Review: Slayed

Slayed

By Amanda Marrone

Publication date: October 5, 2010

My review:

Daphne Van Helsing has never had a normal home life. As the daughter of two vampire slayers, she grew up learning how to kill vampires while other girls were playing with dolls and going to slumber parties. Now seventeen, Daphne longs to be a regular teen worrying about things like having a boyfriend and going to prom instead of tracking vampire infestations. When her family arrives at their latest job they are surprised to cross paths with Nathan Harker and his son Tyler, another vampire slaying family. Nathan has a messy history with the Van Helsings and her parents warn Daphne to avoid Tyler at all costs. Add in a washed up child star turned vampire slayer wannabe and Daphne has her hands full. But the vampires prove difficult to kill and it appears that in order to defeat an unexpected evil, the Van Helsings and Harkers will have to work together.

Slayed is a mix of horror and humor that pokes fun at common vampire lore. One of my favorite characters in the book is Kiki, a wealthy former child star who decides she wants to hunt vampires too. She adds much needed comedy to the story. Tyler is my favorite character and a good love interest for Daphne. I liked the way he challenged her to think for herself instead of just going along with everything her parents told her. Daphne comes across as being alternately tough and insecure due to her difficult childhood and lack of a normal home life. I did not really care for Daphne’s parents, especially her mother, because they didn’t seem to think about Daphne’s safety and I didn’t like Mr. Harker who was just really creepy even with his painful past. Actually all the parents in this book are portrayed in a negative way which bothered me although it isn’t unusual for YA fiction in general.

I liked the humor, the romance, and the main characters and the fact that this appears to be a stand alone novel rather than a trilogy however the ending left me feeling a little disappointed because it wrapped up so quickly. Still, I enjoyed the journey and the snarky humor and likeable main characters make up for the lack of a strong resolution. While it is not as good as the Mortal Instruments series or as gritty as Strange Angels and Devil's Kiss it did remind me of those books because of the sense of humor (Mortal Instruments) and the mix of paranormal creatures. I think that Slayed would appeal to paranormal fans who are tired of vampire romance and want something a little different and to those who miss Buffy.

Readalikes: Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow, The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Thanks to Star Book Tours for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!