Review: The Den by Jennifer Abrahams
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 17, 2013
The Den by Jennifer Abrahams is a novel of succinct wording, best described as short sentences loaded with abrupt instruction and no discernible flow. I expected to be drawn into this vampiric story based on supposed actual events, when in actuality, I was a little let down by the short and sharp prose with little descriptive content.Following Skyla Jane Judge, a restless college student and then waitress, we see her initial journey into the world of the supernatural upon a reading with a psychic. Warned of dangerous men, nefarious ghosts, and a past life that could literally come back to bite her, and we are suddenly in New York City.Enter Alex, a mysterious stranger that Skyla believes harmless and a possible romantic dalliance, and before we know it, having only just met, they are planning a road trip to New Orleans.At this point I'm shaking my head thinking, `you're going to be strangled and dumped on the side of the road by this psycho'. Naturally, after one week of knowing each other, it's like fate has stepped in and Skyla is exactly where she needs to be - in the middle of the French Quarter, surrounded by a strange den of ... others.If all this didn't happen a little fast for you, Skyla is soon chanting around candle light with her new friends, drinking blood, and denying her role in it. Pressed for affection from one of the would-be vampires, and then reminded of a centuries past tie from another, and Skyla's soon running again.What I liked about this novel is the possibilities and the rather odd vampiric/witch ties to this strange assortment of individuals. I enjoyed reading about their hunt, and was curious upon Skyla's initial Tarot reading. Unfortunately, with an over-paced plot with limited explanation and then quicker resolve sliding to indifference, and I was left with a million question marks without clear parameters as to where the plot would head in the hands of a flighty, inconsistent protagonist.Two out of five fangs - not terrible, but not stirring, either.