RIP Challenge: Book Bonus/Drink, Slay, Love

Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the RIP Challenge again this year, and I have boldly chosen to accept this challenge. I always mean to, and I think I always end up reading the books, but never seem to get around to doing the reviews. Shame, shame!

Title: Drink, Slay, Love

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Copyright: September 2011

Number of Pages: 263 (nook edition)

Reason for Reading: Do you not see that gorgeous cover? And I met Sarah Beth Durst at a convention several years ago, and have read a couple of her other books. She’s an awesome person, and a really good writer.  And did I mention the cover?

Grade: A

In the bare branches, birds twittered as loudly as frat boys at the end of an all-nighter. Not that she needed the birds to tell her about the approach of dawn. Stretching, she yawned. She could feel the coming sunrise. It was time to head home. She turned away from the Dairy Hut– –and saw the unicorn.

The unicorn stood between the dumpsters. At first she thought she was mistaken. Unicorns didn’t exist, which made his presence here unlikely at best. But there was no chance that he was simply an ordinary white horse (which, she quickly realized, would have been an odd addition to the parking lot too). Despite the thick shadows by the dumpsters, he sparkled like a horse-shaped disco ball. his traditional spiral horn beamed like a toy light saber.

Pearl burst out laughing. “Seriously? A unicorn? Please.”

Pearl is a young vampire who enjoys the company of her sexy boyfriend, Jadrien. She also enjoys being a vampire, a creature of the night, and the thrill of the hunt. She does not enjoy unicorns–which aren’t even supposed to exist–particularly when they stake her. Unlike the effects of wooden stakes, which turn vamps to dust, this unicorn staking turned Pearl into an altogether new creature: a vampire who can walk around in the daylight.

None of Pearl’s family believe the unicorn story, but they’re thrilled to take advantage of Pearl’s ability to hunt in the sunlight. The vampire king is coming soon, and Pearl, along with her fellow young vampires, must take the oath of fealty to the king. Pearl’s parents are in charge of the ceremony, and they concoct a plan to provide all the blood necessary and then some.

There are just a few problems, though. Along with her abilities to withstand sunshine and daytime hours, Pearl is developing a conscience. She is also, inexplicably, making friends with humans.

What I liked: Everything. Pearl doesn’t magically turn into sunshine and lollipops happygirl. She’s still herself. And she’s fiercely true to herself throughout the story. I loved the supporting characters, both human and vampire. And I do hope there will be sequels, because I really want to know if the unicorn family’s (because unicorns are NOT mythical) plan succeeded.

Instead of having sparkly vampires, we get sparkly unicorns, and they rock. It’s way, way, way better than the Twilight oeuvre. Give it a go–you’ll be glad you did.