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American Vampire
Buried in the Heartland is a town that no one enters or leaves. Graf McDonald somehow becomes its first visitor in more than five years…and he was only looking for a good party. Unfortunately, Penance, Ohio, is not that place. And after having been isolated for so long, they do not like strangers at all.Jessa's the only one to even remotely trust him, and she's desperate for the kind of protection that only a vampire like Graf can provide. Supplies are low, the locals are ornery for a sacrifice and there's a monster more powerful than Graf lurking in the woods. New men are hard to come by in this lonesome town, and this handsome stranger might be Jessa's only hope for salvation.
Even if she has to die first…
Even if she has to die first…
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 9, 2011
29 people are currently reading
1257 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Armintrout
13 books488 followersJennifer Armintrout is a pseudonym for Jenny Trout aka Abigail Barnette.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
December 17, 2015
I read this back in 2012 or so because I'd started following the author's blog (she now goes by Jenny Trout to avoid confusion with Jennifer L. Armentrout).
It was enjoyable -- nice and short, the story moved quickly, the characters were interesting enough if not particularly anything more than that, the story was tight, with no plot holes, and the writing was good. And yet it lacked that *something* that would have made it more than a 3-star read.
I'd look for more of Jenny's books, except most of them are erotic romances and aren't really my thing.
December 6, 2013
Opening Line: “If there was one power a vampire could really use, Graf McDonald figured it would have to be internal GPS.”
Graf McDonald is just your average American vampire, and that’s part of why I liked this book so much. Well that and the cover, which for some reason kept catching my eye. Anyways, he doesn’t ooze raw sexuality or have any OTT cool vampire skills (other than the obvious), he isn’t self-loathing or sparkly or even particularly sexy. In fact he’s pretty useless, just a vampire with a bad sense of direction and a wickedly sarcastic sense of humour who happens to find himself trapped in the small inert town of Penance Ohio running from a monster named “It” and trying to either bed or drain the girl –he hasn’t decided which yet.
This really was LOL funny in places; Graf’s running internal dialogue and snarky observations of small town life had me marking and reading passages out loud. I also appreciated the uniqueness of this story; in a market saturated with vampire romances it’s rare to find something new. I couldn’t classify this as a paranormal romance -while there is romance it plays more to Urban fantasy with a slight Stephen Kingish feel especially when it comes to the monster. (Which Armintrout leaves purposely vague so we can draw our own conclusions.
Graf is on his way to his Maker Sophia’s legendary July 4th party in DC when he takes a wrong turn and finds himself in small town Ohio. For some reason all roads seem to lead back to the town of Penance –which is getting really frustrating. Plus he’s on a time constraint what with the rising sun and all. Stopping at an abandoned gas station with the hopes of finding a map Graf instead finds Jessa hiding and on the run from “It” Now if scary monsters weren’t enough it turns out that no one has been able to get in or out of this town since “It” showed up five years ago. Why? Good question.
Completely cut off from the outside world the residents have all gone a bit nuts in their isolation. With limited supplies, short tempers and an overabundance of suspicion and fear they have resorting to burning suspected witches at the stake and other forms of corrupt justice. They definitely do not trust strangers much less a vampire. Jessa meanwhile has been branded the town tramp due to her continued relationship with a possessive but now married x boyfriend. She knows what it feels like to be an outsider and the two enter into an odd sort of alliance. Graf of course just wants out. “Oh for Christ’s sake, I had to get trapped in a lifetime original movie didn’t I?”
"He made a list of all the problems facing him, and it looked something like this in his head.
Trapped in Deliverance.
Missing Sophia’s birthday party/possible sex with Sophia.
It.
Need blood.
Obnoxious baggage."
296jb3.5
Graf McDonald is just your average American vampire, and that’s part of why I liked this book so much. Well that and the cover, which for some reason kept catching my eye. Anyways, he doesn’t ooze raw sexuality or have any OTT cool vampire skills (other than the obvious), he isn’t self-loathing or sparkly or even particularly sexy. In fact he’s pretty useless, just a vampire with a bad sense of direction and a wickedly sarcastic sense of humour who happens to find himself trapped in the small inert town of Penance Ohio running from a monster named “It” and trying to either bed or drain the girl –he hasn’t decided which yet.
This really was LOL funny in places; Graf’s running internal dialogue and snarky observations of small town life had me marking and reading passages out loud. I also appreciated the uniqueness of this story; in a market saturated with vampire romances it’s rare to find something new. I couldn’t classify this as a paranormal romance -while there is romance it plays more to Urban fantasy with a slight Stephen Kingish feel especially when it comes to the monster. (Which Armintrout leaves purposely vague so we can draw our own conclusions.
Graf is on his way to his Maker Sophia’s legendary July 4th party in DC when he takes a wrong turn and finds himself in small town Ohio. For some reason all roads seem to lead back to the town of Penance –which is getting really frustrating. Plus he’s on a time constraint what with the rising sun and all. Stopping at an abandoned gas station with the hopes of finding a map Graf instead finds Jessa hiding and on the run from “It” Now if scary monsters weren’t enough it turns out that no one has been able to get in or out of this town since “It” showed up five years ago. Why? Good question.
Completely cut off from the outside world the residents have all gone a bit nuts in their isolation. With limited supplies, short tempers and an overabundance of suspicion and fear they have resorting to burning suspected witches at the stake and other forms of corrupt justice. They definitely do not trust strangers much less a vampire. Jessa meanwhile has been branded the town tramp due to her continued relationship with a possessive but now married x boyfriend. She knows what it feels like to be an outsider and the two enter into an odd sort of alliance. Graf of course just wants out. “Oh for Christ’s sake, I had to get trapped in a lifetime original movie didn’t I?”
"He made a list of all the problems facing him, and it looked something like this in his head.
Trapped in Deliverance.
Missing Sophia’s birthday party/possible sex with Sophia.
It.
Need blood.
Obnoxious baggage."
296jb3.5
February 13, 2011
Quick Take: Indeed, I enjoyed this book overall. The premise was fun and not the typical vampire tale. It had plenty of tense action-packed moments; it played somewhat like a movie, come to think of it. It's gruesome, chilling, witty, exciting…and not without a bit of the sweet romance that I so love. ^_^
When it comes to scary stuff, there's nothing quite like the unknown, don't you think? I started reading this book without any knowledge of story particulars (plot, characters, genre themes), and am glad I did. While I wasn't scared into going to bed with the lights on, I was certainly deliciously creeped out with some of the more mysterious aspects of this stand-alone novel from Jennifer Armintrout.
This book seems to fall into a couple of genres. The book is undoubtedly spooky. Especially in the beginning of the story, there was a feeling of desolation and the sense of an insurmountable threat that was chilling. I also felt like the ultimate focus of the book was about how a community will regress--brutally, fanatically, incomprehensibly--when isolated and abandoned. Hence, Horror. But the book eventually fosters a romantic element that takes up much of the plot; additionally, the narration bounces between the hero and heroine. So, Paranormal Romance….or Urban Fantasy with romantic elements.
The hero of this story, Graf the vampire, is a bit of a cad. He can be smarmy, snobby and selfish. But I liked his character! And come to think of it, both the "hero" and "heroine" of this book have some questionable morals; they aren't quite the kind of people you'd look up to. There's certainly some great character growth, but the protagonists are no heroes. It's a testament to the author's writing that you root for and care about them despite (or because of) their shortcomings.
Some other great elements included the whole "appearances deceive" theme (in which the supposed "good guys" were often just as freaky as the obvious baddies); the subtle, dry humor of the narrative; and the tempered approach to the romance. Regarding the latter, I appreciated that it built slowly and without grand overtures; anything more might have felt incongruous with the ruthlessness of characters' overall situation.
If you love urban fantasy (with romantic elements) and want to try something with a little bit of a spookiness factor, this is a good story to crack into.
When it comes to scary stuff, there's nothing quite like the unknown, don't you think? I started reading this book without any knowledge of story particulars (plot, characters, genre themes), and am glad I did. While I wasn't scared into going to bed with the lights on, I was certainly deliciously creeped out with some of the more mysterious aspects of this stand-alone novel from Jennifer Armintrout.
This book seems to fall into a couple of genres. The book is undoubtedly spooky. Especially in the beginning of the story, there was a feeling of desolation and the sense of an insurmountable threat that was chilling. I also felt like the ultimate focus of the book was about how a community will regress--brutally, fanatically, incomprehensibly--when isolated and abandoned. Hence, Horror. But the book eventually fosters a romantic element that takes up much of the plot; additionally, the narration bounces between the hero and heroine. So, Paranormal Romance….or Urban Fantasy with romantic elements.
The hero of this story, Graf the vampire, is a bit of a cad. He can be smarmy, snobby and selfish. But I liked his character! And come to think of it, both the "hero" and "heroine" of this book have some questionable morals; they aren't quite the kind of people you'd look up to. There's certainly some great character growth, but the protagonists are no heroes. It's a testament to the author's writing that you root for and care about them despite (or because of) their shortcomings.
Some other great elements included the whole "appearances deceive" theme (in which the supposed "good guys" were often just as freaky as the obvious baddies); the subtle, dry humor of the narrative; and the tempered approach to the romance. Regarding the latter, I appreciated that it built slowly and without grand overtures; anything more might have felt incongruous with the ruthlessness of characters' overall situation.
If you love urban fantasy (with romantic elements) and want to try something with a little bit of a spookiness factor, this is a good story to crack into.
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March 5, 2020
I discovered this through trawling my friend Nenia's shelves. We tend to go for broadly the same thing in our vampire books: basically, we want vampires to be like they were in the Good Old Days, all dark and erotically horrifying and villainous, before Twilight screwed that up by portraying vampires as sparkly vegetarians.
(This is why I always found Jasper/Alice and Emmett/Rosalie WAY more interesting than Bella/Edward - the first two couples have a real streak of darkness in them and their pasts). To give you a hint of what I mean, my favourite vampire books are ones by Kaia Bennett and L.J. Smith.
The best thing about this book is that it gave me basically what I wanted, in terms of vampire depiction. Our hero Graf McDonald (who, in a delightful inversion of those ancient brooders, was only turned in 1967) has killed humans before and doesn't really care about it. Their lives don't weigh on his conscience. And why should they? He's a vampire.
