Kristen's Reading Nook

(I'm writing this review for an audiobook assignment for one of my grad classes.)

Tana lives in a time that doesn't seem to far from our own; in a time where vampires are no longer a myth, but a very dangerous threat to our society. Our government has established guarded cities to contain these vampires in, called Coldtowns, that still connect to the outside world through live feeds, blog posts, and news stories from those who live within (human and vampire alike). After recently attending a local "Sundown Party", Tana wakes to find that she is one of two survivors of a recent vampire attack. Now she is on the run with her recently infected ex-boyfriend, Aiden, and mysterious boy with secrets of his own, Gavriel, trying to make it to a cold town before Aiden is fully changed. 

This story is a very interesting take on the popular subject. I felt the book was well written, dark, and a bit snarky with a very unique take needed for the overdone subject of vampires. Tana is a easy character to root for from the very beginning, with a determination to do what is right while trying to save her humanity. The story balances plot and characterization very well. The story has twists, revelations, and danger at every turn, while included a diverse set of character relations from gay, straight, bi, and transgendered. In the audiobook, Lakin does a fabulous job with voice reflection and assigning voices for different characters. It was very easy for the listener to distinguish mental from spoke conversation throughout the audiobook. The occasional background music added to the drama and context for different scenes. I would recommend this book to the vampire enthusiast, and those who like action packed horror novels. 

I downloaded this audiobook straight from iTunes. The original download on my phone, ended up not downloading properly, but ended up downloading on my computer faster and correctly. The sound quality was of professional grade.  The audiobook was found under the teen audiobook section in iTunes, and I think that is appropriately labeled according to the book topic and writing style of the author. I really enjoyed the Christine Lakin reading the audiobook, and would listen to another audiobook if she was the reader.