Young Adult Novel by Susan Hubbard
It seems are rare thing nowadays to
read a young adult vampire novel that has elegance and refinement.
This is surely one of those. From the beautiful sensual descriptions
of the house, and the seasons, to the interesting quirky little
mentions of things like synaesthesia, and her mother's liking for
blue and the letter S, this novel paints a gorgeous picture.
It was very easy for me to identify
with the main character who, like me, was homeschooled for the first
part of her life, and was very naïve, bookish and unaware of the
darkness in the world. I love that she was so sheltered both despite
and because of her heritage. Couple that naivety with an unusual
intelligence and the character was far from the usual teen narrator,
much more fascinating and likeable.
There were a few moments that jarred
for me, such as the offhand mention of anorexia and the monkey
(intelligent monkeys as pets seems wrong to me), but most of it was
beautifully written, and a pleasure to read.
I enjoyed the mild references to
alternative culture, such as role playing, Joy Division's Dead
Souls and all the music in the jukebox being Nine Inch Nails or
Johnny Cash. I loved the way the character tried to work out her
identity from all the books and philosophy she read, and the tales of
her mother's beautiful blue themed picnic. It sounds like one of the
most perfect picnics one could ever think of!
It did end a little abruptly, but most
of the first books in YA series usually do, and I can't wait to pick
up the second one from the bookshop to find out what happens next.
There was a refreshing lack of romance in the story, no girl torn
between two boys. It was really about the character's own
transformation, both physical and spiritual.
The author created her own vampire
mythos, picking and choosing from the already existing ideas, and
adding some of her own ideas. The organisation of vampire society in
this was very interesting, and I hope to learn more in the next book.
This book was entirely engrossing and
very hard to put down. In some ways, it reminded me of Anne Rice's
early Vampire Chronicles novels, with its examination of good and
evil, and sensual storytelling (sensual as in descriptions using the
senses). I look forward very much to reading the next one in this
series, and would recommend it to any seeking a more intellectual
young adult vampire novel.
An example of the beautiful
descriptions in the book:
“She especially liked my bedside
lamp, which had a five-sided porcelain shade. Unlit, the shade seemed
like bumpy ivory. Lit, each panel came to life with the image of a
bird: a blue jay, a cardinal, wrens, an oriole, and a dove. Kathleen
turned it off and on again, several times. "How does it do
that?"
"The panels are called lithophanes." I knew because I'd asked my father about the lamp, years ago. "The porcelain is carved and painted. You can see it if you look inside the shade."
"No," she said. "It's magic. I don't want to know how it's done.”
― Susan Hubbard, The Society of S
"The panels are called lithophanes." I knew because I'd asked my father about the lamp, years ago. "The porcelain is carved and painted. You can see it if you look inside the shade."
"No," she said. "It's magic. I don't want to know how it's done.”
― Susan Hubbard, The Society of S
“After we became a couple, she
composed our time together. She planned days as if they were artistic
events. One afternoon we went to Tybee Island for a picnic; we ate
blueberries and drank champagne tinted with curacao and listened to
Miles Davis, and when I asked the name of her perfume, she said it
was L'Heure Bleue.
She talked about 'perfect moments.' One such moment happened that afternoon; she'd been napping; I lay next to her, reading. She said, 'I'll always remember the sounds of the sea and of pages turning, and the smell of L'Heure Bleue. For me they signify love.”
― Susan Hubbard, The Society of S
My review on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/540037379
She talked about 'perfect moments.' One such moment happened that afternoon; she'd been napping; I lay next to her, reading. She said, 'I'll always remember the sounds of the sea and of pages turning, and the smell of L'Heure Bleue. For me they signify love.”
― Susan Hubbard, The Society of S
My review on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/540037379
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