In a great piece of realism, it takes him quite a few chapters to decide that he doesn't actually want to eat our heroine after all. No insta-love here! No, sirree. The relationship between Graf and Jessa develops at a HIGHLY believeable, gradual pace, which made the payoff all the more satisfying. Neither of them are ultra-attractive characters, even Graf, so there wasn't any insta-lust either.
Jessa is also a more morally grey character than your average heroine, having been conducting an affair with her married ex-boyfriend. I won't say this made me think more highly of her intelligence, but in general she didn't act that stupidly.
I had to round down ultimately to 3 stars because the ending was too abrupt. I needed to see Graf and Jessa interact outside the fishbowl of Penance, to be sure their relationship would survive. Because right now I'm not 100% sure of that.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
(This is why I always found Jasper/Alice and Emmett/Rosalie WAY more interesting than Bella/Edward - the first two couples have a real streak of darkness in them and their pasts). To give you a hint of what I mean, my favourite vampire books are ones by Kaia Bennett and L.J. Smith.
The best thing about this book is that it gave me basically what I wanted, in terms of vampire depiction. Our hero Graf McDonald (who, in a delightful inversion of those ancient brooders, was only turned in 1967) has killed humans before and doesn't really care about it. Their lives don't weigh on his conscience. And why should they? He's a vampire.
In a great piece of realism, it takes him quite a few chapters to decide that he doesn't actually want to eat our heroine after all. No insta-love here! No, sirree. The relationship between Graf and Jessa develops at a HIGHLY believeable, gradual pace, which made the payoff all the more satisfying. Neither of them are ultra-attractive characters, even Graf, so there wasn't any insta-lust either.
Jessa is also a more morally grey character than your average heroine, having been conducting an affair with her married ex-boyfriend. I won't say this made me think more highly of her intelligence, but in general she didn't act that stupidly.
I had to round down ultimately to 3 stars because the ending was too abrupt. I needed to see Graf and Jessa interact outside the fishbowl of Penance, to be sure their relationship would survive. Because right now I'm not 100% sure of that.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
January 12, 2011
Our vampire hero, Graf, is on his way to Washington, D.C. for a party with his sire, Sophia, when he pauses for a late night snack at an abandoned gas station in a small town. The only problem is his "snack", a Penance, Ohio resident named Jessa, is also being chased by a giant monster possum. Or something. Graf isn't sure exactly what "It" is, but he knows it's bigger, stronger, and much, much smellier than he is, and proceeds to high-tail it out of Penance. At least, that was the plan.
Unfortunately for Graf, all of the residents of Penance have been trapped for five years with no contact to the outside world. Travelers can pass right through, but they never stop, and only a few whispered rumors indicate that anyone from Penance has ever been able to leave. And now, they can add a vampire to their numbers.
What worked for me:
* This book was hysterical. Graf wasn't a nice guy when he first arrived into town, and as such initially viewed Jessa and everyone else of Penance as a simple food supply. It wasn't until later when he began to see her as a woman rather than cattle, and during the transition there was quite a bit of hilarity to his thoughts. He once mentioned how awkward it was to offer her solace while she was upset because it was rather like "comforting an ice cream cone".
* I like that the vampire's bite wasn't all sexy. It was gruesome and painful and there was nothing attractive about it. This is a nice change from a lot of paranormal romance novels which indicate a type of euphoria that the victim receives from the bite.
* I really liked the small-town mentality. Having grown up in a small town, I recognized a lot of the attitudes that would only have been amplified by forced isolation. Bullies, mob mentalities, and prejudices abounded, which made things feel much more "real".
* I really liked that Graf wasn't preternaturally cunning or intelligent, nor did he instantly "have all the answers". Numerous paranormal romances (honestly, romances in general) have the hero always know exactly what needs to be done and rarely making mistakes. Graf doesn't have any big plan -- he's totally winging it through the whole situation and really shouldn't be depended upon to "fix" things or to get himself and Jessa out of any sticky situations.
What din't work for me:
* I didn't care for the fact that Jessa was an adulteress. Somehow I just don't find it endearing to have a heroine knowingly sleeping with a married man, no matter what their history together.
* I wish they'd had a better name for the creature other than "It". I kept getting Tim Curry flashbacks every time I read the name, which took away from the story quite a bit.
Overall, I really liked this book. Watching Graf go from top-of-the-food-chain, arrogant and cold to a man in love was gradual enough to be gratifying without making the reader feel as though things were dragging. While I didn't care for the main conflict between Jessa and her redneck mostly-ex-boyfriend, I did like the way the story played out in the end, and would love to read more about these characters in the future.
A very solid 4/5 stars.
Unfortunately for Graf, all of the residents of Penance have been trapped for five years with no contact to the outside world. Travelers can pass right through, but they never stop, and only a few whispered rumors indicate that anyone from Penance has ever been able to leave. And now, they can add a vampire to their numbers.
What worked for me:
* This book was hysterical. Graf wasn't a nice guy when he first arrived into town, and as such initially viewed Jessa and everyone else of Penance as a simple food supply. It wasn't until later when he began to see her as a woman rather than cattle, and during the transition there was quite a bit of hilarity to his thoughts. He once mentioned how awkward it was to offer her solace while she was upset because it was rather like "comforting an ice cream cone".
* I like that the vampire's bite wasn't all sexy. It was gruesome and painful and there was nothing attractive about it. This is a nice change from a lot of paranormal romance novels which indicate a type of euphoria that the victim receives from the bite.
* I really liked the small-town mentality. Having grown up in a small town, I recognized a lot of the attitudes that would only have been amplified by forced isolation. Bullies, mob mentalities, and prejudices abounded, which made things feel much more "real".
* I really liked that Graf wasn't preternaturally cunning or intelligent, nor did he instantly "have all the answers". Numerous paranormal romances (honestly, romances in general) have the hero always know exactly what needs to be done and rarely making mistakes. Graf doesn't have any big plan -- he's totally winging it through the whole situation and really shouldn't be depended upon to "fix" things or to get himself and Jessa out of any sticky situations.
What din't work for me:
* I didn't care for the fact that Jessa was an adulteress. Somehow I just don't find it endearing to have a heroine knowingly sleeping with a married man, no matter what their history together.
* I wish they'd had a better name for the creature other than "It". I kept getting Tim Curry flashbacks every time I read the name, which took away from the story quite a bit.
Overall, I really liked this book. Watching Graf go from top-of-the-food-chain, arrogant and cold to a man in love was gradual enough to be gratifying without making the reader feel as though things were dragging. While I didn't care for the main conflict between Jessa and her redneck mostly-ex-boyfriend, I did like the way the story played out in the end, and would love to read more about these characters in the future.
A very solid 4/5 stars.
February 1, 2023
DNF at 50%
So, this book isn't actually bad, but I'm not really interested enough to finish and find out what happens. Maybe some other time. I don't like Graf though. He's douchey, and I don't want to have to be in his head that much. Maybe it would be better if Jessa had more POVs.
So, this book isn't actually bad, but I'm not really interested enough to finish and find out what happens. Maybe some other time. I don't like Graf though. He's douchey, and I don't want to have to be in his head that much. Maybe it would be better if Jessa had more POVs.
December 28, 2010
On his way to have a good time, the vampire Graf gets stuck in his worst nightmare. He stumbles into a town that has had no one enter nor leave for five years. If that wasn't creepy enough, then add in a terrible monster that preys on the townspeople. He winds up having to rely on the first person he meets in town, Jessa, a gruff and angry woman. Even though she hates his guts, she knows his stuff will help her if she can trade it for supplies so she can survive. It becomes an uneasy alliance as they both need each other if they hope to survive not only the monster, but the mob mentality of the townspeople as well.
In the beginning of this book Graf was a really pompous character, and I didn't really care for him at all. Come to think of it, Jessa didn't show the best impression either. She was dishing out just as much snark and nastiness as he was. It took me a long time to warm up to both of them because of this, but as time went on I realized that their behavior was just a front for inner turmoil, especially for Tessa. She's had an extremely hard time of it and it's a wonder she really is able to cope at all. As both of them showed more of their real selves, I started to really care for them. There is a lot of sexual tension between them and the progression is very realistic. It doesn't feel forced even though they started out basically hating each other.
This is a fast paced unique romance. I enjoyed the non-typical setting of it, as well as the unusual circumstances the two meet upon. Unlike many romance novels that feel incomplete at the end, this one is very satisfying. I recommend this to any paranormal romance fans that enjoy a quick read that leaves a sense of fulfillment at the end.
In the beginning of this book Graf was a really pompous character, and I didn't really care for him at all. Come to think of it, Jessa didn't show the best impression either. She was dishing out just as much snark and nastiness as he was. It took me a long time to warm up to both of them because of this, but as time went on I realized that their behavior was just a front for inner turmoil, especially for Tessa. She's had an extremely hard time of it and it's a wonder she really is able to cope at all. As both of them showed more of their real selves, I started to really care for them. There is a lot of sexual tension between them and the progression is very realistic. It doesn't feel forced even though they started out basically hating each other.
This is a fast paced unique romance. I enjoyed the non-typical setting of it, as well as the unusual circumstances the two meet upon. Unlike many romance novels that feel incomplete at the end, this one is very satisfying. I recommend this to any paranormal romance fans that enjoy a quick read that leaves a sense of fulfillment at the end.
February 24, 2011
Reviewed by Mona at RexRobotReviews.com
American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout is a twisted tale of romance and horror. It pulled me in with the GPS dysfunctional vampire that I actually found very likeable, with his penchant for leather and great taste in vintage cars. But the interaction between the main characters left me dragging. I loved the snarky comments and dialogue between them at times, but the overall connection was very slow in the making.
At first I felt sorry for the town being trapped by an unknown "It" that harassed them. Then I got to know the towns people and I really felt sorry for Graf the unwittingly trapped vampire. By the time romance came into play, I was actually prompting Graf in my head to run away. The horror element was possibly a tie between the "It" monster and the townspeople themselves!
As a reader of Jennifer Armintrout's previous books, this one left me feeling quite flat. I would recommend other Armintrout fans give this book a try to see if it works for you. But if you're looking to get into her books, don't start with this one. I love some of her other books- like the Blood Ties series.
