I know what you’re thinking. ‘Really? Another vampire book?’ But hear me out. The title and summary is a bit misleading because vamps are not romanticized at all here. So, yes, it is another vampire book, but the vamps are definitely the bad guys in this one. Well… somewhat, but I don’t want to give anything away. Just check out this summary.
Amy is in love with someone who doesn’t exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.
If you’ve ever loved a world or character(s) in a certain book, you’ve been in the same place Amy is. You wish the world or character was real, or that you could live in the book. This idea has been done before, of course, especially in movies (The Purple Rose of Cairo, The Last Action Hero, The Pagemaster, The Jane Eyre Affair, tons of fanfiction, etc.), but it’s fascinating enough that I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the idea.
I love the idea of parallel worlds. This is probably why I watch a lot of science fiction shows, especially ones that center around this idea. (Anyone remember Sliders with cutie Jerry O’Connell?) I also love the idea of characters and worlds from books coming to life. Who hasn’t wished for a letter from Hogwarts? Or wondered what The Capital looks like in The Hunger Games?
In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting much from this book. I loved the idea behind it, but I was thinking along the lines of “another vampire book?” when I read the summary. But I will be the first one to tell you that I enjoyed The Vampire Stalker. That’s right, misleading title and all, I liked it.
Let’s start with the characters. Amy is your typical teenage girl who is obsessed with a character in a book. I found her very likable and realistic. Alexander is a gentleman, through and through, especially when it comes to his treatment of Amy. His phrasing really appealed to my Jane Austen side. I even wrote down one of his lines, I liked it so much. And I loved reading their interactions. There was actual character development! Amy and Alexander have real conversations with each other without Insta-Love. Breath of fresh air, guys!
Also, there’s a plot beyond ‘book character comes to new world’. I know! I wasn’t expecting that either. It all neatly wraps up at the end for one of the few stand-alone young adult books I’ve read this year.
So, if you want something a bit different than those insta-love books publishers seem to be shoving down our throats or want to read a cute stand-alone, pick this book up. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks to Around the World ARC Tours for allowing me to read this book before its publication date.