy. You’ll want the story to continue after you finish the last page.
Cole receives word that he is needed at The Building in New York City. The Building is an apartment building that was purchased by Johnny, the hemovore that created Cole, in order to create a safe place for other hemovores that make up their Colony. The Building has everything a heme needs to survive. Rooms with complete darkness, humans (omnis) for feeding, and companionship. Cole is uncomfortable in The Building. He feels it makes a heme weak and less prepared to deal with the harsh realities of the world. He desperately wants to get back to his traveling routine.
Johnny has a mission for Cole. One that is suited to his lifestyle. It seems that one of Cole’s long-time friends has had an accident and created another heme. A young eighteen-year-old named Gordon. Gordon needs to learn the ways of a heme in order to survive and to keep The Colony safe by preventing people from finding out about them due to reckless behavior. Cole accepts the challenge and hits the road after only staying at The Building one day.
Together with Sandor, the heme that created Gordon, Cole prepares to become a teacher. Gordon must learn the proper place and way to feed, how to protect himself during the day, and the importance of cutting his ties with his old life. The journey leads to great revelations for both the teacher and the student.
NIGHT ROAD by A.M. Jenkins is a faced-paced book, even though it isn’t action packed. This is definately a story for those of you that enjoy character development. Cole is a character that you’ll want to see happy. You’ll want the story to continue after you finish the last page.
March 17, 2016
Stars: 3.5
Short summary of the story:
Cole appears to be your normal everyday eighteen-year-old boy, aside from the fact that he's a vampire. Well, his kind prefers the term hemovore, or "heme" for short. Cole once lived in a small Ohio settlement until he was accidently turned by Johnny, an ancient heme, that, in the present day, has been running a fully functional heme colony at a location known as the Building. Cole enjoys the road and stops by occasionally to catch up with old friends. His most recent visit, however, is quite different. Johnny has requested Cole's presence and has a favor to ask, he wants Cole to train Gordon, the colony's most recent accident.
Cole, whose abilities lack in the mentoring department, holds little faith in himself for this task. He reluctantly agrees and hopes that he won't repeat the mistakes of his past. He is joined by Sandor, the one who turned Gordon, as they hope to make the young man an independent heme, who will eventually fend for himself and not draw attention to their kind. They hope that their travels on the road will allow Gordon to easily transition into his knew lifestyle, but there are so many well-thought-out plans that never go as expected, especially when you have a moody teen heme and a brooding Cole to contend with.
I was so glad when I discovered that A.M. Jenkins stuck with so much of the original vampire lore that I have grown to love, and I also enjoyed her own little twists to the hemes. Her characters were modern, yet held shattered pieces of their pasts that hinted at years of existence. These pieces appeared as relics of the hemes origins that they would never release, it gave them something to hold onto that brought back both happy and despairing memories. I found Cole to be the most interesting character. He viewed himself as an object outside of time, one that would forever witness the deaths of those around him as he was allowed to live. This is why he enjoyed the road so much, he would never stay too long in one place, so that he would never become attached. He also believes that it is impossible for hemes to die, even if the sun burned them to their very bones. He thinks that their shreds of existence, their consciousness, would still be tied to their remains, forever alive and unable to escape.
The hints at his past were perhaps my favorite aspects of the book. Cole was once an avid photographer and artist, taking photos and drawing his surroundings to remember important places, emotions, or events of his past. I found it to be quite sad when he would flip through his photographs and discard the snapshots that he could no longer recall.
Overall, I decided to give a rating of 3.5 stars because I felt that the story took a while to pick up. I did enjoy the events that transpired within the lives' of the characters (Jenkins did a phenomenal job at hinting and revealing the past lives of her characters, especially Cole), but I felt that the happenings of the story blurred together as Cole, Gordon, Sandor were just constantly moving from place to place. Many of the areas they passed through were similar and I just wish there had been a little something to give more edge to the story and maybe a bit more delving into each characters' past.
This review was also posted on knightingalereviews.blogspot.com:
http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.c...
Short summary of the story:
Cole appears to be your normal everyday eighteen-year-old boy, aside from the fact that he's a vampire. Well, his kind prefers the term hemovore, or "heme" for short. Cole once lived in a small Ohio settlement until he was accidently turned by Johnny, an ancient heme, that, in the present day, has been running a fully functional heme colony at a location known as the Building. Cole enjoys the road and stops by occasionally to catch up with old friends. His most recent visit, however, is quite different. Johnny has requested Cole's presence and has a favor to ask, he wants Cole to train Gordon, the colony's most recent accident.
Cole, whose abilities lack in the mentoring department, holds little faith in himself for this task. He reluctantly agrees and hopes that he won't repeat the mistakes of his past. He is joined by Sandor, the one who turned Gordon, as they hope to make the young man an independent heme, who will eventually fend for himself and not draw attention to their kind. They hope that their travels on the road will allow Gordon to easily transition into his knew lifestyle, but there are so many well-thought-out plans that never go as expected, especially when you have a moody teen heme and a brooding Cole to contend with.
I was so glad when I discovered that A.M. Jenkins stuck with so much of the original vampire lore that I have grown to love, and I also enjoyed her own little twists to the hemes. Her characters were modern, yet held shattered pieces of their pasts that hinted at years of existence. These pieces appeared as relics of the hemes origins that they would never release, it gave them something to hold onto that brought back both happy and despairing memories. I found Cole to be the most interesting character. He viewed himself as an object outside of time, one that would forever witness the deaths of those around him as he was allowed to live. This is why he enjoyed the road so much, he would never stay too long in one place, so that he would never become attached. He also believes that it is impossible for hemes to die, even if the sun burned them to their very bones. He thinks that their shreds of existence, their consciousness, would still be tied to their remains, forever alive and unable to escape.
The hints at his past were perhaps my favorite aspects of the book. Cole was once an avid photographer and artist, taking photos and drawing his surroundings to remember important places, emotions, or events of his past. I found it to be quite sad when he would flip through his photographs and discard the snapshots that he could no longer recall.