American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout is a twisted tale of romance and horror. It pulled me in with the GPS dysfunctional vampire that I actually found very likeable, with his penchant for leather and great taste in vintage cars. But the interaction between the main characters left me dragging. I loved the snarky comments and dialogue between them at times, but the overall connection was very slow in the making.
At first I felt sorry for the town being trapped by an unknown "It" that harassed them. Then I got to know the towns people and I really felt sorry for Graf the unwittingly trapped vampire. By the time romance came into play, I was actually prompting Graf in my head to run away. The horror element was possibly a tie between the "It" monster and the townspeople themselves!
As a reader of Jennifer Armintrout's previous books, this one left me feeling quite flat. I would recommend other Armintrout fans give this book a try to see if it works for you. But if you're looking to get into her books, don't start with this one. I love some of her other books- like the Blood Ties series.
March 9, 2011
originally posted at
Favorite Quote:
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
“You threatened to kill me before.”
“Yeah...that was before. It seems like there’s competition for the job now and I’m not one to follow a trend.”
Graf just wanted to get to his sire’s annual 4th of July party but a wrong turn brings him to Penance, Ohio. A town literally stuck in time. Jessa, a town resident, knows something is wrong with Graf but he’s the only one she can trust right now. A monster is loose in Penance and Jessa knows that Graf is the only one who can save her-even if it means dying.
I found myself liking this book much more then I thought I would. An interesting premise of a very modern vampire stuck in a small minded town with no way to leave. The beginning starts out slow as we follow modern vampire Graf McDonald through the actions that lead him to Penance, Ohio. He stops at a gas station to get a map & snack and there he finds Jessa hiding in fear. She claims, “It” is coming and they must hide. Graf and Jessa get off on a bad start when Graf grabs Jessa, hightails it out of gas station, then abandons her on the side of the road. He’s ready to get away from this crazy woman but soon finds out he can’t leave. Nobody has left Penance in five years. As he backtracks to Jessa, we get his POV which provides a somewhat jarring but funny commentary on his feelings towards Jessa-she’s human- which means she food. He cons and threatens Jessa into letting him stay at her house and again we are treated to antagonistic funny inner monologues from both of them as they each consider how they will “get what they want” from the other.
I had to grow into liking Graf and Jessa. This isn’t a romantic vampire story. Graf doesn’t come across as the heart throb hero who will solve the towns problems and carry Jessa off on his white stallion. Nope. Graf is snarky, devious, petulant, and wholly unconcerned with Jessa or the town’s plight. He just wants out and doesn’t care how it happens. It was interesting to watch his dealings with Jessa change from adversarial to ally as he begins to think like a human again.
Jessa comes off at first as a paranoid, judgmental pain in the arse. She instinctively knows there is something wrong with Graf but has no idea the extent of it. At first I was annoyed by her attitude and the way the town treats her. As we get her back story though, you realize that you can’t out run your past and that’s doubly hard when you can’t even out run the town.
The romance between Graf and Jessa builds very slowly. These are two very different people even excluding the whole human/not human issue. Jessa doesn’t see anything sexy or attractive about vampires. She sees Graf as a blood sucking monster. Graf sees Jessa as a pain in the butt nag who he wants to either shag or eat. Their dealings with each other become more humorous as Graf begins to see Jessa less like a nagging happy meal and Jessa sees that maybe Graf isn’t as evil as she believed him to be. In one scene Graf is comforting Jessa while she cries and he feels very awkward. He compares the situation to hugging an ice cream cone.
The secondary characters are ambiguous. Neither good nor bad-they were just there. They are the perfect example of small town redneck mentality and I can’t help but wonder if Ms. Armintrout wasn’t poking a little fun here herself. From the high school football star that everyone idolizes to his daisy duke chain smoking wearing pregnant wife; everyone is too perfect.
The world building is pretty simple; atypical of the normal paranormal vampire stories out there now. The vampire isn’t the main theme and the plot is pretty straight forward. I knew about halfway through who did it and why but it’s still engaging as Ms. Armintrout leads you to the finale. I did feel there were some scenes that fell flat while others resolved themselves abruptly without rhyme or reason.
I did enjoy her descriptions of the town and the way their lives had been changed by their circumstances. Since they have no contact with the outside, we are given indepth explanations to what the town has done to survive.
I enjoyed the ending if only for the running dialogue between Jessa And Graf.
“Graf no!” “You stick to helping the wounded you fucking moron!”
It ends quick and without much fanfare. I would liked it to have divulged a little more into the whole scheme and the villain’s mindset concerning the whole event. All in all an interesting story that is shaped and molded by it’s unusual characters.
Rating: C
Favorite Quote:
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
“You threatened to kill me before.”
“Yeah...that was before. It seems like there’s competition for the job now and I’m not one to follow a trend.”
Graf just wanted to get to his sire’s annual 4th of July party but a wrong turn brings him to Penance, Ohio. A town literally stuck in time. Jessa, a town resident, knows something is wrong with Graf but he’s the only one she can trust right now. A monster is loose in Penance and Jessa knows that Graf is the only one who can save her-even if it means dying.
I found myself liking this book much more then I thought I would. An interesting premise of a very modern vampire stuck in a small minded town with no way to leave. The beginning starts out slow as we follow modern vampire Graf McDonald through the actions that lead him to Penance, Ohio. He stops at a gas station to get a map & snack and there he finds Jessa hiding in fear. She claims, “It” is coming and they must hide. Graf and Jessa get off on a bad start when Graf grabs Jessa, hightails it out of gas station, then abandons her on the side of the road. He’s ready to get away from this crazy woman but soon finds out he can’t leave. Nobody has left Penance in five years. As he backtracks to Jessa, we get his POV which provides a somewhat jarring but funny commentary on his feelings towards Jessa-she’s human- which means she food. He cons and threatens Jessa into letting him stay at her house and again we are treated to antagonistic funny inner monologues from both of them as they each consider how they will “get what they want” from the other.
I had to grow into liking Graf and Jessa. This isn’t a romantic vampire story. Graf doesn’t come across as the heart throb hero who will solve the towns problems and carry Jessa off on his white stallion. Nope. Graf is snarky, devious, petulant, and wholly unconcerned with Jessa or the town’s plight. He just wants out and doesn’t care how it happens. It was interesting to watch his dealings with Jessa change from adversarial to ally as he begins to think like a human again.
Jessa comes off at first as a paranoid, judgmental pain in the arse. She instinctively knows there is something wrong with Graf but has no idea the extent of it. At first I was annoyed by her attitude and the way the town treats her. As we get her back story though, you realize that you can’t out run your past and that’s doubly hard when you can’t even out run the town.
The romance between Graf and Jessa builds very slowly. These are two very different people even excluding the whole human/not human issue. Jessa doesn’t see anything sexy or attractive about vampires. She sees Graf as a blood sucking monster. Graf sees Jessa as a pain in the butt nag who he wants to either shag or eat. Their dealings with each other become more humorous as Graf begins to see Jessa less like a nagging happy meal and Jessa sees that maybe Graf isn’t as evil as she believed him to be. In one scene Graf is comforting Jessa while she cries and he feels very awkward. He compares the situation to hugging an ice cream cone.
The secondary characters are ambiguous. Neither good nor bad-they were just there. They are the perfect example of small town redneck mentality and I can’t help but wonder if Ms. Armintrout wasn’t poking a little fun here herself. From the high school football star that everyone idolizes to his daisy duke chain smoking wearing pregnant wife; everyone is too perfect.
The world building is pretty simple; atypical of the normal paranormal vampire stories out there now. The vampire isn’t the main theme and the plot is pretty straight forward. I knew about halfway through who did it and why but it’s still engaging as Ms. Armintrout leads you to the finale. I did feel there were some scenes that fell flat while others resolved themselves abruptly without rhyme or reason.
I did enjoy her descriptions of the town and the way their lives had been changed by their circumstances. Since they have no contact with the outside, we are given indepth explanations to what the town has done to survive.
I enjoyed the ending if only for the running dialogue between Jessa And Graf.
“Graf no!” “You stick to helping the wounded you fucking moron!”
It ends quick and without much fanfare. I would liked it to have divulged a little more into the whole scheme and the villain’s mindset concerning the whole event. All in all an interesting story that is shaped and molded by it’s unusual characters.
Rating: C
January 25, 2016
Признаюсь, я начала читать из-за понравившейся обложки и имени автора, но только начав писать отзыв, до меня дошло, что это не та женщина, а отрав подарила нам Лакс, а совершенно другой неизвестный мне автор. Как я поняла, это ранее её произведение, и ни в какую серию не вписывается.
Итак, наш герой по имени Грэф ехал на вечеринку-сборище-вампиров, а попал в Пинанс. Как и во всех таинственных городках, из которых никто не уезжает и никто не приезжает, в Пинансе Грэф сразу же натыкается на монстров и девиц. Но не переживайте, суть этой истории в спасении.
Грэф был единственным героем который меня не раздражал. Из всего города, в котором осталось не так уж много людей, нормальных просто не осталось. Хотя, если не выходить на связь с внешним миров в течение пяти лет, кто бы смог сохранить рассудок.
Я искренне смеялась над некоторыми моментами, а это уже хороший показатель для книги. Мне понравилась позиция вампира, он довольно разумен и предусмотрителен, но это "пожалейте меня я такой бедненький заплутавший кровососик " делало его восхитительным кандидатом на книжного бойфренда. О Джесси ничего подобного сказать не могу. В любовной линии явно читается позиция автора, что мужчины все такие из себя властные, а женщины должны им прислуживать. По крайней мере, я так увидела.
Моими любящими сценами стали : соблазнённие мальчика на побегушках и то что за этим последовало, драка в баре, Джесс и Грэф запертые в комнате под наблюдением офицеров(пусть мне и не понравилась любовная линия, но этот момент был трогательным).
Развязка меня впечатлила, но не то чтобы очень. Просто пазл встал на свои места и тот ,кто казался отрицательным героем стал злодеем, и да, разница между этими понятиями велика
Итак, наш герой по имени Грэф ехал на вечеринку-сборище-вампиров, а попал в Пинанс. Как и во всех таинственных городках, из которых никто не уезжает и никто не приезжает, в Пинансе Грэф сразу же натыкается на монстров и девиц. Но не переживайте, суть этой истории в спасении.
Грэф был единственным героем который меня не раздражал. Из всего города, в котором осталось не так уж много людей, нормальных просто не осталось. Хотя, если не выходить на связь с внешним миров в течение пяти лет, кто бы смог сохранить рассудок.
