Blood Drunk: Faded Blue by Angela Lovell*New Review
Ticking Boxes, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1466308282
Available: New
Blood Drunk: Faded Blue is the first in a new YA vampire series from writer Angela Lovell. It tells the story of ‘Blue’ Knightly, a young man from the South who has to travel to New York to identify the body of his younger sister. Lacy – a bit of a wild child – has been missing for six weeks, and a (disfigured) body has been discovered that seems to match her description. However, though the dead girl has the same hair and tattoos as his sister, Blue finds enough to persuade him that it is not, in fact, Lacy. Convinced that his sister is alive, Blue decides to search for her himself, and soon meets with an oddly compelling woman (and her pet alligator) who promises to lead him to Lacy. It’s not long before Blue is dragged into the sinister world of the vampires who live below the streets of New York.
Unlike a lot of recent YA vampire fiction, Blood Drunk is not a paranormal romance. There is plenty of sexual attraction and fascination between vampires and humans, but this is definitely not a love story. The book begins with quite a horrible murder, and the violence and selfishness of vampires is evident throughout the story. Additionally, though third person, the book is told from the perspective of the male protagonist. I found this to be a particular strength, as Lovell’s hero is compelling and believable (which is not always the case in YA fiction). I particularly enjoyed the way Blue is forced to confront his own prejudices (how to react to gay and ‘metrosexual’ characters) through the haze of the ‘blood drunk’ vampiric world.
Another strength of the book is Lovell’s slightly off-beat writing style. Told in present tense, and often focusing on dialogue and action, rather than description, Blood Drunk feels ‘fresh’ and is very readable. One criticism, however, would be that rather a lot of plot is crammed into the final chapter – after a very even pace in the rest of the book – and I suspect this is to set up the rest of the series. This doesn’t detract hugely from the overall quality of the novel though, and did make me want to read the next installment.
Overall, I recommend Blood Drunk as a good take on the YA vampire genre that avoids many of the clichés. It will appeal to teen fans of vampire fiction, but also adult readers who enjoy YA.
Contains: some violence and reference to sexual behavior (not explicit)
Reviewed by: Hannah Kate