Overall, I decided to give a rating of 3.5 stars because I felt that the story took a while to pick up. I did enjoy the events that transpired within the lives' of the characters (Jenkins did a phenomenal job at hinting and revealing the past lives of her characters, especially Cole), but I felt that the happenings of the story blurred together as Cole, Gordon, Sandor were just constantly moving from place to place. Many of the areas they passed through were similar and I just wish there had been a little something to give more edge to the story and maybe a bit more delving into each characters' past.
This review was also posted on knightingalereviews.blogspot.com:
http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.c...
March 20, 2015
Plot: In the beginning, Cole traveled alone through the United States. He then got called back to the apartment where all of the "hemes" were. Johnny, the heme who created Cole, told him that he needs to assist in Gordon's training. From there Cole, Gordon, and Sandor traveled through some of the country to train Gordon in the way of the hemes. They had quite a few snags as they were traveling. A M Jenkins eventually ends the story back at the apartment where it started.
Personal opinion: This book was a bit strange, and during some of the parts I thought to myself, "well this is weird." To me the way vampires were depicted in this book was much better than in other books. The beginning of the book was kind of annoying to me because of the bratty attitude of Gordon. I was surprised that Cole didn't strangle Gordon. Their journey across the country seemed like it would have much more excitement, but I guess not because they travel at night.
Characterization: Cole already seemed incredibly mature in the beginning, but he still matured more as the book went on. Gordon was excessively bratty in the beginning. During the middle, he got a bit more mature. He then turned into a brat, but then started to mature again.
Audience: I think that this book would be a bit more suited to guys than girls. I think that the age range would be about seventeen to forty. This is due to the fact that the plot could be a bit boring to the younger ages and possibly even a bit hard to understand.
Personal opinion: This book was a bit strange, and during some of the parts I thought to myself, "well this is weird." To me the way vampires were depicted in this book was much better than in other books. The beginning of the book was kind of annoying to me because of the bratty attitude of Gordon. I was surprised that Cole didn't strangle Gordon. Their journey across the country seemed like it would have much more excitement, but I guess not because they travel at night.
Characterization: Cole already seemed incredibly mature in the beginning, but he still matured more as the book went on. Gordon was excessively bratty in the beginning. During the middle, he got a bit more mature. He then turned into a brat, but then started to mature again.
Audience: I think that this book would be a bit more suited to guys than girls. I think that the age range would be about seventeen to forty. This is due to the fact that the plot could be a bit boring to the younger ages and possibly even a bit hard to understand.
July 11, 2008
Here is a vampire story for real fans of the genre. The protagonists
of this very unusual book would say, "Don't call me a vampire!"
Instead they prefer the term hemovore and they work extremely hard at
not letting their nightly "feeds" even realize what has happened.
Cole, a perennial 18, has chosen to always be on the road, always
moving, never staying anywhere for long enough to form any kind of
attachment to an omni after a disastrous early experience when he fell
in love. Jenkins has given us a whole new take on the vampire story
here and has added the quintessential YA themes of identity and coming
of age as well in a uniquely original and imaginative book
of this very unusual book would say, "Don't call me a vampire!"
Instead they prefer the term hemovore and they work extremely hard at
not letting their nightly "feeds" even realize what has happened.
Cole, a perennial 18, has chosen to always be on the road, always
moving, never staying anywhere for long enough to form any kind of
attachment to an omni after a disastrous early experience when he fell
in love. Jenkins has given us a whole new take on the vampire story
here and has added the quintessential YA themes of identity and coming
of age as well in a uniquely original and imaginative book
February 4, 2009
Cole is a hemovore.
A blood drinker, he must avoid the sunlight and feed off the blood of omnivores. Unable to die, they lead a meager existence, going from one meal to the next.
That changes for Cole when he is called back home. Home is really a safe house, a house where the hemovores can live and feed in relative safety. There, he finds Gordon. Newly created by Sandor, Gordon is young and unable to accept his condition, unable to accept the “disease” that runs through his veins.
Sandor and Johnny ask Cole to help Gordon, to help him acclimate to his new lifestyle. Cole agrees, taking him on a road trip so that he can learn how to fit in, how to feed, how to live as a blood drinker.
On the road, Gordon eases into his new lifestyle but things go wrong when they meet a hemovore who likes to murder omnivores for fun. Gordon balks and goes on a hunger strike, trying to ignore a Thirst that may eventually kill him.
And Cole? Cole is forced to examine everything he is, everything he does. He is forced to examine what is good and what is evil. But then something happens that changes his life forever…
Night Road by A. M. Jenkins is a thrilling read and a welcome retelling of vampire mythology. It breathes new life in to a tired genre and manages to create it’s own mythos, it’s own rules.
Instead of super human vampires, we are given a portrayal of those who are merely succumbing to necessity, who bleed and hope and dream like us. Gone is the ideal of the all powerful vampire. Instead, A. M. Jenkins gives us something a lot more human.
Night Road is not only thrilling, it’s an emotional and super charged race to the finish. Even though the book is about vampires, it really is a study in human nature, a study in what makes a human whole.
It’s a beautiful, gritty book that take a look at the dark side of human life, from a totally different point of view. Cole is the perfect protagonist to take us through a journey that even had this reader looking at himself differently at the end.
Night Road is a quick, dark read that is the perfect bloody treat for summer. Why not start your summer off right by taking a walk down Night Road?
You won’t be sorry.
A blood drinker, he must avoid the sunlight and feed off the blood of omnivores. Unable to die, they lead a meager existence, going from one meal to the next.
That changes for Cole when he is called back home. Home is really a safe house, a house where the hemovores can live and feed in relative safety. There, he finds Gordon. Newly created by Sandor, Gordon is young and unable to accept his condition, unable to accept the “disease” that runs through his veins.
Sandor and Johnny ask Cole to help Gordon, to help him acclimate to his new lifestyle. Cole agrees, taking him on a road trip so that he can learn how to fit in, how to feed, how to live as a blood drinker.
On the road, Gordon eases into his new lifestyle but things go wrong when they meet a hemovore who likes to murder omnivores for fun. Gordon balks and goes on a hunger strike, trying to ignore a Thirst that may eventually kill him.
And Cole? Cole is forced to examine everything he is, everything he does. He is forced to examine what is good and what is evil. But then something happens that changes his life forever…
Night Road by A. M. Jenkins is a thrilling read and a welcome retelling of vampire mythology. It breathes new life in to a tired genre and manages to create it’s own mythos, it’s own rules.