Я искренне смеялась над некоторыми моментами, а это уже хороший показатель для книги. Мне понравилась позиция вампира, он довольно разумен и предусмотрителен, но это "пожалейте меня я такой бедненький заплутавший кровососик " делало его восхитительным кандидатом на книжного бойфренда. О Джесси ничего подобного сказать не могу. В любовной линии явно читается позиция автора, что мужчины все такие из себя властные, а женщины должны им прислуживать. По крайней мере, я так увидела.
Моими любящими сценами стали : соблазнённие мальчика на побегушках и то что за этим последовало, драка в баре, Джесс и Грэф запертые в комнате под наблюдением офицеров(пусть мне и не понравилась любовная линия, но этот момент был трогательным).
Развязка меня впечатлила, но не то чтобы очень. Просто пазл встал на свои места и тот ,кто казался отрицательным героем стал злодеем, и да, разница между этими понятиями велика
February 10, 2012
Oh my, how to put this nicely? Ok, here, I'm not a fan of this book.
Our main character is a jerk, to put it midly. I usually don't like male leads in urban fantasy, but this is more romance (or something), so that's not a problem. The problem is, he comes off as immediately unlikable. Unlikable as in he wants to screw every hot lookin babe that doesn't have an attitude problem on the planet. He likes to get freaky with his sire and can't wait to see her again. He drives a nice car, of course, and treats the first person he comes across in this book like crap. So there's that.
In case you didn't know, which is understandable since I had no idea coming into this, this novel takes place in an supernatural town that once you enter you can't leave. The entire novel is about that, and involves 300 or so pages of sorting through the inhabitants of the town to finally figure out why no one can leave. Please, spare yourself the time and don't read this. If you are in it for the romance, well I didn't find anything there of interest or note, and I certainly didn't like any of the characters, but hey, maybe you will.
Our main character is a jerk, to put it midly. I usually don't like male leads in urban fantasy, but this is more romance (or something), so that's not a problem. The problem is, he comes off as immediately unlikable. Unlikable as in he wants to screw every hot lookin babe that doesn't have an attitude problem on the planet. He likes to get freaky with his sire and can't wait to see her again. He drives a nice car, of course, and treats the first person he comes across in this book like crap. So there's that.
In case you didn't know, which is understandable since I had no idea coming into this, this novel takes place in an supernatural town that once you enter you can't leave. The entire novel is about that, and involves 300 or so pages of sorting through the inhabitants of the town to finally figure out why no one can leave. Please, spare yourself the time and don't read this. If you are in it for the romance, well I didn't find anything there of interest or note, and I certainly didn't like any of the characters, but hey, maybe you will.
June 27, 2011
I'll give it a 2.5.
It started out strong, but then I found I really didn't like the characters all that much. In this one you have the arrogant vampire who likes to kill people and a woman having an affair with her married ex. It was a romance, but I can't tell you why they are together. One of the least realistic couplings I've read.
I did like the monster and the idea of the town being trapped. It's just that by the end I didn't really care if anybody got out.
If they had focused a bt more on the action instead of having a romance in the middle, I think I would have liked it more. The end also felt rushed.
It started out strong, but then I found I really didn't like the characters all that much. In this one you have the arrogant vampire who likes to kill people and a woman having an affair with her married ex. It was a romance, but I can't tell you why they are together. One of the least realistic couplings I've read.
I did like the monster and the idea of the town being trapped. It's just that by the end I didn't really care if anybody got out.
If they had focused a bt more on the action instead of having a romance in the middle, I think I would have liked it more. The end also felt rushed.
February 18, 2011
On his way to his sire's 4th of July party, vampire Graf McDonald finds himself lost and in a town no one has been able to enter or leave for five years. The citizens of Penance, Ohio have no idea why they've been unable to leave or where the monster that hunts them came from. They are suspicious of Graf from the start and the only person he can consider an ally is Jessa.
Jessa has been alone since the beginning of the towns isolation and her personal problems and past make her somewhat of an outcast among the towns people. She knows something isn't quite right with Graf but with tensions growing each day and attacks from the monster increasing, he may be all she has.
I could not really get into Graf and Jessa's character's at first. Graf's 'I only care about myself' attitude gets old quickly. It's no secret that Jessa has slept with her now married ex-boyfriend Derek. It's not so much the affair that gets on my nerves (yes I know that is bad) but that she allows Derek to mistreat her and use her. I like my heroines to have more of a back bone. Graf doesn't suddenly become a big softy because of Jessa but he does start to care for her and stand up for her against Derek and some of the towns people when no one else will. When Jessa finally stops being a push over for Derek and lets go of the past, she is ready to fight and stand up for herself and Graf when her fellow citizens turn against them both. By the end I did like Graf and Jessa. Graf became less cold and Jessa started fighting for herself. Though there is a pretty steamy scene between them, the romance between Graf and Jessa didn't really wow me. These two were at odds too much for me to believe they suddenly fell for each other.
Even though there is an actual monster in this book, the tension brewing in this small town is what really had me on edge. They are automatically wary of Graf and because of Jessa's reputation, they keep an eye on them both. As I was reading I was waiting for the final straw that would bring out the fire and pitch forks. The monster itself sounds pretty terrifying but it was named It. Not a very terrifying name. I thought the story of how it came into Penance was interesting but it wasn't anything that caught me off guard.
American Vampire is heaving on the suspense and drama with a bit of romance and horror mixed in. It starts off slow and the characters took me a while to warm up to but in the end I did like it. Didn't love it but the suspense was enough to make me want to know what would happen next.
My Rating: 3 Stars
-Stephanie
Graf McDonald find himself lost on his way to a great 4th of July party at his sire‘s house. Graf stops at a deserted gas station to find a map, only to find a strange woman and a super strong monster that scared even him instead.
After rescuing the woman from the monster and convincing her to let him stay with her for the night, Graf finds out not only is he stuck in this town with these crazy rednecks, but the whole town of Penance, Ohio has been stuck here for the past five years. None of the town people can tell him how he got in or why no one can get out. The monster is also a big part of the mystery of this town, there is no reasoning for his attacks and killings. After the monster comes for them again at Jessa’s house, Graf needs to figure out what to do next.
The town is very wary of this new comer and the fact that he is staying at Jessa’s house does not help the towns opinion of him. Knowing Jessa’s history with sleeping with men married or not. So the town has even more reason to keep an extra eye on them to see what they may be up to. Its only a matter of time before they come for them both with their deaths on there minds.
This man Jessa has taken in is annoying , arrogant, rude and to top it off a vampire. She knows she should be scared of him but instead she is drawn to him. But if she gives in she will only be confirming the rumors the town already says about her. Knowing it already looks like she is doing this guy anyway because he is staying in her home. But he has saved her life more than one time and she owes him at least that’s what she tells her self to why she is helping him.
Graf knows he has no business wanting this woman but he can't help himself. The worse the towns people treated her, the more protective he became of her. Then when it became obvious her life may be in danger he was determined to keep her safe and keep her with him, but can he protect her from the monster than even he can't defeat.
The story was different than anything I’ve read, the monster was an interesting aspect. The idea of the whole town trapped with no way in and no way out is unique. I thought Graf was a jerk at first and a little to stuck on himself. I don't think he was a very strong he seamed like he was sort of a lazy vampire that never used any of his vampire abilities. He was very entertaining even if he was an ass most of the time to every one. He always had a smart ass remark for every thing. In the end he kind of grows on. I liked how protective and jealous he gets toward Jessa at the end. Jessa has a few issues and all the towns people have even more issues but I think it made them interesting. I didn’t like how needy Jessa was but I could see how that was just part of her personality and could see why she would be that way with whole family dead and the town trash talking her at every turn. I liked the story I thought it flowed seamlessly, and it had enough suspense to make you crave to know what will happen next. The ending was very satisfying, I was glad that it ending the way it did. The ending did not surprise me it just left me feeling satisfied. I think the plot was strong and had good characters. I think it was pleasantly good book.
My rating: 3.5
-Athenna
Jessa has been alone since the beginning of the towns isolation and her personal problems and past make her somewhat of an outcast among the towns people. She knows something isn't quite right with Graf but with tensions growing each day and attacks from the monster increasing, he may be all she has.
I could not really get into Graf and Jessa's character's at first. Graf's 'I only care about myself' attitude gets old quickly. It's no secret that Jessa has slept with her now married ex-boyfriend Derek. It's not so much the affair that gets on my nerves (yes I know that is bad) but that she allows Derek to mistreat her and use her. I like my heroines to have more of a back bone. Graf doesn't suddenly become a big softy because of Jessa but he does start to care for her and stand up for her against Derek and some of the towns people when no one else will. When Jessa finally stops being a push over for Derek and lets go of the past, she is ready to fight and stand up for herself and Graf when her fellow citizens turn against them both. By the end I did like Graf and Jessa. Graf became less cold and Jessa started fighting for herself. Though there is a pretty steamy scene between them, the romance between Graf and Jessa didn't really wow me. These two were at odds too much for me to believe they suddenly fell for each other.
Even though there is an actual monster in this book, the tension brewing in this small town is what really had me on edge. They are automatically wary of Graf and because of Jessa's reputation, they keep an eye on them both. As I was reading I was waiting for the final straw that would bring out the fire and pitch forks. The monster itself sounds pretty terrifying but it was named It. Not a very terrifying name. I thought the story of how it came into Penance was interesting but it wasn't anything that caught me off guard.
American Vampire is heaving on the suspense and drama with a bit of romance and horror mixed in. It starts off slow and the characters took me a while to warm up to but in the end I did like it. Didn't love it but the suspense was enough to make me want to know what would happen next.
My Rating: 3 Stars
-Stephanie
Graf McDonald find himself lost on his way to a great 4th of July party at his sire‘s house. Graf stops at a deserted gas station to find a map, only to find a strange woman and a super strong monster that scared even him instead.
After rescuing the woman from the monster and convincing her to let him stay with her for the night, Graf finds out not only is he stuck in this town with these crazy rednecks, but the whole town of Penance, Ohio has been stuck here for the past five years. None of the town people can tell him how he got in or why no one can get out. The monster is also a big part of the mystery of this town, there is no reasoning for his attacks and killings. After the monster comes for them again at Jessa’s house, Graf needs to figure out what to do next.
