Monday, August 19, 2024

Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

 

It's 1995. A teenage girl named Kerry goes to the 24 Hour Laundromat to get her younger brother's stuffed koala bear, only to find herself in the middle of a dangerous situation: a group of adults are holding a teenage boy hostage, claiming that he's a vampire. The plan seems to be to kill him-- right in front of her. After she ends up getting held hostage, too, Kerry takes advantage of a moment's lull to free the boy.

She thinks that he's innocent, like her. But she's wrong.

The result is a road trip of the night, where she's forced to play Scheherazade to a vampire's twisted plans for revenge... or die.

COMPANIONS OF THE NIGHT is one of my favorite vampire books of all time. The writing style reminds me of L.J. Smith's, and even though it takes place over only a couple of days and is a very short book (a novella, really), it feels cinematic. You read it, thinking that it would make a great, campy 80s style movie with a rock soundtrack.

I know it's YA but it's good YA, with complex themes about mortality, morality, and some of the best banter I've ever seen. Everyone who loves vampires should read this.

4.5 out of 5 stars

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