Instead of super human vampires, we are given a portrayal of those who are merely succumbing to necessity, who bleed and hope and dream like us. Gone is the ideal of the all powerful vampire. Instead, A. M. Jenkins gives us something a lot more human.
Night Road is not only thrilling, it’s an emotional and super charged race to the finish. Even though the book is about vampires, it really is a study in human nature, a study in what makes a human whole.
It’s a beautiful, gritty book that take a look at the dark side of human life, from a totally different point of view. Cole is the perfect protagonist to take us through a journey that even had this reader looking at himself differently at the end.
Night Road is a quick, dark read that is the perfect bloody treat for summer. Why not start your summer off right by taking a walk down Night Road?
You won’t be sorry.
May 21, 2015
I rate this book four stars. The plot and characters were written well. Even though there are a ton of vampire themed book this one is fresh and stands out. Although I could not put this book down it could have been more interesting. Over all is was a good book.
I quite enjoyed this book. The plot is suspenseful and put together well. The characters are like vampires, but they are called hemes, and they are different from the stereotypical vampire. The main character, Cole, gets asked by Johnny, the head of the colony, to take a new heme, Gordon, on a road trip. Cole decides that Gordon needs his help because he is not learning anything from the hemes he currently lives with. The two of them along with another heme, Sandor, have a long journey ahead of them. The trip consists of Cole trying to teach Gordon how to be a heme. Gordon is a stubborn teenager, so it is not an easy task. He manages to teach him the rules of being a heme like how to feed. The three of them are completely different, but they end up becoming almost friends. Things start to go wrong when they run into a heme that thinks he is a vampire. Cole struggles to not mess up like last time.
Cole is a heme that looks like a teenager but has been alive for more than a century. He is known for traveling and spending like on the road. He is observant, honest, gloomy, precise, and intelligent. Even after he messes up with training one heme he still keeps trying. He ignores his guilt and does his job. He is very hard working and dedicated to his colony.
Sandor is nothing like Cole at all. He is upbeat, cheerful, funny, and sees the bright side of everything. He doesn't let being a heme control his life. His job in the group is to make sure Cole isn't too rough with the new heme.
I suggest this book to teenagers in middle school and high school. It is not for anyone under middle school age because there are inappropriate words and themes mentioned. The plot is interesting and supernatural theme will keep teenagers entertained. Gender does not matter.
I quite enjoyed this book. The plot is suspenseful and put together well. The characters are like vampires, but they are called hemes, and they are different from the stereotypical vampire. The main character, Cole, gets asked by Johnny, the head of the colony, to take a new heme, Gordon, on a road trip. Cole decides that Gordon needs his help because he is not learning anything from the hemes he currently lives with. The two of them along with another heme, Sandor, have a long journey ahead of them. The trip consists of Cole trying to teach Gordon how to be a heme. Gordon is a stubborn teenager, so it is not an easy task. He manages to teach him the rules of being a heme like how to feed. The three of them are completely different, but they end up becoming almost friends. Things start to go wrong when they run into a heme that thinks he is a vampire. Cole struggles to not mess up like last time.
Cole is a heme that looks like a teenager but has been alive for more than a century. He is known for traveling and spending like on the road. He is observant, honest, gloomy, precise, and intelligent. Even after he messes up with training one heme he still keeps trying. He ignores his guilt and does his job. He is very hard working and dedicated to his colony.
Sandor is nothing like Cole at all. He is upbeat, cheerful, funny, and sees the bright side of everything. He doesn't let being a heme control his life. His job in the group is to make sure Cole isn't too rough with the new heme.
I suggest this book to teenagers in middle school and high school. It is not for anyone under middle school age because there are inappropriate words and themes mentioned. The plot is interesting and supernatural theme will keep teenagers entertained. Gender does not matter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2009
Another version of the vampire story, but set as a buddy road-trip book, for the most part, and also as a "loner guy grappling with self-doubt" story. Not for those looking for something lighthearted. These vampires are "hemes" or "hemovores", while normal humans are "omnis" or "omnivores." It reminded me a little of Peeps, in that it gives a plausible scientific basis for vampirism, and is more about the "realities" of life as an undead person than the romance of such an existence. The main character must mentor a newly turned heme, teaching him how to "feed" a little each night on a different victim--taking only enough blood to sate, not enough to kill the victim (which would turn him/her into a heme, and the killer into a nasty crazy killer). These hemes use a sharp implement to prick the neck, and are so quick that the victim, temporarily stunned during the process, doesn't even realize what's happening. A much less romantic view of vampires than you usually get. Our main guy is really depressed, as the story gradually reveals, because of what happened to his only true love, and trust me, if reading Twilight makes you want to be a vampire, reading Night Road will NOT. Worth a read for true vampire fans looking for something different. No elaborate fantasy mythologies here, just cold hard dead of night existence.
July 2, 2009
This was an interesting take on vampires... or hemovores, as they prefer to be called. It was more a coming of age story than the typical vampire romance.
Cole keeps a strict control over his Thirst, traveling on the road, keeping himself carefully emotionless. But Johnny, the head of the Colony, has called him back to the Building, where Cole meets Gordon, a "mistake." Gordon is a new vampire and has no control, and Cole has to stop him from nearly killing one of the omnis (humans are called omnivores). The result of this encounter is that Johnny orders Cole to take Gordon on the road with him, to teach him control.
Cole, Gordon, and Sandor (the heme who accidentally created Gordon) make an interesting trio. Sandor has a cheerful, upbeat, and easygoing personality, while Cole is fairly gloomy and aloof. Gordon is still reeling from his traumatic first night as a hemovore and resents being told what to do. Royal, a hemovore who was abandoned and who has come up with his own theories about what sort of creature he was turned into (called a "stray"), was an interesting contrast to the world of the Colony.
This is a very different kind of vampire story than those I'm used to reading, but very satisfying.