The town is very wary of this new comer and the fact that he is staying at Jessa’s house does not help the towns opinion of him. Knowing Jessa’s history with sleeping with men married or not. So the town has even more reason to keep an extra eye on them to see what they may be up to. Its only a matter of time before they come for them both with their deaths on there minds.
This man Jessa has taken in is annoying , arrogant, rude and to top it off a vampire. She knows she should be scared of him but instead she is drawn to him. But if she gives in she will only be confirming the rumors the town already says about her. Knowing it already looks like she is doing this guy anyway because he is staying in her home. But he has saved her life more than one time and she owes him at least that’s what she tells her self to why she is helping him.
Graf knows he has no business wanting this woman but he can't help himself. The worse the towns people treated her, the more protective he became of her. Then when it became obvious her life may be in danger he was determined to keep her safe and keep her with him, but can he protect her from the monster than even he can't defeat.
The story was different than anything I’ve read, the monster was an interesting aspect. The idea of the whole town trapped with no way in and no way out is unique. I thought Graf was a jerk at first and a little to stuck on himself. I don't think he was a very strong he seamed like he was sort of a lazy vampire that never used any of his vampire abilities. He was very entertaining even if he was an ass most of the time to every one. He always had a smart ass remark for every thing. In the end he kind of grows on. I liked how protective and jealous he gets toward Jessa at the end. Jessa has a few issues and all the towns people have even more issues but I think it made them interesting. I didn’t like how needy Jessa was but I could see how that was just part of her personality and could see why she would be that way with whole family dead and the town trash talking her at every turn. I liked the story I thought it flowed seamlessly, and it had enough suspense to make you crave to know what will happen next. The ending was very satisfying, I was glad that it ending the way it did. The ending did not surprise me it just left me feeling satisfied. I think the plot was strong and had good characters. I think it was pleasantly good book.
My rating: 3.5
-Athenna
January 30, 2012
Rated 3.5/5
Summary: Graf McDonald may be a deadly vampire, but he still has the annoying human flaw of being terrible with directions. As a result, he finds himself lost while on a roadtrip from Detroit to Washington DC for a party at his sire's home. When he pulls over to acquire a map in the small town of Penance, Ohio, he quickly discovers that there are more terrifying creatures in the world than vampires. Moments after entering a deserted gas station, Graf finds himself in the company of a local woman named Jessa Gallagher, and they are running for their lives from a hideous demon-like creature.
Graf eventually discovers that Penance has been in a magical prison of some sort; no one has entered or left the country town in 5 years. Graf is the first new visitor in all that time, and now that he is within the town limits, he is stuck in limbo also. Although he originally plans to kill Jessa as food, he finds that he needs her to help him navigate through this twilight-zone experience. The townspeople don't trust him, and supplies have run dangerously low for everyone, so simply finding a place to stay safely out of sunlight is impossible without Jessa's help. To make matters worse, the creature who attacked them on his first night in town is still hunting them.
Jessa is a bit of an outcast in Penance. She had been quite popular in her younger years, but after her family was killed, her life spiraled downhill fast. She pushed away her high school boyfriend, Derek, and he eventually found comfort in the arms of Jessa's best friend Becky. Although Derek and Becky are now married and have a family, Derek continues to aggressively pursue Jessa, resulting in a messy affair and Jessa's bad reputation in the town. The last thing Jessa needs is another man complicating her life further, but Graf refuses to be turned away.
Eventually, Graf's appearance in town sets events in motion toward a conclusion to the curse. But, it isn't long before the townspeople - in desperate need to have someone to blame for their misfortune - go on a witch hunt. Graf and Jessa have to fight for their lives as they become the target of both an angry mob and the demon creature. In the midst of all the chaos, they find trust and loyalty only with each other.
Review: I always wonder what the thought process is behind giving a book a title that means absolutely nothing to the storyline. Anybody know? I have no idea where this title came from, but it gives no indication of what is inside the book. I can't decide if it was totally random or just generic...??
I thought this story was unique, and I always enjoy being surprised by something new in the vampire romance genre. I also really liked that the two primary characters were so imperfect. Jessa is an adept liar (which she admits to), and at the beginning of the book, she also "the other woman" in a completely toxic relationship. Graf is incredibly shallow, totally selfish, and he has zero regard for human life. Neither character is someone you might call "likeable", yet I found myself solidly on their side throughout the book. It helped that they seemed to bring out each other's better qualities as the story progressed. The fact that the other people in the town were severely disturbed horror-movie material also made it easier to favor Jessa and Graf. But to be honest, I mostly liked them because they were so different from the seemingly perfect characters in other vampire books/series.
A small thorn in my side was that I wasn't crazy about the evil demon being named "It". The word "it" became a little overused thanks to being both a common noun and a proper name in the book. It was also a rather generic element to an otherwise creative storyline.
At the beginning of this book, I completely bought into the back story that this community had been magically locked away from the rest of the world for five years. However, as the mysteries of the It demon began to unfold, I bought into the original premiss less and less. When we finally discover the secret to stopping "It", I could not comprehend why it took five years to end the imprisonment - or why people hadn't already figured out how to escape. I can't really explain this without giving away any spoilers, but you will definitely understand this point if you read the book. Someone could have easily put an end to this fiasco years earlier.
Overall, I did like this book and would recommend it to paranormal fans. However, it is a little difficult to say exactly which audience it will appeal to. The small-town redneck setting and characters may repel some UF fans, and the fact that the romance is mostly shelved until the very end of the book might be a disappointment to some PR fans. I also know from past experience that some of my readers will be turned off by Jessa's "other-woman" status at the start of the book. But, if you happen to be in the mood to read a vampire story that you haven't read dozens of times before, then this might be the book for you.
Summary: Graf McDonald may be a deadly vampire, but he still has the annoying human flaw of being terrible with directions. As a result, he finds himself lost while on a roadtrip from Detroit to Washington DC for a party at his sire's home. When he pulls over to acquire a map in the small town of Penance, Ohio, he quickly discovers that there are more terrifying creatures in the world than vampires. Moments after entering a deserted gas station, Graf finds himself in the company of a local woman named Jessa Gallagher, and they are running for their lives from a hideous demon-like creature.
Graf eventually discovers that Penance has been in a magical prison of some sort; no one has entered or left the country town in 5 years. Graf is the first new visitor in all that time, and now that he is within the town limits, he is stuck in limbo also. Although he originally plans to kill Jessa as food, he finds that he needs her to help him navigate through this twilight-zone experience. The townspeople don't trust him, and supplies have run dangerously low for everyone, so simply finding a place to stay safely out of sunlight is impossible without Jessa's help. To make matters worse, the creature who attacked them on his first night in town is still hunting them.
Jessa is a bit of an outcast in Penance. She had been quite popular in her younger years, but after her family was killed, her life spiraled downhill fast. She pushed away her high school boyfriend, Derek, and he eventually found comfort in the arms of Jessa's best friend Becky. Although Derek and Becky are now married and have a family, Derek continues to aggressively pursue Jessa, resulting in a messy affair and Jessa's bad reputation in the town. The last thing Jessa needs is another man complicating her life further, but Graf refuses to be turned away.
Eventually, Graf's appearance in town sets events in motion toward a conclusion to the curse. But, it isn't long before the townspeople - in desperate need to have someone to blame for their misfortune - go on a witch hunt. Graf and Jessa have to fight for their lives as they become the target of both an angry mob and the demon creature. In the midst of all the chaos, they find trust and loyalty only with each other.
Review: I always wonder what the thought process is behind giving a book a title that means absolutely nothing to the storyline. Anybody know? I have no idea where this title came from, but it gives no indication of what is inside the book. I can't decide if it was totally random or just generic...??
I thought this story was unique, and I always enjoy being surprised by something new in the vampire romance genre. I also really liked that the two primary characters were so imperfect. Jessa is an adept liar (which she admits to), and at the beginning of the book, she also "the other woman" in a completely toxic relationship. Graf is incredibly shallow, totally selfish, and he has zero regard for human life. Neither character is someone you might call "likeable", yet I found myself solidly on their side throughout the book. It helped that they seemed to bring out each other's better qualities as the story progressed. The fact that the other people in the town were severely disturbed horror-movie material also made it easier to favor Jessa and Graf. But to be honest, I mostly liked them because they were so different from the seemingly perfect characters in other vampire books/series.
A small thorn in my side was that I wasn't crazy about the evil demon being named "It". The word "it" became a little overused thanks to being both a common noun and a proper name in the book. It was also a rather generic element to an otherwise creative storyline.
At the beginning of this book, I completely bought into the back story that this community had been magically locked away from the rest of the world for five years. However, as the mysteries of the It demon began to unfold, I bought into the original premiss less and less. When we finally discover the secret to stopping "It", I could not comprehend why it took five years to end the imprisonment - or why people hadn't already figured out how to escape. I can't really explain this without giving away any spoilers, but you will definitely understand this point if you read the book. Someone could have easily put an end to this fiasco years earlier.
Overall, I did like this book and would recommend it to paranormal fans. However, it is a little difficult to say exactly which audience it will appeal to. The small-town redneck setting and characters may repel some UF fans, and the fact that the romance is mostly shelved until the very end of the book might be a disappointment to some PR fans. I also know from past experience that some of my readers will be turned off by Jessa's "other-woman" status at the start of the book. But, if you happen to be in the mood to read a vampire story that you haven't read dozens of times before, then this might be the book for you.
August 9, 2011
"American Vampire" became a must read because of Jennifer Armintrout. I loved the Blood Ties series and had always hoped for more books in that franchise. Ms. Armintrout won me over with her first book of Blood Ties, "The Turning". Very dark. Strong Urban Fantasy elements. There were some nasty characters that were very dark. Tortured souls trying to survive the best way they can. It was all there so it never occured to me that Ms. Armintrout could write a vampire novel that left me scratching my head.
"American Vampire" was not what I expected in any way. It's not connected to the Blood Ties series but the vampire has the same characteristics -- no direct sunlight, need blood, drinking blood is painful for victim, and he is the strong/fast combo. He can't read minds or manipulate another's will which I happen to like in general with my vamps. The book would have had another avenue for humor if the smart mouthed Graf could have manipulated minds or read thoughts.
