In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.”Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of “them.” The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked–and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend–a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what–and who–is worth dying for.
-From Goodreads
I had heard such great things about this book, so when I found it in my local library I was so excited to begin reading it. From the first sentence I was hooked: “They hung the Unregistereds in the old warehouse district; it was a public execution, so everyone went to see.”
It immediately left questions in my head: who were the Unregistereds and what had they done to deserve this cruel treatment?
I loved the idea of splitting the book up in to different parts; segments of Allie’s life. In the first part we see Allie struggling to survive in the Fringe, and, throughout the book this is a theme: Allie struggling to survive, Allie coming to terms with her new vampire powers, Allie trying to fight against her urge to satisfy the Hunger within her. There were always new challenges to work through. Once one was solved, another one came about.
Julie Kagawa has created a whole universe where the characters are so carefully created and thought out. The main character, Allie, has to face a number of problems and you really empathise with her. It made me wonder how I would cope in such a situation. She was tough, but she also had her flaws, as every great character should have: not everyone is perfect.
I was a bit wary to meet Zeke; the past few books I had read featured such good love interests that my expectations were very high. But, as with the rest of the book, I wasn’t disappointed. The only problem is, my expectations will be higher for all the other books I will read in the future!
There are so many different vampire books written today, but this was a really refreshing opinion. Not every vampire is friendly, surely! Allie has to fight against all her instincts. She can’t live without human blood, but does that mean she has to kill people?
I can’t wait until the next book in this series comes out but I can’t believe I have to wait until 2013! What torture!
MY RATING: 5/5
4 Comments
Clover
6 September, 2012 at 9:56 amI really wasn’t sure about this book at all. I was feeling a bit weary of vampire books but Julie Kagawa is fantastic and I will always read anything she writes! This is definitely one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year!
Lucy
10 September, 2012 at 4:32 pmI agree! <3
Sydney
10 September, 2012 at 10:54 amI actually hate the cover, but the book sounds stunning! I think Julie Kagawa may be able to turn this vampire genre on its head.
Lucy
10 September, 2012 at 4:33 pmI didn’t get the cover at first but, once I understood it, I really loved it!
I think so too! It’s such a clever idea! <3