Cole keeps a strict control over his Thirst, traveling on the road, keeping himself carefully emotionless. But Johnny, the head of the Colony, has called him back to the Building, where Cole meets Gordon, a "mistake." Gordon is a new vampire and has no control, and Cole has to stop him from nearly killing one of the omnis (humans are called omnivores). The result of this encounter is that Johnny orders Cole to take Gordon on the road with him, to teach him control.
Cole, Gordon, and Sandor (the heme who accidentally created Gordon) make an interesting trio. Sandor has a cheerful, upbeat, and easygoing personality, while Cole is fairly gloomy and aloof. Gordon is still reeling from his traumatic first night as a hemovore and resents being told what to do. Royal, a hemovore who was abandoned and who has come up with his own theories about what sort of creature he was turned into (called a "stray"), was an interesting contrast to the world of the Colony.
This is a very different kind of vampire story than those I'm used to reading, but very satisfying.
January 26, 2011
I was kind of disappointed. I thought there was going to be more to the story. To me, it felt like it just ended. I mean overall the story is amazing but I just didn't click with the ending.
I like how they didn't consider themselves "vampires." That alone brought my attention into the story and made me look at a novel like this in a different perspective. I love the terminology and the story behind to support the terms.
It was a good read. Easy and enjoyable. I could have finished it in one sitting. Though I am a fast reader. It was rather nice. Nothing too elaborate and nothing too dull. It was almost the perfect book for me.
The emotions do play with you for a bit. I had some parts of me feel bad for certain characters and other times not so much.
Again, very good book and was happy to read it. I probably will read it again.
I like how they didn't consider themselves "vampires." That alone brought my attention into the story and made me look at a novel like this in a different perspective. I love the terminology and the story behind to support the terms.
It was a good read. Easy and enjoyable. I could have finished it in one sitting. Though I am a fast reader. It was rather nice. Nothing too elaborate and nothing too dull. It was almost the perfect book for me.
The emotions do play with you for a bit. I had some parts of me feel bad for certain characters and other times not so much.
Again, very good book and was happy to read it. I probably will read it again.
November 13, 2009
I know, I know, another vampire book for young adults. But here lies good solid, captivating writing. These vampires resent the baggage of the images of vampires, preferring to be referred to as hemes (or hemovores), while regular humans are omnis (omnivores).
This feels like part of a series, as some of the secondary characters aren't fleshed out so well, but our narrator Cole is an interesting, conflicted character.
If you want a quick read,and an alternative view to the current vampire trend, check, check, check it out.
This feels like part of a series, as some of the secondary characters aren't fleshed out so well, but our narrator Cole is an interesting, conflicted character.
If you want a quick read,and an alternative view to the current vampire trend, check, check, check it out.
June 28, 2008
Another vampire novel for those who like them. This one was strangely unexciting. The author has a different take on vampires and their problems with life, love, and feeding. Gordon, 18, becomes a vampire by accident and Cole, who was young when he changed, is assigned to teach Gordon. The author obviously had fun thinking through all the problems and should deliver a more thrilling sequel.
July 27, 2008
Kind of reminds me a little of Charlie Huston -- i.e. hardboiled / noir vampires -- although here instead of NYC we have a road trip.
March 27, 2015
Has no exciting plot . I didn't enjoy it much .
February 5, 2024
As evidenced by my quick finish (I basically read this in one day since I only managed 25-ish pages before bed last night), this was surprisingly excellent. This take on vampire lore is one that I haven’t come across (that I can recall); painting vampires as mostly human, apart from their dietary requirements (they call themselves hemovores) and inability to die - regardless of the damage done to their bodies. And oh boy, can they be damaged. Not only does the sun cause their skin to slough off entirely, it also cooks away their innards, leaving nothing but charred bones behind. Bones that can then regenerate in to a fully formed vampire (ahem, hemovore) once removed from the suns influence. But the kicker is, that even though the body has managed to regenerate, the brain suffers irreparable damage, to the point that the vampire is now living, but is basically an insensate/unresponsive shell. Which, for obvious reasons, seems like a super shitty state to be stuck in. Anyway, our main character is full to the brim of delicious angst, which tends to be my kryptonite (🐀). So if that’s something you enjoy as well, grab this book without delay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2019
Hey everybody, Good morning/afternoon/night!
If you are someone who reads a lot of vampire books, you should definitely read this one too. A.M. Jenkins weaves a fantastic story that instantly captivates the reader.
Night Road by A.M. Jenkins
Cole is known for being observant, meticulous and controlled- a master of life on the road. When Johnny gives him a task which challenges every rule he has created, will Cole be ready or not?
For Cole, it was a hard decision when he agreed to train a newly created heme (or hemovores). With every twist and turn, he is reminded of his past life and love. Cole thinks he can handle it. But no matter how carefully he plans, or how much he thinks he’s in control, accidents still happen…. Will the newly created heme survive on the road or will Cole have to put him down?
If you are someone who reads a lot of vampire books, you should definitely read this one too. A.M. Jenkins weaves a fantastic story that instantly captivates the reader.
Night Road by A.M. Jenkins
Cole is known for being observant, meticulous and controlled- a master of life on the road. When Johnny gives him a task which challenges every rule he has created, will Cole be ready or not?
For Cole, it was a hard decision when he agreed to train a newly created heme (or hemovores). With every twist and turn, he is reminded of his past life and love. Cole thinks he can handle it. But no matter how carefully he plans, or how much he thinks he’s in control, accidents still happen…. Will the newly created heme survive on the road or will Cole have to put him down?
May 23, 2023
I've read this book so many times and it is still my favorite 🥰 I've read this multiple times since 8tj grade when i first got it and i think this book was the start to paranormal romance for me.. Granted it isn't a romance but Cole will always be my favorite character. His character is what made me always love the broody/broken type guys in books 😍 and taking another perspective towards vampires is something i adore because i was never a fan of twilight but loved the aspect of it, but this book takes it to a new level of reality in showing how they would function in a modern society.
October 16, 2022
The story itself is based on a really creative idea, however, there could have been more ✨spice✨ in it, if ykwim, because like this it was boring at some point. I would have been really happy, if missouri comes in, for ex. Gordo runs away taking Cole's car or Royal could have had a bit more important role. Gives long wattpad story vibes tbh but in a good way
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2017
This is the dullest, most boring book I have read in a very long time. There was NO excitement whatsoever. It was basically guys driving around to different hotels and the occasional boring conversation!! Do not recommend this book at all!!