The plot is reminicent of one of my favorite Kevin Bacon movies -- "Tremers". We have the requisite group of people stranded in a small town with a monster on the loose. They have been trapped for five years when the vampire somehow got through the monster's magic to enter the town. The main characters -- vamp Graf and human Jessa don't get off on the right foot. Their banter is quite funny as a matter of fact. That was the best part of the book. The other characters were not fleshed out enough for me to formulate their real value to the entertainment end of the book.
The plot movement was choppy. It all felt too forced. It was more like a screen play than a book. I felt the supporting characters were actors that ran in and out of scenes but didn't really leave anything of themselves behind on the page. They have no originality. What's really strange for me is the fact that I don't believe Ms. Armintrout made a mistake in how she told the story. I think she had some fun writing the story as an imaginative excursion. That's the only way I could ever accept this as a representative of her work. If anyone else had written it, I would be chucking it in the backyard firepit. I am a fan of her previous work and believe this odd offering is just that -- an imaginative outlet. So three stars for the Graf's wit and sass alone.
"American Vampire" was not what I expected in any way. It's not connected to the Blood Ties series but the vampire has the same characteristics -- no direct sunlight, need blood, drinking blood is painful for victim, and he is the strong/fast combo. He can't read minds or manipulate another's will which I happen to like in general with my vamps. The book would have had another avenue for humor if the smart mouthed Graf could have manipulated minds or read thoughts.
The plot is reminicent of one of my favorite Kevin Bacon movies -- "Tremers". We have the requisite group of people stranded in a small town with a monster on the loose. They have been trapped for five years when the vampire somehow got through the monster's magic to enter the town. The main characters -- vamp Graf and human Jessa don't get off on the right foot. Their banter is quite funny as a matter of fact. That was the best part of the book. The other characters were not fleshed out enough for me to formulate their real value to the entertainment end of the book.
The plot movement was choppy. It all felt too forced. It was more like a screen play than a book. I felt the supporting characters were actors that ran in and out of scenes but didn't really leave anything of themselves behind on the page. They have no originality. What's really strange for me is the fact that I don't believe Ms. Armintrout made a mistake in how she told the story. I think she had some fun writing the story as an imaginative excursion. That's the only way I could ever accept this as a representative of her work. If anyone else had written it, I would be chucking it in the backyard firepit. I am a fan of her previous work and believe this odd offering is just that -- an imaginative outlet. So three stars for the Graf's wit and sass alone.
August 23, 2011
I just finished American Vampire and overall it was a really good read.
The book starts off with a rather good punch, with Garf heading across America in order to attend his makers party, which promises to be everything dark and twisted we all assume Vampires are involved in (And as the character says, not like the sparkly vampires seen in modern fiction.)
However his plans are de-railed when he stops off for a "snack" and gas (see using americanisims here when I could say petrol!) at quiet gas station.
Its here his plans go up in smoke as he accidently gets caught up in a towns misfortune through saving a local woman named Jessa from the beast that is plaguing the town and stopping everyone from leaving.
Now I picked this book up in the Dark Fantasy section of my bookstore (read paranormal romance) but there is very little of that in this book. Garf tries his best to hide his true nature, knowing that he is trapped. Needless to say it doesn't stop him trying to get out of the town, but he is effectivly cut off from the outside world.
The beast that is stalking the towns people only really appears a handful of times and though it is a threat it isn't THE threat. The author turns the town in on itself and shows how paranio, distrust and limited resources pits neighbour against neighbour to the point were it pretty much is survival of the fittest.
The fact that Jessa is regarded as an outside and a woman with a repuation due to the fact she has been seeing her childhood sweetheart, while he is married to another woman (who was her friend) already puts Garfs postion on shaky ground. She tells him as much, but doesn't look for him to be her knight in shining armour after facing quite a few hardships in her time.
Its the human dynamics that drive the story and the beast and the circumstance are just the vehicle to contain it.
I really enjoyed the book and would consider reading some of the authors other stuff.
My only gripe is the ending, which seemed a bit mushy. Its a minor gripe and it doesn't really detract from the story.
The final showdown is excellent and to be honest I wasn't sure where it would go.
I would like to follow the characters a bit more after this story especially with the ending, but if the author decided that this was a one shot story, I'd be perfectly happy.
The book starts off with a rather good punch, with Garf heading across America in order to attend his makers party, which promises to be everything dark and twisted we all assume Vampires are involved in (And as the character says, not like the sparkly vampires seen in modern fiction.)
However his plans are de-railed when he stops off for a "snack" and gas (see using americanisims here when I could say petrol!) at quiet gas station.
Its here his plans go up in smoke as he accidently gets caught up in a towns misfortune through saving a local woman named Jessa from the beast that is plaguing the town and stopping everyone from leaving.
Now I picked this book up in the Dark Fantasy section of my bookstore (read paranormal romance) but there is very little of that in this book. Garf tries his best to hide his true nature, knowing that he is trapped. Needless to say it doesn't stop him trying to get out of the town, but he is effectivly cut off from the outside world.
The beast that is stalking the towns people only really appears a handful of times and though it is a threat it isn't THE threat. The author turns the town in on itself and shows how paranio, distrust and limited resources pits neighbour against neighbour to the point were it pretty much is survival of the fittest.
The fact that Jessa is regarded as an outside and a woman with a repuation due to the fact she has been seeing her childhood sweetheart, while he is married to another woman (who was her friend) already puts Garfs postion on shaky ground. She tells him as much, but doesn't look for him to be her knight in shining armour after facing quite a few hardships in her time.
Its the human dynamics that drive the story and the beast and the circumstance are just the vehicle to contain it.
I really enjoyed the book and would consider reading some of the authors other stuff.
My only gripe is the ending, which seemed a bit mushy. Its a minor gripe and it doesn't really detract from the story.
The final showdown is excellent and to be honest I wasn't sure where it would go.
I would like to follow the characters a bit more after this story especially with the ending, but if the author decided that this was a one shot story, I'd be perfectly happy.
December 19, 2010
If you're wondering if this is a series, I don't have an answer for you. This story in Armintrout's newest can stand alone by itself, but it can quite easily start off a new series in itself. As far as tying into Armintrout's other vampire series Blood Ties, I can't honestly answer that either. There's not enough detail here to determine whether it's part of that canon, but Armintrout could easily declare that it is if she wanted to. What I can tell you is that this was a blast to read.
Where to start? There's so much about this book that was interesting. The premise of a town that nobody can leave or enter would have been able to carry the book by itself, but adding vampires just made it a little bit cooler. (Hey, supernatural creatures make just about everything better!) I loved Jessa's weary acceptance of the life she's had to put up with for the last five years. It made both her previous actions as well as her reluctant attraction to Graf that much easier to believe. I also loved the attention to detail, such as the lack of luxuries in a tiny town cut off from civilization. You really begin to realize how much everyone's cut off when you read about your heroine using homemade soap & getting gaspy over a rare bag of flour.
Also interesting is the mystery behind the bloodthirsty creature (It, not Graf) that's been terrorizing everyone and keeping everyone inside the town. Some might be able to piece together the puzzle midway through the book, but Armintrout still has a few surprises left in her bag of tricks by the end of the book.
I'll admit that the book was a little slow to start, but once you're hooked, you're hooked. I do hope that there's a bit more, even if it's just a short story or a prequel. This really was just that fun to read.
(ARC provided by NetGalley)
Where to start? There's so much about this book that was interesting. The premise of a town that nobody can leave or enter would have been able to carry the book by itself, but adding vampires just made it a little bit cooler. (Hey, supernatural creatures make just about everything better!) I loved Jessa's weary acceptance of the life she's had to put up with for the last five years. It made both her previous actions as well as her reluctant attraction to Graf that much easier to believe. I also loved the attention to detail, such as the lack of luxuries in a tiny town cut off from civilization. You really begin to realize how much everyone's cut off when you read about your heroine using homemade soap & getting gaspy over a rare bag of flour.
Also interesting is the mystery behind the bloodthirsty creature (It, not Graf) that's been terrorizing everyone and keeping everyone inside the town. Some might be able to piece together the puzzle midway through the book, but Armintrout still has a few surprises left in her bag of tricks by the end of the book.
I'll admit that the book was a little slow to start, but once you're hooked, you're hooked. I do hope that there's a bit more, even if it's just a short story or a prequel. This really was just that fun to read.
(ARC provided by NetGalley)
January 28, 2011
Oh, I had fun reading this book. Graf was not at all the cuddly, non-killing type of vampire that seems to be the norm lately. He kills people. He doesn't have any regrets about it. It is what it is. How refreshing!
Jessa's also not the normal type of heroine. She might possibly have a bit of a reputation. She might possibly completely deserve it. She has attitude. She's downright nasty to Graf after their first run-in and in fact wants nothing to do with him. She's had a crappy five years and it's wearing on her. Yet despite the buckets of attitude she's carrying around, she's likable.
I have a bit of a soft spot for stories where the city/town/world setting is broken and crumbling. I liked that I got my raggedy edges without the world being on the brink of destruction and/or already destroyed. It was different. Geez. Looking back on it, the whole book was just enough off center to make it feel fresh and new. Let's see, non-standard hero, non-standard heroine, and non-standard setting. It's like my non-standard love took book form and birthed itself.
And the line from the opening paragraph that made me laugh out loud and clued me in that this was going to be a fun ride:
Snatch magnet! Ha! I love it!
I picked this book up looking for something fun that I could get lost in. And, oh, it delivered. I didn't want to put it down. I feel like I've hit the jackpot of good books recently and this one just kept that streak alive.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Jessa's also not the normal type of heroine. She might possibly have a bit of a reputation. She might possibly completely deserve it. She has attitude. She's downright nasty to Graf after their first run-in and in fact wants nothing to do with him. She's had a crappy five years and it's wearing on her. Yet despite the buckets of attitude she's carrying around, she's likable.
I have a bit of a soft spot for stories where the city/town/world setting is broken and crumbling. I liked that I got my raggedy edges without the world being on the brink of destruction and/or already destroyed. It was different. Geez. Looking back on it, the whole book was just enough off center to make it feel fresh and new. Let's see, non-standard hero, non-standard heroine, and non-standard setting. It's like my non-standard love took book form and birthed itself.
