Review: Great start...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 29, 2013
*****SPOILER ALERT*****Atancia, or Atty, has been raised by her Nana. Nana isn't her "real" grandmother, but the woman who has raised her since Atty's mother left when Atty was a baby. She and Nana have a warm and loving relationship, one that Atty depends on. Joining one of her friends for a New Year's Eve party, Atty meets Ben who is in Miami on business for his father. After spending the rest of Atty's college holidays together, Ben flies home to Australia. Plans are made for Ben to return to Miami for Spring Break. Even after finding a cryptic letter from her mother explaining that she has a "talent", she never quite expected what Ben drops on her. She and Ben are both Durand, something similar to vampires but taking energy instead of blood. Atty is special even among the Durand since she can not only take energy from something but she is also able to give energy as well.When Nana falls ill, Atty tries to save her by transferring energy into the elderly woman. Sadly, it does not work. Ben proceeds to fly her to his home in Australia where he and his brothers run a medical clinic. Things go smoothly until Atty is faced with taking energy from a grandmother who is willing to do anything to save her granddaughter. The grandmother does not survive.Matt, Ben's younger brother, has been a great friend to Atty but becomes suspicious after hearing about the "list" Addy has been following at the clinic. Has Addy been fooled? Or worse, is Ben only pretending to love her so he can use her and her "talent"?Atty starts the story as a shy young college student. She's a strong girl, not given to emotional outbursts or tantrums. When she and Ben meet, it seems that all is right in Atty's world. Finding the cryptic letter from her mother makes you wonder what's up.Don't trust anyone you can lie to about the important things in your life, Atty.The only person she can't lie to is Matt. No one under 150 years old can. But that means that his brothers and their father can. You can feel Matt's distress for Atty from the beginning. He is a typical young man taking time off from college after his mother's death, enjoying playing music with his friends and getting to know Atty. Only when Matt starts getting suspicious do you think anything could be wrong in Atty's seemingly perfect relationship with Ben. When Matt explains things to her, your heart breaks for Atty. There is no worse feeling than thinking you are loved but finding out you're being used. Atty's strength shows back up at the end when she determines that it's time to find her mother.Great character building making it a great read for all ages. Slightly suggestive, but in no way racy. Just an all around good read.