November 10, 2022
4 stars because its a bit too long, but for story wise its really good and detailed and well told, characters are really good and the author gave good descriptions on the characters, the plot of it was very good, and the author explained on what the characters are very good. the main characters are pretty good. other wise 4 stars for the book.
January 22, 2024
I did not expect such an introspective, ultimately emotional journey. But this book takes you down a road (ha ha) you do not expect. A quick read, very 2008 in parts, but also a very interesting and deep look into trauma and how it can interrupt life at the most inopportune of times.
October 25, 2017
This book was very confusing in the beginning but once you read farther into the book it got a little less confusing. I would still have times were I was lost and didn’t know what was going on.
October 21, 2019
It's a bit violent, but it's a very interesting take on vampires
January 3, 2022
Not your average blood sucker book!
March 23, 2023
The plot is extremely dry. It's hard to tell what the story is trying to portray.
Read
September 8, 2023this wasn't a real exciting book but it kept my interest.
November 3, 2016
Unusual
I've read a lot of vampire books, but really never one that seemed plausible.
This one was.
Cole, Gordon, Johnny, even the never-seen Bess, all seemed like actual people. Not brooding or intense or even particularly NOTABLE (which is the point, Cole would say, they can't afford to be noticed), just people. Who happen to drink blood and sleep during the day and never die. Which is tricky, because the "omnis" - omnivores, that is, everyone who's not a blood drinker - can't know about the hemes, as they call themselves. Not vampires. Never vampires, because it's an insulting stereotype. They're hemovores, thank you.
Cole has been alive a long, long time and he's just sort of......there. He used to paint and sketch, used to take photographs to capture a moment in time, but he's stopped. He's called by Johnny, who turned him into a vampire several hundred years ago, to come to "The Building," a sort of safe house for hemes in New York City. Cole does, though he's not exactly interested. Cole is interested in living, day to day, in not being noticed and not getting attached and staying hidden from the human world. He doesn't have a cell phone or a computer, and though he'll always be 18, Cole is old in all the ways that count. Old, cautious, dispassionate.
One of their fellow hemes has accidentally turned a young man, in a college town. Sandor, the accidental creator, has brought his mangroves, Gordon, to The Building. Cole watches Gordon almost drain a young woman (hemovores do not need to kill - the act of feeding confuses and entrances humans, so they need a cup or so of blood, nothing more) and disapproves. Gordon is untrained, only a hemovore for two weeks, and Johnny asks Cole to go with Sandor and Gordon on a sort of road trip, which is apparently how they train new hemovores. Sandor is too good natured, not nearly authoritative enough, and Gordon *has* to learn to function as a hemovores. They are unable to die, though they can be mangled and insane, and Cole believes that a hemovore cannot be killed at all, even if their bodies are burned. If Gordon doesn't catch on, they will need to end his life as a functioning hemovore.
The story is the road trip, about a sulky eighteen year old college student accidentally made into an immortal blood drinker and not pleased about it and his chaperones and tutors. Cole and Sandor must teach him the rules - how to attract prey, how to open a vein (there are no fangs here), how to stop drinking once he starts. Gordon has no idea, of course, that genial Sandor and stern Cole are to call Johnny and have Gordon's life ended if he can't adjust.
Cole is exasperated, frustrated, annoyed, amused, but all distantly, because Cole very carefully does not allow himself to be affected by the world around him. There's a story, about being young and stupid and turning a girl he thought was his soul mate, a girl very unsuited to the life of a hemovore and not at all interested in eternity with Cole. The young woman eventually returned to the building and did something unthinkable, leaving Cole careful and meticulous and closed off from everyone around him.
It's all reasonable. Even the "stray" Cole encounters, a Goth young man who seems to have been abandoned as a just-turned hemovore, who's convinced himself he's both the servant and the master of dark, brooding forces, seems right.
Cole is damaged, he's tuned his emotions off, and he's not particularly nice. He thinks Sandor too easygoing, because they training of a new hemovore is serious business. He's old, he's alone, and he's seemingly forgotten how to be a person, not just a hemovore moving from meal to meal. As the trip continues, Cole thinks about the way he created a hemovore, just for company, and the suffering that came with that. He thinks about his family, about his relationships with hemovores and omnivores, with Sandor and Gordon and Johnny, his relationship with time, standing in the shadows while life moves past.
This book doesn't have a lot of action or suspense. It's not bloody or scary, it's civilized and careful, just like the hemovores. Cole has bottled his emotions since the terrible event that took Bess from him (she's not DEAD, just maimed in body and mind, living in the Building with caregivers), asking himself philosophical questions and maintaining his distance - for a while. Until he can't.
The story didn't grip me tightly, I wasn't riveted, didn't feel I HAD to find out what happened, but that's the point. It's about the journey as a whole, about the changes the hemovores undergo, about their thin, shadowy existence. It's about Cole, frozen in time, until he's not. It didn't GRIP me, but it interested me. Cole would have approved, I think. Well worth your time.
I've read a lot of vampire books, but really never one that seemed plausible.
This one was.
Cole, Gordon, Johnny, even the never-seen Bess, all seemed like actual people. Not brooding or intense or even particularly NOTABLE (which is the point, Cole would say, they can't afford to be noticed), just people. Who happen to drink blood and sleep during the day and never die. Which is tricky, because the "omnis" - omnivores, that is, everyone who's not a blood drinker - can't know about the hemes, as they call themselves. Not vampires. Never vampires, because it's an insulting stereotype. They're hemovores, thank you.
Cole has been alive a long, long time and he's just sort of......there. He used to paint and sketch, used to take photographs to capture a moment in time, but he's stopped. He's called by Johnny, who turned him into a vampire several hundred years ago, to come to "The Building," a sort of safe house for hemes in New York City. Cole does, though he's not exactly interested. Cole is interested in living, day to day, in not being noticed and not getting attached and staying hidden from the human world. He doesn't have a cell phone or a computer, and though he'll always be 18, Cole is old in all the ways that count. Old, cautious, dispassionate.