And the line from the opening paragraph that made me laugh out loud and clued me in that this was going to be a fun ride:
Steering his car - a black 1974 De Tomaso Pantera L, a total snatch magnet - with one hand, he jabbed at the tiny screen of his TomTom GPS thingie and said words his mother would have made him eat soap for speaking.
Snatch magnet! Ha! I love it!
I picked this book up looking for something fun that I could get lost in. And, oh, it delivered. I didn't want to put it down. I feel like I've hit the jackpot of good books recently and this one just kept that streak alive.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
February 20, 2011
On the way to meet his sire at a party, in DC, Vamp Graf gets lost and thought it would be a good idea to stop at a near by gas station. Steal a map and get a snack maybe. When he sees a frightened women crawling around in the dark and hears a rumble outside he realizes he's not alone and that some kind of monster is out there. Wanting to get the hell out of this town, he drives off, dumping the girl he rescued while he's at it, only he can't get out, in fact, no one's been able to get in or out of the Penance. Not for the last 5 years.
Looks like there's a different kind of monster in town and he isn't talking about himself....
I've never read anything by Jennifer Armintrout before, but I like the way she writes. This book was a real easy read, the pace wasn't ever dull and the dialog was hilarious.
Graf, I guess is your typical prick at first, but his attitude and thought process is a real riot! He's stuck in a weird twilight-zone situation which is pretty amusing since he's a Vampire stuck in a town with a new monster, needing blood and has to deal with Miss Thing.
Jessa is a feisty little thing and pretty much your standard bitch at first. Can't say that I blame her though since the last five years as made her hard and cynical. Her attitude was a little hard to get pass, but after awhile I started to like her. Didn't care for her ex Derek though or the fact that she has a bit of rep in town.
The plot is fun and I liked the idea of it being run by some monster, but the name isn't very original. I mean, "It"? Really? The ending was a little to fast as well.
But overall, American Vampire was an okay book, it was a fast fun read.
Looks like there's a different kind of monster in town and he isn't talking about himself....
I've never read anything by Jennifer Armintrout before, but I like the way she writes. This book was a real easy read, the pace wasn't ever dull and the dialog was hilarious.
Graf, I guess is your typical prick at first, but his attitude and thought process is a real riot! He's stuck in a weird twilight-zone situation which is pretty amusing since he's a Vampire stuck in a town with a new monster, needing blood and has to deal with Miss Thing.
Jessa is a feisty little thing and pretty much your standard bitch at first. Can't say that I blame her though since the last five years as made her hard and cynical. Her attitude was a little hard to get pass, but after awhile I started to like her. Didn't care for her ex Derek though or the fact that she has a bit of rep in town.
The plot is fun and I liked the idea of it being run by some monster, but the name isn't very original. I mean, "It"? Really? The ending was a little to fast as well.
But overall, American Vampire was an okay book, it was a fast fun read.
November 21, 2012
It really pisses me off when my connection fails while I'm trying to save a review!!! :(
So for those of you who haven't guessed that already, my review is gone! Too bad 'cause I thought it was a good one. :P
I am not in the mood to rewrite it right now so I might come back later and do it, but maybe I 'll forget so here goes the gist of it all!
The book was good, it went down easily, but it wasn't all that.
Jessa really got on my nerves, especially when she let her pig of an ex treat her like crap! I mean really, the guy marries your ex best friend, has children with her, while still coming around to have some with you, manhandles you drunk and humiliates you in front of the entire town, but you still think he is the love of your life??? Wake up girl! Dude is a d-bag!
What kind of name is Graf? Nevermind, Graf is a vampire! Now that was an honest take on vampires I can appreciate! He wants to eat, he kills the grabs the first convenient villager and has lunch! No remorse, no second thoughts, no bunnies! There was a scene towards the end of the book, where IT (IT is how they refer to the local monster... I know it's real original but bear with me.) throws a bunch of people at Graf 'cause he pissed it off, so he gets up, picks up a dead guy and throws him back! I laughed so hard while I was picturing this! I know the dead people should make me sad, but it was hilarious and the whole town was kind of cookoo! I mean they burned a 17 year old on a stake, 'cause they thought she was a witch!
So to rup it up it was good, but nothing wowing!
So for those of you who haven't guessed that already, my review is gone! Too bad 'cause I thought it was a good one. :P
I am not in the mood to rewrite it right now so I might come back later and do it, but maybe I 'll forget so here goes the gist of it all!
The book was good, it went down easily, but it wasn't all that.
Jessa really got on my nerves, especially when she let her pig of an ex treat her like crap! I mean really, the guy marries your ex best friend, has children with her, while still coming around to have some with you, manhandles you drunk and humiliates you in front of the entire town, but you still think he is the love of your life??? Wake up girl! Dude is a d-bag!
What kind of name is Graf? Nevermind, Graf is a vampire! Now that was an honest take on vampires I can appreciate! He wants to eat, he kills the grabs the first convenient villager and has lunch! No remorse, no second thoughts, no bunnies! There was a scene towards the end of the book, where IT (IT is how they refer to the local monster... I know it's real original but bear with me.) throws a bunch of people at Graf 'cause he pissed it off, so he gets up, picks up a dead guy and throws him back! I laughed so hard while I was picturing this! I know the dead people should make me sad, but it was hilarious and the whole town was kind of cookoo! I mean they burned a 17 year old on a stake, 'cause they thought she was a witch!
So to rup it up it was good, but nothing wowing!
February 5, 2011
4 1/2 stars. A funny, scary, at times tragic urban fantasy.
Graf, the (anti) hero is kind of half-heartedly evil (think Spike after he had the chip put in his head). Jessa... has issues of her own. They meet in a run-down gas station convenience store in very rural Ohio, where she's hiding from a demon. After he accidentally rescues her, he dumps her by the side of the road and tries to get back to civilization -- only to find himself trapped there with her and the few other people who are still alive.
Graf and Jessa's relationship starts on a hate-at-first-sight basis, but they find that they have to rely on each other against both the demon and the townspeople, all of whom have been trapped together for five years. Their relationship is interesting to watch -- most of the time, it felt more like I was reading horror/urban fantasy than romance, but there was a subtle build to a trusting relationship as they alternately argued with and protected each other. The tension in the story was maintained throughout and I found myself unwilling to stop reading until the end of the story.
Does Mira do series? Because I would really love to see a sequel in which Graf introduces Jessa to Sophia, and I've no doubt that those two could find more trouble along the way.
Review based on a digital ARC received via NetGalley.
Graf, the (anti) hero is kind of half-heartedly evil (think Spike after he had the chip put in his head). Jessa... has issues of her own. They meet in a run-down gas station convenience store in very rural Ohio, where she's hiding from a demon. After he accidentally rescues her, he dumps her by the side of the road and tries to get back to civilization -- only to find himself trapped there with her and the few other people who are still alive.
Graf and Jessa's relationship starts on a hate-at-first-sight basis, but they find that they have to rely on each other against both the demon and the townspeople, all of whom have been trapped together for five years. Their relationship is interesting to watch -- most of the time, it felt more like I was reading horror/urban fantasy than romance, but there was a subtle build to a trusting relationship as they alternately argued with and protected each other. The tension in the story was maintained throughout and I found myself unwilling to stop reading until the end of the story.
Does Mira do series? Because I would really love to see a sequel in which Graf introduces Jessa to Sophia, and I've no doubt that those two could find more trouble along the way.
Review based on a digital ARC received via NetGalley.
May 7, 2011
Graf is a vampire and on his way to a party when he gets lost, hes pulls into an unused petrol station after seeing a light and thinking they may have some maps lying around only to be grabbed by a terrified woman who is hiding from IT. Thinking shes crazy he kicks her out of the car and drives off to leave town, only he cant ! Apparently the woman isnt so crazy and she was telling the truth when she told him the town of Penance is cursed and has been for 5 years, tortured by a beast named IT going round killing town folk and He is the first person to enter the town in all of them years. So graf his stuck in this place with nowhere to go and sunrise is fastly approaching, he only brought a small supply of blood and now hes trapped in the town from hell with a crazy woman who hates his guts as his only ally. How on earth is he going to stay fed and get out of there ?
I liked this book it wasnt amazing but it was fun and humorous. The 2 main charcacters are likeable but about the only people that are. The town is of the same small town mentality that judges people too quickly and refuse to see others point of view and people who are different or non conformists are treated as outcasts etc I hate that sort of bigotry and its seems as though theres a lot of 'drinks in, witts out' in this. Never the less it was a good story and a good read :)
I liked this book it wasnt amazing but it was fun and humorous. The 2 main charcacters are likeable but about the only people that are. The town is of the same small town mentality that judges people too quickly and refuse to see others point of view and people who are different or non conformists are treated as outcasts etc I hate that sort of bigotry and its seems as though theres a lot of 'drinks in, witts out' in this. Never the less it was a good story and a good read :)
March 6, 2011
Graf, going to a big 4th of July vampire party but gets lost along the way. He runs into Jessa who is running from some strange monster. While saving Jessa, Graf gets trapped and finds out what it really means to live in a closed-off rural town full of fear. Deliverance lives again!
*cues dueling banjos*
I have to be honest. I didn't like Graf for most of the book. The I'm a species above all of you food objects gets old quick. Jessa didn't fair much better at first, but I ended up liking her before I warmed up to Graf. The story does drag a bit in the middle, but really picks up toward the end. By then I was rooting for Graf and Jessa and I did like the ending.
I give this book 3 stars. It ended up being a fun mystery. If you like vampire stories, you might enjoy this one.
*cues dueling banjos*
I have to be honest. I didn't like Graf for most of the book. The I'm a species above all of you food objects gets old quick. Jessa didn't fair much better at first, but I ended up liking her before I warmed up to Graf. The story does drag a bit in the middle, but really picks up toward the end. By then I was rooting for Graf and Jessa and I did like the ending.
I give this book 3 stars. It ended up being a fun mystery. If you like vampire stories, you might enjoy this one.
November 11, 2015
Graf is a vampire, driving to his sire's party in D.C. when he suddenly finds he's stuck in the small town of Penance. Literally. Something weird happened five years ago and the residents can't leave nor can anybody get in. To the outside world it's as if the place no longer exists. Oh, and there's a crazy monster terrorising the town and killing people. Graf is desperate to get out, especially as he's not sure if he's going to eat his reluctant landlady Jessa. Okay, so this was fluff. It's predictable and a bit lame in parts but it was a decent light read and I soon whizzed through it. Perfect for my current post-surgery state.