One of their fellow hemes has accidentally turned a young man, in a college town. Sandor, the accidental creator, has brought his mangroves, Gordon, to The Building. Cole watches Gordon almost drain a young woman (hemovores do not need to kill - the act of feeding confuses and entrances humans, so they need a cup or so of blood, nothing more) and disapproves. Gordon is untrained, only a hemovore for two weeks, and Johnny asks Cole to go with Sandor and Gordon on a sort of road trip, which is apparently how they train new hemovores. Sandor is too good natured, not nearly authoritative enough, and Gordon *has* to learn to function as a hemovores. They are unable to die, though they can be mangled and insane, and Cole believes that a hemovore cannot be killed at all, even if their bodies are burned. If Gordon doesn't catch on, they will need to end his life as a functioning hemovore.
The story is the road trip, about a sulky eighteen year old college student accidentally made into an immortal blood drinker and not pleased about it and his chaperones and tutors. Cole and Sandor must teach him the rules - how to attract prey, how to open a vein (there are no fangs here), how to stop drinking once he starts. Gordon has no idea, of course, that genial Sandor and stern Cole are to call Johnny and have Gordon's life ended if he can't adjust.
Cole is exasperated, frustrated, annoyed, amused, but all distantly, because Cole very carefully does not allow himself to be affected by the world around him. There's a story, about being young and stupid and turning a girl he thought was his soul mate, a girl very unsuited to the life of a hemovore and not at all interested in eternity with Cole. The young woman eventually returned to the building and did something unthinkable, leaving Cole careful and meticulous and closed off from everyone around him.
It's all reasonable. Even the "stray" Cole encounters, a Goth young man who seems to have been abandoned as a just-turned hemovore, who's convinced himself he's both the servant and the master of dark, brooding forces, seems right.
Cole is damaged, he's tuned his emotions off, and he's not particularly nice. He thinks Sandor too easygoing, because they training of a new hemovore is serious business. He's old, he's alone, and he's seemingly forgotten how to be a person, not just a hemovore moving from meal to meal. As the trip continues, Cole thinks about the way he created a hemovore, just for company, and the suffering that came with that. He thinks about his family, about his relationships with hemovores and omnivores, with Sandor and Gordon and Johnny, his relationship with time, standing in the shadows while life moves past.
This book doesn't have a lot of action or suspense. It's not bloody or scary, it's civilized and careful, just like the hemovores. Cole has bottled his emotions since the terrible event that took Bess from him (she's not DEAD, just maimed in body and mind, living in the Building with caregivers), asking himself philosophical questions and maintaining his distance - for a while. Until he can't.
The story didn't grip me tightly, I wasn't riveted, didn't feel I HAD to find out what happened, but that's the point. It's about the journey as a whole, about the changes the hemovores undergo, about their thin, shadowy existence. It's about Cole, frozen in time, until he's not. It didn't GRIP me, but it interested me. Cole would have approved, I think. Well worth your time.
November 19, 2012
Night Road by A.M. Jenkins is the story about Cole and Sandor training a new heme, Gordon. A heme is a person that only feeds on blood of ordinary humans. The main character Cole starts to remember his memories from when he was still a human, and he discovers things that he never knew about himself while traveling with his new companions. Although this book is rich with detail and words, I would never want to recommend Night Road to anyone.
One reason why I didn't like the book is that I felt the story was very slow paced. The author over described too many things. People will argue that details are necessary to get the reader have an idea what's happening and to create an image in the reader's mind. However, over describing made the book seem boring and that the details were only meant to make the story longer. As a reader, I felt like skipping some pages, because the details were stretched too much. When Cole decided to wash his clothes in the basement in the building where most New York hemes lived, the author describes the basement in so much detail like "it was musty at the bottom of the wooden steps. The sides of the room were crowded with trunks, boxes, and artifacts left over from past wanderings of the New York City hemes" (80). After he finished describing that, the writer goes on describing a light bulb in the middle of the room "making a circle of light that dimmed before it reached the corners" (80). The author is describing what he main character is seeing, but I don't think he needs a whole page to describe something unimportant that will only be mentioned once.
The second reason why I didn't like this book was there wasn't a lot of suspense. I was expecting a big conflict because in the beginning of the book, Cole seemed like he was in such a hurry, and there seemed like there was a big crisis in the building. The character also seemed to think something was going on. "Of course, he had not tried to find out what it was all about. He'd felt a vague discomfort licking at him, but rather than ask Johnny why he wanted him to come in, Cole asked instead" Is everything alright?" (7). The author could've used this suspense that he build up at the beginning of the book to make the plot seem more interesting, but instead he talks about how the hemes and humans interact and how the main character is getting used being back to the building after a few decades. It was disappointing to see these potentials go to waste.
Another thing that was disappointing about the book was the plot. The events were very predictable. It wasn't enjoyable because anyone who has read vampire books before probably at least for saw one event, almost always there will be some sort of stabbing or bloodshed in the book. When Cole found a heme wandering at a bar, he pretended he was a new heme. He follows this new character, Royal into his "lair," and they have this conversation, "to watch the spark go out of them. The eyes go glossy of course, as if they can't see" (341). The talk about humans dying when they suck their blood, and Royal seemed really into this conversation. Then the next day, Royal just magically disappears. I thought it was weird how Royal suddenly disappears the next day without meeting Sandor and Gordon. While Cole and Royal talked, he seemed like he was enjoying the company, how he really got into talking about seeing the life being drained away from the human. However, towards the end of the book, Royal appears out of nowhere in Cole's hotel room after the trio made sure to lose any pursers. "There was no time to feel fear-just to glimpse Royal's coolly determined face and the descending hammer-before a crack of pain in Cole's chest" (341). I was expecting Royal to stab him. Because of his sudden disappearance, I knew he was going to come back into the book and do something bad to one of the trio. People might think it's a good thing to have events that are similar to other books to happen, because the reader would be familiar with it, but the author doesn't put his own twist to it to make it stand out from other books.
Night Road has many beautiful pieces of writing like the details of Cole's life, but I think the author does too much. The details that were put into the book made the book seem like it was meant to only fill up empty pages. The plot doesn't have a lot of actions which also contributed to the book feeling really slow and boring to the reader. Finally, the plot was very predictable in my opinion. The author could've used some situations to give the book a little more thrill to it, but I felt like the author wasted those chances. Overall the book was boring, and there wasn't enough elements to really pull the reader in.
One reason why I didn't like the book is that I felt the story was very slow paced. The author over described too many things. People will argue that details are necessary to get the reader have an idea what's happening and to create an image in the reader's mind. However, over describing made the book seem boring and that the details were only meant to make the story longer. As a reader, I felt like skipping some pages, because the details were stretched too much. When Cole decided to wash his clothes in the basement in the building where most New York hemes lived, the author describes the basement in so much detail like "it was musty at the bottom of the wooden steps. The sides of the room were crowded with trunks, boxes, and artifacts left over from past wanderings of the New York City hemes" (80). After he finished describing that, the writer goes on describing a light bulb in the middle of the room "making a circle of light that dimmed before it reached the corners" (80). The author is describing what he main character is seeing, but I don't think he needs a whole page to describe something unimportant that will only be mentioned once.
The second reason why I didn't like this book was there wasn't a lot of suspense. I was expecting a big conflict because in the beginning of the book, Cole seemed like he was in such a hurry, and there seemed like there was a big crisis in the building. The character also seemed to think something was going on. "Of course, he had not tried to find out what it was all about. He'd felt a vague discomfort licking at him, but rather than ask Johnny why he wanted him to come in, Cole asked instead" Is everything alright?" (7). The author could've used this suspense that he build up at the beginning of the book to make the plot seem more interesting, but instead he talks about how the hemes and humans interact and how the main character is getting used being back to the building after a few decades. It was disappointing to see these potentials go to waste.
Another thing that was disappointing about the book was the plot. The events were very predictable. It wasn't enjoyable because anyone who has read vampire books before probably at least for saw one event, almost always there will be some sort of stabbing or bloodshed in the book. When Cole found a heme wandering at a bar, he pretended he was a new heme. He follows this new character, Royal into his "lair," and they have this conversation, "to watch the spark go out of them. The eyes go glossy of course, as if they can't see" (341). The talk about humans dying when they suck their blood, and Royal seemed really into this conversation. Then the next day, Royal just magically disappears. I thought it was weird how Royal suddenly disappears the next day without meeting Sandor and Gordon. While Cole and Royal talked, he seemed like he was enjoying the company, how he really got into talking about seeing the life being drained away from the human. However, towards the end of the book, Royal appears out of nowhere in Cole's hotel room after the trio made sure to lose any pursers. "There was no time to feel fear-just to glimpse Royal's coolly determined face and the descending hammer-before a crack of pain in Cole's chest" (341). I was expecting Royal to stab him. Because of his sudden disappearance, I knew he was going to come back into the book and do something bad to one of the trio. People might think it's a good thing to have events that are similar to other books to happen, because the reader would be familiar with it, but the author doesn't put his own twist to it to make it stand out from other books.
Night Road has many beautiful pieces of writing like the details of Cole's life, but I think the author does too much. The details that were put into the book made the book seem like it was meant to only fill up empty pages. The plot doesn't have a lot of actions which also contributed to the book feeling really slow and boring to the reader. Finally, the plot was very predictable in my opinion. The author could've used some situations to give the book a little more thrill to it, but I felt like the author wasted those chances. Overall the book was boring, and there wasn't enough elements to really pull the reader in.
January 9, 2012
4.5 stars.
I really loved this book. The tagline on the front cover says “Don’t call them vampires.” Personally, I don’t think you could really even call this a vampire book. If you love the shiny vampires who teenage girls fall in love with or the nasty vampires that only want to rip your throat out, you probably won’t like this book. And if you need some sort of romance in your supernatural books, this one definitely won’t be for you.
I’d describe Night Road as more of a contemplative book about what we traditionally call vampires but who here are known as hemes. Cole is a heme who chooses to live on his own instead of in the Building, a sanctuary in New York City created by Johnny, the heme who turned Cole. If a heme who lived there wanted to, they would never have to leave the Colony as omnis (short for omnivores, a.k.a. humans) who are willing blood donors live among the hemes. The book opens with Cole having been called back to the Building by Johnny and he soon finds out that his presence has been requested because a member of the Colony has recently accidently turned a teenager named Gordon, Gordo to his friends. Because Gordo is undisciplined and wants to return to his old life, which is impossible, Johnny thinks a road trip with Gordo and the heme who turned him, named Sandor, is a good idea so that he can learn how to live outside of the Building.
The road trip has one condition, if Gordo becomes uncontrollable or if something goes wrong, it will be up to his companions to deal with him, which basically means put him down. From a description I’d read somewhere, I thought the accident, Gordo, would be more annoying, yet he wasn’t at all. His behavior was completely believable and he was a very sympathetic character. Actually, all of the main characters were very likeable and sympathetic. I loved Sandor, his dog idea was drily hilarious, especially when he brought it up again at a later time. But I hate to tell him that no matter how many centuries I live for, my toe is staying in one end of the pond. Not that there’s anything wrong with the other end, it’s just not for me. I also really found myself hoping that nothing would happen to Cole and that Gordo wouldn’t have to suffer the fate an Old World vamp endured due to his recklessness.
Though the majority of the action does take place on the road and most of the story is seemingly about teaching Gordo how to feed and behave, this is really Cole’s story. We find out about his life, a mistake he made that continues to haunt him and how one small error in judgment can have huge consequences.
Unlike with other books about traditional vampires, Jenkins’ hemes are simply trying to live their lives and most believe in respecting the omnis who provide them with sustenance either willingly or otherwise. I’m not going to give anything away, but I also love Jenkins explanation for their condition and their ability to die.
While I’d still want to be young and live forever given the choice, no book has ever made me feel that such an existence might be a life filled with repetition and isolation as this did. Not to say that it’s depressing, it’s not, just that it’s definitely a more thoughtful vampire (sorry!) tale than others, especially for a YA book.
While this is a more serious book, there was humor throughout, and whenever an author can work in a comment about Count Chocula, they’ve got my vote.
Though it seems as if there could be a sequel to this book, I kind of doubt there will be, since it was written in 2008 and none has been published since. However, is a sequel is ever published, I’ll definitely buy it.