Want to read
October 26, 2010Oh, sounds good =)
April 29, 2011
Entertaining in that "read it in one day" kind of way. My skin crawled with some of the "thoughts" in the characters heads but it was pretty original.
January 2, 2011
Not a very good vampire story. Too much weirdness in this small town and not enough vampire.
December 3, 2023
American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout is a hard book for me to review because I'm really not sure how I feel about it. On one hand I loved the premise of the novel. It sounded interesting, and it delivered. I was thoroughly engrossed in how a town could be separated from the rest of the world and have a monster running amok, unable to run for help. But, on the other hand I really disliked the characters through most of the novel. A definite deterrent.
So let's start there. From the first moment, the characters are insipid and antagonistic. Graf is plain and simple an ass, but then again so is Jessa. When the two happen to be thrust together their reactions are like gasoline on a brush fire. Every comment is snide and cynical...typically things that I love about characters, but these two have a shallowness that made me want to strangle them. The other towns folk aren't much better. I think Graf summed it up nicely when he thought he was in a scene from 'Deliverance' because I live in the back woods, but these people, wow! And because of this isolation I can understand the attitude coming from Jessa and the locals to an extent, but there was just something about their blatantly unfriendly attitudes towards everyone, including their own that set me on edge. But, luckily the premise kept me reading and about midway through the novel Jessa and Graf finally start acting like more then spoiled brats. They finally find some middle ground and form a tenuous relationship. In truth, when they aren't bickering constantly they make a pretty good couple and I found myself drawn to this new facet of their relationship. I started to like them as they let their guards down. I just wish this had happened sooner in the novel!
The premise is what truly grabbed my attention and kept it. I was eager to know what could trap a town for five years and what could keep them prisoner without the outside world noticing. It's definitely an interesting concept: a town that supposedly no longer exists that you can't escape from with a monster lurking in the wings. The predicament is nicely explored and the answers that we are given about the how and why of it ties the story up nicely.
The development of the town and it's backwater inhabitants was nicely done as well. The problems of supplies and how these people would live was well thought out. In truth, I could actually see this happening, it was so well plotted. Armintrout covered just about every angle, even acknowledging the ones that were beyond explanation. I loved this precise detail to building the idea of being trapped and I thought the action and mystery of the novel played out perfectly given the small setting that was available. The atmosphere is definitely a key part to this novel. The feeling of unease and distrust set the almost Salem-like tone of the novel. Any sign of difference being reason enough to murder a person. This made for tense reading with a distinct horror vibe that I loved.
By the end of the novel I was still sort of at a stand still as to how I felt about it. It's an interesting take of the supernatural, especially on vampires and demons. I don't think anyone will be able to argue that the voice of Graf wasn't unique for a vampire or believable. Nor, that whole novel wasn't unique for that matter. But, the culprit behind the horror was a bit predictable after you got halfway through the story and the abrupt ending was a let down. There's not exactly room for a follow up novel though, or at least if one is written I have no idea what would be involved. Which was sort of strange given the monumental shift which I won't go into.
So, when it comes down to it, this was an okay novel. The premise is definitely one that will draw in the readers and keep them interested, but the characters lack any true emotions, their antagonism far beyond what is necessary. I recommend this more for horror fans then paranormal romance lovers to be sure.
So let's start there. From the first moment, the characters are insipid and antagonistic. Graf is plain and simple an ass, but then again so is Jessa. When the two happen to be thrust together their reactions are like gasoline on a brush fire. Every comment is snide and cynical...typically things that I love about characters, but these two have a shallowness that made me want to strangle them. The other towns folk aren't much better. I think Graf summed it up nicely when he thought he was in a scene from 'Deliverance' because I live in the back woods, but these people, wow! And because of this isolation I can understand the attitude coming from Jessa and the locals to an extent, but there was just something about their blatantly unfriendly attitudes towards everyone, including their own that set me on edge. But, luckily the premise kept me reading and about midway through the novel Jessa and Graf finally start acting like more then spoiled brats. They finally find some middle ground and form a tenuous relationship. In truth, when they aren't bickering constantly they make a pretty good couple and I found myself drawn to this new facet of their relationship. I started to like them as they let their guards down. I just wish this had happened sooner in the novel!
The premise is what truly grabbed my attention and kept it. I was eager to know what could trap a town for five years and what could keep them prisoner without the outside world noticing. It's definitely an interesting concept: a town that supposedly no longer exists that you can't escape from with a monster lurking in the wings. The predicament is nicely explored and the answers that we are given about the how and why of it ties the story up nicely.
The development of the town and it's backwater inhabitants was nicely done as well. The problems of supplies and how these people would live was well thought out. In truth, I could actually see this happening, it was so well plotted. Armintrout covered just about every angle, even acknowledging the ones that were beyond explanation. I loved this precise detail to building the idea of being trapped and I thought the action and mystery of the novel played out perfectly given the small setting that was available. The atmosphere is definitely a key part to this novel. The feeling of unease and distrust set the almost Salem-like tone of the novel. Any sign of difference being reason enough to murder a person. This made for tense reading with a distinct horror vibe that I loved.
By the end of the novel I was still sort of at a stand still as to how I felt about it. It's an interesting take of the supernatural, especially on vampires and demons. I don't think anyone will be able to argue that the voice of Graf wasn't unique for a vampire or believable. Nor, that whole novel wasn't unique for that matter. But, the culprit behind the horror was a bit predictable after you got halfway through the story and the abrupt ending was a let down. There's not exactly room for a follow up novel though, or at least if one is written I have no idea what would be involved. Which was sort of strange given the monumental shift which I won't go into.
So, when it comes down to it, this was an okay novel. The premise is definitely one that will draw in the readers and keep them interested, but the characters lack any true emotions, their antagonism far beyond what is necessary. I recommend this more for horror fans then paranormal romance lovers to be sure.
December 29, 2021
I wanted to read something undemanding while traveling, and I thought a trashy vampire romance would fit the bill. This turned out to be both more and less than that descriptor. If we could give half stars on Goodreads, I'd rate it probably 2.5. I couldn't in good faith go all the way to three stars.
It's written in the style of a paranormal romance, but it doesn't succeed on those terms. Both protagonists, especially the male lead, are really unlikeable, which is a serious problem for this genre. Also, nothing about it is particularly romantic or sexy. No swooning here. If you want to swoon, look elsewhere.
That said, it's really kind of an interesting premise for straightforward horror novel. Viewed through that lens, the lack of likability isn't nearly as big of an issue. There are some good ideas here. Except that it isn't written like a horror novel, so most of the potential for atmospheric creepiness is squandered because the author's focus was on writing breezy dialogue that doesn't quite work.
I could really get into a version of this same story that doubled down on the monster stuff. I'd also like to see more exploration of the class and rural/urban divide issues the author raised but then only dealt with superficially (making the work as a whole come off as a bit snobbish in a way that bothered me even though I am the furthest thing from a country gal that I can imagine).
It's funny that I only picked this up because I wanted to read a romance, but then I ended up wishing it was something else.
It's written in the style of a paranormal romance, but it doesn't succeed on those terms. Both protagonists, especially the male lead, are really unlikeable, which is a serious problem for this genre. Also, nothing about it is particularly romantic or sexy. No swooning here. If you want to swoon, look elsewhere.
That said, it's really kind of an interesting premise for straightforward horror novel. Viewed through that lens, the lack of likability isn't nearly as big of an issue. There are some good ideas here. Except that it isn't written like a horror novel, so most of the potential for atmospheric creepiness is squandered because the author's focus was on writing breezy dialogue that doesn't quite work.
I could really get into a version of this same story that doubled down on the monster stuff. I'd also like to see more exploration of the class and rural/urban divide issues the author raised but then only dealt with superficially (making the work as a whole come off as a bit snobbish in a way that bothered me even though I am the furthest thing from a country gal that I can imagine).
It's funny that I only picked this up because I wanted to read a romance, but then I ended up wishing it was something else.
January 2, 2021
Title: American Vampire
Author: Jennifer Armintrout
Genre: Paranormal (Supernatural; vampires)
Star Rating: 3.5/5
Book description: Graf's stuck in a town where no-one enters. . . and no-one leaves. As a vampire Graf's free to indulge his every dark, dangerous and debauched whim. He was just looking for a good party, until a road-trip detour trapped him in the cursed town of Penance. The eerie community affects Graf in ways he never expected and he soon finds himself going against his very nature to protect town outcast Jessa from a sinister attack. Keeping her safe is a surprising impulse, yet working with the human girl could be Graf's only hope of breaking the spell that binds the town. That is, if he can keep his lethal urges and deadly desires under control.
Review: This is actually the first proper Vampire book I've read and it was definitely not what I expected. At first I was displeased that the Vampires were the kind that actually can't go out in the sun but the storyline was great and I loved Graf so much that I didn't even consider that 'problem' again. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen it didn't and that is what I feel a book should be like.
This definitely got be intrigued in Vampires and will probably read more of it.
Reread: Not for a very long time. Its the kind of book that if you know whats going to happen it'll be boring.
One word to describe the book: Unpredictable
Author: Jennifer Armintrout
Genre: Paranormal (Supernatural; vampires)
Star Rating: 3.5/5
Book description: Graf's stuck in a town where no-one enters. . . and no-one leaves. As a vampire Graf's free to indulge his every dark, dangerous and debauched whim. He was just looking for a good party, until a road-trip detour trapped him in the cursed town of Penance. The eerie community affects Graf in ways he never expected and he soon finds himself going against his very nature to protect town outcast Jessa from a sinister attack. Keeping her safe is a surprising impulse, yet working with the human girl could be Graf's only hope of breaking the spell that binds the town. That is, if he can keep his lethal urges and deadly desires under control.
Review: This is actually the first proper Vampire book I've read and it was definitely not what I expected. At first I was displeased that the Vampires were the kind that actually can't go out in the sun but the storyline was great and I loved Graf so much that I didn't even consider that 'problem' again. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen it didn't and that is what I feel a book should be like.
This definitely got be intrigued in Vampires and will probably read more of it.
Reread: Not for a very long time. Its the kind of book that if you know whats going to happen it'll be boring.
One word to describe the book: Unpredictable
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