I really loved this book. The tagline on the front cover says “Don’t call them vampires.” Personally, I don’t think you could really even call this a vampire book. If you love the shiny vampires who teenage girls fall in love with or the nasty vampires that only want to rip your throat out, you probably won’t like this book. And if you need some sort of romance in your supernatural books, this one definitely won’t be for you.
I’d describe Night Road as more of a contemplative book about what we traditionally call vampires but who here are known as hemes. Cole is a heme who chooses to live on his own instead of in the Building, a sanctuary in New York City created by Johnny, the heme who turned Cole. If a heme who lived there wanted to, they would never have to leave the Colony as omnis (short for omnivores, a.k.a. humans) who are willing blood donors live among the hemes. The book opens with Cole having been called back to the Building by Johnny and he soon finds out that his presence has been requested because a member of the Colony has recently accidently turned a teenager named Gordon, Gordo to his friends. Because Gordo is undisciplined and wants to return to his old life, which is impossible, Johnny thinks a road trip with Gordo and the heme who turned him, named Sandor, is a good idea so that he can learn how to live outside of the Building.
The road trip has one condition, if Gordo becomes uncontrollable or if something goes wrong, it will be up to his companions to deal with him, which basically means put him down. From a description I’d read somewhere, I thought the accident, Gordo, would be more annoying, yet he wasn’t at all. His behavior was completely believable and he was a very sympathetic character. Actually, all of the main characters were very likeable and sympathetic. I loved Sandor, his dog idea was drily hilarious, especially when he brought it up again at a later time. But I hate to tell him that no matter how many centuries I live for, my toe is staying in one end of the pond. Not that there’s anything wrong with the other end, it’s just not for me. I also really found myself hoping that nothing would happen to Cole and that Gordo wouldn’t have to suffer the fate an Old World vamp endured due to his recklessness.
Though the majority of the action does take place on the road and most of the story is seemingly about teaching Gordo how to feed and behave, this is really Cole’s story. We find out about his life, a mistake he made that continues to haunt him and how one small error in judgment can have huge consequences.
Unlike with other books about traditional vampires, Jenkins’ hemes are simply trying to live their lives and most believe in respecting the omnis who provide them with sustenance either willingly or otherwise. I’m not going to give anything away, but I also love Jenkins explanation for their condition and their ability to die.
While I’d still want to be young and live forever given the choice, no book has ever made me feel that such an existence might be a life filled with repetition and isolation as this did. Not to say that it’s depressing, it’s not, just that it’s definitely a more thoughtful vampire (sorry!) tale than others, especially for a YA book.
While this is a more serious book, there was humor throughout, and whenever an author can work in a comment about Count Chocula, they’ve got my vote.
Though it seems as if there could be a sequel to this book, I kind of doubt there will be, since it was written in 2008 and none has been published since. However, is a sequel is ever published, I’ll definitely buy it.
January 9, 2013
If you could live forever, true immortality, would you take it? While many claim that immortality would be the ultimate blessing, others say that immortality would be a curse. All your loved ones would grow up, wither, and slowly die as you watch the world turn from one generation to the next. This book deals with the hypothetical realities of having to move every decade to keep the non-aging aspect of your identity a secret, changing names constantly, and not being able to build lasting relationships with other people. The vampire protagonist in the story, Cole, wrestles with having all the time in the universe, and not losing his passion for living. Night Road by A.M. Jenkins is a fantasy book with a realistic edge that shows the other side of immortality and vampires that people do not normally consider. It explores the idea that immortality is a double-edged sword and that ageless people, like Cole, will eventually lose sight of the purpose for living. In the story, Cole has slowly been losing touch with what tethers him to this life, as he ponders if it is possible for a vampire to truly die. The story attempts to demonstrate that after a few centuries, the human mind begins to psychologically degrade instead of the body, causing the person to feel dead inside while alive on the outside.
The vampire Cole wants to live his life in isolated solitude, but his old friend and creator, Johnny, asks him to train a problematic new vampire called Gordon; Cole has little choice but to take Gordon on as a new apprentice. Tensions arise when Cole’s harsh, and often cold, demeanor start to break Gordon. An excerpt that illustrates the struggle with immortality is, “It was better to be disconnected. It was easier to maintain control, to live in moderation, when you kept at a distance. The only difficulty with that was a blurring of years; just like Johnny had said, everlasting life tended to bring with it a loss of feeling. Any being that cannot die must eventually struggle to keep from being dead inside,” (page 129).
If you like this book, you may also like Dracula by Bram Stoker because they both take a realistic look at how a vampire might behave and how they might view life. I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 because, while the buildup was superb, the characters well thought out, and the settings very intriguing, the ending completely ruined the book. There is literally no ending to this book, as it just stops suddenly. From the outside, it appears that the writer just decided to stop writing, without tying up many loose ends from the novel; in this respect, reading the book can be a frustrating experience. Other than that, though, this book was a very interesting and had an original story concept, so if the ending had been even partially developed, it might have scored better.
The vampire Cole wants to live his life in isolated solitude, but his old friend and creator, Johnny, asks him to train a problematic new vampire called Gordon; Cole has little choice but to take Gordon on as a new apprentice. Tensions arise when Cole’s harsh, and often cold, demeanor start to break Gordon. An excerpt that illustrates the struggle with immortality is, “It was better to be disconnected. It was easier to maintain control, to live in moderation, when you kept at a distance. The only difficulty with that was a blurring of years; just like Johnny had said, everlasting life tended to bring with it a loss of feeling. Any being that cannot die must eventually struggle to keep from being dead inside,” (page 129).
If you like this book, you may also like Dracula by Bram Stoker because they both take a realistic look at how a vampire might behave and how they might view life. I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 because, while the buildup was superb, the characters well thought out, and the settings very intriguing, the ending completely ruined the book. There is literally no ending to this book, as it just stops suddenly. From the outside, it appears that the writer just decided to stop writing, without tying up many loose ends from the novel; in this respect, reading the book can be a frustrating experience. Other than that, though, this book was a very interesting and had an original story concept, so if the ending had been even partially developed, it might have scored better.
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